A child on Ritalin can exhibit several of the following short term side effects: loss of appetite and resulting weight loss, insomnia, headaches, stomach aches, drowsiness, potential liver damage, facial tics, and a sense of sadness, just to mention a few. Also, several authorities report that there can be devastating long term side effects. Probably the most disturbing fact is that this is a drug that comes from the amphetamine group and can possess strong addictions. This very drug with its addictive qualities, is prescribed to children as young as four years old. Ritalin is used mainly in treating children, whose brains and personalities are still being formed and who do not make the decision themselves about talking the drug. This drug greatly enhances the chance of a person, especially a child, of having long term drug and alcohol abuse. In Lawrence Dillers book Running on Ritalin, he talks about a number of animal and human studies that took place from the 1930s on. In these studies subjects that were given the opportunity to self-administer Ritalin would choice to continually repeat the amphetamine experience. Laboratory rats will self-administer intravenous Ritalin literally to death, repeatedly choosing the drug over food, and there by starving (Diller pg 23). These desires would increase over time over time, indicating a built up tolerance for the drug. This was followed by a similar pattern emerging outside of the lab by the late 1960s, finally revealing the darker side of stimulant drugs like Ritalin. The surprising fact is that this drug, with its harmful side effects, is dealt to some children that, for the most part, are not even positively identified with ADHD. Doctors must set strict guidelines and start using structured parent questionnaires, rating scales, or teacher and school input to correctly diagnose kids, so they receive the proper medication and treatment. This will eliminate the harm done to the wr...
