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tyify
Jul 10, 2003, 6:58 AM
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First I'll say I'm ADD and take ritalin to treat it during school...However I havn't climbed while high from the drug...I was wondering if anyone else here takes ritalin (or another ADD medicine) and has climbed while under the influence and what it did to their climbing...For the summer I'm off that crap..yay!!!
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oudinardin
Jul 10, 2003, 7:20 AM
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Well... I've used Ritalin (among other things) mostly in solo winter mountaineering situations. The Beartooths is a good example of having to get in there before you start, so to speak. It helped me stay awake and somewhat alert for up to 3 days, hallucinating from exaustion on the drive home. With only 3 days a week off I felt the need to move fast and make it to my objective. And from there the climbing begins, only taking Ritalin to keep my eyes open. Sounds retarded but I just don't have the time or a snow mobile. As far as rockclimbing goes, I would think it would make me shaky and nervous. You say you have ADD and climbing is problem solving, so maybe it would help. Peace
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tyify
Jul 10, 2003, 7:24 AM
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So you wern't taking it for a medical condition but more of a stimulant??
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climber49er
Jul 10, 2003, 7:55 AM
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I am pretty surprised by the tone of these posts so far!
It seems obvious that you both consider Ritalin to be a stimulant of sorts and it can make you "shaky and nervous". Isn't that totally counter to what it is supposed to do? Pretty confusing.
Nthisthebesta, if you can go all summer without it, why is it neccessary for school? It seems that you would have other pursuits that require your attention outside of school. Anyway, my point is that I believe that Ritalin is terribly abused. Not just by the user but those who want children to be on it. Parents who substitute it for discipline, teachers who use it for "herd control", etc...
I challenge anyone reading this that is on Ritalin, make an honest assesment of your ability to focus and concentrate on things you are interested in. I think most will have to answer that they lack self discipline in things they don't enjoy and that is the bigger problem.
I concede there are some out there who may actually have a medical condition but I doubt it is very many. I personally have seen some pretty out of control "ADD/ADHD" kids respond extremely well to "gasp" good old fashioned discipline. Funny what higher expectations can do for a person! Don't be bound to what people want to label you. Aim higher.
And by all means, keep your brake hand on the rope, no matter what!
I know, totally off topic, sorry :lol:
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fishypete
Jul 10, 2003, 8:00 AM
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Second that!
You need it for school, but not during the holidays? That sounds particularly suspicious. I sense an "easy-way-out" having been chose by a parent or teacher here...
Fishy.
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oudinardin
Jul 10, 2003, 1:02 PM
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In reply to: I am pretty surprised by the tone of these posts so far! It seems obvious that you both consider Ritalin to be a stimulant of sorts and it can make you "shaky and nervous". Isn't that totally counter to what it is supposed to do? Pretty confusing. Nthisthebesta, if you can go all summer without it, why is it neccessary for school? It seems that you would have other pursuits that require your attention outside of school. Anyway, my point is that I believe that Ritalin is terribly abused. Not just by the user but those who want children to be on it. Parents who substitute it for discipline, teachers who use it for "herd control", etc... I challenge anyone reading this that is on Ritalin, make an honest assesment of your ability to focus and concentrate on things you are interested in. I think most will have to answer that they lack self discipline in things they don't enjoy and that is the bigger problem. I concede there are some out there who may actually have a medical condition but I doubt it is very many. I personally have seen some pretty out of control "ADD/ADHD" kids respond extremely well to "gasp" good old fashioned discipline. Funny what higher expectations can do for a person! Don't be bound to what people want to label you. Aim higher. And by all means, keep your brake hand on the rope, no matter what! I know, totally off topic, sorry :lol:
You doubt it's very many? Interesting. What are the stats on that? Psych 101 anybody. Sure people kids/parents abuse and neglect with the use of these types of medicines. A band aid if you will. Maybe by the tone of my post and the fact that besta is not taking her medicine all summer led you to your mild tantrum. When I was younger I had a learning disability called listening comprehension. Discipline you say? So back in 87 sitting at a desk in one of the best private schools in the nation, I could not sit still. And I mean literally. I hated the medicine but having a mother with a PH D in Special Ed and being surrounded by others I felt I should take it. It did help me until I was 18 (91) and was of sound mind and chose not to take it. Between 87-91 there were times I would not take it and would do fine. Nobody knew. As far as climbing, I'm 30 years old, friends with MD's and am able to grab pain killers for trips and on a few Ritalin. Do some research before you claim that simply discipline can get rid of this DSM disorder. Sometimes I forget that people on this site may be 12 or 14 but I will injest whatever the hell I want to. Tetri oil does'nt quite do it for me. And I'm sure you have seen the Dateline about the abuse but it does help some people to recieve an education. We're not in the 50's talking about Cylert.
