Ritalin is a brand name for a drug called methylphenidate, which acts as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant in the brain. It’s an amphetamine analog, which means its effects are similar to the ones produced by Adderall.When the drug is taken orally, between 11 and 52 percent of it goes into your bloodstream. You’ll start feeling the stimulating effects within the hour.These effects usually peak after two hours, but there are also extended-release versions of the drug that peak after longer time periods.After the drug makes its way into your bloodstream, it flows into the brain and generates psychoactive effects. Like other stimulants, it will interact with some of the brain’s “feel-good chemicals,” which cause excitement, mood enhancement, and motivation.People with ADD or ADHD may have a chemical imbalance that hinders their focus or motivation, and Ritalin can help correct this imbalance. This drug is considered a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). It produces dopamine and norepinephrine, which are tied to reward and motivation. But it still produces these chemicals in people without ADHD, so it causes more stimulating effects in them.Dopamine and norepinephrine are part of your normal neural chemistry. They are released in response to everyday activities. When there’s enough of it in your system, the reuptake process removes the excess and recycles the chemicals. Ritalin blocks this process and allows more of those natural chemicals to bind to their receptors, which activates their stimulating effects. Ritalin is also thought to increase the amount of the chemicals released into your brain, so more dopamine floods your receptors.