By Alexander Crowder
Most parents find the effects of Ritalin beneficial to their children who have been diagnosed with ADD. Doctors prescribe it to children who may not even have it, and are merely children whose mind has not been fully developed to multitask. Still, they prescribe this medicine to make those with this mental disability concentrate. But what of the side effects of this drug?
While the drug allows for longer concentration, there are still many effects that it can have on children, or any other age group taking it. The most common one of them, being the loss of appetite, making those who take the pills either not feel the sensation of hunger, or feel the intense sensation of nausea when faced with a meal. This leads to disturbing amounts of anorexia in most Ritalin takers. Other side effects that have negative impacts are insomnia, and nervousness. These effects keep the subject up to the early morning hours, depending on how long the medicine lasts on the person.
Withdrawal is also common, as those who are taken off the medicine have come to depend on them. The drug is not addicting, though it does cause a few medical conditions if those on them are suddenly forced to stop.
A common negative trait, that is purely non-medical, is that children will pretend to have this ailment in order to get their hands on the drugs for substance abuse, and for overnight studying for exams. Ritalin can also be found in the hallways of schools for sale for those who have enough money to pay for them.
