If smart drugs really exist, would you dare to take them?

Every exam season, rumors about "smart drugs" emerge on the Internet, saying that taking "smart drugs" can relieve fatigue and sleepiness, improve memory, and make students smarter. Many parents and students believe it and spend a lot of money to buy "smart drugs" in the hope that taking them will improve their learning state and academic performance.

Is there really such a good thing? Why is it so difficult for us to buy it through regular channels? Why doesn't the country distribute it to young people in a unified manner to comprehensively improve the intelligence level of the next generation of the Chinese nation? In Rong's opinion, everything we eat should be obtained through regular channels.

Let's first take a look at what these so-called "smart drugs" are. There are mainly three types of drugs, Adderall, Ritalin and Modafinil, all of which are central nervous system stimulants. Among them, Adderall and Ritalin are mainly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, while Modafinil is mainly used to treat narcolepsy and can promote wakefulness. Awakening in the normal sense, don't make random inferences.

However, all three drugs are addictive and can easily lead to physical and psychological dependence. They can only be used strictly according to the doctor's instructions. Abuse is equivalent to drug abuse. They are controlled psychotropic drugs in any country. They cannot be purchased without a prescription from a psychiatrist.

The most dangerous one among them is Adderall, whose active ingredient is amphetamine. It sounds familiar, right? If amphetamine has an extra methyl group, it becomes methamphetamine, which is methamphetamine. Amphetamine has a significant excitatory effect on the central nervous system and can cause irreversible damage to the brain. It is highly addictive, and the effect of taking a large amount is similar to that of methamphetamine. In addition, short-term use has obvious side effects, manifested as severe depression.

Ritalin, whose main ingredient is methylphenidate, is similar to amphetamine in structure and pharmacology. However, the efficacy of methylphenidate is much lower than that of the latter. However, it still produces many adverse reactions, including insomnia, anxiety, headache, anorexia, tachycardia, hypertension, etc. Long-term use will also lead to dependence, and after stopping the drug, symptoms such as inattention, depression, and mania will appear.

As for modafinil, my country has approved its use for the awakening of adult patients with sleepiness caused by obstructive sleep apnea. Compared with the first two "smart drugs", its efficacy and addiction are relatively low, but its abuse can still lead to mental symptoms such as mood swings, depression, mania, and anxiety.

Some people may ask, if we don't consider the side effects, in other words, if I try my best to be smart, can I become smarter? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

No matter what kind of smart drug, it is essentially a stimulant. Its working principle is to increase the concentration of dopamine around brain neurons, thereby increasing the excitability of the cerebral cortex, allowing people to improve their concentration for a certain period of time, relieve physical fatigue, feel happy, and not feel sleepy even if they sleep a few hours less. To put it bluntly, it is like drinking strong coffee, which only makes people temporarily energetic, but has nothing to do with improving IQ.

You know, the basic function of dopamine is to generate motivation in people, such as I want to solve this problem, I want to go out for a trip, I want to finish reading the four great classics, and even the most basic appetite is driven by dopamine. Smart drugs change the working mode of the dopamine system in the brain, so that the concentration of dopamine in the brain is higher than normal during the medication period, stimulating the brain to be in an excited state. But after taking too many smart drugs, the brain is accustomed to high-intensity stimulation. Once the drug is stopped, the stimulation intensity is not enough, the brain will not work, and the mind will no longer be focused, but it is easy to become depressed and listless.

In the final analysis, these smart drugs are strictly controlled psychotropic drugs. They cannot make people smarter and can only be used to treat indications. Healthy people taking smart drugs can do more harm than good. If you want to improve your academic performance and get into a good school, there is no shortcut. There is no other way except to study hard and make progress every day.