ADDERALL: GREATEST INVENTION EVARRR!!!

i understand it alters your neurochemistry, but what i said was the means by which it does so isn't as pervasive and possibly disruptive to your system as adderall, i also said if adderall were available to the public my argument is nul.

As for taking a neurobio class, does grad level behavioral neuroscience float your boat? Toughest class in the psych department at CU.  /claim

Sorry if you thought i was making personal jabs at you, i wasn't, i'm more poking at those who, when finals come around, begin popping pills to amp up their game. We're all supose to be in the same boat here, and if you've got ADD thats one thing, if you've got dyslexia and need more time on your finals thats one thing, but if you're a normal student with no diagnosed learning imparment -- using perscription drugs to enhance your game is lame -- especially when this is a competition, people do care how well you've done comparied to your peers. 

school is a competition. that's why there's curves. it shouldn't be, but that's how it works at my school at least.

I agree. A shitty compition at that too.

i take dexedrine, but it doesnt do anything cool like  adderall

yeah and wht happens when you stop taking it?

I guess it depends on your major. As a Soc (Liberal Arts) major I don't really notice it. I do my shit, get a grade, end of story. I don't have a specific job in mind, I just plan on going out and using my well-rounded education to land me somewhere where I won't want to kill myself. I can see how Engineering or other more job-specific majors could get pretty competitive.

dumbest shit ever....

i'd just like to pipe in that this stuff does have long term effects on your brain.  im currently involved in a study on the effects of amphetamines (including adderal) on the brain and if you scan a user against a non-user you can tell the difference.  it changes the reactivity of your dopamine system to other substances and rewarding/motivating situations in general.  people don't really understand yet what the full effects of these changes are, and since these drugs are still being prescribed to millions of children in spite of what is known about them there probably isnt an immediate need for concern, but know that you are definitely altering your brain chemistry.

I'm in college. I'm in really hard college classes. I've taken plenty of adderall as well as many other drugs. Last year I took adderall all the time to get my work done and honestly I'm 100% over it. It's finals time right now and I'm doing better than I did last year with no Adderall involved. It makes me feel cracked out and speedy and then the come down makes me get irritable and exhausted.

the creator of this thread should blow some coke

I like it for long boring english tests.

hahaha  I'm a Psych. major and therefor have pretty hard classes and I have a 4.0 without using adderall.  I used it in high school when i didn't care about school or what i was studying.  If you really need adderall to help you study, maybe your in the wrong major and should re-consider why you're in college.

There is no possible way of using adderall responsibly without a psychiatrist prescribing it.  If you're misusing it, you're misusing it.  I'm not saying everyone that tries it is dumb, but if you're using it without getting it seriously prescribed, it's irresponsible.

And for the record, there are kids that have ADD who seriously need adderall and/or ritalin and it's not just because you have trouble paying attention.  There are other chemical imbalances and biological factors that go into prescribing this shit.

So wrong on so many levels.

If you really need adderall to help you study, maybe your in the wrong major and should re-consider why you're in college.
Many people are in college for the sole purpose of earning a reasonable amount of money once they're out. Psychology is obviously something that interests you, like Sociology interests me, but a lot of Business, Accounting, and Engineering-type majors do not enjoy the work they do. They tolerate it because they know it will pay off. That doesn't mean they need to reconsider why they're in college, it means their chosen topic of study is boring as fuck and it's hard to maintain focus on something like that whenever its necessary.

There is no possible way of using adderall responsibly without a psychiatrist prescribing it.
Prescription drugs are bullshit, just because you're able to dupe some doctor into prescribing you a bullshit medication does not mean you're using it responsibly. I use it responsibly. I take it maybe once a month to help me handle absurd workloads when I'm too stressed out to handle it normally. I don't abuse it, and I don't see it as necessary... just very helpful sometimes. The kids who get it prescribed and pop it daily are using it irresponsibly, just think about what that does to your mind and body... I'm not a scrip kid, I have to obtain it from friends, so logically I CAN'T use it irresponsibly. Your reasoning makes no sense.

