Ritalin for Adults. Yes or No?

As long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with concentration. In school, this manifested as an inability to focus in class, which led to disruptions, relationship issues, and frequent difficulties with teachers. Although I was never formally diagnosed, I would likely be described today as someone with ADHD/ADD.
My struggles intensified when I went to yeshiva. I found it difficult to keep up with my peers. I never really understood a single shiur or shmooze, and I struggled when learning with chavrusas—due to my poor concentration. Those years were challenging, and I suffered a lot during that time.

Fast forward 15 years, and I’m now a father of five, working a full-time job. I feel, however, that my concentration issues (let’s call it ADD) are significantly holding me back from reaching my potential. In meetings, I often don’t follow the conversation and struggle to “halt kop”. I find it hard to complete tasks, and I frequently forget things—like items on my wife’s shopping list. Simple everyday tasks, like making a dentist appointment, feel overwhelming.

I have ideas for businesses that I’d love to pursue, but I can’t even make the first phone call to get them started. From the outside, I might seem like a relatively normal and successful person, but inside, I’m struggling to get even the most basic tasks done. I feel like I should be accomplishing so much more, but something in my head—my concentration—keeps holding me back. I have so many ideas and ambitions, but I can’t turn them into reality.

I look around at successful people in all areas of life—business, community—and I can’t help but wonder how they manage to achieve so much? How do they do it? A friend of mine runs a successful business, and I often think, “How does he do it?” I struggle to remember what cereals my children want, let alone run a business. I can’t imagine myself, with my current state of mind, to be successful at anything, let alone run a business. Are these people perhaps on Ritalin? Does medication like Ritalin play a role in their success?

Considering the above, I’ve been wondering whether I should consider going on Ritalin or something similar (obviously after consulting with a doctor), as I believe it could be exactly what I need to regain the concentration necessary to accomplish my goals. I truly believe that I could be very successful—both academically and in my career—if not for my concentration limitations. I suspect that once I’m on medication, I could achieve the success I’ve always hoped for.

My question to all of you is as follows: Considering everything I’ve shared, am I foolish for not pursuing medication to help me? Or, since I’ve managed (more or less) without medication so far, should I avoid starting a medication that might be addictive or carry other risks? Does the potential benefit of Ritalin outweigh the risks? Lastly, how widespread is the use of ADD medication within the frum adult Jewish community?

That said, does anyone perhaps have a different approach or suggestion that could help address my concentration challenges?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you.