Adhd Persuasive Speech

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 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

The medications doctors are now prescribing are harming our children greatly. The drug that affects our children the most is Ritalin. Doctors are providing these medications to children even before they are properly diagnosed with ADHD. Some critics suggest that some youth are simply immature and have a lack of discipline, which can lead to being mistakenly diagnosed. When ADHD is properly diagnosed doctors still gravitate toward medication, when alternative treatments are available to them.

Realize teens will take medicine of another friend not know what it is or the side effects. When ADHD follows a child to high school the risk of overdosing becomes greater. They are now found as a responsible person. Now most teens start or have been playing sports. Not only can these drugs be used to control ADHD they can also be used to improve academic and athletic performances and not even with a prescription. There is a drug called Ritalin and Adderall that is generally used to treat ADHD.

ADHD: it is something you have heard about from friends, doctors, and even news casters. Some insist it is simply all in children’s heads while others claim it is a true disorder harming the world’s children. This leaves everyone with one question; what should you believe and where should you go from here? To begin with, ADHD is a true disorder that does require treatment. It is a mental disorder in which children are often inattentive and impulsive. Ritalin, the current treatment for ADHD, is effective but is harming multitudes of children and must be regulated. On the other hand, behavioral therapy, which is a therapy that focuses on enhancing children’s behavior and lives, is a safe and alternative form of treatment that should be required to take the place of Ritalin through the passing of legislation.

One controversial area of pediatric (children's) medicine is in the treatment of condition called Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Symptoms of ADHD often include: hyperactivity, impulsive behavior and the inability to concentrate. In some instances, the symptoms extend beyond that into areas such as anti-social activities and even aggression.

In today's society, it is common for many students that have been diagnosed with having ADHD to take medication as a treatment option. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD is defined by kidshealth.org as being a medical condition that affects how well someone can sit still, focus, and pay attention. As of a study that was conducted in 2011, approximately 11% of children ages 4-17 (6.4 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD according to the Centers for Disease Control. Although treating ADHD with medication may appear to help the student, over medicating students with ADHD can affect the student mentally, academically, and socially.

According to an article titled, “Are ADHD Medications Overprescribed?” in The Wall Street Journal, February 2013, a debate is discussed over whether ADHA medications are overprescribed to children. It is depicted in this article that over the recent years, the number of children in the United States that are being given the prescription drug for ADHD has risen significantly. There are many critics and scientists that each have studies the specific effects this drug can cause and given their opinions on the topic. Since there are so many opinions, an increase in research and awareness for ADHA medications has begun. Specifically, in this journal article, Sanford Newmark and Harold S. Koplewiez each describe their individual point of views and

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.

Families who have children with ADHD often experience much higher anxiety and stress levels. A large number of children, almost half, will exhibit signs of ADHD by the age of four. However, most children are not diagnosed until he or she reaches elementary school. The behaviors that are associated with ADHD in children put them at risk for a host of other problems and complications such as completing their education, alcohol and other drug abuse, and an increased risk for delinquency. There has been much research on ADHD in recent years and many different types of medications and interventions have proven to be quite helpful. With the proper diagnosis and treatment, children with ADHD can learn to cope with the daily demands of the classroom, social situations, family interactions, and life in general.

Teachers are the ones who try to predict ADHD in most cases while they are far from experienced in making a diagnosis. But, the problem is most likely the schools themselves. Children who can’t seem to sit still are being forced to sit for hours in a classroom with a bunch of other kids as distractions. It doesn’t appear public schools will be willing to change their education set up anytime soon. Instead, as a solution, teachers are recommending kids get medicated for ADHD to make their jobs easier. When recess is being cut in schools because the schools think the kids need to be learning more, it is actually making the situation worse for some kids. While the teachers make these suggestions to parents, they may not realize there may be other factors contributing to the child’s behavior, such as a death in the family, poor parenting styles, or teachers simply don’t want to have to deal with children who don’t follow every single rule or are immature. There is also the issue of older kids who fake ADHD symptoms to get medication for themselves or others. The reason they do this is because schools pressure kids to do well on tests, and when kids are stressed out, they think medication will help them focus. According to the NIMH, stimulant medications improve focus and are the most used medication among teenagers. A 2008 study done by the NIMH, found that the time of year when medications being prescribed are

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.

An older study conducted by Dr. Brian Reichow, adjunct professor at Yale University School of Medicine, and his colleagues discovered similar findings, “Methylphenidate, [a psychostimulant medication, was] effective for treating ADHD symptoms in children.”

Common drugs used to treat ADHD are Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and Focalin. These drugs are given a DEA Schedule II categorization, which means that these drugs have “a high potential for abuse…with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous” (Drug Scheduling). Doctors are prescribing medications for children that the Drug Enforcement Agency has investigated and found to be as addictive and potentially as dangerous as cocaine, methamphetamine, Vicodin, Dilaudid, OxyContin, Fentanyl, and Demerol. These drugs should be taken seriously rather than being prescribed freely to children. Today’s treatment plans for Attention-Deficit Disorder, among other psychiatric conditions, call for long-term use of narcotic medications. This can easily provide a gateway for medication abuse and addition as this child becomes older. In addition to this major risk, there is a large abundance of other side effects that should be taken into consideration as well. According to Tony Miksanek, a member of the Academy of Family Physicians, there are extensive side effects that can arise, such as sleep disturbance and decreased appetite, in addition to the potential for abuse (Miksanek). The side effects that are indicated by the DEA are very harsh and can prove to cause more harm than help

Children today are affected by a number of developmental and behavioral disorders. One that has become very common over the years is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. This disorder is diagnosed to individuals who cannot focus well and have apparent restless behavior. Those who are diagnosed with this disorder seem to be young or adolescent, and the numbers are continuing to increase. Due to the increase in numbers, many alarmed parents are quick to jump to giving their kids medication. This method is quite controversial and has some advantages and disadvantages to it. Some believe that today’s physicians will over-diagnose children with ADHD, leading to normal kids receiving unneeded prescriptions of powerful stimulants. However, there is still a large need of medication for children who are truly suffering from this mental disorder. When one is properly diagnosed with ADHD, there are many advantages to treating with medication.