> Have you tried Adderall? It gives extreme competitive edge.

Before readers rush out to acquire Adderall, note that "trying" it does not give an accurate picture of what it's like to take it long-term. It has a high discontinuation rate because people read comments like this online or borrow a dose from their friend and think they're going to be running around like Bradley Cooper in Limitless for the rest of their career.

A new patient who tries Adderall will feel a sense of euphoria, energy, and motivation that is temporary. This effect does not last. This is why the Reddit ADHD forums are full of people posting "I just took my first dose and I'm so happy I could cry" followed a few weeks later by "Why did my Adderall stop working?". The focus part is still mostly working, but no drug is going to make you feel happy, energized, and euphoric for very long.

> Just to get legal and easy access to performance-enhancing drugs in elite educational (aka competitive) setting it makes sense to get "disability".

You're confusing two different things. Registering with the school's disability office is orthogonal to getting a prescription for anything.

If you have ADHD, for neurotypical people it might feel that you are performing better but results will not improve https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/smart-drugs-can-decrease...

They really don't, and if they did then would it be so bad if people who didn't "need" them took them?

Obviously if there's safety issues but for stimulants unsafe doses will 100% always decrease performance, because they'll affect sleep.

Steriods will give you a massive physical advantage too. If you're not doing something with a governing body and get them prescribed you're golden.

My third time sharing this link in this post because it's just so relevant. A Slate Star Codex classic:

https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-mo...