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Comment by whimsicalism | Hacker News Reader

Just an FYI, in circles similar to HN, people will respond very negatively to anyone suggesting anything that might hint at tightening amphetamine prescriptions.

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>> tightening amphetamine prescriptions

oh man, just reading these three words spikes my blood pressure

Breathe in, breathe out, keep at it long after the stress is gone

I'm counting on it, I find it deliciously ironic how much there's little interest here in the actual wellbeing of people. The logical hoops people go through here is hilarious.

tbh as a non-user, I think stimulants are likely life improving for many (potentially most) people. what i dislike/chafe at is the insinuation that stimulants only work for people with diagnosed ADHD or only have non-recreational effects for people with ADHD. the latter especially seems to rapidly have become a folk wisdom.

What would the "recreational" affects of stimulants be? I sometimes take it on weekends, does that make it "recreational"? If it makes me happier through better conversations, less distractions, and less hating myself for not doing the one plate that's been sitting unrinsed for a week, is that "recreational"?

This is the kind of absurd thing that people say when they know drugs from 2000s teen comedies, I fear. Just cause you've vaguely heard about people doing adderal at parties doesn't mean it's anything like meth, which is the common layperson misunderstanding. It's not a difference in degree, but a difference in kind.

I've never understood recreational use of amphetamines. When I take them (prescribed, of course), I feel like garbage but I'm able to get my work done (which is the only reason I take the damn stuff). If I could choose to shed my executive dysfunction but never be able to take stimulants again, I wouldn't even have to think about it - obviously I'd take that deal.

People absolutely take amphetamines recreationally, they are mood & confidence boosting and help you stay up to party. I’m not sure what in my comment you are disagreeing with to be honest, you seem to be imputing a bunch of views to me and then arguing against them. I never said anything about similarity to meth, although they do hit the same targets. I have not vaguely heard of people doing adderal at parties, I have explicitly been to parties where people were doing adderal.

Sure, there's always the middle ground, but there's always the extreme, people abusing amfetamines because a regular human being isn't made to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week, or because after the third pill it's not kicking anymore.

And people should drop the cynicism that just because there are doctors around everyone is well cared for. Just look at the opioid crisis in the US, fuelled by respectable doctors chasing financial incentives.

Having been in medical school I would never trust physicians on the topic of amphetamines. More than half of them would regularly (ab)use ADHD meds during education, some would sell prescription meds to other students which in theory could get them suspended (it's not just the brightest people who end up physicians ...).

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