Association between ADHD medication and depression: A 10-year follow-up
Anecdata, but I&#x27;ve been on methylphenidate (Concerta) since age 7, and holy cow has it impacted my life in an insanely positive way. 21 years later, I&#x27;m still on Concerta, but excelling in my career, spending meaningful time with friends, family, and hobbies, and generally pretty happy with myself. When I tried dropping the meds in college, my life basically fell apart in a matter of months. My then-girlfriend now-wife almost broke up with me, I started failing classes, I lost contact with friends, and really struggled to feel alive. The Concerta doesn&#x27;t fix my ADHD, but wow does it make it manageable. Thankfully, I had a supportive and invested family, understanding friends, and support structures all around me. I&#x27;m so glad my parents put me on meds instead of making me struggle throughout my childhood due to an outdated believe that &quot;drugging kids bad&quot;. I owe my life and success to this drug, and while it doesn&#x27;t work perfectly for everyone diagnosed with ADHD, it works so well for me that you&#x27;d have to pry my prescription from my cold, dead hands.