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- PCTH 201 (201)
- Institution
- University Of British Columbia (UBC )
is the second required assignment for the course
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Critique and Rebuttal—DocumentarySummary:
The documentary “Take Your Pills” aims to portray the argument of the often overlooked cost
of Adderall use and misuse among especially the young, college age population; who rely on this
stimulant performance enhancing drug to rapidly increase focus, concentration and reaction time. The
documentary depicts this argument through the stories of various college students and young working
professionals who actively use Adderall and Ritalin (another stimulant drug, similar to Adderall) in
their daily lives. However, prior to this, the mechanism of which particularly Adderall works is
described to further provide context for why this drug is thought to so effectively improve
performance. This included describing how amphetamine (the major constituent of Adderall) acts on
the catecholamine pathway in the brain, increasing central nervous system activity—which leads to
increased alertness and concentration. Following this background information, the author first sheds
light on these desired/therapeutic effects of Adderall through the stories of various Adderall users;
including a former NFL athlete, two college students and a finance worker. This is effectively done in
order to support her core argument for why Adderall has become so popularized and overly prescribed
in our hyper competitive society, and as a result, ignored for its prevailing negative effects—including
dependence/addiction, cardiovascular risks and risks of psychotic episodes. Lastly, this argument is
further solidified in the second half of the documentary; where these same individuals discuss their
negative experiences, alongside a neurologist and psychiatrist who discuss the risks of Adderall
misuse, as well as long-term Adderall use.
Review:
Considering this dual depiction of stimulant use, I thought this documentary was considerably
informative and clearly articulated, yet communicated at a level of detail that allowed comprehension
of the rationale behind the author’s stance. In particular, when discussing each of the main concerns
upon forming the core argument when it comes to Adderall use, basic science knowledge and
information about the drug’s mechanism was provided for support. By doing so, the messages of the
risks pertaining to such stimulants were clear. For instance, when arguing the potent risk of
dependence and addiction with Adderall use, it was illustrated how the major constituent of
Adderall—amphetamine, is derived from methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was then described to
act by releasing large amounts of dopamine—a neurotransmitter linked with pleasure centers in the
brain, thus leading to feelings of euphoria and potentially, intense cravings to maintain this euphoric
state. Additionally, such facts presented in the documentary were accurate, as stimulants are known to
cause a surge of catecholamine release (including dopamine and norepinephrine), increasing
connections with reward pathways in the brain, while also increasing the risk of psychosis and
cardiovascular events)—another supportive detail that was provided in the documentary (Troska et al,
2019). Likewise, the concern for the cost of stimulant misuse was not overemphasized, as over 5
million stimulant prescriptions are known to be misused per year (Stewart et al, 2019). Furthermore,
while providing multiple supportive elements to the argument, the information was not used in a
misleading way, but rather in a cautious, educational way. This is particularly evident as the
documentary does not solely focus on the negative aspects of the drug, as it also places emphasis on
the importance of such drugs when truly needed, particularly in instances where individuals suffer
from attention deficit hyperexcitability disorder (ADHD). Therefore, the documentary utilizes
supportive facts to bring awareness to the adverse effects of this drug that the general public may not
be aware of; in order to promote safe, proper, and controlled use of stimulants.
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