SHORT Adderall falls

Janell Lim | Online Editor

U.S. government eased rules to allow Adderall prescribing during telehealth visits. Combined with worker shortages at Teva, the largest supplier for Adderall, obtaining the medication has become increasingly difficult.

Ittera, who works with children and adults who have mental health concerns, recognizes the potentially dangerous effects of the Adderall shortage on patients.

“In some patients, the ability to focus is crucial for everyday activities like driving. Imagine how dangerous it would be if patients were running red lights due to not having their medications,” Ittera said.

For now, Adderall users are left to cope with withdrawal symptoms. When the shortage first hit Hernquist, who has been taking Adderall for three years, he was left with just two pills of his regular dosage. Since his typical dose only lasts four hours, Hernquist’s stock quickly drained, leaving him to cope with life without Adderall.

“[Without Adderall] I’ll usually have a big burst of energy in the beginning of the day and then be like a total zombie for the rest of the day,”

Hernquist said. “So it kind of helps me have more consistent energy, instead of one big crash.”

Although frequent naps and caffeine helps maintain his energy, Hernquist says it is a poor substitute for Adderall.

“Caffeine helps keep me awake a little, but it’s not the same,” Hernquist said. “It’s like I’m falling asleep every second of the day. I’m not as sharp as I usually am.”

Senior Kenna Gay, who has been taking Adderall since fi fth grade, experiences similar symptoms.

“It’s much harder to go through my daily life because I’ve taken it for so long. I’m very used to it,” Gay said. “I get very spacey and it’s hard to carry on conversations. It’s hard to focus in class. It’s hard to get work done. It just impedes every single function that I have.”

Luckily, Gay was able to get a refill for her prescription recently, but even that stock has dwindled.

“I’m trying to ration it out because

I do need it on a daily basis,” Gay said. “I’m trying to be aware of days that I would specifically need it. Like I have college auditions coming up and on those days I’d be like, ‘Okay, make sure I have some Adderall on those days that I can take.’”

According to Gay, there have been other instances when she struggled to obtain Adderall, but this has been the most prolonged drought.

“There was a time when I couldn’t get it in the spring and that actually affected my grades to the point where I had to do credit recovery because I just could not turn in my work or get anything done,” Gay said.

For many Adderall users, the shortage has made them realize their dependence on Adderall, a troubling yet inescapable fact.

“[The shortage] kind of reminded me that I’m not as capable as I want to be unless I have the extra help,” Hernquist said. “I can’t just get up and do better because my body physically can’t do that.”

Stranded in Hawaii was not how senior Sarah Braun planned to spend the new year. After leaving a luau dressed in leis and floral outfits, her family’s rental car got two flat tires. With no cell phone connection, they were unable to get in contact with a tow truck or 911.

She left her family to use a bathroom, and two strangers approached her and asked if she wanted to come with them, so she ran back to her family’s car. Later, Braun and her brothers were told to ride with a different set of strangers to a gas station so they could call an Uber. While they were waiting, the three witnessed an armed robbery at the gas station, were questioned by the police, and finally, around 2 a.m., the group’s Uber arrived and they made it back to the hotel.

“Everything that could go wrong, went wrong,” Braun said. “It was like a movie.”

When you travel to every state and 10 different countries, you tend to have a lot of memorable stories— some crazier than others.

Braun’s family first began their cross-country road trip because of her brothers’ love for baseball. They started visiting every Major League Baseball stadium in the country and ended up visiting 30 states. Braun’s family then decided to make it a goal to see all 50 states, which took about 10 years.