Adhd Is The Most Commonly Diagnosed Mental Disorder

The legitimacy of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been a controversial topic since it’s recognition as a part of the DSM-III, although there is copious research proving how many children are affected by this disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD may affect around 3-5 percent of children. Psychiatrist Sami Timimi and psychologist Nick Radcliffe believe that ADHD does not exist and that the rapid increase of children taking stimulant medication to control it since 1996 is astonishing. Timimi and Radcliffe assert that it is a disorder made up by Western culture in order to explain away normal behavior in adolescents. They claim that normal adolescent behavior is viewed as unacceptable in today’s self-indulgent society. There have been millions of dollars and countless hours spent funding research about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, how it affects children, and what is the cause of ADHD.

Well-known investigative journalist and analyst commonly known as the “myth buster,” Michael Fumento discusses the controversy surrounding ADHD and its treatment in his article Trick Question: A Liberal Hoax Turns Out to Be True. His work primarily consists of the debunking of common misconceptions about topics such as abortion, vaccines, and ADHD, which is exactly what this article is composed of. Multiple misconceptions about ADHD are disproven in the article by the inclusion of facts that prove the authenticity of the disorder and the resultant need for medicinal treatment like Ritalin. In doing this, Fumento supports and presents the main claim of the article, which is that ADHD is a true disorder. Fumento’s purpose is to disprove false conservative ideologies surrounding ADHD and to convince readers that treatment is needed. He adopts a sarcastic and almost aggressive tone in order to convince

ADHD is one of the most common mental health problems in America. As many as 11% may have the condition, and there 's a lot of misinformation floating around. Many aspects of ADHD are relatively unknown to the public. With that in mind, here are 20 things you might not have known about this condition.

Stephen Tonti’s “ADHD As A Difference In Cognition, Not A Disorder” focuses on how ADHD affects the mind, specifically Tonti’s. He begins by introducing himself as everything he has ever done from playing sports to playing in the band to acting. His personal stories clearly portray what it is for him and others around the world to live with ADHD. He goes to say that because of the unique way his brain works he was allowed to find his passion and that those who do not have this disorder could quite possibly be unlucky. Tonti talks about how his parents were supportive of the crazy whims he had such as buying an air compressor because it was something he was interested at the time. He explains that having ADHD allows him to have the ability to hyper focus which is a blessing and a curse, he can finish something he finds interesting in no time but if the subject matter is not captivating it can take a long time. He considers himself lucky to have had teachers who were willing to work with him on getting assignments done and understanding when a medication hindering instead of helping him. Tonti wraps up his speech by claiming that a healthier

Despite the fact that ADHD is constantly in the news for one reason or another, there is no consensus on what it

Whether or not ADHD is a true illness is subjected to debate. Despite the continuous efforts of experts in updating ADHD criteria within the DSM, the diagnosis for it continues to be controversial due to over reliance on vague evidences obtained from perceived irregularities in a patient’s mood and behaviour (Szasz, 2008). I believe ADHD, particularly in children, should not be considered legitimate illness.

When children begin to develop “symptoms” of ADHD, parents begin to become frustrated and lose patients, so they think they need to go to the doctors and have their own child put on medication. It is very common that children are misdiagnosed with ADHD. Eighty-two percent of teachers and sixty-eight percent of undergraduates agreed that ADHD is over diagnosed. “According to many critics, such over diagnosis raises the specter of medicalizing largely normal behavior and relying to heavily on pills rather than skills, such as teaching children better ways of coping with stress” (Lilenfeld).

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurobiological disorder found most commonly in children around the age of seven. ADHD symptoms are poor attention skills and hyperactivity. The first known ADHD symptoms were found in the "mid 1800s in children with nervous system injuries and diseases. In 1848, a German physician wrote a children's story, 'Fidgety Phil', describing hyperactive behavior." George Frederic Still, (Armas 2001) a British Pediatrician who believed that the children were brain-damaged and described the children as, "aggressive, defiant, lawless, overactive, attention impaired, dishonest and accident-prone this first discovery. He also described them as having a 'defect in moral control'." Since the beginning of ADHD people have been trying to find a cure for the hyperactive symptoms, but maybe the cure was right in front of everyone's eyes all society needs to do is open them. Another statistic included with ADHD is the fact that between 1997-1998 data from the CDCs National Health Interview Survey showed that "one-half of children diagnosed with ADHD have also been identified as having a learning disability." This shows that the children already have disabilities and maybe there is something

In the article by Brendan L. Smith gives insight about a generation of adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in their childhood and how finding treatment later on in life has been beneficial to their stressful life. People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention,controlling impulsive behaviors , or be overactive.Throughout the article the main point is that adults who were unable to receive medication throughout the years because ADHD was something that many people either didn 't know about or was misinformed about it. The author suggests that It was something that many psychologist thought could only last during childhood and that once the individual progresses in age it would go away.

