Becoming a Stimulant User

A large and growing number of college students use stimulants such as Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin through their college careers, despite not having a prescription themselves. Using in-depth interviews, the current study provides an understanding of undergraduate student’s career stimulant use. Specifically, this research provides the stages necessary for becoming a stimulant user. These stages are: having a predisposition to trying stimulants, learning about stimulants, watching people use them without experiencing negative consequences, experiencing various personal struggles, convincing themselves that using stimulants is their best or only option to overcome these struggles, and lastly, upon trying stimulants, learning to enjoy the symptoms. Along with using the stage model to help understand why individuals use stimulants, this study helps further understanding as to why individuals begin a deviant career.