Has Ritalin Ruined My Life?

I think it's an awful problem with the schools wanting children to be more sedate than children can be. They want classrooms full of "girl" students - able to sit and pay attention and not squirm. My sister has been a 1st grade teacher for over 10 years and has seen it all. In her opinion, ritalin is over-prescribed. She says, that in all her years, she's seen "a handful" of students who would (in her opinion) benefit from medication. The rest needed a strict teacher, recess, time to get the wiggles out, parents on board with the teacher and assignments that interested them.

My daughter often got bored in school and would fidget terribly. She's in 7th grade now and bored, bored, bored by all the "teach to the standardized test" they have to do now. We rectified this by meeting with the school and asking for some modifications. She took 7th grade math over the summer and scored well enough to start 9th grade algebra. When language arts became unbearable, we spoke to the school and had her put on independent study. Now she spends 2 classes in the library, gets assignments from 7th and 8th grade, gets to work at her own pace (which is super fast) and is incredibly happy. She'll start with 9th grade english next year.

Son has autism. It was with a lot (I mean a LOT) of study and trepidation, we had him put on Luvox (an SSRI) for self harming autistic symptoms when he was 4. It was night and day. He's been weaned from the medication 3x in the last 9 years, and each time it was obvious that he needs this medication - he'd end the trial period black and blue from head to toe. He's able to mainstream at school, and as soon as he hit middle school, he joined the wrestling and track teams. The after school practices are wonderful for him. When he did get distracting in class (popping out of his chair, pacing, yelling out) the school helped us develop a plan not requiring meds. He's given a break after lunch where he can choose to go to the gym and run, jump, somersault - just do whatever he needs to do to get back on track.

reply to post by Mountainmeg


Congratulations - you sound like an inspirational parent. It appears you have a school Principal who is switched on as well. So good to read your post - so good! Thank you for sharing.

Much Peace...

reply to post by Sandalphon


Right at the moment for me its a quest of what are the correct foods,nutrition and combination of vitamins I take that control the symptoms.

Ive been doing well with that. Just remember I have gone through a life time of this. I have never wanted to be like any one elts but me. Its just the symptoms that are holding me back that I want to change.

reply to post by OperationLovestrike


Please tell me what you are doing to alleviate the symptoms. I could give you some advice on that. I have learned to control the most annoying symptoms, like the deep debilitating depressions. What helps tremendously is nutrition vitamins and exercise.There is a lot of usefull information in those videos.

Take care and hope to hear back from you.Oh and if you don't mind me asking how old are you now and for how long have you taken it?

reply to post by Mountainmeg


Gee wizz I wish more schools were like that. All they ever did to me was try to force me to be like everyone else but it never ever worked out like that. Lets put it this way by the time I left elementary school my principals file was about as thick as a sears catalog. I really could have benefited by a more compassionate school system.

reply to post by enament
I didn't like it at all it made me feel completely out of sorts and sure as heck
wasn't going to give it to my child.
We decided to forego medications and used behavioral modification to keep him on
top of his schoolwork.

Originally posted by Amanda5
reply to post by Mountainmeg

 

Congratulations - you sound like an inspirational parent. It appears you have a school Principal who is switched on as well. So good to read your post - so good! Thank you for sharing.

Much Peace...

We moved from CA to PA because CA schools were circling the toilet. As soon as we met the special ed director at our current school district, we were determined to do whatever we had to in order to have our kids attend that district. It's small, graduating class is about 100. I love the school so much that I tease them - if they ever see a parent on the main street with pom-poms cheering about their school - that'll be me.

As you can see, you are not alone. I, too, believe that aspects of my life and physical being were changed forever as a result of the 2 years I spent on Ritalin. I must say that I don't review the result quite as negatively as you do. I don't dwell on what I might have been. I am the best I can be. I've always viewed my ADD as a gift. The change I would truly like to see is for the education system to stop trying to stuff children into a box. If we happen not to fit in the box, we are labeled, medicated, and crammed in the box anyway. When really, I believe that ADD is the next evolution of the brain. ADD gives us the ability to think quickly...and often about many things at once. It gives us the ability to hyper focus when we are engaged. It's time to feed these gifts instead of obscuring them with labels and pills because you can't handle or understand them.

reply to post by TWILITE22


Good. You know its just really too bad our school systems all tell our children they are individuals and that we are all unique but then try to teach everyone the same way, its like trying to ram a square peg into a round hole.

Originally posted by glitchinthematrix
As you can see, you are not alone. I, too, believe that aspects of my life and physical being were changed forever as a result of the 2 years I spent on Ritalin. I must say that I don't review the result quite as negatively as you do. I don't dwell on what I might have been. I am the best I can be. I've always viewed my ADD as a gift. The change I would truly like to see is for the education system to stop trying to stuff children into a box. If we happen not to fit in the box, we are labeled, medicated, and crammed in the box anyway. When really, I believe that ADD is the next evolution of the brain. ADD gives us the ability to think quickly...and often about many things at once. It gives us the ability to hyper focus when we are engaged. It's time to feed these gifts instead of obscuring them with labels and pills because you can't handle or understand them.

If I ever let these problems get to me I would have never made the achievements I have made up until today. And of coarse I'm going to sound negative this is a thread to discuss your problem and mine. I also don't dwell on my problems. You just Can't move forward in life worrying about the things you cannot change.

