{"id":5120,"date":"2021-08-07T00:46:21","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T00:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=5120"},"modified":"2021-08-07T04:55:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-07T04:55:19","slug":"ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Ritalin, the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Me"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/search?q=olympics&amp;hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US:en\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210525ff\/20210806-OlympicsGoogleNewsFeed-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I haven&#8217;t been following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but could hardly help noticing major stories in my news feeds.<\/p>\n<p>Some of them weren&#8217;t what I&#8217;d call news. Not &#8220;news&#8221; in the sense of being unexpected.<\/p>\n<p>China won the table tennis medals, for example, and COVID-19 put a crimp in events and\/or coverage thereof. That last, actually, was news of a sort. COVID-19 coverage outpaced team Russia doping news this time around.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a headline sampler, from Wednesday and Thursday:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2020-tokyo-olympics-track-and-field-swimming-sports-italy-olympic-team-36798cb8c1bf238780757d096c0daab4\">Olympics Latest: China women win table tennis again<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nAssociated Press (August 5, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/tokyo-olympics-live-updates\/2021\/08\/05\/1025050721\/olympic-sport-climbing-bouldering-lead-speed-gines-lopez-schubert-coleman\">An 18-Year-Old From Spain Wins The 1st Olympic Gold Medal In Climbing<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nMerrit Kennedy, NPR (August 5, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/tokyo-olympics-live-updates\/2021\/08\/04\/1024580668\/once-again-banned-russians-raise-questions-about-doping-at-the-olympics\">Once Again, Banned Russians Raise Questions About Doping At The Olympics<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nTom Goldman, NPR (August 4, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/olympics-tokyo-doctor-crossroads-covid-19-crisis-quiet-olympics-2021-08-04\/\">Tokyo doctor at the crossroads of a COVID-19 crisis and a quiet Olympics<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nJu-min Park, Reuters (August 4, 2021)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On the other hand, I&#8217;ve been particularly aware of an American gymnast: Simone Biles. This is the first time I&#8217;ve had something aside from nationality and human nature in common with an Olympic athlete.<\/p>\n<p>We both take methylphenidate, the main ingredient in Ritalin.<\/p>\n<p>I haven&#8217;t read much past the headlines in most &#8216;Biles and Olympic gymnastics&#8217; stories, so I&#8217;ll link to these two, and move on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.com\/simone-biles-adhd-meds-banned-japan-impacting-performance-2021-7\">Simone Biles&#8217; ADHD medication is banned in Japan, but a Tokyo 2020 exemption allowed them for athletes<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nMeredith Cash, Insider (July 30, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/tokyo-olympics-live-updates\/2021\/07\/28\/1021683296\/in-her-words-what-simone-biles-said-after-her-withdrawal\">Read What Simone Biles Said After Her Withdrawal From The Olympic Final<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\nBill Chappell, NPR (July 28, 2021)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><a name=\"balancing\"><\/a>Balancing Mental Health and the Olympics<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simone_Biles#2016_Summer_Olympics\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210525ff\/20210805-800px-Simone_Biles_na_prova_final_da_trave_nos_Jogos_Ol%C3%ADmpicos_Rio_2016-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fernando Fraz\u00e3o's photo: Simone Biles, balance beam, Summer 2016 Olympics. (August 15, 2016)\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>I don&#8217;t know why Simone Biles set her sights on the Olympics, or the rationale behind approving methylphenidate for an Olympic athlete.<\/p>\n<p>Based on what little I&#8217;ve read, my hat&#8217;s off to her for making it to the Olympics.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/#1\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>And for putting her mental health before staying in the competition.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;&#8230;<strong>Naomi Osaka inspired her to protect her mental health<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8220;I say put mental health first. Because if you don&#8217;t, then you&#8217;re not going to enjoy your sport and you&#8217;re not going to succeed as much as you want to. So it&#8217;s OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are \u2014 rather than just battle through it&#8230;.