This is the story of a young man that we are going to call Patrick. Patrick is not his real name, but one we are using to protect his identity. Patrick was a child prodigy who became addicted to methamphetamines at the age of nineteen. He went to a Narconon rehab center to overcome his addiction when he was twenty-one and decided to work there to help others overcome their own addictions.
Patrick’s Early Childhood
Patrick grew up as the oldest child of two in a well to do family. Patrick’s father was a wealthy doctor and Patrick’s mother was a stay at home mom. Patrick said that his family was very close when he was a child and that he had all that one could want as far as the perfect childhood. His father was not home all that much because he had the demanding life of a successful doctor, but was a very good dad when he was around. Patrick’s mom was a very sweet woman who doted on her children and did all she could to make sure that they had the best life had to offer.
When Patrick started kindergarten it was soon apparent that he was a very intelligent child. He had taught himself how to read by the time he was four and a half. Soon it was decided that Patrick was going to be transferred to a private school for gifted children. He did very well there but sometimes after he had finished his work he’d goof off and distract the other children. Patrick said that this was mostly because he was able to learn so quickly that he would get bored with his work. He also said that he had a lot of energy and sometimes he would just try to run off steam. His teachers recommended that his parents have him tested for ADHD because they said in the long run it would probable help Patrick out.
His parents listened to what the teachers had to say and saw one of Patrick’s father’s associates. Patrick was diagnosed with ADHD and the physician recommended a prescription for Ritalin, one of the study drugs that is commonly prescribed to children labeled as having ADD or ADHD. Patrick was six years old. Patrick would take his medication during the week when he had to go to school and come off it on the weekends or on school holiday. Patrick said that the drugs made him kind of feel like a zombie and greatly reduced his appetite. Patrick was already a small child so after a while he became very thin during the school year and would gain weight during the summer when he was off of his medicine. Patrick said that when he was on his medicine he did not feel like himself, but he was able to focus on his school work.
Patrick’s is Taken Off of Ritalin
Patrick stayed on Ritalin until he turned thirteen. He was a very small child and it looked like the onset of puberty might have been delayed due to Ritalin. His parents expressed concern to the doctor that had been seeing Patrick and the doctor said that he recommended that Patrick come off of it. The doctor said that many kids grew out of ADHD around the time they were going to start puberty so it Patrick might not need it any more anyway.
Patrick continued to do very well in school after he came off the medication. He said he had a rapid growth spurt and soon caught up to the other kids that were his age. After puberty he no longer had the urge to be as rowdy in class as he had been before and his parents and teachers decided that the right decision had been made. Patrick said that he was a very good student and never became involved with the kids that got in trouble or used drugs. He eventually finished high school and then went on to college
Patrick Meets Methamphetamine
Patrick said that his first year of college he did really well. He decided that he did so well that the following year he was going to try to take a few extra classes in addition to his regular curriculum so he would be able to graduate early. He said that was a big mistake. He did take a few extra classes the following year and found that it was hard for him to be able to keep up with all of his studies. Instead of dropping out of one of his classes he just pushed himself harder. One night while he was up studying he was having trouble staying awake. His roommate told him that he a solution to his problem. He gave Patrick methamphetamine and told him that a lot of students used it to study at night. He told Patrick it was actually a lot like Ritalin. Patrick used it and said that it felt a lot like Ritalin had but much more intense. He said that he instantly loved it and decided that was how he was going to make it through college.
Things did not turn out as well as Patrick thought they would with his new plan. It did not take long before he became totally addicted to Meth and was using it not as a way to study but just as a way to get high. He said that he thinks it was probably easy for him to get really addicted because he had been used to using Ritalin for so much of his childhood. Meth gave him the feeling that he had been missing. It was not long before Patrick dropped out of college because he could not keep up with his studies. He began using even more at this time and before long started selling meth to support his own habit. Patrick did not go home for two years and his parent became frantic with worry.
Eventually Patrick got arrested for possession and called his parents from jail. They told him that they loved him but would not come get him out until he agreed to go rehab. Patrick said he was in jail for about a week before he decided to go. He went to Narconon. Patrick is now twenty five and has been working at Narconon since he graduated. He said that he is very happy with his job and plans to go back to college in the near future. He also said that he has no craving for drugs and the study courses he took at Narconon helped him realize why he got so distracted in school as a child.
