Adderall as a study aid?

Finals are approaching and it can be tough to deal with those late night study sessions, but some students have found a little pill known as Adderall to combat concentration problems and fatigue.

Adderall is usually prescribed to to those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, but for some students, the pressures of school has lead them to abuse the drug without much consideration to the health risks.

Jackie Defouw RN, the health educator for the U of M, said,"They think it's the silver bullet."

A 23 year-old graphic design senior, who chose to go by the name "Evee," said she relies on the amphetamine-based pill to stay awake in class and to stay awake during late night study sessions.

Evee said, "This time of year I use it often."

According to a 2007 student survey question about the prevalence of prescription drug abuse, said 18 percent of U of M students have used at least six times in 2006.

Evee takes 5-10 mg tablets of Adderall once a day, but said she ups the dosage when she has to cram or pull all-nighters.

She said,"I take very small amounts, but if I take a lot, I jump from thing to thing, and get a little moody."

That that kind of behavior is what worries Defouw, who said many students are not fully aware of the negative side-effects, such as loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, dry mouth, and even rashes and stomach pains.

"Students who abuse the drug don't know how much to take," Defouw said. "A professional needs to determine dosage."

People who have actually been diagnosed with ADHD and been prescribed Adderall, -have a different opinion about the so called "silver bullet."

Hunter Lang, a freshmen music major, was put on Adderall in fourth grade.

"I hated it," he said.

Before he was prescribed the drug, he said, he was an out-going guy, full of energy and sometimes "off-the-wall," but after-wards he was a completely different person.

"It sucked all the energy away, made me paranoid," he said.

For those diagnosed with ADHD, the reaction to Adderall is drastically different than that of a person who does not have it, but takes the drug anyway.

Evee said, "I think a lot of people use it for the speed aspect."

According to Defouw, Adderall effects the dopamine receptors in the brain which play a large role with hyper-activity and impulse control. For those who actually have ADHD, Adderall better controls those receptors; but for those who do not have ADHD, the drug increases the release of dopamine.

"It adds chemicals into the brain that you may already have enough of," Defouw said.

Instead of using prescription drugs as a study aid, Defouw pushed the importance of a good night's sleep and a healthy diet, both of which cannot happen when taking Adderall.

Kabbalah

Senior Rabbi Micah Greenstein spoke in at the final session of this year's Temple Israel University speaking series. He expounded on the philosophy of Kabbalah to an audience of about 60 at the Temple Israel in Germantown on March 19.
Rabbi Greenstein described Kabbalah as a serious Jewish tradition and not just new age fad. He criticized celebrities such as Madonna and Britney Spears, who have brought Kabbalah to the forefront of popular culture, for trivializing the complex religious practice.
The Kabbalah that features red strings and special bottled water was categorized as 'practical Kabbalah' by the Rabbi Greenstein, which is the type of Kabbalah that celebrities such as Madonna have popularized.
Madonna is such a strong believer that she even has quotes from the Kabbalist bible, known as the Zohan, which, in Yiddish, translates to "book of brilliance."
The reason certain celebrities have brought Kabbalah to the public eye was due to the media coverage.
The Rabbi explained the reason practical Kabbalah was all the rage was because it offered people something to believe in, but "did not require a serious religious commitment."
He elaborated on its superficiality and how it was a simplistic "self-help philosophy" which required no sacrifices and no judgments.
"This type of Kabbalah is just a supercharged way to do Jewish," he explained.
"Practical Kabbalah claims to know the secret inner nature of reality," he said.. "It yearns itself to people who want the theological equivalent of insider trading."
Rabbi Greenstein challenged the shallow philosophy of practical Kabbalah and defined true Kabbalah as something that requires intense commitment and faith to become one with God, and thus one with everything.
In the Jewish religion, there are two main books: the Torah and the Zohar. The Rabbi described the writings of the Torah as the "outer-shell of God's world."
Thus making the Zohar the inner core of God's world or the "mystical" part of the Jewish religion, where the world we consider reality is only the surface of God's infinite universe.
The Zohar asks Jewish followers to have faith in the sometimes incomprehensible aspects of Judaism.
Rabbi Greenstein delved into the depths of Kabbalah without putting anyone to sleep with amusing jokes and metaphors.
"What did the Kabbalist say to the hot dog vendor? Make me one with everything," he said jokingly, keeping the listener's attention.
He backed up his opinions with quotes from the Jewish bible as well as quotes from other Rabbis.
His approach was that of teacher rather than a preacher. He defined essential terms and explained multifactorial philosophies in an easily comprehend able and interesting manner.
Erin Delle, a sophomore psychology major at the University of Memphis, came with little knowledge and understanding of Kabbalah, and after listening to the Rabbi, left with a new perspective on Kabbalah and the Jewish religion as a whole.
"I'm not necessarily a religious person, but I am interested in spirituality, and this was an eye-opening speech,." she said.