High doses of Ritalin lead to similar symptoms such as other stimulant abuse, including tremors and muscle twitching, paranoia,1 and a sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin.
One 17-year-old, after snorting crushed Ritalin pills and staying awake for days, went psychotic, killed his parents and severely injured his brothers and sister with a hatchet. A 14-year-old, on Ritalin since he was 7, beat another boy to death with a baseball bat.
Ritalin can cause aggression, psychosis and an irregular heartbeat that can lead to death.
IT’S A CRIME TO ABUSE IT
In the United States, Ritalin is subject to severe criminal penalties for abuse. The penalties for a first trafficking offence (which you would be guilty of even if you just shared one or two pills with a friend) includes up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
If death or serious injury results from a first offence, the penalty is twenty years to life in prison. If the drug is injected, it becomes a drug offence with even harsher penalties.
Ritalin is a Class B drug in the UK, meaning possession can lead to a five-year prison sentence and dealing could put you behind bars for 14 years.