[O71394658]

The entire problem with ADHD is just terrible.

As most of us know, the recent facination over Ritalin as the "cure-all" of ADHD in children is literally scaring the crap out of me. Firstly, the drug is new. Becoming popular about 5 years ago (Ritalin use has increased about 5-fold in the past 5 years). Like many drugs out there, people can only speculate how it works. No one really knows what it does, to be perfectly honest. It affects areas of the brain that control attention, some of the most important and basic aspects that are necessary for normal human function. Most people on Ritalin are kids, which is the scariest part of all. The brain is constantly growing. Pumping hundreds of milligrams of Ritalin into a developing brain every day has got to have some serious detrimental effects to normal brain development. Like I said before, the drug is relatively new (about 20 years) so long-term side effects aren't readily discernable yet. As the "Ritalin kids" grow up, I can only imagine what the hell is going to happen.

It's used, much as everyone else said, an excuse. Personally, Vibe, I'm amazed that you've learned how to deal with all the shit you've been put through. I'm also amazed that you've taken personal responsibility and managed to turn into a pretty intelligent individual as a result. But most people don't get it. Doctors (if you don't know, many doctors are actually given money, basically "referrals" by drug compaines if they get patients to take their drugs) overprescribe it way too often. ADHD exists because a couple of doctors said it does. There are a multitude of other mental illnesses out there that have either the same or very similar symptoms as ADHD, and to which Ritalin use has been detrimental. For example, say Johny shows signs of restlessness in class. So, his mother takes him to a doctor, who pumps him chock full of Ritalin. Johny may have another illness, and the presence of Ritalin may make his illness worse. Teachers are recommending it to parents as an excuse for nonbehavior. Parents are using it as routes to escape from actual, healthy parenting. Instead of discipline, they're just classified as "overactive" and "restless", so the doctor throws some Ritalin at them. They don't have to be parents anymore, just nurses. Make sure Johny takes his pills, and everything is going to be fine. It's proven that Ritalin has been shows to produce insomnia, restlessness (funny huh?), seizures, and a recent study has shown that it often is detrimental to bone development. Is this really something to be given to growing and developing kids?

I'm not saying Ritalin (Ritalin just being an example. This is in relation to the multitudes of physical and mental ailments out there) is the problem, or that people don't need it. It's just that, most people don't...