(I remember a recent ADD thread but the search engine is not working.)
Okay, I have a problem.
I’ve pulled a few all nighters this semester. Last night was one. I took some of my roommate’s Dexedrine to stay awake. I’ve done this before.
The Dexedrine makes so many things interesting to me that are not interesting when I am not on it, which is not to say that I cannot focus on things without Dexedrine.
Let me give you an example. I took my philosophy book to lunch. The lunchroom was very crowded and very noisy. I sat down beside a TV that was blasting ESPN. I hadn’t really intended on studying, but I opened the book.
Before I realized it, I had read a few unassigned essays on ethical egoism and male chauvinist religion. (I doubt that I would have ever, ever read the latter.) I was even able to concentrate on Kant and Hume, for God’s sakes, beside that vapid, loud TV. Just in the zone. (Their ideas interest me, but their prose… ugh.)
When I’m not on Dexedrine, I can easily sit down and read Pride and Prejudice or work lots of intriguing calculus problems without getting bored. Both the calculus and the Hume are challenging, but I don’t like Hume. My point is that this stuff makes uninteresting things interesting.
And now I want some. I feel like I could read everything that I’ve previously disliked. Is this normal? I’ve always been a straight-A student. I’ve certainly never considered the possibility of ADD, and I still don’t. Does the speed make everyone focus? Thanks for any opinions.