By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Study Drugs are for sale but at what price.

Study drugs and other so-called mind power improving meds are big business on the internet.

Anything related to drugs to make you think better, improve your memory, or learn more with less effort is a popular search term.

Study drugs are less commonly used and less effective than most people think.

Despite the widespread belief that “everyone is doing them,” the truth is that less than 10 % of the school-age population has used a study drug.

These drugs are most popular among the late high school and first-year college students. Just at the time when students are trying to establish themselves as adults and begin a new independent life they are at most risk to begin to abuse stimulants in the name of improved learning.

Who is most at risk to begin using and abusing “study drugs?”

Students with low GPAs, those who skip the class a lot, and those who drink and drug a lot are most likely to reach for something that they see as a shortcut to putting in the study time.

We already know that there is a very direct correlation between alcohol consumption and GPA. The more you drink the lower your GPA. Taking a second drug on top of the alcohol does not improve memory.

Another disturbing trend is the increase in those students who smoke marijuana and experience difficulty learning and remembering things who reach for a study drug to compensate.

One reason that study drugs are so attractive to first-year college students is that tendency to take on too much too soon. There is a strong temptation to work full-time, try to have an apartment and a new car, possibly a new relationship, and still try to carry a lot of classes towards a degree. Trying to do too much and then relying on using a drug – any drug is setting you up for failure.

What does improve grades and make you smarter?

The best study drug is good self-care.  Get plenty of sleep, some basic exercise, eat well, and study.

The students with the best grades are those who go to class. Read the book, take notes, and study. Cut back on or avoid partying and your chances of good grades improve.

You can’t expect to burn the candle at both ends and then throw some magic power on it to make it last longer.

Study drugs turn out to be just another drug use trap that students can fall into.

For more on this topic check out the commentary by Amelia Arria, Ph.D. over on drugfree.org/join together/  Myth of Study Drugs. 

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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