History

• In 1954, Ritalin was first tested and created as a possible cure to Mohr's disease. However, starting in 1960, the focus of the drug shifted to treating what is today called ADHD and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). As ADHD became better defined in the 1990s, Ritalin was heavily marketed and the drug flew off the shelves. Today it is a common drug found mostly in the United States (though sold elsewhere), and it has become the No. 1 selling drug to combat ADHD.
  
  

Geography

• Brand-name Ritalin is produced mostly in the United States where it is primarily prescribed. It is also prescribed in the United Kingdom, Germany and some other European countries in smaller amounts. Generic Ritalin, which uses similar pharmaceuticals but is not created by Ritalin-producing companies, is sold in great numbers in countries such as Mexico, Argentina and Pakistan. Some places in the United States even sell generic Ritalin.
  
  

Function

• Ritalin works by stimulating the central nervous system; it does this by affecting the dopamine production in the brain. This helps to stimulate parts of the brain that are generally under-stimulated, which is theorized to be a cause of ADHD. In reference to how Ritalin affects sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, it works in the same way, by increasing dopamine levels in parts of the brain that may have otherwise had a serious shortage of the stimulant.
  
  

Warning

• Ritalin comes with a number of known side effects. These include difficulty sleeping because of the stimulating affects of the drug, mood swings and nervousness. More mental side effects include hallucinations or psychosis, which involves abnormal thinking. Physical side effects include nausea, headaches, a decreased sex drive, diarrhea, dry mouth and bleeding gums. Not all side effects of the drug occur in every person, but there is always that risk when taking Ritalin.
  
  

Benefits

• Those who have taken Ritalin have claimed that it has helped them to focus on daily tasks and work that they may not have otherwise been able to focus on. ADD and ADHD cause children and adults alike to become scatterbrained and unfocused, which leads to difficulty in work and learning. Ritalin helps to balance out the mind and therefore has helped children do better in school and adults function with greater ease in the real world.