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climbkalispell
Jul 10, 2003, 4:07 PM
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In reply to: It seems obvious that you both consider Ritalin to be a stimulant of sorts and it can make you "shaky and nervous". Isn't that totally counter to what it is supposed to do? Pretty confusing.
I wanted to add my 2 cents in on this. First of all I wanted to explain what Ritalin is. Ritalin is a stimulant.. however in True ADD or better termed "Hyperactive" children Ritalin does "calm" the individual. The calming comes in the form of mild lethargic type feeling. This does allow the person to focus on specific tasks.
I was and am ADD (prior to it being cool) I'm in my 30's and now self medicate with Caffeine (yes a stimulant). I completely agree with the comments of it being over used .. a crutch, a make up for poor teachers and yes I'll say it bad parenting.
nthisthebesta if you do find that Ritalin does help you focus at school. this is your opinion!! not your mom's, teachers, your doctors, yours.. then trying it while climbing.. being very careful while doing that may not be a bad thing
In theory you could be able to concentrate on the route better, your belaying etc.
But temper that statement with these .. most truly hyperactive children are highly intelligent IQ of 130 or more, and at times highly driven..
Ritalin seems to downgrade this, at least with me it does.
this translates to yes I can climb consistently and safely but at 2 grades below my true ability while ...
Climbing with someone who knows you, understands you, and that you can trust, without the Ritalin is probably the best thing..
Note the older you get.. You’ll be able to focus more, and the less dependant you will be come.
Anyhow I hope these helps.. and for all whom disagree .. Flame away
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tyify
Jul 10, 2003, 5:24 PM
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I am relatilively bright....Not to brag just to confirm with Climbalispell....during school things are boring and dull...so my mind wanders...when I rock climb however I'm having the time of my life...I know the ritalin is working because at quarter had 2 f's...then I started ritalin...I brought thtem up to 2 c's...And on things that truly matter I can stay focused....Only on boring things aka school can I not stay focused....
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tyify
Jul 11, 2003, 1:13 AM
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(Bump) Sorry I'm interested to see if anyone out there actually takes it while climbing..
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 2:54 AM
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I've taken Adoral (sp?) after an all night drive from Memphis to Rocktown Georgia to stay awake and be alert.
I've only used Adoral otherwise durring cram sessions durring Exam weeks to keep me studying and focused all night long. I've never been diagnosed with ADD, but for me, the drug focused my thoughts like a LAZER BEAM. That's the best analogy I can think of. I am completly focused and totally intrested in what I am doing at the time, regardless of how monotonous. It also makes me slightly hyperactive and gittery. I'll talk your ear off and won't pick up on that I'm annoying you. I can totally see how it helps ADD kids, but I don't know if it's the best solution. It messes up your sleep patterns, and puts you into an altered state on consciousness when you are on it. Like an extremly mild marajuana buzz, but with extreme focus as a side effect.
Bouldering after taking it was a little interesting. I still climbed at my normal ability, but with the normal effects of the drug on my mind. It was one of the only time's I enjoyed listening to music while climbing. It seemed to channel my focus, rather than distracting it as usual. There were no performance gains however, and I climbed like crap the next morning after tossing and turning all night at the campground.
