Using Adderall In the Office To Get Ahead

[movdqa]

The NY Times reports on the changing usage of psychostimulants like Adderall. They were once only prescribed to help children with attention deficit disorders focus on their school work, but then college students found those drugs could increase their ability to study. Now a growing number of workers use them to help compete. What will happen as these drugs are more widely used in the workplace? According to Anjan Chatterjee, the use of neurotechnologies to enhance healthy people's brain function could easily become widespread. "If anything, we worship workplace productivity by any means. Americans work longer hours and take fewer vacations than most others in the developed world. Why not add drugs to energize, focus and limit that annoying waste of time — sleep?" Julian Savulescu says that what defines human beings is their extraordinary cognitive power and their ability to enhance that power through reading, writing, computing and now smart drugs. "Eighty-five percent of Americans use caffeine. Nicotine and sugar are also cognitive enhancers," says Savulescu.

But cognitive neurologist Martha Farah says regular use on the job is an invitation to dependence. "I also worry about the effect of drug-fueled productivity on people other than the users," says Farah. "It is not hard to imagine a supervisor telling employees that this is the standard they should aspire to in their work, however they manage to do it (hint, hint). The eventual result will be a ratcheting up of "normal" productivity, where everyone uses (and the early adopters' advantage is only fleeting)."

http://science.slashdot.org/story/15/04/21/232233/using-adderall-in-the-office-to-get-ahead

I just use coffee and I'm already ADHD enough to work like mad. Using ADHD drugs seems to be a big problem in high-schools and colleges with everyone looking to get that edge in admissions or grades.

These seem like PEDs for office workers.

 

[r2473]

Would that help me surf TT while at work faster?

 

[movdqa]

Would that help me surf TT while at work faster?

Get a Mac Pro with a 27 inch monitor for multi-surfing.

 

[dParis]

Know an associate who introduced "Vitamin A" to his diet and it turned around his career. He was a fledgling broker who started pulling in strong six-figure commissions once he was on adderall. It has people talking...

 

[Kobble]

Don't need that ****. Need a union. Work the same, and get a pension. Strike when necessary.

 

[ollinger]

^^ you can do both! Use Adderall and become union president.

 

[Nostradamus]

It is ILLEGAL to use Adderall for illegitimate use. it is schedule 2 Narcotic controlled by DEA. You will go to jail for a long time if you use Adderall to help you work faster or better. and that is the way it should be. So if you see any Co-workers using Adderall for this purpose, please call the DEA or Police immediately.

 

[WildVolley]

Amphetamines are one hell of a drug.

It has become fairly common in the academic world for students/profs to fake the diagnosis of ADHD to legally obtain amphetamines. I'm fairly certain that they are not ideal for health, but it seems the hysterical warnings about the dangers of amphetamines primarily apply to people who seriously abuse them and don't watch their nutrition.

 

[movdqa]

I'm pretty sure that I could get a prescription for this stuff as I'm about as hyperactive as they come (okay, Breakpoint and Bart may have me beat on this).

What I've heard, though, is that these drugs actually calm down people with ADHD so people that have it would probably lose the benefit of being able to work as hard though may gain an improvement in focus. It's an oddball class of drugs that amps up those without it and does the opposite for intended users.

 

[WildVolley]

I'm pretty sure that I could get a prescription for this stuff as I'm about as hyperactive as they come (okay, Breakpoint and Bart may have me beat on this).

What I've heard, though, is that these drugs actually calm down people with ADHD so people that have it would probably lose the benefit of being able to work as hard though may gain an improvement in focus. It's an oddball class of drugs that amps up those without it and does the opposite for intended users.

We can ask Ollinger about this. From what I've read, amphetamines, at least at the start, help all users to concentrate. So there really isn't an oddball result. Those who are hyperactive will concentrate better and those who aren't will concentrate better.

 

[movdqa]

We can ask Ollinger about this. From what I've read, amphetamines, at least at the start, help all users to concentrate. So there really isn't an oddball result. Those who are hyperactive will concentrate better and those who aren't will concentrate better.

You lose the hyperfocus and creative sides though.

I guess it depends on what you do for a living.

If you're a composer or artist, you might want to not use the drugs when you want to be creative. If you're an accountant, though, you might want to focus.

 

[WildVolley]

You lose the hyperfocus and creative sides though.

I guess it depends on what you do for a living.

If you're a composer or artist, you might want to not use the drugs when you want to be creative. If you're an accountant, though, you might want to focus.

I know that Paul Erdos was a famous Hungarian mathematician who used amphetamines because he claimed it gave him "ideas." He quit for a month to win a bet but claimed it harmed his mathematical output.

 

[fundrazer]

Interesting. I've heard that some competitive/pro gamers have been using the stuff.

