(Image via cnn.com)
Sports Editor: Tom Dunford
Email: tdunford@umassd.edu
When I learned I had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at the age of 12, I went into a bit of a mental crisis. For three years, I had struggled in classes and social interactions and was told that this struggle was normal.
When I started medication, I immediately felt better.
I’m here to tell you there is no such thing as normal, and taking medication does not make a person weird or different.
ADHD medication can help people, and no one should feel abnormal for taking it.
I never realized how much I needed medication until the recent Adderall shortage. My organizational skills tanked, dazing off was a daily occurrence, and having a conversation seemed like I was taking on the world. My grades were the most affected; starting a new school and new environment without that tool was central to my major slip-up.
Being on medication has changed not only the way I act but the way I think.
Imagine going inside your brain and seeing different versions of you jumping around, not listening to any law and order. Adderall is like a general coming into your brain, creating organization, and getting every piece of yourself down from cloud nine.
I take comfort in the fact that I am not the only one Adderall has helped. It is beneficial to many.
As Webmd.com states, “It can help increase your ability to pay attention, stay focused on an activity, and control behavior problems.”
Some benefits I see with Adderall include being more alert, focused, and overall more motivated.
But medication isn’t crucial for just ADHD. If you are an adult struggling with a mental illness like anxiety or depression, medication is vital as well.
I am someone who suffers from clinical anxiety, and taking Prozac, a form of anti-anxiety medication, has helped me see benefits such as relieving stress, limiting panic attacks, and allowing myself to think clearly. While I don’t take any Antidepressant medication, the benefits physically and neurologically are prevalent for someone who suffers from a form of depression.
According to Crozerhealth.org, when discussing the benefits of antidepressant medication, the article states, “Antidepressants are prescribed to relieve symptoms and reduce the chance that they’ll come back. They help with emotional balance and reduce symptoms like restlessness, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.”
If you suffer from these chronic illnesses, getting on medication could potentially save your life.
It’s also true that medication may not be for you.
Even for me, getting used to Adderall took time. For a while, it felt like I was walking with a shell on my back, and I had trouble talking to my friends due to my lack of energy. Prescribed medication can have many unpleasant side effects.
According to Americanaddictioncenters.org, the effects of Adderall can “Make changes in the structure of the brain and change the way emotions are regulated.”
Matt McLusky, a sophomore and track captain for Gordon College, had a negative experience with Adderall.
“(When) I was on Adderall, I hated everything about it,” said McLusksy. “It affected my physical performance in sports, my relationships with friends and family, and most importantly my education. I was so fixated on perfect, and I felt like I was losing myself.”
He went on to describe how he had begged his parents to take him off and let him go back to his old self. McLusky made it clear that while he supports the idea of trying a prescribed medication, it’s not a bad thing to say it isn’t for you.
Medication is not a magic drug that will make you perfect, but it can help you figure out what you can do to make real change. Medication has helped me become courageous, ambitious, and proud, but that would not have happened if I weren’t willing to try it.
Medication is available to help you. If you think it might be the key to your success, give it a try. It helped me feel like myself, which is even better than feeling “normal.”