I don't know anything about Ritalyn having never taken it, and I refuse to comment on the effects of a psycho-active drug having never taken it. (because of this, thankfully, there are few psycho-active drugs I can comment on, before yall start thinking I'm a junkie)
Travis
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tyify
Jul 11, 2003, 4:43 AM
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See now thats interesting...when I listen to music when I'm on it it totally destroys it....I can't think about anything but the music on hand...Suddenly I'm listening to the drums..then to the guitar...then the bass...I can't listen as a whole but instead only as singles...
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 4:36 PM
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I totally agree. I find myself grinding my teeth along with the beat as well. I guess more than anything, I'm usually annoyed by ghetto blasters at the crag, but perhaps Adoral made it more interesting, therefore more berable.
Travis
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scuclimber
Jul 12, 2003, 7:22 AM
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This is in response to Climber49er:
Both my little brother (15 years old) and my father are clinically diagnosed as having ADD. I think I may have those tendencies as well, though not as much as they display them. My little bro has been on Ritalin, Aderol, and several others. Now he's on something called "Strattera." He's an extremely bright kid. If you talk to him, you'd swear he's like 3-4 years older than he actually is. He just switched drugs, so this is fresh in my memory (as in, earlier this week). When he switched, he wasn't immediately up to full dosage and his behavior was noticeably different. He didn't listen as well, he harassed my little sister more, and generally raised hell. If he misses a dose, it is immediately apparent. In response to your comment about "good old-fashioned discipline," my father could be mildly considered one of those "spare the rod and spoil the child" types. He hit us a bit when we were younger and definitely used timeouts, restrictions, and various other disciplinary techniques that could be grouped under the category "good old-fashioned discipline." These things generally worked with my little sis and me (she's 12, I'm 19). With my little brother however, they rarely ever worked, which frustrated my parents to no end and presented them with a problem. Thus, he is on medication. When he is not on it, his behavior is much "worse" i.e. he is hyperactive, cannot concentrate in school, is disruptive, etc. I agree that "ADD drugs," the most common of these being Ritalin and Aderol, are abused. At school (Santa Clara University) I know guys that abuse these drugs on a regular basis. But please, don't spout off about something you know absolutely nothing about. You just show the rest of us your ignorance of this subject. Next time do a bit of research.
Peace.
P.S.- Sorry this has absolutely nothing to do with climbing, although my aforementioned little brother was begging me to drive him down to the gym earlier tonight. :)
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flamer
Jul 12, 2003, 7:41 PM
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In reply to: I challenge anyone reading this that is on Ritalin, make an honest assesment of your ability to focus and concentrate on things you are interested in. I think most will have to answer that they lack self discipline in things they don't enjoy and that is the bigger problem.
Ok, As much as I want to tell you to go F**K yourself right now, I will instead assume that you simply don't know what you're talking about.
I was diagnosed at en early age(6) with ADHD. This was 21 years ago and prior to the "drug all kids" trends. My parents- who are 2 of the greatest people- were not quick to drug their child. Before doing so they took me to specialist and numerous Doctors to make sure the diagnoses was correct, above that my father was a Probation officer for The juvenile courts for 19 years- He know's problem kids.
I was then on ritalin from 1st through 8th grade's. I did quite well while on the drug and there came a time when I no longer needed it- and I knew it. I never took it outside of school, this allowed my mind to function on it's own and develope.
Now other comments have been made concerning ritalin being a stimulant. This is true! Ritalin is speed! And this is why it DOES NOT WORK ON KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE ADD/ADHD!
The deal is(plainly stated) The chemical makeup in the brain of someone with ADD/ADHD is "reversed" thus the speed has an opposite effect on these people.
It pisses me off that Teachers, doctors, and most of all parents think they can just drug kids who have discipline problems, just so they don't have to deal with it!
I may have been on Ritalin during school, but when I wasn't I still had problems. But I had parents who were there teaching me right and wrong, supporting me, and disciplining me when needed! That is the most important thing!
