> But the results are the same. They're
> the same for ADHD folks, they're the
> same for non-ADHD folks...
It's certainly worth talking about, but I'm not at all sure that's true. Our understanding of Adderall's mechanism is incomplete but our current understanding is that, in those with ADHD, appropriate doses of stimulants can boost some functions to where it would be in a non-ADHD brain.
It's kind of like saying that platform shoes make everybody taller. Yes, they do, but some people need platform shoes just to reach an "average" height.
Drugs like Adderall tend to increase Dopamine and Norepinepherine. The idea being that people with ADHD tend to not have enough of these chemicals. When they take drugs like Adderall, they feel better. If they take too much, or someone who already has enough of these chemicals takes them, they tend to become irritable and have trouble sleeping.
For someone with ADHD, a single Adderall isn't going to make them stay up all night. It isn't going to cause them to stop eating. There is no "razor sharp infinite focus".
Instead, it just brings things up to normal. Rather than being unable to even have a chance to focus, the possibility now exists.
Well, it's probably safe to assume that at least some of the effects are the same for ADHD and non-ADHD users. Stimulants affect pretty much the whole brain; probably much more of the brain than merely the part(s) that differ between those with ADHD and those without ADHD.
It's kind of like saying that platform shoes make everybody taller. Yes, they do, but some people need platform shoes just to reach an "average" height.