by Mabon Dane

Created on: August 11, 2007   Last Updated: February 20, 2010

Ritalin is a brand name for a patent product called Methylphenidate, it has other names such as Concerta or Metadate. Ritalin is a psycho-drug, in that it works upon the brain; in this case it interferes with the Dopamine and Norepinephrine messengers between neurons. Ritalin in effect has a calming effect upon the patient.

In law Ritalin is a Schedule II drug, in the same list as Cocaine, unlawful possession or supply carries a sentence of jail time. Ritalin is available on prescription, it is the favoured drug to treat ADHD.

The side effects of Ritalin are sleeping problems, loss of appetite, headaches, stomach aches, and a dry mouth. In more severe cases it causes high blood pressure, heart problems and death. Ritalin is a highly addictive drug, patients get withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it. Parents report that their children have become zombies after taking Ritalin, patients report a loss of self awareness. Ritalin was originally used to treat depression, but this was abandoned because further research discovered that on withdrawal the drug had made depression worse; information is becoming available indicating that the risk and incidents of suicide increase after withdrawal of the drug from patients. There are a number of reports that Ritalin has been associated with violent incidents in schools, including the Columbine massacre. Other drugs have been prescribed to combat the side effects of Ritalin; such drugs carry their own side effects, and in combination with Ritalin may result in other side effects either during administration or on withdrawal.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD as it is commonly referred to, is the disorder that Ritalin is prescribed against. ADHD is classified as a behavioral disorder and a neurological disorder with the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is an increasingly common diagnosis in both children and adults, there is concern that many patients are being misdiagnosed with ADHD.

There is a belief in the medical profession that humans are rational information processors that can be measured and controlled by appropriate medical methods such as therapy or drugs. Experts have created models of what they consider is a normal human mind, any deviation from which they associate as a disorder; currently disorders such as ADHD can not be measured using medical instruments, experts use lists and scores based upon observable subjective symptoms in which to categorise a patient

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