My dad and his ritalin -- Read this if you're trying to quit

[CatsAreBetterThanDrugs]

I wrote this post in reply to the forum "Has Adderall affected your physical health" from the member converse. I just wanted to make sure you guys read this, cuz its pretty scary and personal shit... and well I trust you guys with it. But if you are trying to quit. PLEASE read this... Please...

 

 

My dad was on ritalin for over 35 years... My mom and my dad divorced when I was 3, so about 20 years ago... My dad always kinda had problems growing up.  He got prescribed ritalin around the time he married my mom. He had a photography business and a great life. Well he got addicted to the ritalin RIGHT away, and didn't stop for 35 years. Thats a long time! But he took so many one time that he went outside walking in 20 below weather, a HUGE ice storm and scared the living shit out of my mother and grandmother. And since that day he says his brain hasn't functioned like it used to.

 

When you talk to my dad, he is NEVER there.. His brain can't pay attention to anything more than 30-60 seconds.. He twitches a lot, moves his hands constantly, moves his jaw constantly, talks to himself a lot, has diarrhea all the time, and stays inside most of the time because he literally can't socialize with people. when he took all those pills he would take almost half the bottle of ritalin. He was prescribed to take 5 10mg of ritalin a day. He would swallow almost half the bottle in just one night!! 

 

After seeing how my dad is.. It was the biggest wake up call I have ever experienced. I lived with him for 8 months just last year. If I had never moved in with my dad I would still be taking adderall daily. and fortunately because I lived with him, I was there when he overdosed and took him to the ER at 6 am, we were both awake still. Since that day I haven't seen my dad use. I dont know completely if he stopped for sure, but I was there when he told his doctor to stop prescribing him. So I sure hope he is doing well trying to be clean.

 

Lets just say, legal cocaine is a bitch. and you don't want your kids to look at you and be like "really this guy is my dad"? and be embarrassed of your own father because he can't even have a full conversation because he fucked it up 30 years ago trying to get through a tough week? Yeah. lets just say... Its not worth it. Not worth the buzz. Not at all. 

 

I always wonder what he would be like if he had never taken any drugs. Would he even be a good dad? Maybe he could've even taught me things when I was younger instead of getting high all the time. Maybe he would've protected me.... 

 

Guess i'll never know... 

 

Hope you guys read this, it was hard to post on here. Then again it's hard to talk about my dad at all. I'm still at the point where I don't know if I should feel bad for him, or be mad at him... I mean I know I could be there for him addict to addict. but he's dad. I never wanted to see him this weak. But he lost it. and he'll never get it back. and it sucks cuz I probably would've liked the guy...

 

 

[Greg]

Thank you for sharing that. I am familiar with the devastating effects of Ritalin...that was the first drug I got addicted too before switching to adderall. Both are equally as evil. You have the wisdom see what your father went through and not make the same mistake. I don't have kids, but I distinctly remember the feeling of being cracked up on Ritalin around my nephews...and it was horrible for them and horrible for me. They saw me get put into ambulance for psychosis behavior...they saw my psychosis and finally after years I explained to them what happened to me...

I'm sorry this happened to you but after everything you've seen I am sure you feel like there is no way you would ever want to consider going down the same course.