As final exams begin, drug abuse will inevitably occur on college campuses everywhere. Many students actually have disorders that require some of these medications to survive in school, but that in and of itself says something about how difficult college can be. Lots of students that actually obtain the drugs through a doctor and pharmacy still abuse them. Many other students obtain legal drugs without a prescription, with varying levels of abuse and risk of overdose. When it comes to illegal drugs, there are casual users and addicts just like with use of prescription drugs.
Of course, illegal drugs, including marijuana, are not regulated, making it harder to be safe and consistent. We also can't forget that alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are drugs. They may be legal and available in any store without a prescription, but they are still mind altering substances. It's very important to understand what you're putting into your body, so I've put together a bit about three common kinds drugs found on college campuses: 'uppers,' 'downers,' and 'anti-anxiety.' Weed is complicated, and is another article for another week.
1. Uppers/Stimulants
(Caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, etc.)
... are used to speed up the brain and help people focus.
The stimulants that college students tend to use and/or abuse are caffeine and ADHD medicines. There are many different medications available to treat ADHD, but most of us are only familiar with Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, or Concerta, if any at all. These are controlled substances for a reason. Dependency, addiction, and general abuse are very common, especially in college students because the amount of focus given is greater than that of caffeine.
Stimulants, even when in the same drug class, have different neurological effects. Adderall (amphetamine salts) and Ritalin (methylphenidate), for example, are both central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. Both drugs keep dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters linked to ADHD), functioning in the brain, however, Adderall has the added benefit of making the cells pump out more neurotransmitters instead of simply prevents the cells from reabsorbing them.
I've taken all of those except for Ritalin and they all feel different and do different things. Concerta makes me feel awful, Adderall makes me throw up, and Vyvanse works really well, but I take breaks from it between semesters. They do different things for different people, and should be monitored by a doctor.
Caffeine is more than just a drink that helps you focus. Like the most common ADHD medicines, it's a CNS stimulant and should very much be considered a drug. In fact, caffeine is sometimes used in medication, such as Excedrine Migraine.
Overdosing on stimulants is a very real possibility, and they should be used with caution. Nurse Jackie snorts Adderall, but that's a really terrible idea, just take it the way it's made to be taken.
2. Downers/Depressants
(Alcohol, benzos, barbituates, GHB, roofies, tranquilizers, anti-psychotics, sedative-hypnotics, opiods.)
You probably didn't realize that alcohol and sleeping pills are actually considered depressants. Depressants have sedative effects (through the CNS) and some really awful side effects. They are clinically designed to treat sleep problems and disorders, anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures. Withdrawal and overdose from depressants can be fatal. Combining large doses with alcohol and other drugs can cause the heart and breathing to slow down enough to kill you. Date rape drugs such as Rohypnol (roofies) and GHB are downers. Benzos generally have to be taken in larger doses than they are for anxiety to produce these effects.
Anti-psychotics, anti-histamines, and anti-depressants can cause similar effects. I take an anti-psychotic drug called Seroquel (Quetiapine), that, while not listed anywhere as a depressant, feels and acts like one. I've heard of people using it to come down from uppers, but I only take it because I need it. I was on a very high dose for a while and it makes you fall asleep, fast. Just like with alcohol and other depressants, my speech would start to slur, I'd lose coordination, my breathing slowed, and I experienced amnesia. I would eat food right before bed and not remember it at all the next day. Seroquel long term in a high dosage gave me an awful tremor and it made me feel numb all the time. It's been at least three years since I started tapering down and I am still physically dependent on a low dosage for sleep.
Other depressants do other, similar things, but none of them are to be taken lightly.
3. Anti-anxiety
(Tranquilizers / benzodiazepines.)
Anxiety is a normal response to stressful situations, however, many people have various kinds of anxiety disorders, which is when the anxiety is severe enough to interfere with daily life, i.e., when you don't "bounce back." College is a very stressful place. Without the stress of college, I'm not sure if I'd have been clinically diagnosed with anxiety. I do not always bounce back from anxiety, which is--by far--the most evident when school is stressing me out. It's much healthier to deal with anxiety without medication, because benzos can be addictive and have side effects.
Benzos (tranquilizers/benzodiazepines), are the primary drug prescribed for anxiety. Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) are the most common. Although they are all in the same class, they have different effects, so it's important to know the differences and ask questions when talking to your doctor. In low doses they work for anxiety, in higher doses they're used as tranquilizers.
If you need to come down from a panic attack quickly, it is safe to put benzo tablets under your tongue. This is called sublingual drug administration and it hits your bloodstream faster because the drug is able to permeate the membrane under the tongue and go directly into your bloodstream. Fair warning: I can't do it with Klonopin because it gives me "burning mouth," so be careful.
I have personal experience with the first three. Xanex is fast acting and is the most likely to cause mania, so I simply know to avoid that one as someone who has had a manic episode. Klonopin is a great sleep aid in low doses, but over time it causes "brain fog." Valium is my preference because it doesn't give me brain fog or make me fall asleep in low doses. It also works as a muscle relaxer, which is great, because my other medications give me a tremor.
Some anti-depressants are used for anxiety as well.
There are many other types of drugs, but those are the ones that are most relevant to the majority of college students. I personally am prescribed a stimulant, a benzo, an antipsychotic, an atypical antidepressant, and a mood stabilizer. It's taken five years with a medical psychologist to find this particular combination of medication, and it will keep changing as my life progresses.
Whatever you do, please be careful and ask questions before popping pills. Do your research. These medications are serious and are not worth dying for. I highly recommend taking these by prescription only, but I know I can't stop you.
