Here's how ADD was explained to me..both my kids were diagnosed in gradeschool. Your brain is made up of keyholes and keys, but you don't have enough keys to fill all the holes, so they jump from one hole to the next. Adderal and Ritalin fill up the extra keyholes so you can concentrate. Both meds are what we called "speed" 30 years ago and if you don't have ADD they will do exactly that..speed you up. Its remarkable that they seem to have the opposite effect on someone taking them for the proper reason! Be careful, my daughter's were stolen from her at college..its still avery popular street drug. Now she only takes a couple week's worth with her to her campus aptartment, and leaves the rest here with me for safekeeping.