They are all around us, a secret society of the successful. They say what gives them an advantage, though, isn't just purposefulness or perseverance but a little secret weapon, a pill called Provigil.
There is the lobbyist, who wakes up at 5 a.m. to complete two full workouts before heading to work.
"I could not do this without Provigil. You know, it just wouldn't be the same," she told ABC News, asking that ABC News not identify her. "It's amazing. ... I just don't get ... why more people don't know about it."
John Withers, a computer programmer, can write code for 12 hours at a time.
"It helps you focus up for exceptionally long periods of time," he said.
And then there is the brain researcher who can find connections no one else is seeing. She asked that we not name her.
"It's just a clear day," she said. "The fog isn't there."
Provigil is approved only for narcolepsy, sleep apnea or for people who work irregular hours, but hidden among those who take it are pockets of healthy Americans taking it just to boost energy and enhance focus. It excites the mind so much that Provigil has been nicknamed "Viagra for the brain."
Prescription sales for this class of drugs has increased by 73 percent in four years, from $832,687,000 in 2007 to $1,440,160,000 in 2011, according to IMS Health.
Online there are hundreds of sites evangelizing for Provigil that explain how to get a doctor to write a prescription or how to get the drug without one.
Many Provigil users are secretive, but not Dave Asprey, a successful executive of a billion-dollar Internet security firm who often starts his day at 4:45 a.m. by popping a pill.
No comments:
Post a Comment