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Comment by Kiro | Hacker News Reader

I think everyone should be prescribed Elvanse. I don't have ADHD but Elvanse feels like taking NZT. I become a superhuman.

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If you actually have a normal functioning brain (imo) the detriments out weigh the benefits: you will do more but the quality will be lessened and you’ll have fewer insights.

(Also this is apart from the ethics of abusing a medicine that is tenuously situated in the public mind but is literally life saving for a small population of people (untreated ADHD increases risk of early death and reduces lifespan more than smoking or diabetes)).

Not my experience at all. I feel exactly the same as people with ADHD describe the effects. Why gatekeep such a miracle medicine?

> Why gatekeep such a miracle medicine?

The key word here is medicine. Like the opioids it’s a powerful double edged sword. Using amphetamine to get a supra-physiological advantage is illegal, extremely unethical and probably a really bad idea health-wise (doubly so if you “prescribed” it to yourself).

Legality depends on where in the world you are so that's not an argument.

How is it extremely unethical?

Is there a country on earth where amphetamine is legal?

Re. ethics check out OC in this thread

That's not really true. There's a reason why in many countries (including mine) medicine students take them en masse for studying/exams.

I’m thinking of this study:

“‘Smart’ drugs can decrease productivity in people without ADHD, new study shows”

https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/june/smart-dru...

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