My son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) at the young age of 14 because he was having difficulty in school with focus and concentration. ADD is a disorder that affects an individual’s ability to focus and concentrate on tasks. He was having difficulty in school paying attention and his grades were suffering causing him to have low self-esteem. Looking back, I have to say, this was the first indication of possible self-medicating concerns coming down the road.
After discussing this concern with the school, we decided to see a doctor about his attention issues.
After consulting with a doctor, he was prescribed Ritalin because the doctor said this medication would help him be more focused and concentrate better at school and would help him to remain attentive with other tasks as well.
I do not recall hearing anything said about Ritalin being an addictive drug from the doctor or anyone at this early stage.
I certainly would never have thought these pills prescribed to help my son for his attention difficulties could possibly lead to further drug issues down the road.
I respected and trusted the doctor’s professional decision…
I felt instant relief my son was finally getting help. So, I understand why parents trust doctors to do the right thing with prescribing medications because you are desperate for your child to be helped and sometimes find out down the road this may have caused your child to become an addict.
I will confess, I did have a little uneasiness in the pit of my stomach about giving a 14-year-old a medication that would alter his brain. But I tossed those thoughts aside and trusted the doctor.
Was that the Holy Spirit trying to warn me back then?
Years later, I researched Ritalin to find out it is a Schedule 11 narcotic…
Ritalin can lead to misuse and abuse and can lead to drug dependency.
I read–I’ts a stimulant. Ritalin is the same classification as cocaine, morphine and amphetamines. Its known to be abused by teens for its stimulant effects.
Read facts for your yourself about Ritalin and this Controlled Scheduled 11 Medication and form your own opinion about this medication with the potential to lead to dependency.
I’m not saying this is always the case, but it sure makes me question the addictive outcome- how about you?
Although some research claim there is no correlation between addiction development and Ritalin, I am not convinced Ritalin was not a huge part of the equation for my son’s abuse issues.
I wonder if taking a pill may reinforce the idea within an individual that popping a pill is the answer when they can’t handle life.
Looking back on my son’s life—Could Ritalin be the culprit that possibly started him on his addiction path?
I believe after taking Ritalin he found other street drugs to cover his pain of feeling inadequate.
Look at Kurt Cobain the legendary rock star. His wife, Courtney Love believes Ritalin lead to his drug abuse that took his life…
I believe Ritalin, struggling in school causing low self-esteem, and a comment one teacher told him about him not going to amount to anything triggered the beginning of his abuse…
Honestly, if I knew then what I know now I wouldn’t have relied on medication to fix him so quickly…
I would have pushed more on getting him extra academic help and Christian therapy before medicating him.
God knows we did our best as a family at that time with the knowledge and information we had.
Maya Angelou— “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to medication for life threatening situations or taking medication if necessary, after trying other natural solutions first.
I just don’t believe addictive drugs should be the immediate solution if you are aware there is a high risk of dependency. I’m saying please ask questions and investigate further before making a potential life altering decision.
I’m not trying to find blame since this would not take away the past mistakes. But it could possibly solve my son’s understanding of the possible start of his addiction and to help others.
I feel the need to point out the past since there could be a very strong connection with his drug abuse and could possibly help you and others to make educated decisions with your children and their struggles to possibly avoid addiction issues with your loved one down the road.
Could Ritalin be a catalyst with addiction?
Who knows…but my story could save others from developing addiction issues down the road or at least by making you aware of the potential risks before you make the decision to put your child on Ritalin?
I do know, my son, Chris’ addiction to narcotics began somehow and it has not only affected my life immensely and caused turbulent relationships with family members and other personal relationships but it’s also had a wounded emotional impact on his two young children now ages 11 and 13.
These two innocent grandchildren of mine grew up in this dysfunctional, addictive, roller coaster lifestyle far too long as so many other children of addicted loved ones do.
So, if I could possibly save one family from this destructive outcome why shouldn’t I share my story to help others? After all, isn’t that what God would expect of me?
Philippians 2:4—Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.
I also want to mention something I feel that’s very important in correlation with our faith from where we were at the time when Chris was prescribed Ritalin compared to where we are now (22 years later) in our walk with Jesus…back then, we went to church as a family on Sundays but we never really had a close intimate relationship with Jesus in those years. Thank God—We got closer to Him as years went on.
James 4:8—Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
What are your thoughts about Ritalin? Have you had any experience with this drug?