i don't know how it is now, but...it used to be that Ritalin was preferred for depression, and for people dealing with sedation from other meds (pain killers, tranquilizers for schizophrenia, etc.).

they're both in Schedule II, but I think (personally..) Adderall is more potentially addictive than Ritalin or Focalin. I found Ritalin to be gentler than Adderall, and it didn't cause a crash when the capsule wore off.

Hope this helps. Good luck!