"i find ritalin allows me to focus. with my add and bipolar i couldn&#039;t even read a book. my doctor says though its a stimulant, ritalin tends not to push bipolars into mania. i was self medicating my add with caffeine which made me anxious so i&#039;m glad the ritalin replaces that. i&#039;m on a low dose now and hope to increase to where the positive effects last longer, as they are short lived now."