And for the record, there are kids that have ADD who seriously need adderall and/or ritalin and it's not just because you have trouble paying attention. There are other chemical imbalances and biological factors that go into prescribing this shit.
No there aren't. There are shitty parents who don't know how to instill self-discipline in their kids. I would expect this kind of sentiment from a Psych major. Most mental diseases are complete and utter bullshit, created so that pharmaceutical companies can continue earning obscene amounts of money. Everyone has trouble paying attention to occasionally boring schoolwork, it's not a biological flaw, it's human nature. Some kids know how to get their shit together and buckle down, and some weren't raised to nurture those abilities and so they rely on the "quick fix" chemical solution that America loves so fucking much. Depression doesn't exist in Japan, if you're sad you tough it out and get the fuck over it. It hasn't been until VERY recently that drugs like Prozac have been introduced there.

How can you not realize that ADD is a massive sham? If you're looking to make absurd amounts of money in pharmaceuticals, you need to come up with a drug that everyone thinks they need. Oh, you have trouble concentrating on boring tasks? Obviously you have a biological flaw that's causing such an uncommon pattern of behavior! That's why kids who "don't have ADD" still benefit from it, everyone could use help concentrating sometimes... I know someone in the pharmaceutical industry, her boss paid for a dozen low-level employees to go to Hawaii for a basic seminar. He's laughing all the way to the bank at all the foolish saps who bought into his bullshit. Good to know you're gonna become another drug-pushing psychologist who perpetuates a system that shovels truckloads of money into the hands of people who are essentially professional scam artists.

ADD doesn't exist. You're an absolute idiot if you think you can get through life by taking this drug.

Okay, I don't necessarily mean that people don't have trouble concentrating and problems with hyperactivity. I just feel add is not a proper term or diagnosis of an individual with these problems. This is all in my opinion. I feel prescription drugs are being thrown around like candy these days. I know about 10 people that say they have add and they're all liars. What they have are learning disabilities and other issues.

This is stupid to say. Some people can work hard because of SELF motivation. Good for you if you found a system that might help you get through hard times, but to praise something and tell people to take adderal because YOU couldn't handle the load of university without some help, is misplaced praise.

Oh ya man, he is definitely tearing society apart....that's a stretch at best.

The thread creator isn't, but the pharmaceutical drug culture he endorses certainly is.

when half the library is sitting there grinding their teeth because they're abusing adderall -- Ryno's got a valid point.

Oh, you're right.  Must be you're the real psychology major here and not me.

And no, I would never be a drug-pushing psychologist who perpetuates a system that shovels truckloads of money into the hands of people who are essentially professional scam artists, I prefer cognitive-behavioral therapy, but thanks for the info!

Do you know of any active CBT groups for ADD? Oh yeah, they don't exist. You think you're going to be different but you won't. You hear of the study that had eight perfectly normal, well-adjusted adults admit themselves to psych wards? Even though they acted exactly like they normally would and made no effort whatsoever to exhibit mentally unstable behavior, every single one was diagnosed with some form of schizophrenia because of the environment and circumstances. Not once did the staff suspect them of being impostors. The "real" patients knew, but no one else even considered it.

Kids are going to come to you complaining about their inability to concentrate, and the parents are gonna be looking for any way to get their poorly raised kids under control and motivated to succeed in school, they're gonna have some stupid letter from a teacher who has trouble with them in class (no shit?) and I can make a pretty damn good guess at what you're gonna end up doing.

But you're right, I mean I'm a Soc major and a Psych minor so obviously your knowledge on the issue is much more informed and well-rounded. I'm sorry I ever questioned you. Read "Mirrors of Madness" and educate yourself before you ruin some kid's life by permanently frying his system with legal methamphetamines. ADD is a scam, as are half of the other mental illnesses pharmaceutical companies have created in order to sell bogus treatments at outrageous profits. I admire your support of CBT, but other than that you have established yourself as impossibly naive and misinformed on nearly every aspect of this issue.

