T H E C O N N E C T I O N A N D T H E C O N T R OV E R S YR I TA L I N I S T H E M O ST C O M M O N LY

P R E S C R I B E D M E D I C AT I O N F O R A D H D ( ATT E N T I O N D E F I C I T H Y P E R A C T I V I T Y D I S O R D E R ) . T H I S T R E AT M E N T H A S H E L P E D T H O U SA N D S O F P E O P L E C O N T R O L T H E I R

S Y M P T O M S. B U T D U E T O I T S B E I N G A S T I M U L A N T L I K E C O C A I N E , I T M AY C A U S E

U N D E S I R A B L E C H A N G E S I N T H E B R A I N OV E R T I M E . I T A L S O H A S P O T E N T I A L F O R A B U SE .

R I TA L I N I S C U R R E N T LY P R E SC R I B E D T O A P P R OX I M AT E LY S I X M I L L I O N P E O P L E I N T H E U S. 7 5 % O F T H E S E A R E C H I L D R E N W I T H B O Y S

R E C E I V I N G R I TA L I N A B O U T F O U R T I M E S M O R E T H A N G I R L S.

RITALIN VS COCAINE

ADHD: THE BENEFITS OF RITALIN

INDIVIDUALS WITH ADHD HAVE DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING AND CAN BE

HYPERACTIVE AND IMPULSIVE .THEY ALSO HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF A BRAIN CHEMICAL CALLED DOPAMINE.DOPAMINE HELPS PEOPLE CONTROL THEIR BEHAVIOR SO HAVING THE RIGHT LEVEL OF DOPAMIN IN THE BRAIN IS IMPORTANT. RITALIN INCREASES DOPAMINE LEVELS, ENABLING ADHD KIDS TO FOCUS FILTER OUT DISTRACTIONS AND MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON REASON RATHER THAN EMOTION.

RITALIN IS SIMILAR TO COCAINE

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE

SIMILARITY

LIKE COCAINE, RITALIN IS A POWERFUL STIMULANT THAT INCREASE ALERTNESS AND PRODUCTIVITY . RITALIN AND COCAINE ALSO LOOK AND ACT SAME.BOTH HAVE SIMILAR CHEMICAL STRUCTURE , AND BOTH INCREASE DOPAMINE LEVELS IN THE BRAIN. THEY DO THIS BY BLOCKING A DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER PROTEIN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REUPTAKE OF DOPAMINE AT THE SYNAPSE.

CONSEQUENCES OF MISDIAGNOSIS

MISDIAGNOSIS OF ADHD IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT COMPLICATES RITALIN CONTROVERSY. SOME SAY THAT RITALIN IS OVER PRESRIBED NOW AND THAT UNDESIREABLE CHANGES IN THE BRAIN MAY RESULT OVERTIME.CHILDREN WHO ARE MISTAKENLY DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD AND TREATED WITH RITALIN MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO DEVOLP DEPRESSION AS ADULTS.WE KNOW RITALIN INCREASES DOPAMINE LEVELS OF THE BRAIN BUT UNNECCSSARY INCREASE IN DOPAMINE DURING CHILDHOOD MAY CHANGE HOW THE BRAIN DEVOLPS .THE BRAIN MAY BECOME DESENSETIZED TO NATURAL REWARDS LIKE FOOD,ROMANCE & SOCIAL INTERACTIONS LEADING TO DEPRESSION.

REPLACING RITALIN WITH COCAINE

ADHD CHILDREN ARE TYPECALLY TAKEN OFF A RITALIN WHEN THEY REACHADULTHOOD.INTERESTINGLY THESE INDIVIDUALS SEEM TO BE MORE PRONE TO COCAINE ADDICTION. WHEY IS THAT?BECAUSE BOTH ARE SIMILAR DRUGS THEIR MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY THAT ADHD ADULTS ARE UNKNOWINGLY USING COCAINE AS A REPLACEMENT FORRITALIN.IT MAY BE A ATTEMPT TO SELF-MEDICATE.

PROTECTIVE FACTOR OR GATEWAY DRUG

BECAUSE OF THE SIMILARITY OF BOTH THESE DRUGS SOME BELIEVE RITALIN COULD BE A GATEWAY DRUG.A GATEWAY DRUG IS DEFINED AS A DRUG THAT MAY LEAD TO THE USE OF OTHER MORE ADDICTIVE DRUGS.BUTSTUDIES SHOW THAT RITALIN TAKERS ARE ACTUALLY FAR LESS LIKELY TO EXPERIMENT WITH OTHER DRUGS UNLIKE THOSE WITH ADHD WHO ARE NOT MEDICATED.

TRUTH

INTRODUCED IN 1955 RITALIN HAS LONG BEEN TOUTED AS SAFE FOR USE ON CHILDREN.FACT: BY 1971 RITALIN AND OTHER STIMULANTS WERE SHEDULED IN THE SAME ABUSE CATEGORY AS MORPHINE, COCAINE AND OPIUM.MORE POTENTTHAN COCAINE IT CAUSES STUNTED GROWTH, WEIGHT LOSS AND PSYCHOSISSUICIDE IS A MAJOR COMPLICATION DURING WITHDRAWL.IT CAN ALSO CAUSE STROKES AND CARDIAC ARREST.