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Using Medication Wisely
Published in Melissa G. Hunt, Aaron T. Beck, Reclaim Your Life From IBS, 2022
Melissa G. Hunt, Aaron T. Beck
It’s important to understand that these medicines are not “addictive” and you won’t become “dependent” on them. They are not “fake” neurotransmitters (like the benzos) so they don’t lead to tolerance and withdrawal. They work by indirect mechanisms to change how neurotransmitters are stored, released, and transmitted. There are medicines that are addictive and cause physiological dependence and tolerance – these include the stimulants (like Ritalin [methylphenidate] and Adderall [amphetamine and dextroamphetamine]) and the anti-anxiety drugs from the benzodiazepine family discussed earlier. Interestingly, those drugs are all sold illegally as “street drugs” because you can get high by taking them. No one would ever sell Elavil, Prozac, or Effexor illegally – because no one would buy it! They don’t make you high. They don’t even elevate your mood. If you’re depressed, they take at least two weeks (and often up to six weeks) to kick in and start making you feel better. They don’t change your personality – although they can make negative, catastrophic thoughts less intense, and they might make it easier to learn and use the cognitive-therapy skills taught in this book. The relief you get from them isn’t “fake” – it’s just you at your best.
Neurofeedback in an Integrative Medical Practice
Published in Hanno W. Kirk, Restoring the Brain, 2020
Treatment: A course of neurofeedback was started per Othmer protocols with an initial site of T3-T4 for headache stabilization at an optimal reward of 0.1 mHz. Good sleep hygiene was reviewed and begun. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 2000 International Units (IU) per day were started. 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplements, full spectrum lights in the morning, and the need for ongoing mental health counseling were discussed, but patient did not “get around” to trying them. A household chore chart was concocted for patient’s husband and son. Severe headaches abated within 10 sessions of neurofeedback. Facial droop cleared except for times of extreme stress. Additional neurofeedback sites included T4-P4 for physical and emotional calming, Fp2-T4 for anxiety, and Fp1-T3 for focus issues. By 30 sessions, chronic daily headaches were resolved and the patient had only mild headaches every week or two. Fatigue was still an issue at the end of a long working day, but the patient rarely used Adderall to get through the day. The patient continued to be unhappy about aspects of her home and work life but felt like things were considerably less stressful.
Fencing
Published in Ira Glick, Danielle Kamis, Todd Stull, The ISSP Manual of Sports Psychiatry, 2018
Danielle Kamis, Michael Morgan
Besides alcohol, unlike most sports such as track and field, fencing is not permeated by the prevalent use of abusive drugs or medications to increase performance. The very nature of fencing and the mental acuity required does not lend itself to such drug enhancers. Indeed, when most of the 2016 Russian Olympic team was banned for doping, no Russian fencers were banned. One medication that may be used for “doping” to enhance performance are stimulants such as Adderall. It is the responsibility of the sports psychiatrist to assess athletes for the appropriate use of Adderall as well as to screen elite fencers for off-label use of the medication to enhance their athletic performance. Therefore, it is imperative to have a sports psychiatrist readily available to elite fencers to properly test, evaluate, and when required, treat substance abuse.
An exploratory study of indicators of recent nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2023
Charles Ashley Warnock, Carolyn L. Lauckner, Lucy A. Ingram
In 2018, an estimated 8.5% of U.S. college students used a prescription stimulant without medical supervision in the last 12 months.1 A review of the literature from 2002 to 2013 found lifetime prevalence rates of ever using a prescription stimulant nonmedically ranging from 14% to 34% among students at various U.S. universities.2 Stimulant medications like Adderall® and Ritalin® are often prescribed to treat hyperactivity in people living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).3 However, students without a diagnosis of ADHD engage in NPSU to subjectively enhance academic ability, improve focus, and increase energy to study or party.4–7 Indeed, college students are disproportionately at risk of engaging in nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NPSU) in comparison to their similarly-aged, noncollege peers.1,8 As use of other types of prescriptions like opioids and tranquilizers have fallen among U.S. college students, NPSU has risen, and interventional tools to reduce NPSU have been slow to develop and disseminate.9
Examining associations between prescription stimulant misuse frequency and misuse characteristics by race/ethnicity
Published in Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 2023
Jocelyne Mendez, Kyle Yomogida, Wilma Figueroa, Kate Diaz Roldan, Niloofar Bavarian
Prescription stimulants, such as amphetamines (e.g. Adderall) and methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin and Concerta), are medications used to treat various health conditions (e.g. attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], narcolepsy). For example, health care professionals commonly prescribe amphetamines and methylphenidates to individuals diagnosed with ADHD in order to enhance their levels of alertness, energy, and attention (NIDA, 2014). Over the years, the number of college students diagnosed with ADHD has increased (Benson et al., 2015) which, arguably, has increased the availability of prescription stimulants for college students without an ADHD diagnosis (McCabe et al., 2006). As a result, the misuse of prescription stimulants (MPS; i.e. use without a prescription, use in excess of what has been prescribed and/or use for nonmedical reasons; Bavarian et al., 2015), has become prevalent on college campuses, with variations reported across campuses (e.g. McCabe et al., 2005; Bavarian et al., 2013; Schulenberg et al., 2020). The prevalence of MPS is of concern due to the many health effects (e.g. paranoia, increase in body temperature, irregular heartbeat, and death (NIDA, 2014)) that could result from misusing prescription stimulants. Moreover, as there has been a substantial increase in the racial/ethnic diversity of college students (Espinosa et al., 2019), examinations of MPS should explore variations and similarities across racial/ethnic groups.
Underreporting of past-year cannabis use on a national survey by people who smoke blunts
Published in Substance Abuse, 2022
Austin Le, Benjamin H. Han, Joseph J. Palamar
While research into potential reasons underlying discordant responses would be welcome, one can speculate that a contributing factor may be respondents’ lack of familiarity with varying drug nomenclature. For example, in the aforementioned study on nonmedical amphetamine use, people who used Adderall may not have been aware that Adderall is one of several commercial names for amphetamine salts.13 Cannabis itself is a drug with a myriad of names and associations, such as (but not limited to) pot, grass, weed, hash, joints, and blunts.20 To this end, the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides a unique opportunity to examine potential discordant responses regarding cannabis use because it queries blunt use in a section that is independent of responses to the cannabis use assessment earlier on the survey (i.e., not completely based on gate questions and skip-logic).21 Correctly estimating prevalence of blunt use is important given that it increases risk for adverse health outcomes such as cannabis use disorder, nicotine dependence, elevated heart rate, and acute increases in carbon monoxide levels.22–24 Accordingly, this study seeks to determine the extent to which possible underreporting of cannabis use on the NSDUH takes place, as well as potential correlates of underreporting based on factors known to affect discordant reporting. Findings may be used to inform future study designs.