I've been debating whether or not I should put this here or one of the other threads, and I figured I'd give it a shot. If it's moved, my feelings won't be too hurt.
I've been doing some reading on ADHD or ADD or whatever you want to call it, and we all know the 'cure' is to release more dopamine, or block the reuptake. Net result is quite the same. But I have noticed a couple of strange things with regards to ADD and interactions with drugs.
But first, I'm wondering what you guys think of ADD. It's obvious that most people either see it as a biological disorder that needs to be fixed, or a personality disorder that is treated using drugs. I really don't think it really matters, nor do I think either of those really fit the bill, I see ADD more as a collection of symptoms, and the treatment as a way of alleviating those symptoms. And so, because of that, I come to see ADD as a dimensional sort of problem rather than a categorical problem, and much of what people think of ADD seems to be much more categorical, (you have ADD so you can't study rather than you can't study, so you have ADD)
Some of the interesting things I've seen is that a friend of mine who's been diagnosed with ADD and has been prescribed Dexedrine which works but never responded to cocaine and got sleepy with caffeine. Ritalin just made her sick, and meth worked on her in rather small doses to a great a effect. This seemed to me that, for her at least, it's not that she needs to block the re-uptake of dopamine, but reverse the neurotransporters and get the DA out of the synapses. That seems rather simplistic, and doesn't explain a fair bit of what happens; primarily, it's unlikely that she has no dopamine, and so blocking the reuptake should theoretically have an effect, but all it does is make her sleepy. With her, at least, there seems to be a physiological cause to the ADD, that is, some problem at the neural level.
But I still doubt that everyone diagnosed (properly) with ADD would have a problem with their neurons. And so, for those who respond just fine to cocaine and coffee, ADD simply seems to be lower levels of dopamine at the medications site of action (I can't quite remember, thinking caudate nucleus, among others.) If that's the case, then there really isn't that much of a difference between people with ADD and people without. People vary in their amount of neurotransmitters, the location of their brain structures all the time. Being unlucky enough not to have enough dopamine is pretty much on the same level as being too tall for gymnastics or too short for basketball.
With the two types of people who are diagnosed with ADD out of the way, I'm simply wondering, would the drugs prescribed for it generally be best for those who don't feel the effects of cocaine and caffeine like most people would, or does it really not make a difference? I really don't see the harm in using a little methylphenidate now and then for studying, so long as it's not abused. But it seems that there is the general idea that using this stuff when you don't have ADD makes you a junkie. I'm fully aware that most of what most people say really doesn't matter, nor does it make sense, which is primarily why I'm in this forum, looking for a little bit of insight into the use of ADD medication not in the recreational sense, but perhaps not in a clinical sense either.
I haven't really seen any good evidence that Ritalin or anything like it really causes long-term brain damage, but it is too early to tell with the newer meds. Dexedrine has been out for nearly a century, but aside from studies on fighter pilots, I've yet to find anything conclusive. Basically, it seems to me that occasional and responsible use of ADD meds is pretty straight forward, but I find that most people just take it to get the high. Avoiding that then, I really don't see any problems with taking it, especially if you feel it helps, but if it really does cause problems, then it's quite probable that most kids who are even legitimately diagnosed with ADHD or its counterparts would probably end up with the same problems as someone with more 'healthy' levels of dopamine.
Any thoughts on the above, or ADD in general, would be great. I'm been flooded with more than enough 'common-sense' ideas, a little bit of deeper thought would be nice.
I've been doing some reading on ADHD or ADD or whatever you want to call it, and we all know the 'cure' is to release more dopamine, or block the reuptake. Net result is quite the same. But I have noticed a couple of strange things with regards to ADD and interactions with drugs.
But first, I'm wondering what you guys think of ADD. It's obvious that most people either see it as a biological disorder that needs to be fixed, or a personality disorder that is treated using drugs. I really don't think it really matters, nor do I think either of those really fit the bill, I see ADD more as a collection of symptoms, and the treatment as a way of alleviating those symptoms. And so, because of that, I come to see ADD as a dimensional sort of problem rather than a categorical problem, and much of what people think of ADD seems to be much more categorical, (you have ADD so you can't study rather than you can't study, so you have ADD)
Some of the interesting things I've seen is that a friend of mine who's been diagnosed with ADD and has been prescribed Dexedrine which works but never responded to cocaine and got sleepy with caffeine. Ritalin just made her sick, and meth worked on her in rather small doses to a great a effect. This seemed to me that, for her at least, it's not that she needs to block the re-uptake of dopamine, but reverse the neurotransporters and get the DA out of the synapses. That seems rather simplistic, and doesn't explain a fair bit of what happens; primarily, it's unlikely that she has no dopamine, and so blocking the reuptake should theoretically have an effect, but all it does is make her sleepy. With her, at least, there seems to be a physiological cause to the ADD, that is, some problem at the neural level.
But I still doubt that everyone diagnosed (properly) with ADD would have a problem with their neurons. And so, for those who respond just fine to cocaine and coffee, ADD simply seems to be lower levels of dopamine at the medications site of action (I can't quite remember, thinking caudate nucleus, among others.) If that's the case, then there really isn't that much of a difference between people with ADD and people without. People vary in their amount of neurotransmitters, the location of their brain structures all the time. Being unlucky enough not to have enough dopamine is pretty much on the same level as being too tall for gymnastics or too short for basketball.
With the two types of people who are diagnosed with ADD out of the way, I'm simply wondering, would the drugs prescribed for it generally be best for those who don't feel the effects of cocaine and caffeine like most people would, or does it really not make a difference? I really don't see the harm in using a little methylphenidate now and then for studying, so long as it's not abused. But it seems that there is the general idea that using this stuff when you don't have ADD makes you a junkie. I'm fully aware that most of what most people say really doesn't matter, nor does it make sense, which is primarily why I'm in this forum, looking for a little bit of insight into the use of ADD medication not in the recreational sense, but perhaps not in a clinical sense either.
I haven't really seen any good evidence that Ritalin or anything like it really causes long-term brain damage, but it is too early to tell with the newer meds. Dexedrine has been out for nearly a century, but aside from studies on fighter pilots, I've yet to find anything conclusive. Basically, it seems to me that occasional and responsible use of ADD meds is pretty straight forward, but I find that most people just take it to get the high. Avoiding that then, I really don't see any problems with taking it, especially if you feel it helps, but if it really does cause problems, then it's quite probable that most kids who are even legitimately diagnosed with ADHD or its counterparts would probably end up with the same problems as someone with more 'healthy' levels of dopamine.
Any thoughts on the above, or ADD in general, would be great. I'm been flooded with more than enough 'common-sense' ideas, a little bit of deeper thought would be nice.