I'm glad the author is making a conscious health and ethical decision that they think will improve their life, and I would never want to belittle that choice. I

I'm glad the author is making a conscious health and ethical decision that they think will improve their life, and I would never want to belittle that choice. It's up to all of us to individually make choices that are in line with our convictions and the trade-offs we make in our health. The basic idea that drugs have side effects that should be understood is a good realization to have. But several years of taking 400 mg a day does not have to be the way to learn that lesson. Most people I know to take modafinil (for non-narcolepsy reasons) take half that, at most. Never have I ever seen it suggested to take that amount, for that long, especially without breaks. The smallest amount of research would've shown not to do that. And even with all of this, the arguments against the drug are: > Gaining weight (modafinil suppresses appetite by the way) > Not sleeping enough. > It’s cheating; I relied too much on the pill Okay, fair enough. But that is no "Terrible Truth". All of those are personal issues, that can be reduced or eliminated by not taking a 400mg dose, or not taking it every day. The problem isn't the pill, it's your abuse of it.