ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Essay

Ritalin is another example of a prescription ADHD stimulant that is misused frequently with a high mortality rate from overdose. Ritalin, which is more prevalent with high school age students, is primarily misused for weight loss and a feeling being high. The majority of children misusing prescription drugs such a Ritalin are under the impression that it is safer then illegal street drugs (CCHR, 2013). Ritalin is the most common stimulant drug prescribed to children with ADHD, but is also prescribed for other disorders, such as cancer, brain injury and pain management (Morton & Stockton, 2000). According to Morton & Stockton (2000) the effects of Ritalin are similar to the feeling of using cocaine, which may be one of the reasons that the ADHD drug is misused. According to research done by Musser et al. (1998) most school aged children using Ritalin did not think that Ritalin or any other prescription medication for ADHD could be abused. This ignorance may be part of the overwhelming reason that drugs such as Ritalin are becoming more widely

In this day and age, drugs are being prescribed without hesitation. In fact, many of these drugs are being prescribed for children with various disorders. One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated five to ten percent of children are diagnosed with this syndrome (Taylor 11). One of the methods to treat this disorder is to use stimulants, specifically Ritalin. This method is controversial because it has many side effects and its long-term effects are unknown. It can also lead to addiction. Approximately two to three percent of elementary school children are taking some kind of stimulant to treat ADHD (Taylor 64). Since so many children are taking this medication, new problems have arisen.

When taken as prescribed, Ritalin is a valuable medicine. Research shows that people with ADHD do not become addicted to stimulant medications when taken at prescribed treatment dosages. However, because of Ritalin’s stimulant properties, in recent years high levels of abuse of Ritalin by people who are not prescribed, has been reported.

Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.

As I researched this topic of ADHD, I was surprised to find a lot of opposition to calling this a “disorder.” I came across various psychiatrists and psychologists that were passionate about not calling a “behavior”, a disease (Szasz, 2011). Many critics say that we are labeling children and thus enabling a self-fulfilling prophecy. As this research is new to me, I am anxious to get in there and really try to understand it. I came across another researcher, Dr. Barkely, on youtube. He was adamant that we cannot afford to have “successful” people saying that they are gifted because of their ADHD. He believed that there was no way that this was true. People may be gifted for other reasons, but not because they have ADHD. “There is nothing in this disorder that is helpful to a person (Barkely, 2010).” Barkely felt that if we continue to have celebrities saying such things that people will not take it serious and research will not be funded as it should. Finally, Professor Robert Spillanes, a psychologist, reports that ADHD is all just a myth and that we are calling a disorder something that should be considered “childhood.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first licensed methylphenidate hydrochloride in 1955 for treating what was formerly known as hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder or ADD. The drug was commonly prescribed in the 1990s when the diagnosis of ADHD became better known and accepted. In 2000, Janssen Pharmaceuticals received approval from the FDA to market Concerta, an extended-release form of Ritalin. Approximately two-thirds of 6.4 million children presently diagnosed have been prescribed drugs like Ritalin or Adderall (another common CNS stimulant).

Ritalin and other drugs used to treat children with ADHD and ADD have been given a lot of negative and some positive press over the years, but what is alarming is the statistics which I discovered from Suellen May, the editor of Understanding Drugs: Ritalin and Related Drugs: “In 1996, an estimated 1.5 million American schoolchildren (approximately 3-5% of all U.S. schoolchildren) were taking Ritalin daily” (9). The number clearly doubled over the years, which indicates that the use of Ritalin is increasing tremendously in America. With this in mind, while some feel that Ritalin is helpful overtime, the numbers show that Ritalin is actually not the best treatment for those who suffer from ADHD or ADD.

To look at the other side of the debate on ADHD one must also consider the argument that while scientists at the moment do not completely understand the nature of ADHD, they are obligated to learn more. If the use of Ritalin has shown obviously beneficial effects is it not logical to use it? The debate surrounding the use of psychostimulants drugs, and more specifically Ritalin, has mainly to do with the lack of understanding concerning ADHD than it does with the drugs themselves. Scientists believe that one first one has to recognize ADHD as a disorder before one can proceed to evaluate its treatments. Ultimately the battle over Ritalin and ADHD demonstrates the lack of understanding we as humans have of the brain and how it functions.

Dr. Stefan P. Kruszewski, a Harvard doctor and Forensic psychiatrist once worked as a paid speaker for several drug makers. In his early career, he spoke at events for Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson advocating the use of antipsychotics. He said one pharmaceutical company offered him $1,000 or more every time he talked to an individual

The next big drug close to Ritalin is Adderall. In the New York Times article “Workers seeking productivity in a pill are abusing ADHD Drugs” by Alan Schwartz talk more about people out there working in the work force instead of college students and exams. This drug does not affect one certain group of people, it affects everyone. Most people do take Adderall to improve their work performance. (Schwartz) These drugs can have effects on you like anxiety, addiction, and hallucinations when taken in high doses. This making it harder for people to work. (Schwartz) These people are given drugs by their doctors, friends, and dealers. But most people say these drugs that they take are not from them to get high but for them to get hired. Some industries have banned the use of these stimulants. (Schwartz) It's

Ritalin is a prescription drug used primarily in the treatment of behavioural problems in children such as Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (National Drug Intelligence Centre 2006). It is estimated that 11 percent of Australians between the ages of 6 to 17 are affected by ADD or ADHD and the amount of Ritalin being prescribed has doubled in the last 10 years ( Schriever 2012).

Today there is a great argument regarding the diagnosis and treatment of ADD/ADHD and who has the right to decide what happens. ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is the most common neurobehavioral disorder in young children. This is also one of the most common public health problems that we have today. There is an extreme rise of the prescription medicine Ritalin that doctors are prescribing to help with this specific type of disorder. Many adults believe that this medication is a "quick fix" that is not harmful to their children. When Ritalin is prescribed, it is to be introduced to the body in slow, steady doses, which simulates the brain's natural dopamine production. Parents of children that are diagnosed or have symptoms of ADHD may be unaware of recent

Ritalin is currently prescribed to approximately six million people in the US. Of those six million, 75% of these are children, with boys receiving Ritalin about four times more often than girls. Ritalin is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system. It interacts with chemicals in the brain and nerves that give way to hyperactivity and impulse control. Not only is Ritalin used to treat ADD and ADHD, it is also used to treat a sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy, which is an uncontrollable desire to sleep, but there is another drug that given just as Ritalin, and it is called Adderall. Adderall is almost the exact same as Ritalin except it actually enters the cell and helps it produce more dopamine.

The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to

Those children that are diagnosed with ADHD are usually prescribed psycho-stimulant medications, such as ‘methylphenidate’, otherwise known as ‘Ritalin’, as the primary method of treatment. (Chandler, 2010).