Your Brain on Ritalin

Koplewicz debunks the myth that Ritalin and Adderall affect those without ADHD differently than those with it. The effect is the same.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• bigthink
• aol

[aluisious]

I wonder if people who are "easily distracted" just forced themselves into a situation where there were no distractions, whether they could learn to focus without using a drug.

Go for a walk in a park. Don't bring any music, don't talk to anyone, just get away from stuff and give yourself an hour to think. Our society has become addicted to constant external stimulation, and it's surprising what happens when you turn that off.

[aluisious]

@slimsilentwolf Multitasking is retarded anyway. No one multitasks well. The people who like to make a lot of noise about it do superficial work anyway, and it doesn't matter how badly or inefficiently it's done.

Go see how much a mathematician or a scientist multitasks. There is a lot of what looks like inefficient downtime while they're working on something or waiting for something to happen, but ultimately they accomplish something that actually matters.

[aluisious]

You're damn right the doctor is considering the cost/benefit ratio. They're thinking about getting paid for the consultation versus the risk that it will come back to bite them in the ass. You want to know why antibiotics are way over-prescribed? Because the doctor knows the cost of drug resistance isn't going to get traced to them personally, but if their patient has a tiny chance of remaining sick it is.

I have so little respect for doctors after having dealt with them for years.

[slimsilentwolf]

I was diagnosed with ADD, but sort of a different kind. So I just get distracted by my own thoughts, for the most part, and I have a horrible time multitasking. The way i was told it was basically imagine that everyone's mind is a highway and usually you have 5 lanes for cars to drive through, but my mind only has 3 and is trying to send 5 cars at a time. So anyways I just wanted to know, do i have less ADD than others or none or what because when I used to take Ritalin i didn't have an appetite

[abby495]

BTW people with ADD are supposed to be brilliant. I bet when they get on the meds or find a way to fix the attention problem all that incubating right brain activity gets applied. They were already smart but it hadn't been applied and therefore wasn't as evident.

[TheDigitalStone]

@CalebGrey "normal" within this particular context means: Someone who's potential symptoms don't lead to the ADHD diagnosis.

[CalebGrey]

Just what is normal?

[guitargold77]

If you are a azhole try new Merk azholeBgone, if your obnoxious try new Knoxobilamol, if your a doctor getting paid by a company that makes more money then God be sure to go back and forth on the side affects of a drug that is more dangerous then uselful withour letting anyone know that so you still get paid

[sdfgsdfgfdsgsdfg]

@sdfgsdfgfdsgsdfg There should be a bigger space or comma between normal and me

[sdfgsdfgfdsgsdfg]

me=normal me + adderol= someone who wants, enjoys and is capable of doing a 20-30 page graduate paper in a matter of days