Alice Alcorani, Eline Couteau and Chloé Richomme
“IQ on prescription”
Abstract
This original Netflix documentary film, directed by Alison Klayman (2018), explores the effects and the evolution of the use of psychostimulants made with amphetamines in the USA, especially Adderall. It focuses on its consumption by college students, workers or athletes who use or used this drug to be the best in their field. Consumers and healthcare professionals speak throughout this documentary.
History of Adderall
Gordon Alles synthesized amphetamines for the first time in 1929. He tested it on himself and noted his observations. He felt a strong well-being, he had palpitations, he spent sleepless nights and noticed his mind was very messy.
Since 1937, we can find articles about abusing amphetamine pills to be better at studies. However, during the 30’s, amphetamines were mostly used to decongest the nose.
During the World War 2, it was used by british and german soldiers to boost their skills. After the war, amphetamines were prescribed as antidepressant, in case of overweight, apathy or painful menstruations.
Amphetamines were then used by many people as jazzmen, writers, celebrities, etc.
During all this time, psychostimulants were easily prescribed by doctors. With the emergence of addictions, people began to worry about amphetamines. That’s why its prescription and consumption became controlled in 1969. In 2017 the consumption of psychostimulants is however superior than in the 60’s…
ADD children
Adderall, which is a psychostimulant based on amphetamine, is currently prescribed to children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). This neurodevelopmental disorder is characterized by a high distractivity and attention/concentration deficit. It leads to difficulties in interpersonal relationships within the family, at school and in friendly or professional environment that can lead to frequent rejections ; a decreased efficiency in all tasks, accompanied by fatigability ; and a difficult schooling in the absence of educational facilities and often an unstable professional future.
Nevertheless, there’s an abusive prescription of Adderall in the USA, with a diagnosis bias. Not so many years ago, doctors tended to prescribe Adderall in order to confirm the ADD diagnosis if the pills created a cognitive benefit. This reasoning is questionable because, as Dr Steve Hinshaw explains, “most everybody who takes a stimulant does focus better and longer”, and not only ADD people. Between 1990 and 2011, the number of children taking psychostimulants increased from 600.000 to 3.5 million.
Extension to students
Adderall is not only used by ADD children. Adults are now the majority of the population taking prescription stimulants. In US colleges, consuming Adderall became something normal. Students are living in a hyper competitive environment and use Adderall to be the best, to boost their concentration and intelligence. “Being brilliant in the skills domains we are interested in”. If the other students are taking pills to be on top, you may feel disadvantaged if it’s not your case. Students are under pressure and always in competition with the others. Dr Wendy Brown uses the term of “human capital value” as a new way to see human being.
Supposed effects of Adderall
If so many people use Adderall it’s because this psychostimulant may give the following positive effects:
- enhanced concentration (people feel more awake and aware)
- enhanced thinking and cognitive processes (even with low doses)
- decreased reaction time
- enhanced memory and decreased forgetfulness
- enhanced pain tolerance
- euphoria
- enhanced catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine)
The cognitive neuroscientist Martha Farah conducted a study on college students without ADD symptoms to confirm the effect of Adderall on their cognitive processes. The study showed no difference between Adderall and a placebo, except an enhanced self-confidence. It means that taking Adderall if you’re healthy can keep you awake and concentrated more longer, but it doesn’t add something new to your cognition, it won’t make you smarter. This feeling of doing better will however indirectly enhance cognition and performances through a better motivation and confidence for the task.
Consuming psychostimulants, but at what cost?
Indeed, specialists (doctors, etc.) have shown that this consumption of psychostimulants (Adderall) was not without negative side effects:
- sleep disruption (so many students consume sleeping pill, but the association of the two molecules causes side negative effects)
- addiction with habituation
- increased metabolism
- attacked liver
- cardiovascular risks
- enhanced risk of alcohol overdose
- psychiatric risks, e.g. OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), psychotic episode, worsening of depression when the pills are stopped
Conclusion
Amphetamines might be efficient for people with ADD but they are inappropriate and harmful for people without any attention difficulties. The excessive consumption of amphetamines in the USA is a real societal issue.
We found that this documentary was really interesting and it raised awareness about psychostimulants, their drawbacks and the absence of cognitive enhancement. To our mind this documentary is accessible to a large public because of two main reasons. On the one hand, thanks to the intervention of various professional (psychologists, psychiatres, neurologues..) who well explain the molecule action, which constitute a scientific background. On the other hand, the testimony of ordinary people consuming Adderall (like students, athletes or employees) brings us a clinical overview of the reasons that can motivate the consumption and lead to a dependance.
Lastly we just wanted to point out that the ADD was not enough explained in this documentary. We consider that it could have been more detailed for a better understanding of the Adderall effects on this disorder. In fact ADD is not well known by everybody.
Professional interviewees
Dr Wendy Brown – Political Theorist – UC Berkeley
Dr Anjan Chatterjee – Chair of neurology – University of Pennsylvania
Dr Martha Farah – Cognitive neuroscientist – University of Pennsylvania
Dr Carl Hart- Chair of psychology- Columbia University
Dr Steve Hinshaw – Psychologist
Dr Keith Conners
Dr Corey Hebert – Pediatrician
Dr James Fadiman – Psychedelic Researcher
Words we have learned/that can be useful : liver (foie); drawbacks (inconvénients); harmful (délétère); sleep disruption (trouble du sommeil); worsening (aggravation); forgetfulness (oubli); schooling (scolarité/éducation)