My only complaint is for some its just a bump in the road and for others like myself it can be Mt Everest.. Achieving things in my life defiantly seems like way more effort for me than it is for most.Oh and this unrelenting depression I have had since grade 2 when I last took Ritalin. I take a lot of vitamins to help with this I defiantly notice when I miss a day of taking them.

At what grade or age were you on the Ritalin the severity of the after effects can range quite a bit depending on the brains development age.

Originally posted by enament
reply to post by TWILITE22

 

Good. You know its just really too bad our school systems all tell our children they are individuals and that we are all unique but then try to teach everyone the same way, its like trying to ram a square peg into a round hole.

What was the catch phrase? just say no to drugs? so what do they do drug them nothing makes sense anymore
If I had a do-over I would have without a doubt home schooled
my children. Hopefully my future grandchildren will reap the benefits
of being taught at home.
No drugs, vaccines, or indoctrination.

a reply to: enament

you wrote so well! Ritalin destroyed my life just like yours...

a reply to: vArchon

There are ways to change the future, you just cant't change the past. Don't ever worry about the past.

I had a buddy growing up that was on Ritalin. I'm 100% convinced it messed him up. The school tried convincing my mom to put me on it she told them to go f themselves. Psychotropic medications do work and have a medical purpose but some doctors are way too pill happy and willing to push them for the wrong reasons. No one should take mind altering medications unless they can absolutely not function without it.

I have Paranoid Schizophrenia and if it weren't for modern medicine I'd be locked away in a straight jacket. Because of medication I have a high degree of functioning. There are doctors out there that will give patients anything to get them to come back because people are nothing more then a paycheck. There are good doctors that actually help the sick.

Your parents should have never put you on Ritalin. They were just being obedient and following the schools and doctors advice. Some people don't use common sense and think just because someone is a doctor they can't be wrong.

a reply to: wantsome

Its sad children are drugged before they can consent, but there are cases where it really is needed though

Thank you for your post. I am an adult with ADHD...this was not a
diagnoses when I was young. Everyone thought I could not sit still
because I was a drummer...I was also top athlete in every sport as well
as top drummer from 6th grade through high school & even in college.

I was not diagnosed until I was an adult...I was put on Adderall...it worked
perfect for 8 years. Then Shine who owned the patent went to Teva who
would NOT help me (couldn't afford insurance). So Adderall had gone from
$34 a month to $150 (generic) a month when Teva took the rights. I could no longer
afford it... this was from Oct 2011 to Dec 2011.

Now the bloody nightmare begins! The doctor put me on Ritalin...bloody hell
I was only on it for 2 months...I had Textevery side effect except suicide. If I had suicidal
tendencies I would be dead. These are just a few of the side effects I experienced...
I REALLY thought I was going to die every second of the day 24/7...literally!
I felt like bugs were crawling on me... My sensitivity was so high that I had to turn
the ringer on me phone off...cause every time it rang even on low I was jumping through the roof.

I was not myself when I had phoned me mum after the 1st 30 days on Ritalin...She was at my house
the very next morning (5 hr drive). It was NOT me that phoned her...I had the personality disorder...
Me mum saved my life because I had no clue. It was like I was living in some one's film.

I could not walk across the room without spilling me tea or any kind of drink...
I became AGORAPHOBIC for the first time in my life...I lost 70lbs in 4 months
because I could no longer eat...

The list goes on...I am now disabled because of this BS & a hip replacement.
I have a service dog & have worked very hard at a friends farm to make meself be around
people again for over a year now & I can now go to the market for groceries & do things that I
need to do. My dog is also one of the top in the US in sheep dog herding competitions.

So I have been able to help myself through times when I actually thought I was going
to die to being back in the sheepdog community.

So being diagnosed as an adult is different however I was only on the drug for 2 months...
It has caused me from thinking I was going to die 24/7, to agoraphobia, to extreme Anxiety
with Panic attacks (which I have NEVER had before) & I still suffer from the anxiety & panic
attacks & is why I have my service dog. I cannot believe I still suffer from Ritalin...

When I finally realized all the repercussions that I've had to live through, the first thing that
came into my head was "the poor children". Kids being forced to take this medication when
the parents have NO CLUE what some of the kids may be feeling. No wonder kids say
"mum please don't make me take this medicine".

In the end I am so greatful that me mum NEVER put me on meds as I would not have
been so great in music & sports. Sorry this was such a long a long post. My first time
posting this info.

Cheers
Ektar

Edit I was on Ritalin mid Oct 2011 to Dec 2011...my mum had to come & stay with me
from Nov 2011 until the end of March 2012...I still suffer the anxiety & panic which I had
NEVER had prior to this damn drug.

Yea, meth is bad, okay? No clue why they give meth-lite to kids. That's just cruel.

Not everyone is meant to sit in a classroom and enjoy/absorb the material. Some people's natural brain-wave state is more tuned into things like sports, or taking an engine apart without any proper training. Heck I've been blowing things up before I could ever read or write, and am doing well making good monies without the meth-lite or debt-laden piece of paper.

Say no to meth, kids!

One way of knowing if you need Adderall is the effect is dramatically different.
It actually slows the brain so it is NOT in a tornado effect & you can think about
things.
People that do not need it have an opposite effect as they get the high of uppers.

I could take a dosage that was too low for me & have coffee on top of it & within
an hour could take a nap. Therefore my dose needed to be increased.

I am currently on NO meds for this & haven't been since the Ritalin episode...
I take Lipo Vit C over 14,000mg a day to help with the ADHD & pain.

Cheers
Ektar