Psychologists warn that use of Adderall and/or other stimulant based ADHD medications may ultimately result in a dependence on the drug. "Although these medications generally have a wide margin of safety, when misused they can lead to several negative health consequences, particularly at higher doses administered through insufflation or injection. These consequences include suicidal and homicidal ideation, seizure, and various cardiac complications, such as hypertension, hypotension, tachycardia, palpitations, and arrhythmias" (Jardin, Looby, and Earleywine 373). These consequences accentuate the importance of identifying patients who may be at risk based on certain characteristics they have. Research has shown that the strongest predictor of prescription stimulant abuse among students is past history of alcohol and substance abuse. Students who report using alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and cocaine among many other drugs are far more likely to abuse these alleged "study drugs". While most students claim to only use Adderall on rare occasions, they are often times unaware of the harmful psychological side effects that the continued use of these drugs can have. .
Scientists and researchers have proven that psychological disorders can in fact be treated with amphetamines, however, considering that this kind of treatment is still rather new, it is unclear what the long term effects of these powerful stimulants are. Down the road we could find that patients treated for a long period of time with substances including Adderall and Ritalin could experience an array of unexplainable complications. It has been found that when a person under the influence of Adderall is distracted they can become incredibly agitated. Because of this, the user may be at risk from external focus due to their unyielding focus. When a person is under the influence of Adderall, his or her ability to be creative is dramatically hindered.