Stimulants
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rescription stimulants increase— or “stimulate”—activities and processes in the body. When prescribed by a doctor for a specific health condition, like ADHD, they can be relatively safe and effective. However, it is considered misuse when they are taken not as prescribed, to get “high,” or when you take some prescribed for someone else. Teens and young adults who abuse stimulants often do so for a better ability to concentrate, increased energy and more confidence. Academic pressures are the main trigger for teens and young adults to abuse stimulants, such as pulling all-nighters to study. What they might not realize, though, is that these drugs can be habit-forming when abused and can be dangerous when taken in high doses. Stimulants can speed up heart rate and blood pressure, and cause insomnia and anxiety. Although students expect stimulants to help their academic performance, studies have found that stimulants do not increase learning or thinking ability when taken by people who are not diagnosed with ADHD. If you or your family has ADHD medication at home, be aware that it may be of interest 166 SEPTEMBER 2019 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM
BY THE CHILDREN’S COALITION FOR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
to friends and family. Keep a close eye on your supply, especially if you have other teens and young adults in the house. Always keep medication out of reach of children. Keep open lines of communication with your kids about the pressures they experience and healthy perspectives on drug abuse. If you notice any red flags like a rapidly dwindling medication supply or sudden increases in cash flow, talk to them about it. Dr. Scott Zentner, MD is a native of Monroe, LA. Although initially trained as an engineer at Texas A&M University, he returned to ULM as a pre-med student and attended medical school at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He completed his residency training in psychiatry at the University of Florida in Gainesville and participated in a cross-cultural fellowship program at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Zentner became board certified in general psychiatry in 1993. His honors have included the Sandoz Award for Outstanding Service in Psychiatry, as well as the Dr. John W. Bick Award. He embraces a holistic approach in the evaluation and treatment of his patients,
encouraging physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness throughout the life cycle. Q: What is the most important thing parents and youth need to know about stimulants? A: First, parents need to ensure that their children are accurately diagnosed with ADHD, and having significant impairment in school and social functioning as a result before considering treatment with a stimulant medication. For whatever reason, our love affair with stimulants appears to be an almost unique one, since Americans comprise only 5% of the world’s population, yet consume over 90% of its stimulants. And while stimulants can be an invaluable treatment option, particularly for severe cases of ADHD, they are not without side effects, including the potential for psychological and physical dependency. There are innumerable resources available on the web and in public libraries for parents to research pros and cons before embarking on the path of stimulant therapy. In doing so, they will in turn be able to educate their children accordingly. And when their children go off to college and are of legal age to make decisions independently from their parents, the same advice applies. However, this becomes a difficult choice for an undergrad who perceives oneself at a relative disadvantage competing with