A New Documentary About Adults On Adderall — And Not Just For ADHD

Stimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are commonly prescribed to kids with what's known as ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But recently, adults became the biggest users of these drugs.

That's partially because more adults are being diagnosed with ADHD for the first time. But the new Netflix documentary Take Your Pills focuses on the use of these drugs to boost cognitive performance in college classrooms and the workplace.

"What the film really looks at is really: What do these pills promise, and what do people desire?" says director Alison Klayman. "And these drugs are associated with keeping better focus — it's better attention, it's better productivity — in this moment when people are all really feeling squeezed, feeling pressure to perform."

Klayman, a former All Things Considered intern and now a filmmaker, spoke with us from NPR's studios in New York City.

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