But you can't right off any kid that's on Ritalin as "lacking self discipline" that's just not how it is.
josh
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oudinardin
Jul 13, 2003, 5:24 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: I challenge anyone reading this that is on Ritalin, make an honest assesment of your ability to focus and concentrate on things you are interested in. I think most will have to answer that they lack self discipline in things they don't enjoy and that is the bigger problem. Ok, As much as I want to tell you to go F**K yourself right now, I will instead assume that you simply don't know what you're talking about. I was diagnosed at en early age(6) with ADHD. This was 21 years ago and prior to the "drug all kids" trends. My parents- who are 2 of the greatest people- were not quick to drug their child. Before doing so they took me to specialist and numerous Doctors to make sure the diagnoses was correct, above that my father was a Probation officer for The juvenile courts for 19 years- He know's problem kids. I was then on ritalin from 1st through 8th grade's. I did quite well while on the drug and there came a time when I no longer needed it- and I knew it. I never took it outside of school, this allowed my mind to function on it's own and develope. Now other comments have been made concerning ritalin being a stimulant. This is true! Ritalin is speed! And this is why it DOES NOT WORK ON KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE ADD/ADHD! The deal is(plainly stated) The chemical makeup in the brain of someone with ADD/ADHD is "reversed" thus the speed has an opposite effect on these people. It pisses me off that Teachers, doctors, and most of all parents think they can just drug kids who have discipline problems, just so they don't have to deal with it! I may have been on Ritalin during school, but when I wasn't I still had problems. But I had parents who were there teaching me right and wrong, supporting me, and disciplining me when needed! That is the most important thing! But you can't right off any kid that's on Ritalin as "lacking self discipline" that's just not how it is. josh
Word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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climber49er
Jul 13, 2003, 8:44 AM
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Now that I've got everybody all tweaked... :shock:
My response to the average above posts:
1) No I am not qualified to make professional judgements about ADD/ADHD, nor did I claim to be. Just stating my observations.
2) Yes, I am pretty ignorant about the drug and it's effects. I, quite simply, despise the thought of drugging children for any reason. Yes, most people disagree with me on that. I can live with that.
3) I do not doubt that there are many valid cases of ADD out there. I stand by my assertion that it seems to be highly overdiagnosed. I add that drugging any disorder is most likely not the best way to deal with it.
4) A number of you have confirmed my reasoning that boredom can be the root of what appears to be ADD. I just didn't put it in those words.
5) I realize my views are not popular. Thats OK.
6) I am not claiming to be 100% correct, or correct at all for that matter. This is simply how I see it.
7) I know this is not an issue with easy answers. I know that discipline is not the only way to deal with it.
8) My heart goes out to those of you that struggle with this thing.
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oudinardin
Jul 13, 2003, 9:43 AM
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In reply to: Now that I've got everybody all tweaked... :shock: My response to the average above posts: 1) No I am not qualified to make professional judgements about ADD/ADHD, nor did I claim to be. Just stating my observations. 2) Yes, I am pretty ignorant about the drug and it's effects. I, quite simply, despise the thought of drugging children for any reason. Yes, most people disagree with me on that. I can live with that. 3) I do not doubt that there are many valid cases of ADD out there. I stand by my assertion that it seems to be highly overdiagnosed. I add that drugging any disorder is most likely not the best way to deal with it. 4) A number of you have confirmed my reasoning that boredom can be the root of what appears to be ADD. I just didn't put it in those words. 5) I realize my views are not popular. Thats OK. 6) I am not claiming to be 100% correct, or correct at all for that matter. This is simply how I see it. 7) I know this is not an issue with easy answers. I know that discipline is not the only way to deal with it. 8) My heart goes out to those of you that struggle with this thing.
Ok. I agree with you that ADHD and ADD are often overdiagnosed. There are several reasons for this and I will list a few.
1) Hearing problems
2) Vision problems
3) Other mental disorders such as depresion.
