Thoughts on performance-enhancing drugs?
k0n2ad: I've used Adderall, Concerta (Methylphenidate, like Ritalin) and Modafinal when I was in college. Adderall, which I would bum off my friend's prescription, pretty much gave me a rush of focus power and euphoria, which I usually squandered on things that weren't my schoolwork (guitar playing, wikipedia surfing and video games). I then got "diagnosed" with ADHD so I got a prescription to Concerta. Concerta was similar to Adderall, but given that it was sustained release, it lasted longer and worked differently depending on how I ate. I actually crashed really hard on it. I stopped using that after a while and just relied heavily on caffeine, along with learning methods to focus naturally.Modafinal is an interesting drug. It just makes you feel awake and alert, without feeling like you are tweaked. It saved me when I pulled all nighters. Stayed awake for 3 nights once during finals and it was one of the strangest and most uncomfortable trips I've ever been on - but that's a digression I should save for Erowid.org.That being said, if you rely on "cognitive enhancers" (I hate the euphemism, more like "speed") now, you may have to rely on them for everything in the future. They don't cure your symptoms, they just mask them. The thing is, focus should come about naturally because you have a passion for something. I believe that you would feel the most success from developing the ability to focus on your own. Did you try exercise? Meditation? Are you simply overloading yourself with too many courses? Are you in the right degree program? Such activities and considerations, though a greater time investment with more room for failure, are healthy ways to get your brain "in the zone" and prepare yourself for future cognitive demands in life.Or, you can depend on drugs. It's really your choice.People with "ADHD" have a broad range of symptoms that are conveniently lumped together and treated with various drugs on a trial and error basis. The science of psychology is still greatly in it's infancy. We still have a lot to learn about symptoms such as the inability to focus, hyperactivity, impulsivity and the like. It is highly probable that there is an underlying cause to any or all of these symptoms, one that has been fostered as we were growing up. The whole "chemical imbalance" theory really irks me - there is probably an environmental reason to most of the "chemical imbalances" that we read about, hear about or experience.Another thing to try is getting a really good therapist (hard to come by) and talking these things out - figuring out on your own. In either case, good luck to you.