&#8221;<br \/>\n(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/tokyo-olympics-live-updates\/2021\/07\/28\/1021683296\/in-her-words-what-simone-biles-said-after-her-withdrawal\">Bill Chappell<\/a>, NPR (July 28, 2021))<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I gather that her decision to bow out didn&#8217;t sit well with some fans.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe because the &#8216;it doesn&#8217;t matter how you play the game, it&#8217;s whether you win or lose that counts&#8217; ethic is still around.<\/p>\n<p>That attitude inspired jokes like this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8216;I agree. Sports builds character. That&#8217;s what I have against sports.&#8217;<br \/>\n(A joke I first heard ca. 1970)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And that&#8217;s another topic. Almost.<\/p>\n<p>One more quote.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Simone Biles @Simone_Biles \u00b7 Sep 13, 2016<br \/>\n&#8220;Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I&#8217;m afraid to let people know.&#8221;(<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Simone_Biles\/status\/775785767855611905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E775785767855611905%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fespnw%2Fvoices%2Farticle%2F17602540%2Fbravo-simone-biles-taking-stand-adhd-stigma\">Twitter<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4><a name=\"psychiatric\"><\/a>Psychiatric Disorders and Me<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/in-praise-of-lilacs-blue-sky-and-rain\/#controlling\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210525ff\/20210522-DSC09023-Saturday-AshStLookingSouth-329.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Sauk Centre's Ash Street South.\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>I&#8217;m no gymnast. Being born with two gimpy hips saw to that, although I might not have prioritized athletics anyway.<\/p>\n<p>I do, however, have ADHD of a sort; plus a variety of other psychiatric problems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), inattentive type<\/li>\n<li>Autism spectrum disorder<\/li>\n<li>cluster A personality disorder<\/li>\n<li>GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)<\/li>\n<li>Persistent depressive disorder<\/li>\n<li>PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And that&#8217;s why I take methylphenidate.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn&#8217;t, I gather, cure anything. But it, and mirtazapine, let me think without having to fight my mental machinery. Metaphorically speaking.<\/p>\n<p>Oddly enough, autism spectrum disorder and PTSD aren&#8217;t on my current diagnosis list, Not the one I can access, at any rate. If that becomes an issue, I&#8217;ll deal with it; but if it doesn&#8217;t, I&#8217;ll be a happy camper. I&#8217;ve quite enough to deal with as it is.<\/p>\n<p>My guess is that updates in the DSM are responsible for some changes in my psychiatric disorders roster. DSM: That&#8217;s the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, something the American Psychiatric Association has been updating since 1952.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/#2\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<h5><a name=\"delayed\"><\/a>Delayed Diagnosis<\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/the-unmasked-minnesotans-second-covid-19-shot\/#good\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210525ff\/20210610-DSC09053-Methylphenid-329.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"My methylphenidate prescription, with one day left. (June 10, 2021)\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>Glitches like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD often get spotted in childhood. Now.<\/p>\n<p>I was born in 1951.<\/p>\n<p>My folks noticed that I woke up screaming when they let a light switch click, so they turned off lights by unscrewing the bulb.<\/p>\n<p>But I grew out of that, and did well enough in school. Happily, my parents and kindergarten teacher didn&#8217;t mind that I enjoyed reading.<\/p>\n<p>My social skills were lagging, but my folks most likely expected that. I&#8217;d had two operations by the time I started school, and regressed about a year each time.<\/p>\n<p>When I was 12, my mother had a severe stroke. I&#8217;m told that I was with her at the time, and accompanied her in an ambulance. My father tells me that he blamed me. That&#8217;s understandable. Dealing with me can be stressful.<\/p>\n<p>I have no memory at all of the &#8216;stroke&#8217; events, all my knowledge of them and the month or so surrounding them I have second-hand, from my parents.<\/p>\n<p>I suspect that&#8217;s how PTSD got on my list, and am as sure as I can be that those events started my experience with depression.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe life would have been easier, if autism spectrum disorder and ADHD-inattentive had been widely known in the early 1950s.