Ritalin is amphetamine for children

According to The Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse:

“In clinical studies, [Ritalin] methylphenidate, like amphetamines, produce behavioral and psychological effects similar to cocaine. In simple terms, this means that the human body cannot tell the difference between cocaine, amphetamines, or Ritalin^®.”

I expect a lot of dishonest industry hawgs and coke users to claim that Ritalin is not the same as amphetamine. OK, then it is a designer drug. Whatever.

Point of fact. Ritalin is one of the amphetamines. And Ritalin is prescribed to children with Attention-Deficit disorder. Is there any sound basis for what seems to be a stupid thing to do?

From ABC News.com an article was published with the title: “A Diagnosis Excess? – A Lawsuit Alleges Attention Deficit Disorder Is Over-Diagnosed”

According to the article, Ritalin is being “prescribed to an estimated 4 million American schoolchildren each year” and parents, doctors, and activists of a drug-free lifestyle, are all questioning this.

Wonderful? And why isn’t the U.S. government doing anything about this? I guess the U.S. government just doesn’t care about kids.

Here is a direct quote from “The Physicians’ Desk Reference Family Guide to Prescription Drugs® (The Physicians’ Desk Reference and PDR are registered trademarks owned by Medical Economics)

“RITALIN [RIT-ah-lin] (Generic name: Methylphenidate hydrochloride)

Excessive doses of Ritalin over a long period of time can produce addiction. It is also possible to develop tolerance to the drug, so that larger doses are needed to produce the original effect.
…
This drug should not be prescribed to anyone experiencing anxiety, tension, and agitation, since the drug may aggravate these symptoms.

Ritalin is not intended for children whose symptoms may be caused by stress or a psychiatric disorder. Ritalin should not be used for the prevention or treatment of normal fatigue, nor should it be used for the treatment of severe depression.”

Here is an excerpt from “The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs (published by St. Martin’s Press)

“Depression may also be treated with drugs called psychostimulants. Use of such drugs is reserved for only two situations: (1) patients who have failed to respond to at least two other antidepressants and psychotherapy and who are seriously depressed, and (2) patients with serious and usually terminal medical illnesses such as cancer or AIDS who are depressed and too sick to take other kinds of antidepressants.

The reason for these restrictions is that the stimulant drugs are addictive. They include amphetamines, sometimes called “speed” or “uppers,” methylphenidate (Ritalin), and pemoline (Cylert). The drugs produce a short-term mood elevation even in people who are not depressed. College students take them to stay awake all night and finish term papers.

In most people the effects of these stimulant drugs are short-lived and there is often a letdown or “crash” after they wear off.”

In other words, they get depressed, and think about suicide.