With 16 million Americans filling prescriptions
for stimulants, like Adderall, every year,
many experts warn that a new prescription drug epidemic
is fast approaching.
We all know about the opioid epidemic.
But tucked in behind that, is this stimulant epidemic.
And the deaths associated with that,
are climbing at an alarming rate.
Now Tamara insists her Adderall prescription
is helping her to, and I quote, give birth
to a midlife awakening and fulfill her fairytale fantasies.
Take a look.
Kill that old girl off, and let that new girl
come to life.
Some of my favorite things about Adderall,
is the fact that I just love my brain.
I get so excited!
I love my brain!
I can think clearly.
I have access to the words that I need.
I can remember things from my childhood.
I can remember words I want to recall.
Yeah!
And you celebrate life and you shake your butt,
and you feel alive again!
When I take my Adderall, it helps me focus.
It's almost like I have a magic wand,
I just walk in the room, and ch, ch, ch, ch,
and it's just clean.
A big pile of dirty dishes, wah-lah, it's done.
It's like Alice in Wonderland.
All my fairytale dreams are coming true!
Before Adderall, I was Sleeping Beauty,
in a glass case, just kind of oblivious.
And it woke me up.
I could feel everything for the first time in my life.
I just don't understand why I should stop taking it.
I've been waiting for somebody to say,
put your heels on baby!
Adderall unleashed my inner diva,
my inner creative side, my inner neglected self.
As I run in here.
And I'll even throw those curtains open,
and I'll be trying to sing in here,
see if can hear myself better.
Woohoo!
I put those high heels on, turn that music up,
get your disco ball going, and just do the bris around.
It's therapeutic.
I kind of like my inner monster.
It's kind of good!
In the past, I was a door mat.
This flimsy girl who'd come home crying.
Adderall helped me put my boxing gloves on,
and it gave me the courouge to stand up for myself.
♪ If you're happy and you know it, shake your meds ♪
(shakes bottle of pills)
I take it every day.
20 to 30 milligrams, two or three times a day.
One of the challenges of taking Adderall is,
trying to find your sweet spot.
I used to be the medical reporter, now I'm the patient.
Steven talks about it like it's heroin or some bad thing.
It could be a magical journey.
So, why not have magic?
It's a pill.
I put it in my mouth and swallow.
I mean, ta-da!
(laughing)
What's the big deal?
Well hello, it's good to meet you.
It's nice to meet you Dr. Phil.
So, what is the big deal?
Is this all much ado about nothing?
I don't know.
I mean, I kind of wish that I had been on it.
I was like, why wasn't I on this in high school and college,
and during my career?
I could have done so much better,
and been so much more successful.
And so, I just think I had some friends
that could see that something was wrong,
or I needed something.
So, they told me to go to the doctor.
So, you went to the doctor.
And did he give you a diagnosis, or just the pills?
I mean, this is for an underactive neocortex.
Did they diagnose you with that?
I think he was able to tell by my symptoms,
I can't focus, I need more energy, I'm all over the place.
No brain scan? I feel lethargic.
No.
No blood work-up?
No.
I assume that you're re-evaluated every 10 to 30 days?
Right, I go in every 30 days to see my doctor.
So, he sees me.
I come in and I sit on the couch like this,
and he looks at me, and says, how's it going?
And in the beginning, we talked a lot more.
And now, it's just kind of like I'm on autopilot.
I just come in.
We don't have that much to talk about.
And he makes sure that I look fine,
and I get my prescription, and I just keep going.
Okay, so how long do you spend with the doctor?
These days, it could just take five minutes to come in.
How much are you taking?
I'm taking 20 to 30 milligrams, two to three times a day.
Seriously?
Yes.
And they're prescribing that to you?
Yes. They know you're taking
as much as 90 milligrams of Adderall a day?
Yes. Seven days a week?
Yes. For four years?
Yes.