Are adhd medications psychotropic?
On One Hand: On the Other: Affects the MindPsychotropic drugs are a category of drugs that affect the mind, mood or mental processes. They are also known as psychoactive drugs. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs like Ritalin (methylphenidate), Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), and Cylert (pemoline) are categorized as stimulants, which are a subset of psychotropic drugs.Bottom LineThe term “psychotropic” has garnered negative connotations in modern culture because of it’s used to refer to mind-altering recreational drugs like LSD, cocaine and marijuana. However, a drug’s placement in a category alongside an illegal substance is not an indication of the drug’s merits or risks. Caffeine, for example, is also a psychotropic drug.Bottom LineThe category of psychotropic drugs is very large and encompasses a wide variety of substances. While ADHD medication is technically psychotropic, this label tells one very little about its saf