Well, honestly, this sounds a bit like clinical depression or some other such issue. It's a chemcial imbalance in the brain.

I think I've said this before, but my sister had depression that could only be treated with medications. They worked for her, but you have to find the right medications.

Like I said before, talk to the doctor about your side-effects the last time. At the place I work, we have clients with several different imbalances and medications to treat them.

Once in a while, the doctors decide to try a different medication for whatever doctorly reason and the results can sometimes be pretty hard to cope with.

I know of one medication that is supposed to be a downer for people with agressive tendencies or hyperactivity. But in some people, it triggers the opposite effect. It makes them more aggressive or hyperactive. If that is the case, then the doctor has to find an alternative medication.

I'm rambling a bit, but my point is the same as before. If the medication causes you to not feel anything, tell your doctor. And if s/he insists that you aren't feeling a side effect or that you should take the drug anyway, go to a different doctor. A doctor should never ignore something as important as a drastic change in your mood.

Ritalin has been known to help ADD/ADHD, but when prescribed incorrectly it has also been known to make kids suicidal. If their doctors don’t listen when they tell them the drug is making them feel so depressed, that doctor might as well be guilty of neglect. I would advise anyone in that situation to stop taking the ritalin imediately and go to a different doctor.

As for the being afraid of getting out there (paraphrased for simplicity ), that's much more normal then many people would like to believe. Personally, I hate being in crowds and I dislike talking to different people when I know it’s a work/shopping/non-friendship related means simply because I feel people are too phony.

Probably your best option is to try to find the events that you enjoy and simply stick to those. Like if there was a South Park or comic convention or something that you could attend. Going to something like that and meeting the makers of South Park and maybe even selling some Fluffy merchandise would be good. You'd probably have a great time and meet people that genuinely held the same interests as you.
The same could be said for WoW events, CG art conventions, computer shows, and the like. Whatever your interests may be.

I don't know, I may just be typing in circles here, but I'm just trying to throw out some ideas. A lot of people are quick to throw out statements like “whatever you do, don’t do drugs.” They say such things because of news reports about Ritalin and such drugs... but that doesn’t mean they are right. Like I said, your doctor should be able to offer alternatives. If they don’t, then you need a different doctor.

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The Wildcat
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Personal Quote: "A true flight of fancy isn't making something outrageous... It's making the outrageous seem possible."
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man dude, that really really sucks. I wish I could say I know what your going through, but I really don't....how'd the doctors appointment go?

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