Ritalin - the wonder Drug or the Monster Creator?
Uploaded by MIKEMASON on Dec 06, 2000
`Why didn't the ADHD boy introduce his girlfriend to any of his friends? A) He can't remember her name; or better yet, How would they diagnose ADD in a chicken? A) It never gets all the way across the road because of all the distractions. You could say growing up was hard; everyday I had to endure cruel teeny bopping teenagers who didn’t understand my condition. What really made it hard was that I didn’t even understand my condition. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit/ Hyper- activity Disorder. In other words, my brain was like a light constantly going off and on at the worst possible times. As a form of treatment for ADHD, I was put on a controversial drug called Ritalin. At the age of sixteen, it was not really my choice whether I wanted to take a doctor’s prescription or not. Now that I have grown up a bit and understand things better, I am questioning the benefits of prescribing Ritalin to treat ADHD.
My personal experience with Ritalin is mixed. I use it when I am in school and at work and it allows me to concentrate and focus on what I need to do. I use to be a troubled student. I use to have consent run-ins with the law. Things never came easy to me and far too often they never came at all. Ritalin was like putting on a pair of glasses worn by Superman. Suddenly everything became focused and organized. My schoolwork went form a category I will refer to as second-rate to a straight A student. I was no longer battling with myself to comprehend something. People who knew me as a child would never believe me as to what I have accomplished. That came at a price though, when I am taking Ritalin I drop about fifteen pounds and have constant nausea. I also feel it changes my personality making me a very bland person to talk to just like Al Gore. Last year I found myself in the hospital with what can be described as a mild heart attack because of Ritalin. Most of these side effects I have been able to coupe with because the benefits have been so high. I do question if I could have gotten this far without it and if it was really worth it.
On the other hand, According to...