In recent years, America has begun to experience a sudden incline in the number of ADHD diagnoses, specifically in children. This curious epidemic has been looked into by countless people in various fields of study. One take on the issue is family therapist, Marilyn Wedge’s, book, A Disease Called Childhood. Throughout the book, Wedge makes a provoking argument that suggests ADHD is not a disease on its own, but rather a cumulation of symptoms from other underlying problems. Yet Wedge does not only aim to discredit ADHD as a disease; she also goes on to urge her readers to follow her advice to protect their children. Specifically in chapter 10, “Protecting Children in the Age of Adderall” Wedge’s purpose is to persuade parents to follow her

Do you know there is a medically diagnosed disorder that affects over two American children?” Experts on the subject say there are many more undiscovered cases out there and the cause is still unknown. It sounds like we have a really big problem. The thing is, the disorder that affects all these children, isn’t a disorder at all.

As opposed to those in support of ADHD, there are those who are not convinced with the evidence produced from scientists alone. Instead, Psychologists, Sami Timimi and Nick Radcliffe have conducted their own research and have composed their own ideas pertaining to ADHD. One major concern is that ADHD does not have clear borders, meaning it is too broad of a term and acts as a scapegoat diagnosis. This allows parents and doctors to, “...avoid the messy business of understanding human relationships and institutions and their difficulties, and our common responsibility for nurturing and raising well-behaved children” (Radcliffe and Timimi). With ADHD as the most abundant medically researched mental disorder, one would expect lucrative results. However, with

Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is one of the hardest challenges I have ever faced. Having been diagnosed at the age of seven, it is the most prevalent thing in my life. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder in the United States (Hughes). It is a persistent disorder, often prevalent through adolescence and adulthood. Most individuals diagnosed are between the ages of seven and nine, although there have been numerous cases where individuals have been diagnosed in their later years. Case studies show that males are four times more likely to be diagnosed/affected with ADHD, and lately, studies have shown an unexplained increase in the number of diagnoses made in children. It has been recognized that in the past, people have scoffed at the diagnosis of ADHD, and even disregarding and bashing the disorder, calling it things like, “a real medical hoax”(Citation). These individuals, however, are severely misguided, seeing as though ADHD is a real disorder, and it affects millions of people worldwide in present day. There have been neurological studies studying and showing that ADHD is, in fact, neurologically related, and it is most likely caused by chemical imbalances in individual’s brains (Citation). One greatly debated question in the world of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is, “Can an individual that was diagnosed with ADHD eventually outgrow it?” One side of this argument states that an individual that has been

As the prevalence of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States continues to rise, whether or not is being properly diagnosed and subsequently treated is of great concern to many. Since, according to Adesman, 2001 “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)…is the most common and thoroughly researched neuropsychiatric disorder affecting children and adolescents” (p. 66) people are inquisitive to the core reason responsible for its popularity. Could it be due to a greater knowledge and understanding of the disorder or could it be due to a lack of parenting skills? Have doctors become lazy and seek to use ADHD as a catch-all diagnosis so as not to appear incompetent or could it be something more nefarious such as financial gain? Are we as a society simply excusing bad behavior or is there a genetic/biological/socio-cultural link that better explains why ADHD is being diagnosed more and more frequently? One last question is to what degree is this disorder based on differing cultural conditions?

The Affordable care act, signed in March 2010, allowed more patients to get the opportunity to have their ADHD “identified and treated.” (Ocano, 2015, p. 1”) While roughly 11% of American children are diagnosed with ADHD, only 6.1% are treated regularly. Many parents with children diagnosed with ADHD have troubles to have a good relationship with them. Children seem more uncooperative or blatantly ignore and disrespect their parents. While over 70% of patients being treated use medication, some psychologists think there are better solutions. This review of articles will explain why psychologist argue over the right approach given the 3 following claims: