Ritalin is a safe and effective drug when people with conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy use it – in part because a doctor monitors the ongoing use of Ritalin ensuring a proper dosage. It is when a person without these two conditions uses Ritalin that it no longer serves a medicinal purpose. Instead it becomes an addictive and illegal substance. College students refer to it as “R-ball” or “Vitamin R”.

Ritalin tablets are taken much in the same manner as other drugs (“sport snorting”). Consequently, methylphenidate can also be injected into the veins along with heroin and cocaine. Ritalin has become increasingly available on the streets in recent years. Its abuse is growing at an alarming rate. Although no actual studies have been done to verify the approximate percentage of methylphenidate abuse, it is suspected that it is almost as common as methamphetamine, or meth.

Why Would Someone Abuse Ritalin?

There are many reasons as to why a person would not only use Ritalin, also known as methylphenidate, but also abuse it. Generally, most abusers are seeking euphoria and weight loss. Still others are seeking wakefulness and the ability to focus more clearly. Ritalin in fact has been disparagingly referred to as “kiddy cocaine” due to its stimulant effect on children.

Ritalin is a stimulant drug and when abused it is known to cause a potent “high” in the abuser. Sometimes a person who is legally prescribed Ritalin and who is taking the drug as prescribed can inadvertently “abuse” the drug.

The longer a person remains on Ritalin the easier it is to become addicted. Furthermore, the more intense the addiction, the more of the drug that is needed to provide the corrective effects associated with it for ADHD and narcolepsy symptoms. Although the drug is being used legally, this is a manner in which Ritalin can be abused.

How Is Ritalin Illegally Obtained?

Although medical physicians legally prescribe methylphenidate, or generic Ritalin, it has also become a highly popular street drug in recent years. It is purchased in the same manner as other illicit street drugs, through drug “pushers” and people who gain access to Ritalin and then sell it for profit.

Who Illegally Purchases Ritalin?

Anyone who is seeking a synthetic “high” including increased awareness, alertness, attention and energy is likely to purchase the drug. College students in particular are gaining access to methylphenidate due to its ability to keep students focused on studies and to pull “all-nighters” when cramming for examinations.

Another reason a person might illegally obtain Ritalin is due to its weight-loss side effects. People obsessed with losing weight and having a thinner body are likely candidates to to turn to Ritalin and other substances (like clenbuterol).

Unfortunately, any gains that are made by the illegal use of methylphenidate are at the expense of the user’s overall health. Increased heart rate and blood pressure, dangerous effects on neurotransmitters in the brain and other serious side effects occur when the drug is taken and can be more harmful when there is no medical supervision.

Side Effects of Ritalin Abuse

There are many alarming – and life threatening – side effects that accompany Ritalin abuse:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Seizures
• Heart irregularities

Other side effects, though dangerous, are not as life threatening and include:

• High body temperature
• High blood pressure
• Severe twitching
• Excessive sweating

Long-term addiction is an inevitable result of Ritalin abuse. In extreme cases, severe brain damage or even death can result from the abuse of this drug. College kids tend to use it for the euphoric high but also to increase concentration when cramming for examinations. The ability to remain awake all night and to get more work done quickly is another lure for college students and methylphenidate abuse.

Ritalin is among the top controlled stolen substances in the United States. If there is one reassurance about accessing stolen “r-ball” it is that illegal drug labs do not produce methylphenidate. The drug is always produced within legally controlled labs and somehow makes its way out onto the streets.

There are a number of unknowns for the general public associated with Ritalin. It is not known precisely how methylphenidate works on the human brain or why it is that most children and teens experience improved concentration, heightened awareness and better self-control over various ADHD symptoms. Ritalin is classified as a Schedule 2 controlled substance, indicating that methylphenidate has a high potential for becoming an addictive drug.

An example of this phenomenon is its abuse by college students in order to retain focus on studies and during classes. It is also alleged that the legal use of Ritalin can lead to a lifetime of drug abuse, particularly through the use of stimulant drugs such as cocaine.

In a study of drug abusers who were cocaine addicts it was found that the users who had been placed on methylphenidate as children for ADHD symptoms were twice as likely to become addicted to cocaine as those who were diagnosed as ADHD but were not treated with Ritalin. Generally Ritalin is abused in tablet form. The tablets are crushed into a powder and snorted, causing the type of immediate high experienced by users of cocaine and heroin.

What Is an Effective Treatment for Ritalin Abuse?

Usually it is a slow decrease that enables Ritalin abusers to stop using the drug and control addiction. This is also known as “weaning”. Another effective manner is to prescribe Ritalin in a different form. It is common to turn methylphenidate into a liquid rather than a tablet in order to decrease the high associated with snorting methylphenidate in powder form.

Healthcare providers are essential in fighting Ritalin addiction. Rehabilitation centers and the support of medical physicians, as well as friends and family, can be life-saving. There are also behavior management therapies that can assist the addict who is abusing methylphenidate. These are frequently known as behavior modification or cognitive therapies. Generally, cognitive therapies assist patients in recognizing high-risk addiction situations and learning how to avoid them. They are also key in assisting a drug addict in remaining drug free after breaking away from methylphenidate addiction.