Taking it may postpone more effective treatment. And it may even be harmful. No one knows how Ritalin works. Some miracle drugs, of course, have helped people for decades or even centuries before their mechanisms of action were understood. But we need to know more about the possible effects of a drug used mainly on children.
People are willing to overlook side effects when it comes to treating a life-threatening disease.
But with a less-weighty disorder like ADHD, therapeutic rewards must be weighed against possible adverse reactions. In a drug targeted for children, there is concern that harmful effects may crop up decades after treatment stops. Since Ritalin is a relatively new drug, in use for about 30 years, we still don't know whether long-term side effects await its young users. But we do know that more immediate problems can occur. It's already clear that Ritalin can worsen underlying anxiety, depression, psychosis and seizures.