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/#3\">3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Or maybe I&#8217;m lucky that they weren&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"lobotomies\"><\/a>Lobotomies, Cure-Alls and Making Sense<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nihrecord.nih.gov\/2019\/11\/01\/when-faces-made-case-lobotomy\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20210525ff\/20210806-lobotomy-icepick-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Illustration of 'icepick' lobotomy, from Dr. Walter Freenan II's 'Psychosurgery in the Treatment of Mental Disorders and Intractable Pain.' (1950)\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>The 1949 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine went to Walter Rudolf Hess for mapping the midbrain, and to Ant\u00f3nio Egas Moniz for popularizing lobotomies.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Walter Freeman II picked up where Moniz left off, with his handy-dandy transorbital lobotomies. I suspect they&#8217;re better known these days as &#8216;icepick lobotomies.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The procedure was fast, simple and \u2014 according to Dr. Freeman \u2014 didn&#8217;t require anesthetic. Simply zap the patient with an electroshock machine, and get to work.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/#4\">4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>I keep saying this: I do not miss the &#8216;good old days.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>As it was, my autism spectrum disorder, ADHD-inattentive or whatever label I use for my trick wiring \u2014 the problem or problems weren&#8217;t diagnosed until the early 21st century.<\/p>\n<p>I had been an adult for decades when I decided that trying methylphenidate made sense.<\/p>\n<p>That doesn&#8217;t mean that I think the drug is a good idea for everyone who deals with disorders like mine.<\/p>\n<p>But, despite the unpleasantness of dealing with bureaucratic-SNAFU-enabled withdrawal, I also don&#8217;t think that <strong>nobody<\/strong> should use it. Double negative, but I&#8217;ll let it stand.<\/p>\n<p>By the same token, I think dosing <strong>every<\/strong> kid who isn&#8217;t blandly &#8220;normal&#8221; with Ritalin is a bad idea, <strong>and<\/strong> think that some children may benefit.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, I&#8217;m dubious about anything peddled as a cure-all. Or denounced as Satanic, unscientific, or whatever scares the target audience most.<\/p>\n<h4><a name=\"getting\"><\/a>Getting and Staying Healthy: Within Reason<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/covid-19-cells-viruses-and-mrna-vaccines\/#smallpox\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20201109ff\/20201201-800px-Jenner_and_his_two_colleagues_seeing_off_three_anti-vaccinat_Wellcome_V0011075-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"I. Cruikshank's 1808 political cartoon, supporting Jenner, Dinsdale and Rose in the vaccination controversy.\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>Backing up a bit, I&#8217;ve been taking methylphenidate for more than a dozen years.<\/p>\n<p>I think doing so makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>And, since I&#8217;m a Catholic, taking care of my health \u2014 within reason \u2014 doesn&#8217;t involve a crisis of faith.<\/p>\n<p>Even if it means taking prescribed medication that didn&#8217;t exist in days of yore.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s because I think life and health are &#8220;precious gifts.&#8221; (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2288)<\/p>\n<p>I also think that I can decide whether or not I take my meds, or do pretty much anything else. Emphasis on <strong>can<\/strong> decide. Free will comes with responsibility. (Catechism, 1730-1738)<\/p>\n<p>If I decide to stop taking methylphenidate, for example, I&#8217;ll experience consequences.<\/p>\n<p>So: taking meds that keep me healthy, or less unhealthy than I&#8217;d be otherwise, makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>Within reason.<\/p>\n<h5><a name=\"priorities\"><\/a>Priorities<\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/the-unmasked-minnesotans-second-covid-19-shot\/#memories\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20160505ff\/20160502-ReeferMadnessPoster-165.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"'Reefer Madness' (1936, released 1938-1939) theatrical release poster. (1972)\" align=\"right\" \/><\/a>I could take the first bit of Catechism paragraph #2291, &#8220;The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life,&#8230;&#8221; for example, ignore it&#8217;s context: and the rest of the paragraph that okays &#8220;strictly therapeutic&#8221; meds.<\/p>\n<p>I could, but that wouldn&#8217;t be reasonable, so I won&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<p>Recapping, getting and staying healthy is a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>But if I made being healthy my top priority, that&#8217;d be a problem. Top rank is where God belongs. Putting anything or anyone else \u2014 health, family, money, success at sports \u2014 at the top of my list would be a bad idea. (Catechism, 2112-2114, 2289)<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not that health, family, and Olympic medals are bad.<\/p>\n<p>Just that they&#8217;re not as important as God.