Occasionally a pill of ritalin, also the 23-year-old Patrick * uses it to get through the exam weeks of his law studies. “It started in high school, then I did it sometimes. And I also use it occasionally at university,” he tells EditieNL.
He mainly uses it in busy weeks to make studying for exams easier. “You have quiet moments in which you just follow the material and then suddenly you have a week full of exams and you go to the blocks. If you try to learn things with focus ten hours a day, your attention will go away on the second or third day. You can’t keep that up. “
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And so ADHD medicine Patrick offers a solution. “You can easily stay focused. Your attention gets better. And you don’t mind studying,” he says. He is not afraid of any health risks: “If you do not do it every day … It may not be so healthy, but it is also nice if I take a better exam. So what is more important? I might do it four times a week. year. “
Patrick says he can easily get to the drug. “But it is not that people deal. It goes through a lot. I have a wide circle of friends, I know people with ADHD, so it is not difficult.”
Performance pressure
The National Student Union (LSVb) also sees that Patrick is certainly not the only student who uses ritalin. “It has become quite normal”, says vice-chairman Monty Aal. “During my studies, I also saw that many students used that type of performance enhancing substance. I think most students deal with it responsibly, they do it mostly during exam time.”
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Aal thinks he can explain the increase in use. “There is enormous financial pressure on taking exams. For example, those who do not pass an exam in June have to pay a year extra tuition fees to resit it after the summer. The pressure to achieve quick results is enormous and it ensures that students to seize this kind of resources. “
Side effects
According to doctor Peter Vonk of the Office of Student Doctors there are many factors why students go to grab ritalin. “Not being able to concentrate is really a big problem among students. Twenty to thirty percent experience it,” he says to EditieNL. “But also financial pressure, social pressure, not wanting to be a loser …” All reasons why students want an extra hand to get good results.
According to Vonk, that is not without risk. “Researchers think differently about whether you should use medication for a concentration disorder. It affects your brain and your brain is still developing for up to 23 years. It can also have side effects, kill your creativity, be more anxious or be raised , or part of your emotion. “
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* Patrick is a fictitious name. His real name is known to the editors.
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