Wow. Worth noting that there doesn't seem to have been much research or coverage of modafinil since the 2016 boom in "it's safe and makes you smart!" media hype.
By far the easiest to obtain and abuse, though it's as yet unclear what abusing it looks like
I think for some, it can definitely be called a high. For a person with ADHD, modafinil-induced hyperfocus can feel like an absolute trip. For a boring weekend with no energy to do anything, modafinil can mean the difference between doing something for hours and just browsing Instagram till you feel sick.
If the above examples sound beneficial, they may be - in part. But I'm sure clinicians and mental health practitioners can see how such a substance embedding itself in your life can yield undesirable outcomes, perhaps mirroring addiction.
Would you mind sharing where's your antagonism towards modafinil coming from? Is it your personal experience or is it everybody's enthusiasm rubs you the wrong way?
I don't have antagonism towards it - just tentative caution. I'd advise the same to any DYOR-er.
Personal experience plays some part: I've been a regular user since 2016. Initially weekly, for a while daily, then back to weekly.
It hit me that what was initially a minor perceived upgrade to my chaotic workflow had become an almost regular part of my life. I'm still not entirely sure if I would call myself addicted - I seem to be able to walk away from it but among ADHD crutches it is the most desirable at present. That said, I've been careful to never exceed 200mg a day and to take breaks from it if I've taken it for more than 3-4 days at a time.
In terms of its actual benefit, it seems to be quite hit and miss. I find it just puts me in a more conducive state for focus, but only 3/10 times.
I don't think medical or media coverage has quite documented how much modafinil is used these days by working professionals and people without narcolepsy - situations where modafinil can be used in endless combination of 'other things that we don't yet understand an interaction with'.
What is the effect of 3 days disturbed sleep with 200mg modafinil daily? What effect on people with other mental health comorbidities? What is the effect on the liver and kidney for frequent use (the foul-smelling urine it results in is honestly anxiety-inducing).
What worries me is that since 2016, there appears to be a scarcity of research on modafinil, even though anecdotally its use has exploded.
It feels safe in much the same way I imagine aspartame may have seemed safe when first synthesised. It may be a 'safer' smart drug than alternative medications, much like how aspartame is probably still 'safer' than abusing sugar. But the truth is that perhaps we still do not know.
By far the easiest to obtain and abuse, though it's as yet unclear what abusing it looks like