Reference no: EM133455310

Students often considered their unmedicated bodily states to be "normal" and natural, yet believed they needed medicine to perform academically because of their disorder. How did students negotiate this "paradox of medical control"?

Though their unmedicated selves is what is considered their normal, for them to be able to perform as their best academic selves some felt the need to medicate so they felt as if they were more in control thus creating a new norm for themselves. Students felt that when their bodies were not acting up to par with their standards or what they felt was the standard, then they were more likely to try to attempt a change in themselves through medication. Most felt that unmedicated in a normal day-to-day life they were able to function just fine, but it was with the stress and challenges of a competitive setting such as college where they struggled. Having a feeling of need for a medication is frustrating for students because it is almost like a lack of control over the situation, they have no control over their brain's way of thinking, but with the medication their brains are able to route the information in a more manageable way. The students rationalized that being on medication helped them focus when it was needed.

Have you known someone that has taken this medication as a small child (who often does not have a say in the situation), as an adult have they continued on with the medication? Or have they found new ways to cope?