Please, I urge you to attempt to respond to any of the arguments I made in either this post or my previous one instead of sarcastically and erroneously claiming your superior knowledge on the subject without backing any of it up. I'm not doing this to be mean and antagonistic, I'm doing it because people need to realize what a massive mistake we're making by buying into their bullshit. You really can't win this argument, though. As I said, I am a Psych minor: It definitely has its applications and I'm not denying its usefulness, but Sociology is a much more comprehensive and accurate model of human behavior and mental illness. They're best together, but to apply purely psychological reasoning to this argument is not only false, but incredibly dangerous if practiced in the real world.

sorry i may sound like a little prick because im really tired right now and my karma has taken a beating tonight because of it

first off i have adhd

second it blows, i hate having to take pills for something that other people dont have to.

i really do not know why anyone would take a pill that they do not have to take. It just doesnt make sence. If it aint broke dont fix it ya know what i mean. You may think it helps you do stuff but if you dont have add or adhd its not really helping you its just acting as a placebo. any thing you do with adderal you can do without it. Your really just wasting your money.

And this is the reason why someone who's gone through both Major depression and cancer says that it's  tougher to have MDD than cancer because fucks like you think that they're just making it up.


perhaps you should actually read some case studies, and get to know people who have psychological disorders before you start sounding like a dumbass. Every part of our body can have something go wrong with it. There are both biological and environmental factors that play into every disease, but to say that the whole of psychology is a sham that is run by the pharmaceutical companies shows just how ignorant you are. People have had disorders long before meds existed, most of the time they were persicuted, killed, locked up, treated like animals because of this ignorance.


and you're not serious that people ought to do something just for the money are you? If you don't enjoy your degree, don't follow that carrer path -- it's not like a finance major is going to get out of college and all of a suden the games going to change any more than a doctor is going to get out of med school and have things be drastically different.  The fucked up mind set you're attributing to the pharmacutical companies is the same you're suggesting students ought to follow in 'boring majors' like buisness and finance. The thing is for any subject you're going to find a following, if you think there's a problem with one group being influnced by $$, it's going to follow in every subject if you have the mentality that you ought to do something regardless of whether you'd enjoy it or not. The american dream isn't to have as big a bank account as possible, it's about finding the persuit of happieness, you're only going to obtain that if you find something you love doing.

Get over your self rightiousness and realize a. she made a valid argument, b. you don't know shit about psychology c. your mindset is not only fucking up an environment necessary to support those in need, but also perpetuating the bigger problem you've somehow managed to recognize in others but not yourself.

there are problems everywhere, always places to improve, so obviously there will be doctors that jump to perscribe meds people don't need, there will be accountants that hate doing the math, but if you want to have any sort of improvement you know where to start-- that's with yourself.

I don't have ADD, and it's not a placebo effect... before I realized how stupid it was to take it recreationally I popped it before work sometimes, and it made dishwashing enjoyable. Dishwashing. I can assure you, there is no way anyone could find dishwashing for sixteen hours straight under highly stressful conditions enjoyable if they aren't jacked up on stimulants.

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you don't have ADD because it's imaginary. What did the test for your diagnosis consist of? A few testimonials, maybe a few verbal or written tests administered by your doctor? There's no real way to diagnose it. Some people may have biological circumstances that make it slightly more difficult to concentrate, but it's far from impossible. It's not a disease. I have several friends who were diagnosed just like you, they medicated themselves for several years but they didn't like what Aderall did to their personalities so they stopped and now are perfectly capable of succeeding without it.

You don't like doing work, it's hard for you to concentrate, and you think that's indicative of a mental condition but it's not. Everyone has that problem, but they learn strategies to cope with it. You chose a chemical solution, and now you rely on it and think it's the only way you can succeed. You say you don't want to take it, but you're dependent on it because you're used to how much easier it is to focus when you're hopped up on meth, and so now living without it seems impossible.

Everyone who disagrees with me, read "Mirrors of Madness" by Bruce Luske. It will open your eyes.

Haha, I guess I get to dismantle yet another misinformed post.

