UBCStudent128 Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Just wondering if anyone at UBC takes them.. If they do, where do you guys get it? I mean for a prescription drug, it's pretty damn hard to get. Seriously, It'd be so much easier to get cocaine/ecstacy or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvaughan Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Are you serious right now? If anyone needs to take ridalin/adderol to study and do well in med school then they are not intelligent enough to be there in the first place. Not only should you not take prescription drugs like that unless you are clinically diagnosed with an illness requiring them, you should be able to manage your time properly and have good enough study habits to make it through anyways. #nuffsaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Second Daniel Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Are you serious right now? If anyone needs to take ridalin/adderol to study and do well in med school then they are not intelligent enough to be there in the first place. Not only should you not take prescription drugs like that unless you are clinically diagnosed with an illness requiring them, you should be able to manage your time properly and have good enough study habits to make it through anyways. #nuffsaid You're living in a fantasy world which is overshadowed by the reality of students who do in fact take it. Read up on previous threads, there's lots of abusers who use it to get in. Adcoms should develop drug screening tests... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 You're living in a fantasy world which is overshadowed by the reality of students who do in fact take it. Read up on previous threads, there's lots of abusers who use it to get in. Adcoms should develop drug screening tests... Please get off your moral high horse. Why not conduct lie detector testing as well? Or heck, torture testing? Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmyLou Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 While I don't necessarily consider taking attention drugs cheating, I agree it's not a good idea. As someone who wants to be a doctor, how can you justify taking medication you don't need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBCStudent128 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 I find myself easily distracted while studying. My studying environment has nothing to do with it, I just get lost in track of thoughts at the slightest disturbance. Figured trying the medicine once won't do harm. Wanted to see how much it'll benefit me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zunik Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 People seem to be forgetting that caffeine is a drug Some people go to the extent of taking caffeine pills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 People seem to be forgetting that caffeine is a drug Some people go to the extent of taking caffeine pills. This is very true, and I have to say in defense of caffeine pills, if you're having trouble with drinking too much coffee it's a very good way to keep your dosage in check. At least you can figure out how much you're taking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leodw12 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Green tea is the best in my opinion. The caffeine content is moderate, but it really keeps me going. Not to mention all the antioxidants that keep you healthy and increase your metabolism (i.e. weight loss!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspiring-curmudgeon Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I know tons of undergrads and med students who take these drugs. It has nothing to do with time management, as some of you may think. The people I know are extremely organized, efficient people. It's just that the drug helps them achieve a lot more than they would have without it. Why waste 4 hours memorizing your med lectures when you can do it in 2? Use the extra time for something else (work, exercise, friends). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 People seem to be forgetting that caffeine is a drug Some people go to the extent of taking caffeine pills. One large exception: caffiene isnt a scheduled drug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmyLou Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Yes, caffeine is definitely a drug, but the difference is you don't need a prescription to take it. OP, I totally understand your trouble concentrating, but I would highly suggest going to see your doctor if none of the other suggestions (e.g. green tea) seem to work for you. Your doctor can possibly give you a prescription of your own (if he/she deems it necessary), which would be a much better (not to mention legal) idea than taking prescription drugs that have not been assigned to you. I also agree with the comments that people who take Adderall/Ritalin are not by definition lacking intelligence or abilities (whether they need the medication or not). It's easy to make outside judgments, but truthfully many of these people are extremely bright and very organized on their own, and just use these drugs to amplify those strengths. But that doesn't justify taking them if they have not been prescribed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmyLou Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I do understand too that some people easily walk away from a doctor's office with a prescription for Adderall/Ritalin when they don't need one. That is another story altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurepediatric Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I don't think anyone's answered OPs question directly Anyways, I think you'd have to have connections from someone who does have it prescribed or someone who just has them for whatever reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zainy1993 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 My sixth sense is telling me that muse87 is going to join this thread. Come on muse87, the ritalin side is losing we need your help pronto! I tried telling a doctor, that I couldn't focus for long periods of time without taking a break. I got kicked out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurepediatric Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 My sixth sense is telling me that muse87 is going to join this thread. Come on muse87, the ritalin side is losing we need your help pronto! I tried telling a doctor, that I couldn't focus for long periods of time without taking a break. I got kicked out... Hahahah seriously? Was he/she mad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmyLou Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I just find it a little unsettling that so many aspiring doctors advocate taking prescription drugs without a prescription. Doctors are supposed to uphold a higher standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zainy1993 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hahahah seriously? Was he/she mad? He wasn't mad, he just wasn't taking it seriously. He told me right from the start that I should go see the counsellors at my university to help overcome my "problem". I tried telling him that I had a serious problem and I would need some medicine to fix it. He's like "nonono" and kept insisting that I should see a counsellor. Either he was super smart and had met a lot of people with the same symptoms and he knew I was faking it and just trying to get a prescription for ritalin, or he was really dumb and had no idea what I was talking about. Personally to me seemed like the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notmeadoc Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 I know several physicians and surgeons right here in the Lower