Ritalin - your experience?

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I was on Ritalin through grade school and high school (75-85). It changed me from staring out the window, unable to concentrate to a wound-up over-achiever. My parents loved it. My Fs turned to As, I did all my homework, I did my sister's homework, then I would set the table for dinner, wash dishes after dinner, etc. For ten years I just couldn't shut-up. I blathered constantly about anything, everything, and nothing till I felt I was going to hyperventilate and even then I couldn't shut up. It also magnified my OCD. I went from twiddling my fingers and making weird sounds to full-on patterns of facial tics. I would find new patterns of facial tics that made me feel more "satisfied", so it was like I was collecting them. I also began washing my hands dozens of times a day. I am still very mindful of what I have touched and to what degree my hands have become "contaminated".

When I stopped Ritalin, I used to just laugh constantly. It was euphoria. This lasted weeks. The closest thing I can compare it to is getting completely stoned on pot for the first time. Then I put on about 100 pounds, began smoking pot and drinking alcohol for 25 years. Got kicked out of the Army. Flunked out of college. I have managed to get by with doing just the bare minimum (the same way I was before Ritalin).

I wasn't on Ritalin since it would've had a bad mix with my current medication for Aspieness. I was on Strattera for the last few years. There hasn't been much of a difference other than a slight reduction of my tendencies to be distracted. It also helped keep my eyes from straying away from paying attention to a conversation or person with who I am communicating. However, it does have similar side effects that others have described on Ritalin. I suffered from heavy drowsiness hours after taking them. That is why I take this medication at night.