A. I'm not discounting all mental illnesses. I'm not denying the usefulness of Psychology, I'm not saying it's all a sham, or else it wouldn't be my goddamn minor... Depression is definitely legitimate, it's not NEARLY as widespread as pharmaceutical sales in this country would have you believe, but it certainly exists. That being said, did you ever stop and consider that the emotionally devastating effects of cancer might have initiated a bout of depression rather than some biological flaw? No, you didn't. Sure, drugs that increase dopamine and other brain chemicals that promote well-being help, but that doesn't mean there's always a chemical problem to begin with. Again.. I'm not saying depression doesn't always exist, just that you need to peer outside of your little box and realize that there's often more to it than chemical imbalance -> medication -> problem solved.
B. I'm a Soc/Psych student, I've read plenty of case studies kid. My mom has been diagnosed with depression. I lived with it all through high school. Again, I'm not saying ALL mental illnesses are fake. Here's what I am saying: 1) Many of them are. 2) Many people who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses (real or otherwise) are exhibiting symptoms due to purely environmental factors, but they see an ad on TV for some drug and think "Oh, that's me!" and the symptoms match up, so suddenly they're one of the millions of perpetually medicated Americans who don't actually have anything wrong with them.
C. I can guarantee you the ratio of people who were persecuted for being mentally ill throughout history doesn't even begin to approach the ratio of adults who are being medicated for various diseases in America today.
D. You're telling me that in such an overtly materialistic society, no one attributes wealth to happiness? Get real, dude. There are countless people who go to jobs they despise every fucking day for the money, it's part of the reason we live in such a stressed out, pharmaceutical-addicted society. There will always be a need for accountants and businessmen, and as long as there's money in it, kids will take it even if they hate it... if not by their choice, by their parents'. Yeah, you're right about the American Dream, but you severely underestimate how skewed that dream is for a massive percentage of today's college students because the society they grew up in is so fucked.

I love my major and my minor. I know them inside and out. This right here is my forte. Enjoy countering me, and I promise you I'll continue to enjoy systematically dismantling your arguments. Fun debate, eh?

I have been looking at this thread for a few days now, trying to figure out how to respond, and now I am finally irritated enough to say something. Now, I have some strange opinions on drugs, society, and the like, and I guarantee I will not put them into the proper words, but I can try.

I agree with 99% of this post. Drugs like weed and hallucinogenics are mind expansive and extremely beneficial when used in moderation, while drugs like Aderall foster robotic, emotionless personalities and stifle creativity. As I said, many of my friends who used to take scrips for Addies and Ritalin stopped because they hated who they became.

My two bones to pick:
1. I don't think Addies are entirely useless. They do help me study, but again, only in moderation. Severe moderation. They are NOT necessary for ANYONE to succeed academically, and I would much prefer to see the sham that is ADD eliminated than to enjoy the occasional concentration benefits I get from Aderall. It's an aid, not a crutch.
2. People need to stop over-generalizing my statements, anyone can find flaws with an argument if they do that. I didn't say EVERYONE who is in engineering hates it, just that a significant number do.  

What a grim outlook, you can't pass college without a little pill to help you out? I didn't realize so many people were so lazy

have you heard of SPECT imaging?
It will show you that someone with ADHD has very different brain activity patterns than someone without it. I'm not saying that many people don't fake it just to get onto the stimulant (which by the way are amphetamines, methamphetamine is a different compound), but it has helped many people who actually need it.

I have ADHD, prescribed by a psychologist that has been known to not give out medications like candy. I did this because I didn't want to have to take medicine.
However, I take a medication called Vyvanse that is virtually impossible to abuse in the way that people abuse Ritalin. It helps me in almost every way, but if I didn't have to take it I would stop. I'm actually planning on stopping after I graduate this year. I have friends who cannot function without their medication; if you could see them on it and off of it you would see that there is a large difference in the way that they manage obstacles such as time management and distractions. Obviously it helps with everyone, but it will have more of a stimulant effect on someone who has a lower amount of specific neurotransmitters in their brain. As a psych minor I figure you should know this...even though it is overprescribed, ADHD is NOT A sham and you should really feel ignorant for saying that. Please correct me if I am wrong, I would love to stop taking medication and have to overcome all of my learning difficulties in one giant bound.

Thank you for an intelligent post. Respect.

