Contrary to what many college students seem to believe, using stimulant medications like Adderall doesn’t actually improve one’s functioning. With dead week and finals week around the corner, many in Pullman may turn to such medications.

Dr. Victor Schwartz, medical director of the Jed Foundation which promotes mental health on college campuses, said that although students misusing these medications – using prescription stimulants not prescribed to them – are doing so to improve performance, the only real effect the drug is creating is a feeling of being more awake.

Students who tend to illegally use these medications actually tend to have worse GPAs than students who don’t, Schwartz said. About 10 percent of students on college campuses will misuse stimulants not prescribed to them. Schwartz added that these medications are usually acquired by students buying them from one of their friends who have ADHD.

“It’s definitely a significant problem,” Schwartz said.

When somebody consistently abuses these stimulants, he said, stopping may even cause depression in the individual.

Dr. Dennis Garcia, medical director of WSU Health & Wellness Services, said students end up in the hospital every finals week from side effects of taking too many stimulants.

“They end up in the hospital because they thought they were having a heart attack or a panic attack,” Garcia said.

Garcia said students take these medications, hoping to be able to stay awake and focus longer for school. However, they can become anxious, irritable, and suffer from high blood pressure and heart palpitations. He said these side effects actually make it more difficult to focus and get things done.

WSU psychology professor Rebecca Craft said that the misuse of these stimulant medications can even lead to a psychotic episode, particularly if the person has a genetic predisposition.

Craft said using these types of drugs can help some people meet a deadline, but the idea that these drugs will help increase one’s intelligence is false. Getting enough sleep is a much healthier way to focus.

“Sleep is incredible. If you can get a good night’s sleep, that is the number one contributor to being able to do well in school, at work and at everything that you do,” Craft said.

Garcia said that exercise was also very helpful for keeping one’s energy up. He said that even a small amount of activity like running laps around a building or doing a few push-ups can help somebody feel more focused and alert. He added something that helped him to stay on top of things when he was in school: making a schedule.

“Write out a study schedule and try your hardest to stick to it,” Garcia said.

Garcia said even when a student is going to use something legal like caffeine to stay awake, they should use a small amount and know their own body and tolerance so they don’t hurt themselves.