 

[ollinger]

It turns out the brain is something like 80% brake (inhibitory synapses) and 20% accelerator (stimulatory synapses). People with ADD and ADHD seem to be calmed down because the drug stimulates inhibitory neurons, i.e. steps on the brake, in circuits that promote high activity. Thus the seeming paradox that a stimulant can calm some people down. The drug also promotes alertness and wakefulness, so the rest of us seem to be sharper and perhaps better workers on the drug, though for most the effect is not clearly better than some good coffee. There are definite risks -- tics, elevated blood pressure, rarely seizures -- but most tolerate the drugs really well. They are certainly overprescribed. Patients often show up seeking them for alertness and sharpness, maybe to crush and snort them, but also for weight loss, as amphetamines suppress appetite. My approach is to initially offer patients Strattera, a NON AMPHETAMINE treatment for ADD. Some become visibly distressed when I do this, some leave and never return. One benefit of these drugs is that lots of studies show that people who use them do tend to be less apt to abuse other more dangerous drugs, though there are certainly exceptions.

 

[Nostradamus]

It turns out the brain is something like 80% brake (inhibitory synapses) and 20% accelerator (stimulatory synapses). People with ADD and ADHD seem to be calmed down because the drug stimulates inhibitory neurons, i.e. steps on the brake, in circuits that promote high activity. Thus the seeming paradox that a stimulant can calm some people down. The drug also promotes alertness and wakefulness, so the rest of us seem to be sharper and perhaps better workers on the drug, though for most the effect is not clearly better than some good coffee. There are definite risks -- tics, elevated blood pressure, rarely seizures -- but most tolerate the drugs really well. They are certainly overprescribed. Patients often show up seeking them for alertness and sharpness, maybe to crush and snort them, but also for weight loss, as amphetamines suppress appetite. My approach is to initially offer patients Strattera, a NON AMPHETAMINE treatment for ADD. Some become visibly distressed when I do this, some leave and never return. One benefit of these drugs is that lots of studies show that people who use them do tend to be less apt to abuse other more dangerous drugs, though there are certainly exceptions.

Ollinger as you are aware.

One big problem with people that use Stimulents for more awake and sharper at work.........................You need More and More as you go on to get the same effect. This is the paradox. If you can just use the same dosage amounts to get the same good effects at work, I say what the heck, do it. to those people who are not afraid of side effects.

But problem is Mother nature doesn't work that way.....that is the paradox. Whenever you mess with brain chemisty,,,,chemistry that is in FINE balance thru hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, your brain doesn't like that.........so it adapts.

Only true way to get a better or sharper brain is to manipulate the entire brain chemistry and use more of the brain in perfect balance, Kind of like that movie,,Lucie. But we all know that is not possible............ At least NOT yet.

One other thing......with Gene manipulations, we maybe able to open up some doors in manipulating the brain efficiency and capability in near future but even this is very risky proposition......

 

[movdqa]

I drink a lot of coffee at work but I crash on the weekend. I sometimes crash in the middle of the week. I just go to sleep for 12 or more hours. We also have ups and downs in the development cycle at work and you have to use the downs to recharge.

 

[Nostradamus]

I drink a lot of coffee at work but I crash on the weekend. I sometimes crash in the middle of the week. I just go to sleep for 12 or more hours. We also have ups and downs in the development cycle at work and you have to use the downs to recharge.

right, here is how caffeine works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP7EQ6e5d1c

 

[dParis]

*Ollinger as you are aware.

One big problem with people that use Stimulents for more awake and sharper at work.........................You need More and More as you go on to get the same effect. This is the paradox. If you can just use the same dosage amounts to get the same good effects at work, I say what the heck, do it. to those people who are not afraid of side effects...

*Epic paragraph, Noz. Are you taking Adderall??

 

[Jay_The_Nomad]

I don't believe in stimulants. Went through law school without using caffeine at all. The secret is good sleep and time management.

What people don't realise is you build up a tolerance to a drug after a while. It is just your body's natural regulatory process to keep everything balanced. If you take a particular drug to stimulate particular receptors, the body simply removes some of that receptors so the stimulation is less intense. You need to take more and more to have the same effect, and if you stop, you actually begin to operate at a lower performance level; ie your base level drops.

So psychostimulants are not going to be a game changer. It might be useful as an occasional booster, but the benefits will diminish after a while.

The NY Times reports on the changing usage of psychostimulants like Adderall. They were once only prescribed to help children with attention deficit disorders focus on their school work, but then college students found those drugs could increase their ability to study. Now a growing number of workers use them to help compete. What will happen as these drugs are more widely used in the workplace? According to Anjan Chatterjee, the use of neurotechnologies to enhance healthy people's brain function could easily become widespread. "If anything, we worship workplace productivity by any means. Americans work longer hours and take fewer vacations than most others in the developed world. Why not add drugs to energize, focus and limit that annoying waste of time — sleep?" Julian Savulescu says that what defines human beings is their extraordinary cognitive power and their ability to enhance that power through reading, writing, computing and now smart drugs. "Eighty-five percent of Americans use caffeine. Nicotine and sugar are also cognitive enhancers," says Savulescu.