I actually hadn't heard of SPECT imaging, I honestly have not dug too deep into ADD, but everything I have learned over the past two years supports the arguments I made. My only counter to that would be that the brain is a complex, poorly understood part of the human anatomy. I guess given your argument I can't deny that drugs like Aderall might help some kids MORE than others, but this does not mean that it is the best solution to the problem. I feel pretty confident in saying that of the seven kids I know who were treated for AD(H)D and discontinued taking drugs, there's a pretty good chance that one of them had your medical definition of AD(H)D. And although the transition to a drug-free lifestyle was difficult for them, none have too big of an issue getting shit done compared to the average person now. I realize this is anecdotal. I still refuse to believe that a concentration drug is necessary for anyone to succeed academically. I also refuse to believe that your friends' problems are entirely chemical. I'm not trying to insult them, but I'd be willing to bet many of those issues are environmental.

I also like the idea of the drug you take. Constantly elevating your heartrate and fucking with your brain chemistry is a bad idea. I don't agree with non-stimulant treatment either, but it beats the hell out of amphetamines. I do believe you could overcome your learning disabilities if you really dedicated yourself to it. It would not be easy, especially because you currently rely on it. That being said, everyone is different, and just because the neurotransmitters within a given person are lower than normal does not mean that a drug is the only viable solution.

Once again, I'd like to thank you for an intelligent and well-supported post. I still don't think I'm wrong, but you actually taught me something I didn't know before that does change my perspective on it, if only slightly. /handshake.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you that we've got a sick society, i haven't stepped into a sociology class so you've got an upper hand from that perspective.

but you're just making generalized claims --ADD ADHD purely manufactured, most people arent' really depressed.


a few things to defend my self:
the interview i saw was a guy who had MDD before he was diagnosed with cancer. People would be all around him when he had cancer because the recognized it as something he didn't have control over, yet when he had MDD people just couldn't understand that it's the same principle, you can't just decide to snap out of it. For that reason it wouldn't have of occurred to me that his cancer caused his MDD.

I'm right with you when it comes to changing the communities we live in rather than becoming a country of meds, but you can't just come out swinging saying that pharmaceutical companies are prescribing more meds to people who don't need them than those who do.

I promise you disorders in the DSM IV aren't fake, the treatments provided aren't there just to get a few people rich, it's just the byproduct of seeing psyodisorders through a disease model. I'm sure you know well more than i do that different cultures are facing different problems As exampled by differing prevalence rates of particular disorders throughout different cultures, how the family is structured is going to have an impact on the psyche of the individual, but you also know that there are other disorders that are prevalent world wide regardless of the family structure.

But you should also recognize that the US will have a greater prevalence of particular disorders also due to the fact that we have a more advanced health care system. It's like saying look at the numbers, 10m people in the US are diagnosed with disease x every year but no one  has ever been diagnosed with disease x in Nigeria therefore it's more healthy to live in Nigeria because you won't get disease x. I won't belabor the point, i'm sure you see it.



But back to the point
I really don't think there's much we're debating on, the fact of the matter is we both recognize faults in the society we live in, but imo you're way too pessimistic on the level of corruption in  the professional circle of mental health. Most of the doctors are out there trying to allow people to function, they're only doing it in the best way they know how.

I really disagree with you that ADD is made up, the comorbity with other disorders, the fact that it has significant relations to the onset of subsequent disorders leads me to believe it really does exist. And i think you might have made a mistake somewhere, just because something isn't entirely genetic doesn't mean that say a chemical imbalance in the brain can't be synthesized through the nurture of an individual. I'm more than willing to bet that the majority of our ADD is self inflicted (we are the TV generation), but i'm also ready to extend that the development of our psyche in such circumstances can produce the maladaptive brain processes ie. chemical imbalances.


with all that said
I'm sure you recognize that medications of the 20th century are probably better than the sanatoriums of the 19th century, and you recognize that the next step in the 21st century can make meds look like the sanatoriums. But It's a progression. It's not going to change over night, and it wouldn't be very wise to simply throw out all our previous knowledge of the disease model psychology as it has provided us with some solutions.

I'll say sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, but your initial post came across as an equally negative opposite to a culture of meds. I think we work together to find that moderation between a culture of support and having medication.


to close this, i'll post up a ted video on where psychology hopefully is heading, it being finals time i understand if it doesn't get watched right away, but definatly worth the time

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html

Another quality post. This is how it should be. I only belittle and antagonize because the arguments people made before you and Fryanator were poorly supported and even more poorly implemented. Yes, I strongly disagree with the positivist (disease) model of psychology, but the points you presented are reasonable and well-documented. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but some of them are pretty solid. I have a lot of work to finish tonight (largely because of this debate) but if I have time I'll watch that video and put up a better response to this post.