All of the above and i'm sure many more can lead to someone thinking that a child has ADHD. However, the process of diagnosing someone with ADHD is rather time consuming. Test's taken with the school's psychometrist, IQ etc. take time. It's not like, Ok this kid is bored and hyper so let's have his parents send him to the doctor because he needs Ritalin.
I think that by reading these posts and if you we're to talk to people with ADHD they would tell you that they hate taking the meds. When I was a kid I was considered stupid by some of my peers because I had to take medicine to be smart and they did'nt. And trust me, stupid I'm not. I agree with everything you said above except the boredom part. That sounds retarded to think that boredom warrants ADHD and Ritalin. Please make a search for the DSM 4 and what 6 criteria must be met before one can be diagnosed. It's not as simple as you think. It's strange but I think you and I are on the same page but it is frustrating to see someone who is totally against medication. What about Bipolar disorder? Ever seen anyone with that, on and off their medication? Anxiety and depresion thats so debilitating that the person cannot function? From your profile all I can see is a monkey so I don't know how old you are or maybe you live on some small island, I don't know. From your posts you seem somewhat mature but in the future maybe you should read up on the subject before you start bashing someone for taking medicine for a disorder they allready do not want to have. How do you think that makes them feel? I mean we could say that the science of Psychology is bull$hit and it's around simply to benefit the pharmaceutical companies. Sounds stupid, right? Well it sounds like your nearing that plane with your earlier remarks and that's just wrong. Hell, I wish there we're no mental disorders. I'd be one happy, silly bastard! I'm not trying to have a war with you. I'm just trying to enable you to see that we are all coming from pretty much the same place with this. Peace Mike
Oh, and now I'm a free climb freak to boot. Sorry bout the island remark. I did'nt see the Alaska thing. Must be ADD. :wink:
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roninthorne
Jul 13, 2003, 11:34 AM
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Are you trolling again, climber49er?
Folks, if you or someone you love has ADD, then you know whether or not they have been helped by medication... why let some clown get your jockey shorts tied in a bunch? No one is going to come on RC.com and say "Oh, my goodness... climber49er doesn't think you need to use ritalin... let's take away Johnny's meds and give him a good beating... that's what he really needs."
Don't let your ADD and climber49er's boredom and ignorance goad you into a quick reply that does no one any good, and wastes time you cold spend talking about climbing.
Speaking of climbing... back to topic... I've never used Ritalin climbing... since I have ADD, it would only mellow me out and tighten my focus, and the climbing does that anyways, by speeding up my metabolism and increasing the rate at which my brain processes glucose. It is the slowness of this processing which lies at the root of most cases of ADD... that's why Ritalin and Adoral work.
I have used Ritalin to make a long, long drive (El Paso to Harrisonburg, VA in just over three days, in an ancient, lumbering RV. Next time I'll stick with espresso mochas and Mtn. Dew.) But never climbing... the crash, emotionally and mentally, is too great when the stuff wears off.
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stuck
Jul 13, 2003, 4:42 PM
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Ron, what mental crash are you talking about? I take 54 milligras of concerta (ritalin) every day even during the summer and it lasts from 7 to 7. The reason I am confused is becuase my doctor assured me and I can testify that ritalin causes no mental crashes, fatigue, or depression. It has NO side effects!!
Ritalin helps me focus and that is all. If i am doing a non mental activity there is no sign in my mind that i am under the influence of ritalin. This all may be because i am taking a newer form of ritalin that has fewer side effects, but it seems to me that many of you have a superstitious feeling that ritalin: is crap (first poster on this thread) or causes many mental breakdowns.
One last thing, someone mentioned the copious testing required to diagnose ritalin. My doctor, who has severe ADHD himself, beat the horse dead that AD(H)D could not be tested. There is no fill in the blank or ink blotch test that can indicate an attention problem. I doubt this made a lot of sense, maybe i should go take my ritalin.
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coylec
Jul 13, 2003, 6:39 PM
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I am a 21 year-old ADD diagnosed male. I am prescribed 30 mg Adderall (3 doses of 10 mg per day).
