Adderall, Ritalin, AD/HD, and Abuse Essays

The most common way to treat ADHD is with stimulants or anti-depressants. "These medications stimulate the child's "brake pedal" whereas without treatment the child is all "gas pedal" (Taylor 63)." The most common drugs prescribed for this disorder are Dexedrine, Ritalin and Cylert. They are effective for a four to five hour time period while the sustained-released tablets are effective for seven to eight hour time periods. The drugs stimulate the central nervous system similar to amphetamines. It activates the brain stem arousal system and the cortex (Bailey 2).

Most Americans have heard of Ritalin and Adderall, either being used to calm hyperactive children or used illegally across every college campus for the purpose of studying. These are two completely different circumstances, which may be confusing to some. The reason that these two different groups of people get two vastly different results from the same drug is that these belong to the drug class of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. CNS stimulants increase alertness mentally and physically, but do the opposite for those with hyperactivity disorders. This is because these drugs release dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is related with motivation (Healthline Editorial Team).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

Finals week remains a stressful time for college students. A student may have three to five tests in a matter of four days. However, these tests, unlike most, can be worth up to twenty percent of a semester grade. That is a great amount of pressure on a student. With about six hours of sleep a night, eighteen hours of study never seems like enough. Then again, there may be a solution that allows the student to focus on the study so eighteen hours is enough. Better yet, maybe sleep is unnecessary. This is a reality for the 6.4 percent of college students that use unprescribed Adderall. College students all over the country take Adderall everyday to improve performance in school.

Throughout most of her childhood, Jessica Miele* was viewed by her family and peers as a strange girl. Her hyperactivity, trouble in school, and drive for music left her parents confused with what to do with him after several frustrating years. At age 14, Miele was sent from her home in New York to Vermont Academy, a boarding school in the mountains. It was there that she found his gifted ability to exprses herself creativley through art and music, and formed close friendships with her roommates. It was also in Vermont where she found the “study” drug, Ritalin.

Adderall has emerged as the leading prescription medication to treat ADHD. Approved by the FDA in 1996, Adderall prescriptions have grown in leaps and bounds, overtaking the once popular medication Ritalin as the leader in treating ADHD. The number of prescriptions given for the drug has skyrocketed in recent years, going from 200,000 in 2001, to 4.3 million in 2002, to 6.4 million in 2003. The profit margins for Shire have reflected such growth. According to manufacturers, Adderall brought in sales of $475.5 million in 2003, a 49% increase from its 2002 earning and a number that looks to continue to rise. The success of Adderall motivated Shire to extend their patent on its production until the year 2018. It also produced the birth of a new, more improved form of Adderall. Adderall XR has the same desired effects of its early counterpart, but is unique in that it contains two types of drug beads designed to give double-pulsed delivery of amphetamines, intensifying the effect and sustaining it over longer periods. While more and more doctors and parents are turning to Adderall and Adderall XR as an effective treatment for ADHD, the drug has found a comfortable niche among the college subculture.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that causes children to have problems with paying attention, trouble with following instructions, have impulsive behaviors and become easily distracted. Medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are used to treat the symptoms of this disorder by helping the patient to focus and pay attention while also curbing their impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. Side effects of these medications are, but not limited to, anxiety, addiction and in some cases psychosis. Proponents of giving ADHD medication to children argue that ADHD is a real disorder in children and the medication does improve the symptoms of the disorder by a large margin as well as being cost effective.

Adderall is used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADHD). It is used to help children

Attention Deficit Disorder better known as ADD and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ADHD are diseases mostly discovered in children that have difficulty staying on task and focused in a classroom setting. Children take certain medications to help them concentrate and stay on task. Parents believe that medicating students will allow them to better fit in school. Schools believe that if students take these certain medications, it will help them perform better on assignments and on tests. Teachers think that students will be able to adapt to the learning curriculum better.

Attention Deficit Disorder otherwise known as ADD is a condition that refers to an individual’s inability to control their own behavior or impulse(McEwan 70). This can begin in early childhood and interfere with children’s ability to do well in school and social situations. These patients also have troubles blocking out noise or other stimuli in order to focus on a task or what is being said. ADD is a chronic problem that can be seen as early as infancy and can extend to adulthood. There are two types of Attention Deficit Disorder. The most common form is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The characteristic of this type is hyperactivity, which is seen before the child enters

Many drugs have been developed to treat ADD and ADHD. One of these drugs is Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Use of Ritalin is up 700 percent since 1990 (ABC News). Other drugs also used in treatment of ADD and ADHD include Zoloft, Praxil, and Cylert. Ritalin is a drug that is used to restore neurotransmitters in those that lack or have malfunctioning nerve impulses in the

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects school aged children with a high degree of inattention, excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of any of these. In order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, there must be two different environments in which the child has displayed his or her symptoms and it must occur before the child is twelve years of age (Halter, 2014). Children have a high comorbidity level with developmental, learning and psychiatric problems. There are three types of ADHD; inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and combination type. With inattentive type the child displays disorganization, is unable to complete tasks, becomes easily bored, and

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a common mental disorder whose definition continues to change. Most clinicians make a diagnosis off of a list of symptoms in three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There are three different subtypes of ADHD: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type if both the inattentive criteria and the hyperactive/impulsive criteria have been present for the past six months; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type if the inattention criteria are met but the hyperactive/impulsive criteria has not been present for the past six months; and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition affecting children and adults that is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity, and overactivity” (CHADD). “It is a neurobiological disorder that affect 3-7 percent of school age children and may be seen as before the age of 7. The current diagnostic label is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, however, in the past several other names have been used, such as brain-damaged, minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic impulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder (CHADD). ADHD is a controversial disorder. Some understand it to be a true disability, while others believe “good teaching and discipline at home resolve the problems” (Kauffman 2005).