Should NT students be allowed to take "smart drugs"
LostInEmulation
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That reminds me of a girl (high school senior) I tutored a long time ago. She was only concerned about her GPA; had no interest in actually understanding the subject. 'Playing with concepts' seemed to her a pathetic waste of time.
Granted, there were college classes where passing was more important to me than the subject matter, but I think I can honestly say they all left me with at least a few ideas that I occasionally mull over 20 years later.
It seems like this use of 'smart drugs' rewards a lack of intellectual curiosity. That people would end up studying more because they're amped-up on drugs, and less because of any drive from curiosity or a desire to 'figure things out' -- essential qualities for researchers.
As I said. It seems to me like a non-sequitor the size of a small star to assume that the additional concentration cannot be used to understand the concepts behind things and to find new solutions. It seems to be quite the opposite to me: If I can concentrate better, I might be able to think of a better solution than the one I hacked together while distracted by freecell.
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And as I said, that girl wasn't interested in any new solutions or deeper understanding. And I've encountered plenty of people with that view. Certainly a 'smart drug' could be used as you say; what I am saying that my observations of human nature tell me more people are like that girl than like you. Doing things for social climbing/status/getting-your-ticket-punched above other considerations is not a rare thing with humanity.
I'm a victim of street stimulants, ruined my health on this stuff because no psychiatrist was competent enough to diagnose my adhd when it was needed. so I voted yes, smart drugs, and most of all "clean" ones should be accesible to all that need them.
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LostInEmulation
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Age: 41
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Location: Ireland, dreaming of Germany
WEll, we don't ban cars because people get into accidents with them. Why should we ban these drugs if some people don't use them well.
BTW: You are describing a problem with the education system, not drugs.
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:21 am Post subject:
I'm a victim of street stimulants, ruined my health on this stuff because no psychiatrist was competent enough to diagnose my adhd when it was needed
^I know I'm new but the only way to get true help is to be honest with yourself about who you truly are, you KNOW when you're not telling the truth and I'm willing to bet you know or at least feel when they, the psychiatrist, doesn't understand/get you. You can't blame them for not figuring it out for you, I know I sound like an as*hole but this is exactly what I've been trying to tell myself when dealing with my current situation. You know you know yourself better than anyone else, you're here aren't you? Again, I'm not trying to knock you down, I'm pathetic in many ways myself and that's not to say that I think what you're doing/thinking/saing is pathetic! I really do pathetic things...honest. And I've tried amphetamines (adderall), ecstasy, and methamphetamine's (my uncles was addicted for a while, just a fyi). Ritalin, adderall and the like are not "clean" just because they're produced by corporate pharmaceutical companies either, just because a molecule is slightly different than another molecule doesn't make it clean, it makes those that developed it clever....that's not really the point but I think you'll get what I'm trying to say.
At the same time I do agree with the US (as far as the Constitution is concerned anyways) where I live, idea that we are all free to make our own choices, its information, true unbiased information that's important. Getting discouraged by biased or supposedly untrustworthy information is somehting I'm personally confronted with and I'm sure others are too but it's the end goal of truly understanding ourselves (personally and in a general sense) and how these substances interact with our body that's important. If adderall or ritalin helps one person on to a better life or mushrooms, or acid or ecstasy, or cigarettes or alcohol etc etc there's really nothing anyone can do to stop them other than themselves besides brute force which is a fine line to tread along. It's easy to condemn others "stupid" decisions and make laws against them while at the same time infringing on others rights (people who would have been fine without the law due to thought, information, dialogue with others... purposeful communication) or simply enjoy the act of smoking, drinking etc etc. Hopefully I've made my point objectively and at least changed the perspective a bit.
If someone wants to take ritalin or shoot crystal meth to cram for finals, that's fine by me. I just don't think they're doing themselves a favor in the long run.
It's not a problem with the educational system, it's the way people value it, which makes it a problem of human nature. But then, all drug abuse could be described as a problem of human nature (or perhaps, "a problem with the structure of human existence").
I think no because ritalin is a dangerous drug and actually alters the shape and functioning of the brain. I have a friend in med who says that NT kids who are falsely diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed ritalin generally end up having to take SSRi's for the rest of their lives because the ritalin screws them up.
Why mess with a perfectly healthy, properly functioning, brain? In the same sense, ritalin shouldn't be perscribed to people just because they have AS. People should have actual severe attention deficits before being prescribed with ritalin, deficits that are bad enough to justify altering the brain in permanent ways.
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