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The first time I took stimulant medication for my lifelong neurodevelopmental condition felt like I was going against everything a friendly itinerant giraffe puppet had told me about not doing illicit drugs.
I was apprehensive – it was basically “medical meth”, right?
I swallowed the pill and waited for something to happen. Nothing did.
Literally, nothing. For the first time in my adult life, I felt calm. The chaotic squirrels that live inside my head and insist on constantly changing the TV channel finally decided to take their own advertisement break.
The thing is, ADHD stimulant medication is not meth, and it comes down to chemistry.
BREAKING DOWN BREAKING BAD
Stimulant medications used to treat ADHD include methylphenidate (brand names like Concerta and Ritalin LA) and dexamphetamine (Adderall, Vyvanse).
They work by increasing the activity of neurotransmitters, including dopamine and noradrenaline. These chemicals help regulate attention, motivation and executive function.
These medications belong to the same chemical family as methamphetamine.
Credit: Kate Holmes
For someone without ADHD, the extra stimulation may feel energising or euphoric by ‘speeding up’ their heart rate, breathing and mental processing.
For someone with ADHD, it can feel like the opposite. It helps regulate executive function and attention and successfully tune out the white noise in my head to be able to write this article that you are reading now.
Credit: Kate Holmes
PILLS DON’T MAKE SKILLS
If amphetamines are similar to meth, does that mean ADHD medication is addictive?
Hardly. I regularly forget to take my medication. Like, a lot.
Credit: Kate Holmes
Ironically, the reason I forget to take my medication is probably the same reason I need it.
The misconceptions around ADHD medication can delay diagnosis and treatment, fuelled by fear rather than evidence.
There are three atoms separating amphetamine and methamphetamine but only one atom separating table salt (NaCl) and bleach (NaClO). Yet nobody calls sprinkling chicken salt on their hot chips “basically bleach”.
The conversations we have around ADHD treatment matter: there’s no medication needed for empathy, understanding and better societal structures.
