Some names have been changed to protect students’ privacy.

A college student sits in their dorm, unable to focus on the countless upcoming exams that flood their schedule. The recent loss of their grandmother amplified their academic stress, a tragedy that left them vulnerable and paralyzed with emotions. Met with the unfortunate reality that exam season doesn’t simply pause when a loved one passes, they decide to confide in their friends for help. Their friends, however, don’t offer support — instead, they hand the student a small blue tablet marked “AD 10.” The student had never taken any type of drug before, but after hesitating, they ultimately accept the blue pill, seeking a way out of their hard times. 

This anonymous student later shared their story with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Their story reflects a larger reality of extreme academic stress — stress so intense that students feel like their only option is turning to “study drugs” like Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine and Vyvanse. Prescription stimulants like these improve focus and energy, two essential elements for effective studying. 

Approximately 75% of high school students and 94% of college students report feeling constant stress from schoolwork. Students often face academic pressures, on top of personal struggles, causing some to misuse prescription study drugs. 

Study drugs are Schedule II substances, the same classification as cocaine and heroin, meaning they have high potential for misuse and overdependence. It is illegal to possess and distribute these drugs without a prescription, which the FDA has approved only for treating certain medical conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy. About 20% of college students and one in four high school students say they abused these study drugs in the past year.

For the anonymous college student, what began as a quick way to power through finals soon spiraled into something far more destructive. The drug’s effects transformed from huge focus and performance boosts to overwhelming dependence, which the student said reduced them to a “wired zombie.” After getting their own prescription, the student began selling Adderall. A while later, an undercover police officer arrested them for selling it, which cost them their full-ride scholarship and thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Prescription stimulant abuse has widespread health effects in the short and long term. In the short term, study drug misuse increases heart rate, causes feverish symptoms and reduces sleep and appetite. In the long term, such effects can lead to cardiac complications, seizures and psychosis. 

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health professor Ramin Mojtabai said Adderall misuse can lead to other serious health risks like strokes and depression.

“In college, especially, these drugs are used as study-aid medication to help students stay up all night and cram,” Mojtabai said. “A sizable proportion of those who use them believe these medications make them smarter and more capable of studying.”

Doctors prescribe study drugs to people with neurological disorders like ADHD and narcolepsy to ease the disorders’ effects and improve their ability to focus. Without prescriptions, these individuals often struggle with daily tasks like studying.

Whitman student Addison has ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Her doctor prescribed Adderall when she was 13, and she said it’s significantly improved her ability to stay focused in school and in everyday activities. 

“People don’t understand how hard it is to try to focus when your body literally fights it, but Adderall suppresses that and helps me get in the zone,” Addison said. “If it weren’t for Adderall, I wouldn’t be able to take the classes I am in right now, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to get through the seven-hour school day.”

Frequent drug use, whether prescribed or abused, can cause individuals to build a significant tolerance and develop a drug dependence, meaning the drug can no longer achieve the same results. Medically detoxing from drug use may lead to withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, unhappiness, insomnia and impaired mental and physical activity. 

Whitman student John once struggled with Adderall misuse and went to counseling to help with his withdrawal symptoms, which included trouble focusing.

“The drawbacks were terrible,” John said. “I remember having the hardest time studying or doing homework after getting off. I basically made it way worse than it already was because I had one hard week of exams.”

Although it’s illegal to possess and distribute Adderall without a prescription, most individuals who use Adderall for non-medical reasons obtain it from family and friends. John alleged that it’s also possible for students to imitate symptoms of ADHD to obtain an official prescription.

“It’s impossible to know for a doctor if a person is faking or not,” John said. “It’s a real problem with no real way to fix it.”

John said he thought that most students aren’t intentionally abusing study drugs. Rather, they feel inclined to use them because of the surrounding academic competition. One study found that academic enhancement is the primary use of study drugs among college students. Competitive academic landscapes can lead individuals to abuse study drugs, even if students intend for them to only help in the short term. Mojtabai said people need to realize the disadvantages outweigh any short-term benefits. 

“The growing problem is among young adults,” Mojtabai said. “We need to educate this group that there could be serious adverse effects from taking these drugs.”