Many Adults Misuse ADHD Drugs to Boost Energy Level, Enhance Cognition

Survey shows that anywhere between 5 and 35 percent of adults taking ADHD drugs are using for lifestyle purposes. It has a high potential for abuse and addiction.

Prescription drugs like Ritalin, Daytrana, Concerta and Adderall are amphetamines that help people with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Adults who do not have ADHD use these drugs for lifestyle purposes to tackle everyday challenges, like a boost of energy or give them edge at work.

Amphetamines help people with ADHD to improve their memory, focus and control by affecting brain’s neurotransmitters.

ADHD Treatment Lowers the Chances of Criminality
ADHD is quite common among children; if untested it can result in various health hazards. Adequate treatment is essential to fight the disorder and avoid indulging in any criminal act.

A new study published in the Lancet points out that millions of adults might be taking ADHD drugs to enhance concentration, motivation, attention, and appetite control. In the long term, researchers caution that little data is “available for the long-term application of these drugs” as cognitive enhancers.

Survey shows that anywhere between 5 and 35 percent of adults taking ADHD drugs are using for lifestyle purposes. There are more studies that demonstrate the safety of these drugs for people with attention deficit. There are no comparable studies that examine the effects of ADHD drugs on healthy adults. But these drugs have a high potential for abuse and addiction when taken who do not need the drug to treat symptoms.

Still, many adults take ADHD medications than people who are actually diagnosed with ADHD. The study’s authors say that more research is needed on the health and safety of non-ADHD adults taking these medications. They recognize that current regulations promote research on prescription use to treat a condition.

Should Young ADHD Children be Medicated?
Children with ADHD who start medications early are likely to perform better academically, says study.

The researchers hope to study about the impact of ADHD medications on neurotypical brains, on the usage and by whom and why.

One Half of ADHD Children Missed Behavioral Therapy in US in 2010-11: CDC Study
The CDC provides a snapshot into how ADHD was treated just before the release of the clinical guidelines for treatment of the disease from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Source-Medindia

Drugs for ADHD Will Now Come With Suicide Risk Warnings in Canada
Though there is little evidence to establish that these drugs cause suicidal thoughts and behaviors, it's a distinct possibility they may contribute to the risk.