Final summer exams, even if over in most of the U.S. and U.K., are still going on through out Europe. Even for those who finished that trying time of the school year, the simple memory is quite a nuisance.
AD/HD, a little pun
But it seems that some students found out a way to focus better: special nero-medication used with people with the ADHD disorder, usually children. These drugs help focus, motivate and fight that impulse to skip reading and go out or maybe browse the net “just a little while”. It might surprise some of you that fully grown 20+ year-old people would chose this way to get through that stressful period of one-two maybe three weeks, but it seems it is not that uncommon anymore and some actually voice this habit openly.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD or ADHD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder. It is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children affecting about 3 to 5% of children globally with symptoms starting before seven years of age. As any Psychology student can tell you, it is not uncommon for children to be a little over-active and not pay attention a long time (or at least not without some motivation from the parent/teacher). However, when this happens all the time and at a high magnitude, one can talk about a disorder.
Though previously regarded as a childhood diagnosis, ADHD can continue throughout adulthood. Four percent of American adults are estimated to live with ADHD. ADHD management usually involves some combination of medications, behavior modifications, life-style changes and counseling.
Needless to say, medication for AHDH is not that hard to find. Two of the drugs used by students to help during exams ( though these are not meant for people who do not suffer from ADHD or have attention focusing problems) are: Adderall and Ritalin. Stimulants used to treat ADHD raise the extracellular concentrations of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine which causes an increase in neurotransmission. In simple words, in makes you think a bit faster and keep focus on one single task.
A video article on WKYC refers to this issue: “It’s the American way of people wanting a quick fix for an issue that is not a quick fix,“ said pediatric neurologist Dr. Max Wiznitzer. “There is going to be a subgroup where it clearly does give them a better energy, a bit more focus to get things done in a more efficient manner. But it’s not a substitute for learning the right skills.“
This is no joke actually nor a normal or healthy way to “boost” yourself during exams. A government study issued to the FDA shows 25 sudden deaths between 1999 and 2003 among people taking the stimulants.
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