Thank you, too, for finally providing me with some legitimate opposition here.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I did my research before I put anything possibly dangerous into my body. I suggest you read some of Daniel Amen's books (ex. Change Your Brain Change Your Life). He provides a pretty unbiased view on the condition and some really interesting ideas about it.

Obviously medication isn't the only way, but for some people it is really necessary. Combining it with therapy and/or self-help can really increase results. I agree that ADD is something one can work around by creating better work habits. However, it cannot be completely eliminated (it is not only environmental, but also hereditary).

I'm only a 12th grader, so I'm not as well versed in psychology as someone who has studied it for a couple years in college. However, it is an interest of mine since I am someone who has to deal with it. It is definitely not mostly environmental in my case since my parents did everything they could to make sure that I did not end up with focus problems. Then again, I don't have an extremely bad case of ADHD. We have a large amount of distractions and multi-tasking we do nowadays, though...I'm sure that fucks me over a bit :P

Anyways. Hope I helped some people understand a bit more about ADHD and adderall. It's REALLY not good for someone without ADHD to take it. Please don't think that it's some miracle drug that will allow you to do really well, it can be potentially lethal and it is addicting. If you take any medications or plan on doing any drugs recreationally it's probably in your best interest to check it out first. erowid.org is a great resource.

Chyeeeaaaa.

Word. Listen to this man.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion because I still have way too much work to complete before I'll have time to form a decent response to the last couple posts, but this thread has made me realize an unfortunate truth about NS. In order to inspire people who know what the fuck they're talking about to carry on an intelligent debate, you have to aggressively humiliate several noobs first. That's not how it should be. I don't want to do that, but when people post things that are blatantly wrong and I'm doing something I'd kill to be distracted away from like writing essays (a not-so-subtle slight at the disease model for ADD) I do. Arguments should be conducted like they have been in the last few posts.

So, I propose a Debate Cult. Nothing too serious, just another way to waste some time on NS when you're bored of writing essays. I'm just as sure that one of these already exists as I am that it has failed miserably, like all of the recent cults here. Plan is to post a few controversial threads right off the bat to hopefully spare the cult from the all-too-common immediate death and see what happens. PM if interested.

My finals are wednesday and thursday.  I got some 36mg concerta's (12 hour time release) from a friend last night.  Today was my first experience.  I popped one in the morning and nothing happened.  I went out back hit my rails and about I decided to start the studying.  I get another concerta and bite the shit out of it until breaks.  10 minutes later I am feeling good, it was quite pleasant actually.  I turned on the techno and some club music and pounded out study guides like no other.  I honestly was having fun studying.. I was thinking how I actually enjoyed this over homework being a drag....Besides not being able to stay still I was doing great.  About 7:30 it starts to be wearing off and I liked the feeling and thought I could do more studying.  So I chew another and get back to work.  I decided I was gonna pop a couple next dance because I was feeling great and loving the beats. Anyway, it 3:07 in the morning now I can't sleep.  I am sick of studying.   I can't stop moving my body, jitters like mad.  My heart rate won't drop me below 90bpm resting, I am pushing 120 bpm just walking around.  I have done 150 push-ups as now, my goal is 200.   Lucky there are not any finals tomorrow.  My muscles randomly tense up too.   I have major kottonmouth too.


Moral of the story.  Timing (in the case of Concerta) is extremely important.  I have 3 hours until I get ready for school. Hopefully I can get an hour or two or sleep..

To everyone who asked about the cult, I'm not gonna invite members until I have something set up. I want at least five or six good threads ready to go before I launch it so it doesn't turn into another "What's up. I'm never gonna check this again. This is a good idea. Word," situation. When it's up I'll send out invites.

i can't stand you people who are taking it but have no fucking idea about it

i can't stand you people who are taking it but have no fucking idea about it

Since other people already explained the difference in white matter and dopamine transportation in the brain of people with ADD vs. those without ADD I'm not gonna bother to explain anymore about that.  I didn't bother wasting my time before because I didn't think it was necessary to waste 15min. explaining something you should have learned in one of your many psych classes already.  Since I don't really have anymore time to waste I'll just say that there is a lot more that goes into a mental than how someone feels and acts.  Chemicals in the brain like seritonin, dopamine, etc. can get messed up and most psychologists should suggest patients get an fMRI to account for these imbalances but a lot of them don't.  Before taking more serious classes I though a lot of mental diseases were a joke too, but they're not.  Study up buddy 'cause it seems like you don't know much about your minor.