Quick Note: To everyone using Adderall as a stimulant, not on prescription: (1) BE CAREFUL. Adderall is lab-grade amphetamine. A 10 mg pill contains 6.3 mg of pure amphetamine base. It can causes central nervous system problems in overdose situations or when your body is not adjusted to the chemcal, including dizziness, trmors, dyskinesia and Tourette's syndrone. It also has serious drug interactions: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/amphet_ad.htm
While Ritalin is a mild stimulant (Methylphenidate hydrochloride), Adderal is made up of four amphetamine bases (Dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphere sulfate and amphetamine sulfate). This means that the Adderall has a much higher level of stimulation and a shorter effective time (which is why my dosing is spread out).
I have found that my climbing is adversily effected while I am in the peak period of my adderall dosage, typically 45 minutes to 3 1/2 hours after ingestion. Remember, that everyone reacts differently to stimulants, based on your mood, existing energy level and metabolism. This last semester, I took morning (7 am), lunch doses (12 am) and afternoon/dinner doses (4-6 pm). I found that when I went to climb (at our indoor climbing wall) after my afternoon dose, I have a harder time maintaining smaller holds because of the 'nervous' energy and mild shakes, but hte main issue was keeping good situational awareness. I had no problem concentrating on my route, but became so focused on my own climbing that I neglected to pay attention to what was going on around me (i.e. other climbers on the wall).
I either climbed and then took my final dose or just skipped that dose on days I planned to climb. While I was more easily distracted by other happenings on the rock, I can't remember it ever causing a fall. In fact, I think it was a good thing, you know, being aware of your situation. Additionally, I never had bad lead climbs (bad clips, backclips or z-clips) while I was off the medication.
In summation, I would say that (1) you need to try it out, perferably in a low/lower risk setting. You may find that you either (1) want your full dosage, (2) want a partial dosage, (3) want a full dosage well prior to climbing, so you are on the trailing side of the med or (4) don't want to take it at all.
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phreakdigital
Jul 13, 2003, 7:02 PM
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In reply to: I have been diagnosed with having ADD 3 times in my life. I have yet to take meds for it. I don't belive in it. ADD is a medical excuse for laziness. Mind over matter......that's all it is.
ok so this type and scale of stupidity amazes me, but at least...
Someone knows what is really going on!
In reply to: In reply to: I challenge anyone reading this that is on Ritalin, make an honest assesment of your ability to focus and concentrate on things you are interested in. I think most will have to answer that they lack self discipline in things they don't enjoy and that is the bigger problem. Ok, As much as I want to tell you to go F**K yourself right now, I will instead assume that you simply don't know what you're talking about. I was diagnosed at en early age(6) with ADHD. This was 21 years ago and prior to the "drug all kids" trends. My parents- who are 2 of the greatest people- were not quick to drug their child. Before doing so they took me to specialist and numerous Doctors to make sure the diagnoses was correct, above that my father was a Probation officer for The juvenile courts for 19 years- He know's problem kids. I was then on ritalin from 1st through 8th grade's. I did quite well while on the drug and there came a time when I no longer needed it- and I knew it. I never took it outside of school, this allowed my mind to function on it's own and develope. Now other comments have been made concerning ritalin being a stimulant. This is true! Ritalin is speed! And this is why it DOES NOT WORK ON KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE ADD/ADHD! The deal is(plainly stated) The chemical makeup in the brain of someone with ADD/ADHD is "reversed" thus the speed has an opposite effect on these people. It pisses me off that Teachers, doctors, and most of all parents think they can just drug kids who have discipline problems, just so they don't have to deal with it! I may have been on Ritalin during school, but when I wasn't I still had problems. But I had parents who were there teaching me right and wrong, supporting me, and disciplining me when needed! That is the most important thing! But you can't right off any kid that's on Ritalin as "lacking self discipline" that's just not how it is. josh
this is the damn truth...real parents dont want thier children to need drugs to be succesful in school or other areas, but they also dont want to deprive them from substances that would really improve thier lives.