But cognitive neurologist Martha Farah says regular use on the job is an invitation to dependence. "I also worry about the effect of drug-fueled productivity on people other than the users," says Farah. "It is not hard to imagine a supervisor telling employees that this is the standard they should aspire to in their work, however they manage to do it (hint, hint). The eventual result will be a ratcheting up of "normal" productivity, where everyone uses (and the early adopters' advantage is only fleeting)."

http://science.slashdot.org/story/15/04/21/232233/using-adderall-in-the-office-to-get-ahead

I just use coffee and I'm already ADHD enough to work like mad. Using ADHD drugs seems to be a big problem in high-schools and colleges with everyone looking to get that edge in admissions or grades.

These seem like PEDs for office workers.

 

[Fuji]

Using adderal is fairly common at my university in certain faculties that are highly competitive. It's definitely growing in numbers even from my first year to now my fourth year.

-Fuji

 

[Nostradamus]

*Epic paragraph, Noz. Are you taking Adderall??

Why would a extremely smart person that knows all the negatives of this drug take it ? Of course not.

What I am simply saying is, We are yet to figure out how to manipulate the brain chemistry for the purposes of enhancing our brain capabilities. It is like a fine tuned chemical tank. if you mess up the balance, there is always some negative effect you have to deal with.

But like I said, with Gene manipulations, we might be able to overcome this problem but we are not there yet.

 

[Nostradamus]

Using adderal is fairly common at my university in certain faculties that are highly competitive. It's definitely growing in numbers even from my first year to now my fourth year.

-Fuji

That is ILLEGAL. and you should report all students that you know are taking it to the Police or to the Dean of the university. They will be expelled immediately and your university will be better for it.

 

[dParis]

That is ILLEGAL. and you should report all students that you know are taking it to the Police or to the Dean of the university. They will be expelled immediately and your university will be better for it.

Come on. There's a lot of ADD/ADHD out there nowadays. You don't know that it's being taken ILLEGALLY.

 

[Sentinel]

Slightly OT.
I've just given up my morning cuppa (coffee). I also notice my memory has increased sharply ever since i went on a gluten-free diet. Earlier, I had severe memory problems.

 

[stringertom]

Slightly OT.
I've just given up my morning cuppa (coffee). I also notice my memory has increased sharply ever since i went on a gluten-free diet. Earlier, I had severe memory problems.

Love my gluten...do it in 12-ounce curls! BTW, do I know you? You seem familiar but I'm not sure if I've read any of your poasts???

 

[Rock Strongo]

I was given amphetamines when I was a kid to curb Asperger syndrome and ADHD. I would like to get those years back.

I would NEVER prescribe something like that to any kid I'll have or anyone.

To take Aderall is to take cocaine in my mind. One should always have a peace of mind when working.

 

[Sentinel]

Maybe you guys need a postprandial nap, like the Italians.

 

[Jay_The_Nomad]

Slightly OT.
I've just given up my morning cuppa (coffee). I also notice my memory has increased sharply ever since i went on a gluten-free diet. Earlier, I had severe memory problems.

The gluten-free movement is very likely a sham. No proven data that it improves the health of people who do not have coeliac disease. It might be a placebo effect.

 

[Talker]

It's a good drug.
I don't use it now but have taken small amounts of amphetamines in the past so I could go out drinking all night.

For college it would be good for a few days at a time, or for projects and taking tests.

So better to take it for specific times with as many days of not taking it in between as possible.

This way the body won't build resistance and you can be sure a certain dosage will act the same way, reliability of the dosage

This stuff will help some put in the hours, doesn't raise the IQ.

For the office it won't work everyday that well but can be good for jobs that have to be done quickly if not used all the time.

Modifinal might be better for this application.
Or other nootropics like caffeine/theanine, noopept and the like.

Being illegal is not a barrier BTW unless you get caught.

 

[Fuji]

It's a good drug.
I don't use it now but have taken small amounts of amphetamines in the past so I could go out drinking all night.

For college it would be good for a few days at a time, or for projects and taking tests.

So better to take it for specific times with as many days of not taking it in between as possible.

This way the body won't build resistance and you can be sure a certain dosage will act the same way, reliability of the dosage

This stuff will help some put in the hours, doesn't raise the IQ.

For the office it won't work everyday that well but can be good for jobs that have to be done quickly if not used all the time.

Modifinal might be better for this application.
Or other nootropics like caffeine/theanine, noopept and the like.

Being illegal is not a barrier BTW unless you get caught.

Exactly. Good post!

-Fuji