<\/p>\n<p>Which ought to be obvious, but often isn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a reason for that, involving free will and a profoundly imprudent decision. But I&#8217;ve talked about original sin, Catholic style, before; which <strong>isn&#8217;t<\/strong> believing that humanity is rotten to the core. (Catechism, 396-412)<\/p>\n<p>Now, the usual list of allegedly-related stuff:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/the-unmasked-minnesotans-second-covid-19-shot\/\">The Unmasked Minnesotan\u2019s Second COVID-19 Shot<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(June 11, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/in-praise-of-lilacs-blue-sky-and-rain\/\">In Praise of Lilacs, Blue Sky and Rain<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(May 29, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/people-who-need-people-and-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\">People Who Need People \u2014 and the COVID-19 Pandemic<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(January 24, 2021)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/new-covid-19-vaccines-goodish-news-ethical-issues\/\">New COVID-19 Vaccines: Goodish News, Ethical Issues<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(December 16, 2020)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/faith-feelings-and-a-viral-video\/\">Faith, Feelings and a Viral Video<\/a>&#8221;<br \/>\n(January 22, 2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><sup><a name=\"1\"><\/a>1<\/sup> Olympics and an athlete:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Simone_Biles_gymnastics_season\">2016 Simone Biles gymnastics season<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Summer_Olympics\">2016 Summer Olympics<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_Summer_Olympics\">2020 Summer Olympics<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Me_Too_(hashtag)\">Me Too (hashtag)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Simone_Biles\">Simone Biles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Me_Too_(hashtag)\">Me Too (hashtag)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"2\"><\/a>2<\/sup> DSM, Dysthemia and all that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Autism_spectrum\">Autism spectrum<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders\">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dysthymia\">Dysthemia<\/a> persistent depressive disorder<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Methylphenidate\">Methylphenidate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mirtazapine\">Mirtazapine<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder\">Post-traumatic stress disorder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mirtazapine\">Mirtazapine<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Mayo Clinic\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/adhd\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20350889\">Attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/autism-spectrum-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20352928\">Autism spectrum disorder<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/autism-spectrum-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20352928\">Autism spectrum disorder<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"3\"><\/a>3<\/sup> ADHD with a difference:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder_predominantly_inattentive\">Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><sup><a name=\"4\"><\/a>4<\/sup> Nobel Prize 1949 (or) It Slices! It Dices! &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wikipedia\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ant%C3%B3nio_Egas_Moniz\">Ant\u00f3nio Egas Moniz<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lobotomy\">Lobotomy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Walter_Rudolf_Hess\">Walter Rudolf Hess<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/prizes\/medicine\/1949\/summary\/\">The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1949<\/a><br \/>\nThe Nobel Prize (nobelprize.org)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I haven&#8217;t been following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but could hardly help noticing major stories in my news feeds. Some of them weren&#8217;t what I&#8217;d call news. Not &#8220;news&#8221; in the sense of being unexpected. China won the table tennis &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/ritalin-the-2020-summer-olympics-and-me\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Methylphenidate, Ritalin, has been in the news lately. I talk about that, a delayed diagnosis and why I take methylphenidate and other prescribed meds.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[215,154],"tags":[8,27,29,85],"class_list":["post-5120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-catholic","category-discursive-detours","tag-health","tag-history","tag-medicine","tag-mental-health"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-1kA","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5120"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5124,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5120\/revisions\/5124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}