Women who try to be “Supermoms” may fall into prescription drug abuse to an attempt to deal with all their obligations but the result can be a disastrous addiction.
With children to feed and get to school, laundry to keep up with, meals to cook and outside jobs to go to, it’s no surprise that many women simply feel overwhelmed. There are simply not enough hours in the day to tend to everyone’s needs, much less have any time for one’s self. There is a new trend in women resorting to the use of a drug often prescribed for children – just to get some relief from the exhaustion, low morale and nagging feeling of inadequacy.
That drug is Adderall. It’s given to children when someone decides they suffer from an attention disorder. It’s also a favorite drug of college and even high school students who feel the need to be more on task than they can manage on their own or who need the energy to stay up all night studying for an exam or finishing a term paper.
Some women who need more energy have turned to stealing this drug from their child’s supply. They may then try to talk the doctor into upping the child’s dosage so there’s enough for them to abuse. This story was covered by Southern California television station KTLA, among other media.
Adderall and Illicit Methamphetamine Are Much the Same
An ABC News video reported on one mother who began using Adderall to keep up with the needs of her family and who resorted to prescription fraud to keep the supply going. When the doctor cut her off, she switched to abusing the illicit drug methamphetamine.
The reason this switch worked is because Adderall is made up of amphetamines, pure and simple. The prescribing information is very clear about the potential for abuse and addiction. According to the Food and Drug Administration’s website: “Amphetamines have a high potential for abuse. Administration of amphetamines for prolonged periods of time may lead to drug dependence and must be avoided.”
“This report is straight out of our educational booklet The Truth About Becoming Addicted,” observed Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma. “In this booklet, we describe the way that a person with a problem who then abuses a drug or drinks alcohol may see that problem being alleviated by drug or drink. In this instance, a mom may find that she suddenly has the energy to get all the housework done and the stimulating effect of the drug banishes any depression she might feel. She will assign a value to the substance that provided the relief. This value makes it very likely that she will use that drug or take that drink again. This pattern can lead her straight into addiction with its usual disastrous effects.”
Mr. Hallmark offered the booklet at no charge for anyone wanting to understand addiction better. “Families very often can’t understand how someone bright with lots of potential gets trapped in addiction,” he said. “This booklet will clarify that process. A family that understands better how addiction got started can better understand how it can be overcome.” The booklet is free and can be obtained by calling Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933.