Essay on Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medication

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.

This overabundance of coverage has led to a kind of public hysteria, parents and doctors now see ADHD around every corner. It has almost become a social norm for a child in school to have ADHD. One could argue that ADHD isn't necessarily a disorder but an unfortunate byproduct of a fast paced reward driven Society. Luckily there is hope. Recent studies have been done and new tests have been designed to help curb the tide of malingering in terms of ADHD. “The IVA CPT adequately distinguished adults with ADHD from non-ADHD” (Colleen A Quinn 2003) Many people will fake the symptoms of ADHD in order to get access to the prescriptions given to those who suffer from the disorder I say few that these medications will help give them in the edge in their work or home life. Students will sometimes take these drugs and hopes that will help them focus on the paper that there trying to write or give them that needed edge to focus on the test they are taking the next day. Either is are pursuing these drugs for recreational use they are hoping for a high off of the schedule

While the cause of ADHD is not exactly clear, there are some different ideas of what could cause or help develop it. Genetics, one’s environment, and the development of the person could all be causes of ADHD(“Mayo Clinic”). ADHD can run in a family, so some people could develop it from their parents and the genes that get passed down from them. If one is exposed to lead, it could heighten the chances of

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.

There are many medications that affect children’s health in today’s society. Doctors prescribe lots of medication which can be avoided, when children are properly diagnosed with certain health problems. Attention - deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has impacted many people with the danger of certain medications which is overprescribed to all ages each year. The hidden dangers of the medications these doctors are prescribing, is that our children are being misdiagnosed with ADHD at a very early age, and this is causing many different side effects. Long term use of these medications can cause severe side effects. The most commonly prescribed drugs, are Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta, which cause children to have nervousness, appetite suppression, insomnia and increased blood pressure and heart problems. Also pharmaceutical companies are well aware of the danger to children and adults that these drugs may cause.

According to an article about the side effects of ADHD medication on Psych Central, the younger the child, the worse the side effects will be. Any child aged seven to nineteen are four to five times more likely to die of unexplained cardiac arrest due to the amounts of adderall and dexedrine in the ADHD medication. Among the many drugs used to treat the disorder, Ritalin is one of the most common. Although this medication is developing a negative reputation after the number of deaths found linked to this Stimulant. One story of a boy named Matthew, his last name is not released to the public, died at the age of 14 due to cardiac arrest caused by his ADHD medication, Methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Side effects from any behavior stimulant can cause side effects such as; panic attacks, insomnia, new or worsening depression/anxiety, violent mood swings, mania, etc. All of which are much worse when given to a younger child compared to an adult. The side effects of this medication whether it be needed or not can be very dangerous which is why many children should not be taking it unless it is drastically

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.

Medications is the main reason it is believed that patients develop substance abuse, to coincide and further help with their symptoms. Developing a tolerance for their prescriptions and in need of something more. Most of these patients never received medication for their ADHD because it was never found until their later years. Due to this they have other psychiatric comorbidities and turn to alcohol and drugs. I will use this article in unit three, I feel it’s interesting that these people never been diagnosed with

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.

It is estimated that between 3 and 12 percent of the population has to deal with conditions known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This equals approximately 3 million children in the United States alone. Both of these disorders (ADD and ADHD) exhibit the same traits leading them to be lumped together. Children affected by ADD or ADHD have behavior and emotional problems. Trouble concentrating on simple tasks, a short attention span, failing to give attention to details, and disruptive behavior are a few of the problems resulting from

What is attention deficit hyper disorder? ADHD is a “chronic condition that affects pre-school or very young school children (Zivkovic 3822). ADHD symptoms are difficulty sustaining attention, impulsive behavior and hyper activity (3822). There was a research conducted by Cordest hat ADHD prevails in 3 to 5% of preschoolers and is more common in boys than in girls (3822). Children as young as three and four years of age are being diagnosed with ADHD and are being given medications. Parents with children between the ages of two and six should not medicate their children that are diagnosed with ADHD.

Children and adults alike often get overmedicated for ADHD. ADHD is a genetic brain disorder. ADHD stands for Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder and on average 11% of children are diagnosed with it from ages 4-17. The side effects of ADHD medication shock parents, the common side effects include sleep deprivation, decreased appetite, headaches, and mood swings. The medication can also cause side effects such as an increased chance of depression and sudden death.

The brain is an electrical system that communicates with other subsystems within our brains to get the smallest to the most complex things done and our brains do this constantly. This system operates on low voltage electrical impulses that carry messages from one tiny neuron to another in fractions of a second, these neurons are not physically connected; there are gaps at each point of connection and to get messages from one neuron to another, an electrical message needs to jump the gap (Brown, 2013). So, essentially children with ADHD cannot release these chemicals or they don’t jump the gap fast enough to get transmitted properly. While these factors may make the child's symptoms increase in duration or they may get worse, they are not the root cause. There are multiple possible causes that scientists are constantly researching but it still remains that researchers do not know the cause of ADHD.

Upon shadowing a fourth grade teacher at Deer Ridge Elementary School, I decided to talk with her about the students in her classroom. Mrs. Riley first set the scene of the school for me by stating that it was in the southwest suburban area of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and this particular school was not hurting for money. She then began to explain the different children in her classroom. There were twenty-eight students from a variety of different backgrounds. There were also two students with ADHD. My first thought was, "What exactly is ADHD?" and, "Would these two children stick out from the rest of the students in the classroom?".

Excessive levels of hyperactivity and inattention can be extremely impairing for both the afflicted child and their caretakers. Children with ADHD can experience problems with cogni-tion, poor academic achievement, troubled peer relationships, and heightened household conflict (Barkley, 1997; Loe 2007; Bagwell, 2001; Harpen, 2005). These children often present with in-creased aggression that can result in a comorbid diagnosis of conduct disorder or other disruptive behavioral disorders (Jensen, 1997). The heterogeneous symptoms of this disorder can make se-lecting a treatment course particularly challenging. While prescribing stimulant medication has become the golden standard for dealing with an attentional system gone awry, there is growing concern over the use of pharmacological interventions for children since the side effects of such use during this period of development may not yet be fully understood. Additionally these drugs do not directly curtail aggressive and defiant behavior that many of these children display but they may improve a child’s ability to benefit from other psychosocial interventions.