How to Quit Snorting Ritalin
How to Quit Snorting Ritalin
This article informs and teaches an individual abusing
Ritalin or other prescription drugs how to quit snorting
ritalin. It details reasons to quit, what to expect and an
in depth discussion of a couple different ways to quit Ritalin
abuse. For loved ones of Ritalin abusers it offers
information that can help teach you what your friend or family
member is going through.
What is Ritalin?
Ritalin is a prescription
medication usually used to treat ADHD or narcolepsy. Often
compared with cocaine for its recreational use, Ritalin is a
psycho-stimulator coming from a group of drugs called amphetamines
(closely related to meth). If not properly administered and
medicated, Ritalin has the potential to lead to dependency and
addiction. Because it is used for ADHD, Ritalin is commonly
prescribed to children. This has been a very controversial
topic, due to recent evidence suggesting that children exposed to
stimulants are twice as likely to become addicted to cocaine later
in life. A survey done in 1998 found that 6.8% of ninth
graders had abused Ritalin at one point. In addition, a
survey of students in Wisconsin and Minnesota found that 34% of
kids diagnosed with ADHD had been approached to sell their Ritalin
or Adderall.
When taken in pill form the dose is administered slowly within
the human body and euphoria does not often occur. However,
when a person crushes and snorts or injects Ritalin, the effects
are much more drastic and immediate. Depending on the
individual, Ritalin can be as powerful as cocaine. Similarly,
someone addicted to Ritalin can depend on the immediate, fast
high. In addition, consuming alcohol with the substance can
lead to amplified effects.
Reasons to Quit
Ritalin abuse, as with other forms of substance abuse, can have
a highly negative effect on an individual and their family.
Some common symptoms associated with Ritalin abuse are:
- Nervousness and Insomnia
- Tremors and muscle twitching
- Paranoia, hallucinations and delusions
Ritalin can have an adverse effect both on the abusers life and
those closest to them. If you or a loved one is suffering
from Ritalin addiction, please inquire with an addiction rehab center from our directory
of addiction rehab centers.
While overdosing is uncommon, it can occur more easily when
Ritalin is snorted. It's also very important to be able to
identify a Ritalin overdose if it is occurring. A Ritalin
overdose can be identified by:
- Delirium
- Hallucinations
- Panic
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Vomiting
Quitting
How to quit snorting Ritalin? Quitting can be
extremely difficult and we recommend contacting a rehab center for more
information or treatment. However, if for some reason this
doesn't appeal to you, here are a couple different commonly
used methods to quit Ritalin.
Someone quitting Ritalin will likely undergo withdrawal.
Withdrawal symptoms strongly resemble detox symptoms of other drugs
like cocaine and meth. Some common withdrawal symptoms
are:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Cravings
Cold Turkey Method
The cold turkey method involves the user completely stopping
Ritalin use. This can be especially traumatic for the person
because they will experience the most extreme withdrawal
symptoms. In this case it is best to avoid getting into
situations where the person will be tempted to take Ritalin.
This method can be very difficult, but if completed successfully
the person will be off Ritalin completely and immediately.
The Tier Method
The tier method 
involves slowly decreasing
the amount and frequency of Ritalin consumption until eventually no
more use occurs. Compared with the cold turkey method, the
withdrawal symptoms will be milder. Similar to cold turkey,
the person should be kept away from situations where they will be
tempted to take more than the planned amount of Ritalin.
One way to begin, is to cut the dosage to 1/2. If this
change is too dramatic and the withdrawal symptoms are too extreme,
start with 3/4ths. Next try cutting the frequency of use down
by 50%. Continue repeating this process until the user is no
longer taking the substance.
Summary
Quitting Ritalin can be a very smart decision in order to break
the addiction cycle. While we recommend visiting an addiction
rehab center, we also realize
this is not practical for everyone suffering from snorting
ritalin. We encourage users to try the cold turkey or
tier methods of quitting Ritalin if visiting a rehab center is not
possible.
Resources
- http://www.addictionca.com/FAQ-ritalin.htm
-
http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Past-Ritalin-Addiction&id=800308
-
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/add-adhd-article/how-addictive-is-ritalin/578204
