101 Reasons to Avoid Ritalin Like the Plague: Including 1 Grat Reason Why It's Almost Always Unnecessary

I'm glad that there are doctors out there who recognize how dangerous Ritalin is. I was a happy kid with a loving family and a lot of energy. I was given Ritalin at the age of 6 (now 25). I developed OCD symptoms right away (which of course they dismissed as another disorder), and over time it gave me major depression (if you overstimulate the dopamine system with a chemical for a long period of time that's what will happen). I have recently learned that Ritalin uses the same mechanism as cocaine. They may not be the same drug but they act on the brain in the same way so the impact of long-term use will be similar. I started getting some feelings of depression in 4th grade (after 3 years on the drug) and by the time I was 15 I was so depressed that I didn't want to get out of bed, and unfortunately I've tried a ton of SSRI's and none of them work on me because it's my dopamine system that has been screwed up by Ritalin. I can't even work now because of the depression so it doesn't really matter whether I did well in school or not. The bottom line is, even if ADD / ADHD is real, do you want your kid to have ADD / ADHD, OCD, and depression, or just ADD / ADHD. In the end this drug creates more problems than it solves. Please look for alternatives to prescription stimulants for your child. Oh, and if you don't believe me that Ritalin causes depression, take a look at the research that was done on rats at Harvard's McLean Hospital. It also causes brain atrophy. Information on that study below... Nasrallah, H., J. Loney,S. Olson, M. Mccalley-whitters, J. Kramer,C. Jacoby. 1986. Cortical atrophy in young adults with a history of hyperactivity in childhood. Psychiatry Research. 17: 241-246

This is a must read book for any parent who has a child that is either on medications or contemplating putting their child on medications for behavior issues. This book will challenge your thoughts and beliefs about all areas of medication intervention for children. Very informative. Healthcare providers should read this as well.

This book is excellent. the author has done a great job pulling together so much valuable information. I must disagree with one of the other reviewers, and recommend this book to any parent who wants answers regarding ADHD.

I am completely blown away by the truth and information in this book. I had no idea the impact that ritalin was having on our children. This book gives a clear understanding of the problem and offers a solution!! It has inspired me to really believe in myself and my family that we can do it without drugs!! I'm grateful to you, Howard Glasser, for giving me the incentive to take charge of my situation and the right tools to actually be successful!! AMAZINGLY DONE!

101 Reasons to Avoid Ritalin... is the best book out there on Ritalin (and other drugs prescribed to change kids' behavior). The book is very, very accessible, while at the same time presenting the results of lots and lots of research on the side effects and social effects of putting your child on drugs. Other books on Ritalin are either too dense with statistics and so are hard to read through, or they come across like a one-sided rant and don't have much actual information. This book explains why doctors, teachers and other child care professionals DON'T KNOW the many damaging effects of Ritalin (etc.) It is hard to believe, but absolutely true that doctors prescribe these drugs without knowing their side effects. We took our son into a doctor for "Restless Leg Syndrome" and the doctor wrote us a prescription for Paxil. Before getting the prescription filled, we looked up Paxil online. The doctor didn't tell us any of the many, many side effects, or that Paxil is banned for use with kids in lots of counties. YIKES! We tossed out the prescription and did things to work with our son's behavior (he's better now). 101 reasons to avoid Ritalin... also directs you to web sites, research and other books on Ritalin, so you can find out more detailed information. If you are wrestling with the decision to give your child Ritalin you must read this book!