I’m Having a Lot of Trouble Focusing on My Grad classes–PLEASE HELP!?

Question by Regina Phalange: I’m having a lot of trouble focusing on my grad classes–PLEASE HELP!?
I am 23 and in my second semester of grad school as an English major. I did fine last semester and for the first month of this semester for the most part, but now I’m having a lot of trouble focusing on my reading. I take my Adderall, go to the library to avoid distractions, don’t go out or watch too much TV so I have enough time to get things done, but I still cannot focus at all. Each word I have to read is mentally painful, even when I resort to Sparknotes. I did really well as an English major in undergrad, so what could be causing this problem, and how can I fix it? I really don’t want to have to drop out or have bad grades.

Thanks in advance!
Interesting article–thank you for sharing that. Come to think of it, I am actually always strung out on Adderall, caffeine, and ciggarettes. That’s probably contributing to a lot of the stress.

And no, I don’t let myself have much of a life either. I have friends, but I moved away for college so I don’t see them often. I also don’t have a boyfriend, most of the girls in my program do, so I have less of a support system than a majority of my peers.

Thanks for raising those questions. Might be a few things to work on.

Best answer:

Answer by RWPossum
Do you know the expression “coffee achiever”? It means somebody who thinks that the more coffee he drinks the more productive he is.

A New York Times article on Adderall:

“Requests for comment by Columbia administrators were referred to Dr. Laurence Greenhill, a clinical psychiatrist at the university, who said that the idea that Adderall is a performance enhancer is a myth. “It won’t increase your intelligence, it just increases your diligence,” he said. “Essentially, the drugs delay the onset of sleep so you can stay up all night and cram.”

Designer stimulants like Adderall are far less dangerous than cocaine or methamphetamines. According to the Shire Pharmaceuticals Group, which makes Adderall, medical research has found it has no potential for addiction. But Adderall, like many other medications, can interact with other drugs and create problems, particularly when taken in other-than-prescribed dosages, a spokesman said. The main side effects of analeptics are increased heart rate, agitation and the kind of paranoia and disorientation that results from amphetamine-induced insomnia. In February, the Canadian government suspended sales of Adderall XR, the time-release version of the medication, noting “20 international reports” of sudden deaths, heart-related deaths and strokes in children and adults.”

http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/courses/hon182/The_Adderall_Advantage_NYTimes_7_31_05.pdf

Does it sound like you’re not properly motivated or a strung-out speed freak?

By the way, do you have a life apart from college?

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!