=) thanks sunshine!

what's your focus?

I realize that you think if the country only gave you a bit more credit for doing whatever you're doing things would be so much better because well you can add, or connect the dots? Iit doesn't matter what you're doing, it's how you do it that's going to determine how valuable you are to others. I really don't see how you can pass any judgment onto me as i've never given you something to judge on.

Can we ignore what you said about other majors breezing through neuroscience? Last i checked, math, business, whathaveyou  majors don't take it. Plus why the hell are you on the receiving end of complaints about taking neuroscience anyways? But unless you were there with me this past semester i doubt you can make any claims to how hard/easy that class was.  Regardless, when i say it's the toughest psych course offered, it is, that's coming from the department, not me. Still that statement doesn't give you any indication of how challenging it actually was, all you know is in respect to the other psych courses.  Along those lines we can disregard your ad hominem as well, as you really don't know me either.

Keep being content with your hate on everyone else, it doesn't look like you're projecting in the least bit.
I don't mind being the butt of your jokes, i know whatever the future holds for me, i'll be able to surround my self with positive people doing positive things -- and my success won't be measured by how big of a dick i am. I know my education hasn't been pragmatic -- that doesn't preclude me from being successful, it just means you and I are on different paths doing different things. But i appreciate the forecast.

You are really, really, REALLY pessimistic, aren't you?

Also, ad hominem is a term you should have learned by junior year of high school at the latest in your social studies class or english. You don't need to take Latin. And it is true, the majority of that post that you made was an ad hominem; it did not have that much to do with the debate.
An example: everything you wrote except for your last paragraph was attacking their majors and thought processes rather than discussing Adderall...take a chill pill (not literally). You should lighten up and if you honestly believe that someone is going to be fucking up their life by choosing some major that isn't going to get them into a med degree or a law degree then you should probably keep it to yourself, since it's not true.

hahaha, this thread became full of so much hate.

I am not debating the translation or common usage of the phrase. I am saying, from experience, those who tend to gratuitously use latin phrases do so in a way to try elevate themselves above others, usually compensating for something.

whatever man. I guess we'll agree to disagree. I suggest you check out Daniel Amen also. I've already very clearly laid out my opinion on amphetamines and ADHD in posts above, I'm not repeating myself.

keep the hate coming!

I'm surprised you didn't realize that since i'm the epitome of an arts and science degree, that makes me a philosophy major as well. Sorry for using the apropriate term when i was defending myself from your personal attacks. 

Bahahaahaha... OK, I'll bite.

Have fun with your math or engineering degree in ten years when every single job you're qualified for has been outsourced to India, dumbass. Left-brain majors were so last decade. Employers can teach you whatever they need you to do, you don't need specific knowledge any more, you just need to be able to present yourself as an intelligent human being, something your lack of foresight tells me you're obviously not. I'm sure there's a broad array of things you can do for massively subpar pay in Southern Asia, though.

People with your major are a dime a dozen now, and more and more those types of jobs are leaving the US. Meanwhile, I'm gonna be doing something I enjoy doing, that I hope to hell isn't lined up by my parents seeing as one is a teacher and the other is a claims adjustor. And hey, if you don't believe me now, I'm sure you'll start to see things my way thirty years from now when you're still putting in overtime at IBM until one day the big guys decide there's a twenty-year-old who can do your job just as well as you for half the pay. Owned? I think so.

Oh, and Soc majors are too dumb to be Psych majors? Oh really? You ever taken much of either? No? Shut the fuck up.

hes right, here in Singapore, 85% of the kids in college are majoring in math and engineering. and they will gladly work for much less pay than you would.

its not a myth, its not a guilt trip, it is 100% true.

He doesn't have a focus, they don't offer degrees in talking shit or bragging about living in San Diego.