Mainland who take Adderall/Ritalin. One who has ADD, one who is not sure but has found that she functions better taking 15mg of Adderall on the days that she runs a clinic. I know a surgeon who takes 20mg long-acting Ritalin, but doesn't take it on the day that he operates because it makes his tremor bad. He doesn't need it in the OR. In my time as an undergrad I have worked as a peer counsellor and have spoken to quite a few undergrads(who are good students) who are on the above medications. I don't think that the use is rampant, but I would definitely say that it's naive to assume that it's not present. My closest academic friend takes a medication for ADD. She was diagnosed as a teenager and is an upcoming applicant with a 94% overall GPA and outstanding EC's. I've seen her off of her meds - she does need to take them. She doesn't take them everyday, and she actually adjusts her dosage depending on what she's doing(she takes Adderall and takes anywhere between 5 and 25mg OD). For the most part however, she wishes that she didn't have to take it. It can make her jittery, suppress her appetite, and raise her resting HR which she doesn't like. She always questions saying "I wonder if I should take anything today". She always considers whether or not it's necessary. She usually doesn't take it on weekends, and never takes it post exams or during a summer break. Some ******* in my o.chem class tried taking it - and was a loud mouth about it. It didn't work. His organization in lab was atrocious and he just seemed anxious and unsure. He failed. If you think that you have ADD, get a referral to a psychiatrist and be properly diagnosed and properly monitored if you're put on medications. Don't take another person's meds and don't purchase meds - you don't know what you're getting, and what you're doing is illegal. It's not worth it. If your doctor doesn't give you response that you feel is supportive or appropriate ask for a referral to someone who specializes in ADD. Years ago Gabor Mate used to function as a doc who specialized in this - but he's on to 'different' things. Certain psychiatrists have a sub-interest in managing ADD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBCStudent128 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 He wasn't mad, he just wasn't taking it seriously. He told me right from the start that I should go see the counsellors at my university to help overcome my "problem". I tried telling him that I had a serious problem and I would need some medicine to fix it. He's like "nonono" and kept insisting that I should see a counsellor. Either he was super smart and had met a lot of people with the same symptoms and he knew I was faking it and just trying to get a prescription for ritalin, or he was really dumb and had no idea what I was talking about. Personally to me seemed like the latter. Hmm I wanted to try that but guess that won't do.. Also I don't want to go see a psychiatrist.... Obviously I'm not going to buy some pills from sketchy looking druggie. And clearly if the medication wasn't helping me, I would stop taking them. I wasn't trying to start another debate over the ethics. I just wanted to know how everyone got theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmyLou Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 By having a prescription, hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Here's the straight answer, ADD, a heterogeneous set of personality and cognitive traits, which interact with every other essence of your being (your personal beliefs, how often you exercise, literally everything) is a nebulous diagnoses (unless you're one of the handful that has had qEEG, which I doubt), being diagnosed with it doesn't really mean anything. people it benefits with the more traditional ADD personalities especially will tend to have paradoxical reactions to it (i get really calm and my thoughts slow down instead of feeling wired at rather high doses). on the other hand, i think medicine has to transcend simply "curing the ill", people have a right to enhance their conciousness so long as they understand the risks they're undertaking; anyone who sais that taking amphetamine will not help you learn better and stay up for inane ammounts of time is lying to you, you're taking speed, almost every aspect of your cognitive faculties in 80-90 percent of users is improved. on the other hand, while i think substances such as adderall should be available to the general public, i think they should be available under the supervision of a physician or other health professional, as say pain medication is, otherwise you may have someone go into the nutritional food store, get a natural maoi (here you're worried about mao- and go crazy tachycardic with heart palpatations with the potential for cerebrovascular, plus a million other problems etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 that's because no one gets add, try reading delivered from distraction by hallowell and ratey; i never had problems getting straight a's or managing a million things, but i'd procrastinate constantly, my whole life would be a juggling act, i never knew where my things were, you often forget to get back to your main point, you may find you interupt people a lot, not to be rude, but because you'll zone out, have a stroke of insight, and not want to forget it, and if people don't know you, they find it offensive. you also fall behind on bills, are late all the time, cant keep a schedule, may take an hour to write one out, but lose it an hour later because you start a random interesting convo with someone at the coffeeshop. also, dealing with add in the end gives you a huge advantage, most of the treatment is non-medication based, it's very much coaching and self improvement... i guarantee i have one of the most organized living spaces of anyone on this sight, you learn to keep things simple with regards to organization, so that everything is ergonomically designed to fit your cognitive framework in the most ergonomic way, from automatic bill payments, to a diagram of all the storage areas in your house (Filing Cabinet 1, Recording Equiptment Area) with a list of what is in every area, with things you use daily boxed in certain colors, more rare things in other colors... you have your stuff for the morning in the same place everyday, you throw away all the superfluous junk in your house and only have what you actually use. I could go on forever, I'm not even sure if I have ADD technically anymore, i guess im rather chill, but going through my house you'd think I had OCD personality tendencies. My sixth sense is telling me that muse87 is going to join this thread. Come on muse87, the ritalin side is losing we need your help pronto! I tried telling a doctor, that I couldn't focus for long periods of time without taking a break. I got kicked out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Who's to say who needs a prescription for what, especially when it comes to psych meds, would we be having this chat if the person was trying to score some Abilify... probably not. Like my uncle has a prescription for ativan, he doesn't have an anxiety disorder, just a stressful job, and sometimes he wants to chill and relax... you'd be suprised if you knew how many seniors were walking around popping benzos because in their generation benzos were lifestyle drugs, before profitable SSRI's came around. I do understand too that some people easily walk away from a doctor's office with a prescription for Adderall/Ritalin when they don't need one. That is another story altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakoulias Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Sounds like "academic doping" if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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