IF ONLY WE KNEW! is a powerful episode about the story of Jyle, a young Australian man who got diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager. His parents Vanessa and Troy who I interviewed for this episode were told by 'experts' to medicate their son with stimulant drugs. Not knowing about the possible negative side effects of Ritalin and only having their son's best interest in mind, they decided to put Jyle on Ritalin. Jyle soon became terribly addicted to Ritalin after thinking that it was the answer to all of his struggles ... he became a focused superman and someone that was 'acceptable' in social circles and at school. After 4 years of substance abuse and self sabotage, Jyle was no longer like himself and he was extremely unhappy. After Ritalin came other drugs and eventually alcohol, all in the attempt to stay 'powerful' and 'accepted'...
Today, Jyle is in rehab to shake his addiction to alcohol and drugs, planning a successful career as a music producer and artists.
We know Jyle will turn his life around, there is no doubt. He has the most supportive parents who will guide him to success. But the struggle that the family has been through due to the disruption that Jyle's dependency on Ritalin has created has lost valuable time and energy that they will never get back.
When experts use the words 'safe & effective', please don't take their word for it. Remember, cigarettes used to be advertised by doctors and hailed as safe & effective... please do your own research and look at both sides!
Here is a link to an article of Berkley professor and researcher Nadine Lambert, outlining her 27 year study on the long term effects on Ritalin - these results were not well received by the 'pro-med' side: https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/99legacy/5-5-1999.html
For more information on this podcast, please visit www.adhdisover.com