Adderall is a prescribed medication used for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  It is also, in a lesser known capacity, used in the treatment of narcolepsy.  Most popularly, Adderall has become a cheap fix for millions of college students and various other young adult professionals with places to go and people to see.

 Adderall is not an illegal drug, and prescriptions are easily obtained due to the increased regularity of ADHD diagnoses. Pills can be found cheaply on college campuses; going rates average $1-$6 per pill, depending on the strength of the prescription and whether or not they are extended release. This provides a small income for the prescription owner and distributor, and a stiff energy hit for the user, all for less than the price of a tall latte at Starbucks. 

The intended uses of Adderall are to keep those with narcolepsy from falling asleep randomly, and to help those with ADHD to focus properly on tasks (such as studying) that might otherwise prove difficult to those thus afflicted. 

The inventive ways in which Adderall is being used far outweigh the first perceived prescribed possibilities.  Adderall, being an amphetamine, is most commonly used by students as a means to stay up all night to study and focus.  The drug is also used as a weight loss pill: the combination of Adderall (an appetite suppressant in and of itself) and a coffee provide for a powerful laxative effect that your scale won't believe. 

 Adderall is also used by those who want to stay up all night partying and don't feel that they can do it of their own volition.  This provides for a most dangerous combination: Adderall, a stimulant, and alcohol, a depressant, do not mix well.  The medication provides a feeling of mental clarity and alertness that one does not necessarily have in actuality after imbibing for hours. This means that you don't feel as drunk as you actually are, and that you wake up with a hangover from the depths of hell, spit straight out of Persephone's lair, if you can manage to fall asleep in the first place (and wake up afterward).

 I've taken Adderall. No, I have not been diagnosed with narcolepsy or ADHD. I'm a curious college student in need of a new distraction every now and then. The hype is true: you can stay up for hours, and run around like the Energizer Bunny on crack. You can drink and drink and drink and dance until daylight, and never feel drunk. You can get all of your work done and be tempted to ask for more. You can clean the entire house and do your roommate's laundry because you feel like it. You feel empowered, witty, smart, exhilarated, sexy, on top of the world, never hungry, occasionally thirsty, and then... you come down.

 You come crashing down. Your stomach hurts: indeed, it hurts so bad that you become convinced that your appendix that was removed in 3^rd grade has regenerated and exploded again in the pit of your stomach. Your head hurts: a dull aching reminder of all those meals you skipped while you were flying as high as a kite. You feel faint, dizzy, tired, and cranky. You may lash out or pass out randomly once the euphoric effects of the drug have waned.

 My prescription for the masses: try a good night's sleep.  It's the hottest fix you've never had.