DU-U-UDE

A Young Adult’s Experiences with Ritalin

Does your child hate taking Ritalin? Find out why in this firsthand account of what it’s like to take this prescription drug in common use for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is Part I of a two-part interview with Nathan Engel.

Nathan Engel is a stocky, personable 20 year-old who seems quite happy to have been approached by Varda at CogniBeat to relate his experiences with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and his experiences with ADHD medication in the form of Ritalin. This is a young man who has a warm, open nature. He likes to talk.

I began by asking Nathan how old he was when he started taking Ritalin and why his parents decided he should take medication. Here’s what he had to say:

Nathan Engel: I was around 14 when I first started taking Ritalin. My parents thought it would help me to be more cooperative in class; deal better with the stuff I was learning.

Varda: And did it help?

Teacher's Helper

N: Well it helped up to a point. It made me quiet in class. That’s all it did. It helped me be quiet in class. But that didn’t help ME, it helped the teacher.

V: Were there other kids taking Ritalin in your class?

N: Not in my first school, not that I knew about. But in the second school, the whole class was on it—DU-U-UDE (laughs). It was an experimental school for kids with learning disabilities…20 kids in the class.

V: What was it like in your class, were they all quiet like you on the Ritalin?

Hopped Up

N: Some were, but not all. Some weren’t taking their pills. Some were hopped up. It was a mix.

V: Did you ever try skipping your pills in secret?

N: Plenty of times (laughs)

V: And did you get away with it?

N: Yeah.

V: Always?

N: Yeah. Always.

V: Why didn’t you take your pills?

N: Because they gave me side effects, like no eating—nothing at all. I wasn’t hungry. They gave me nausea. I felt lousy all day. And they prevented me from having a social life because I would be quiet and not responsive. I also had angry outbursts because I got picked on for being so quiet when I took the pill, of course.

V: Did you have any other side effects?

N: Headaches, a sick feeling. My hearing was affected. Things were quieter. Everything was as if it were muted. Like a down.

To be continued.

See Part II of DU-U-UDE: A Young Adult's Experiences with Ritalin: http://community.cognibeat.com/2010/11/du-u-ude-ii/