Adhd Misdiagnosis

The CDC webpage has many details and facts about ADHD, and the focus is pointed towards children with ADHD, but does not tell us or discuss any ways to treat the disorder. The stated facts are credible and accurate as a government service, if those parents that read that information would think there are limited resources available to help treat their children with ADHD, and that is with a combination of behavior therapy, medication, or with the two together(CDC,2016). According to the physician Sir George Frederick ADHD was called a “defect of moral control.” Even to this day doctors still believe this defect to be true; before any child is diagnosed with ADHD or given medication testing needs to be done. The treatment for ADHD should be individualized (overview of

Michael Jordan, one of the all-time greatest basketball legends, explains how to overcome obstacles in life: “If you are trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Michael Phelps, Walt Disney (Sonny) - all of these very successful men have one significant thing in common. They are all diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperniss Disorder (ADHD). This can be considered proof that people with ADHD are capable of great things. In Jordan's quote, he talks about roadblocks and how people should overcome them. In this instance ADHD is the roadblock and medication is the way around it. Those who have ADHD should be medicated because the stigma of the disorder and medication continues to lessen with time and information, the positives of taking medication outweigh the negatives, the selection of medications is becoming more varied, and it allows the patient to advance in school and their careers. Many people are against medication due to ignorance, when all they need is a better understanding of the effects of it. The number of patients diagnosed with ADHD taking medication is rising due to the accessibility of the information. Many people are seeing how the good outweigh the bad which

In recent years, the number of cases diagnosed with ADHD skyrocketed from 4 million per year to 10.4 million in children (King, 2013).

The increase of ADHD diagnosis has raised many questions and concerns among the public and doctors. However, the percentage of ADHD diagnosis has changed over the last several years. The rise of ADHD diagnosis is, in fact, occurring in the United States. According to (Brown University, 2013) the amount of children that received an ADHD diagnosis increased by 22 percent in a four – year period based on data from the CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stated that the percentage of children with a diagnosis of ADHD continue to increase in the United States. The growth of ADHD diagnosis is detrimental to society because it affects how ADHD is diagnosed, treatment, and the estimated number of patients that received an ADHD diagnosis.

The trend of over medicating children with ADHD is labeled well with the phrase anesthetization of our youth. “Anesthetize- deprive if feeling or awareness.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014) Many children often express to their parents that they feel as if they are a walking zombie. A child may find that they are having memory issues, are not quite themselves, and feel overly drowsy. “ADHD medications often change a child’s personality creating what many kids with ADHD (and their parents) refer to as a zombie state or making them more aggressive.” (Barnett H., P. 1, 2013) Children with ADHD have other options for treatment but unfortunately medications are pushed on them at an alarming rate. The government paved the road for the pharmaceutical industry for ADHD medications in the 1990’s.

The increase of ADHD is a trend because it has been occurring for several years. ADHD is one of the most well – known neurodevelopmental disorders Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), (2016). The possible consequences of the increase of ADHD is that the ADHD diagnosis will continue to rise, patients will not receive proper care, and ADHD diagnosis and medication will be overused. According to Gordon, J (2013) a study from the state of California showed the diagnosis of ADHD increased by twenty-four percent between the years 2001 and 2011. The awareness of ADHD may have contributed to increasing of ADHD diagnosis in the United States. Many doctors and physicians have noticed the rise in ADHD diagnosis occurring over the past several years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered in their data that parent-reported cases of ADHD led to the increase by 22 percent between the years 2003 and 2007 Gordon, J

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.

Research has indicated that 3-5% of the general population is afflicted with ADHD, with at least one diagnosis in every classroom in America.

A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health came to the conclusion that medication alone showed the most promising long-term effects for treatment of this disorder since it quickly took care of symptoms that behavioral therapy could not fix in the same amount of time if at all (“A.D.H.D. Experts Re-evaluate Study’s Zeal for Drugs.”). Even though there are those who abuse ADHD medication, taking away the medication would prove disastrous to those with the disorder because of how well the prescriptions do treat symptoms associated with ADHD. The disorder is real and many children do have ADHD and the need to treat it as a real disorder is further proven by what happens in the adult lives of some of these children with ADHD. According to Dr. William Barbaresi, the complications for children diagnosed with ADHD does not stop in childhood as previously thought but a new long-term study found that not only did 29% of those diagnosed with ADHD as children still had the disorder but that 57% of those with ADHD as children had other psychiatric disorders (Jaslow). So it is not only a disorder for children but adults as well along with being a good indicator that the person could have other psychiatric disorders later in life making it very important to diagnose and treat as a real disorder to discourage further complications. Many opinions from doctors and parents have been heard on this

According to the research conducted by Erinn L. Rigney, among the key factors for there being more people who do not actually have the disorder but still have access to ADHD medication is the vague procedures for diagnosing ADHD. It is noted in the excerpt from the DSM-IV-TR, the criteria used for ADHD diagnosis, that, “In a child six to twelve years old who presents inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, academic underachievement, or behavior problems, primary care clinicians should initiate an evaluation for ADHD. (Rigney, 2012, p.1038)”

I think that adhd is being overdiagnosed. Some of the cases that are not adhd can be hard to see because the diagnosis can be hard and some can almost be the same the same. In some cases there has been heart attacks,stroke, and even sudden death. It is being overdiagnosed big time . We need to stop it now so more people don’t die.

Challenges due to poverty could be addressed by providing financial assistance, food, and clothing. Time spent with parents is essential when dealing with children who have behavioral issues because parents or guardians may not have the funds or time to spend with their children due to other obligations needed to support the family. Parents and guardians play a major role in helping children grow and develop to their fullest potential. As children grow, they depend on their parents or guardians for basic needs and support such as food, shelter, education, protection, and care. During their life difficulties and times of crisis, they depend on family for guidance. Mental disorders in childhood and adolescence can

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.

There are many negatives involved in ADHD, but what’s often overlooked, are the positives. One of these positives is the fact that this disorder is very manageable and treatable. We have an extended amount of knowledge from numerous studies that have been done since the disorder was discovered. From these studies we now know that this disorder can affect people in many ways and be a burden on someone if not treated properly.

From the very beginning of the research, the authors were very detailed with background information about the ADHD prescription phenomenon reporting that the rise in the number of