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 13, 2003, 7:43 PM
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My experience with doctors is that they are often full of crap. They are under pressure from the drug companys to sell a lot of drugs and make $$$$$ I have been put on anti depressants by those bastards before and that really sucked. They messed with me really badly and adversly affected my climbing. I really do think that a lot of teachers and poor parents take the easy way out and try to drug their kids into submission. In the seventys we didn't have ADD but most of the kids self medicated with weed. My girlfrind went through a spell were the teachers wanted to test her daughter and drug her mostly because she was going through a phase were she was actinl like a total ahole. She straightened her act out and gets straight A's without the meds. I would think that climbing with it's adrenalin rush focuse enhancer would be the perfect cure for add. I know Climbing is the only thing I can really focus on.
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tav8816
Jul 13, 2003, 8:10 PM
Post #23 of 29
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Registered: Oct 29, 2002
Posts: 19
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nthisthebesta,
Sorry this is not answering the original question I just wanted to add my input that has pretty much already been said but here it is anyway.
gansscr wrote:
I have been diagnosed with having ADD 3 times in my life. I have yet to take meds for it. I don't belive in it. ADD is a medical excuse for laziness. Mind over matter......that's all it is.
That is great, you have developed coping strategies to be able to make it manageable. This is not the case for everyone with cases more severe. If ADD is an excuse for laziness why have you been tested 3 times? I did not mean to be rude maybe the school system has tested you, but there are many levels to ADHD tendancies. It is not black and white, positive or negative.
Stuck,
I doubt this made a lot of sense, maybe i should go take my ritalin.
Excellent line a true characteristic of ADHD.
I am a teacher and agree that in many cases it is way over used. However in some cases it can make a world of difference. I have certain kids who walk in the room and I immediately know they forgot their medicine. True ADHD kids (the H does not always mean physical hyperactivity) that I have taught when diagnosed properly can be much more successful with proper treatment. As already stated most ADHD people are highly intelligent but the condition tends to jumble that up a little and it is not always presented that way.
I will say that in some misused cases of meds kids can totally use it as an excuse. For example, "Billy, why did you punch him in the face?"
"It is not MY fault, I did not have my medicine."
Of course this is just the growing nature of our society that is spilling over to our kids, "It is not my fault." (that is another story though)
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 13, 2003, 10:54 PM
Post #24 of 29
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Registered: Apr 24, 2003
Posts: 2599
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In the broken family situation that I am involved with the kid is doing relly well right now but in the past there was definatly a situation were both enstranged parents were spoiling the shiiiit out of the kid trying to win her love and the kid was being a total pscyco in school so the teacher screamed for meds when what was really needed was a more stable home enviorment. again lets fix it with meds. the easy way out. :roll:
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oudinardin
Jul 14, 2003, 6:36 AM
Post #25 of 29
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Registered: Dec 8, 2002
Posts: 536
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OK. Jesus. Stuck, your doctor sounds like a quack, another reason why people are "on the meds" as climber49er would say. Let's beat the horse some more then I will retire to the pasture. The brilliant doctor diagnosed you (most likely, or how the hell else would he have known) by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders 4th Edition or DSM 4.
Like I mentioned above, there are certain criteria that must be met to truly diagnose the disorder. There is also evidence obtained from your parents and your teachers. Alot of times another teacher will sit in on some of your classes and "take notes" of your behavior. There is also testing for any coexisting conditons such as specific learning disabilities which could alter your behavior. As far as this new magic Ritalin with no side effects goes, that's great, however I don't believe it. I support medicinal treatment for disorders but it sounds like to me you slipped into the system with out really getting tested. For my peace of mind, if I were you, I would want more "proof" as to my disorder before I started taking the complex form of speed you mentioned above. No side effects. Maybe not for you. What does the pamplet from your pharmacist say? You should request one. I'm not saying you don't have ADHD but I am saying you and your doc are incorrect in thinking there is no testing for diagnosing ADHD. There is not a ADHD specific test but several others that single out any other possibilities before diagnosis of ADHD. Peace. I quit. Gone climbing, it's my weekend. Mike
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