Ritalin Essay

What is Ritalin?

Ritalin is the brand name of the drug, methylphenidate, which is classified as a central nervous system stimulant. Ritalin is used to treat attention deficit disorder(ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). Ritalin is also used to treat narcolepsy, which is a sleeping disorder characterized by an uncontrollable desire to sleep.

Ritalin, or methylphenidate, was first synthesized in 1944. After improvements in 1950, the drug was being tested on humans by 1954. In 1957, Ciba Pharmaceutical Company began marketing Ritalin to treat depression, chronic fatigue, and narcolepsy. It was also used to counteract the symptoms of barbiturate overdose. Scientists began researching the therapeutic value of Ritalin in the 1950's and by the 1960's, scientists were focused on treating “hyperkinetic syndrome”, which would later be called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In the United States, the use of Ritalin and other stimulants like it for the treatment of ADHD increased in the 1970's and early 80s, but Ritalin use skyrocketed in the 90s with Ritalin sales in the United States increasing by about 500 percent according to U.S. Pharmacist, a monthly journal that provides up-to-date information for pharmacists. According to the United Nations, the United States consumes almost 85 percent of the world's production of Ritalin.

ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which the sufferer has significant problems with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. In order for a diagnosis to be made, symptoms must begin by age six to twelve and be present for more than six months. In school-aged children, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may lead to poor scho...

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... parent to either use themselves or trade for other drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has also received reports of college students using Ritalin and other stimulants used for the treatment of ADHD to help them concentrate on their studies and stay up longer, especially during finals week when all-night cram sessions are common. This issue has led to controversy as the question of whether or not a student illegally using prescription stimulants to aid in studying is cheating or similar to steroid use by athletes.

The symptoms caused by acute toxicity from Ritalin overdose are similar to those of acute amphetamine intoxication. Psychiatric symptoms include euphoria, confusion, delirium, hallucinations, and toxic shock syndrome. This is no unexpected since the pharmacological effects of Ritalin are almost exactly the same as cocaine and amphetamines.