Okay, first things first, does Ritalin work?
Yes, Ritalin works. It works by suppressing all spontaneous activity and increasing obsessive-compulsive behaviors, thus improving attention and reducing activity. These effects, however, are witnessed in most people who take stimulants regardless of whether they are diagnosed with ADHD or not. This drug actually works by hindering higher brain function. Many on Ritalin do notice a positive effect on school performance and grades. Twenty years of review studies on the effects of stimulant medication for ADHD, however, all conclude that positive effects of Ritalin are temporary. The medical community, largely the APA (American Psychiatric Association), has been trying for decades to prove that ADHD is of biological origin, that it is caused by a dysfunction of the brain. They have yet to produce any evidence to support this hypothesis. In fact, the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 1998 and the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000 confirmed that there is no known biological cause
