The medicalization of ADHD should not always be considered a bad thing. Medicalization legitimizes the disorder itself, meaning people see the disorder as a real thing. This is beneficial for people who have problems with hyperactivity and impulsivity. The legitimization of the disorder helps people who are suffering and helps get them the treatment and medicine they need. However, the way this disorder, specifically, has become medicalized has led to problems within our society. Michelle Frank states that “chemical and structural differences in the brain” are what causes the disorder. Believing that chemical imbalances within the brain as the source of these problems is a form of social control instilled within the minds of people. Society
With treatment of ADHD people, more than not, choose the medication instead of the therapy for the easy fix. "The combination of medication and behavioral intervention, known as multimodal treatment, is the best treatment strategy for ADHD, however, stimulant medication is the most efficacious, single treatment for reducing symptoms of ADHD" (Lesesne, 2007). Evidence of medication being a much more used source of treatment shows how people want the easiest and quickest fix for unwanted behaviors and also shows how people might be motivated to become diagnosed which ADHD to get the medication that will help their standing abilities to focus and function. "Using national survey data, we recently found that medication rates among boys and girls
The CDC is giving out plenty of information on ADHD for the public to read, but not giving us any knowledge on how to fix the problem. The people the CDC are trying to reach are more in the medical professions, such as doctors, nurses, and so on. The CDC is talking as though we all understand medical language, and this is not the case. With the CDC more aiming their information towards the medical community, it is inappropriate for them to have the information in the public domain where citizens, (who did not go to medical school to understand this information) can see all the symptoms and issues that can relate to having ADHD. This behavior alone can create a lot of issues,
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
ADHD is a troublesome neurodevelopmental disorder that affects thousands of children in the United States. Nonetheless, there is no cure for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. However, great strives have been made in the medical field in the last ten years to better treat this disorder. There are a variety of treatments available, including prescription medications, herbal remedies and behavioral therapy. Information about ADHD is easily available. There are thousands of books, and hundreds of websites offering valuable information on the disorder. Mayo Clinic is a reputable source for current information on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The Mayo Clinic is an organization as well as a hospital. Furthermore on their website they have an extensive listing of ailments, diseases and disorders. The Mayo Clinic provides a quality website that offers in depth, accurate, and a reliable evaluation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Attention Deficit hyperactive disorder is a prevalent and ever rising affliction in modern societies. “According to the American Psychiatric Association (2009), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in school-aged children(Saemi 179)”.While the initial response to handling the syndrome is to medicate it and continually medicate to stem the Simpsons. This is not a temporary instance to cure the disease just a never ending cycle. It is my belief that not only is the medication over prescribed, but the alternative methods are to quickly overlooked. To clarify, I do not argue that the medication is uncalled for and should be removed. Only that everyone who has the condition should be
One of the remarkably renowned mental disorders in the world is ADHD, but despite being infamous, there are still stigmas and myths about it. People often listen to what the general public says than to form their own arguments or research on them. By all means, this will be a problem to all including those who have ADHD.
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
The expansion of hyperactive diagnosis is not the result of new scientific discoveries about the biomedical nature of the disorder. It is the result of studies done by numerous teachers, doctors, psychologists, and researchers. While a number of studies indicated that symptoms in children are usually society based, studies show that society affects the ADHD child positively and negatively. In a positive way society wants to help the child; this is a common treatment of any person with a disorder. In a negative way society treats the child as a defect or as bad material because society is scared of something it knows very little about. The lay promotions of ADHD and the predominance of self-diagnosis contradict some of the
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
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.
The misdiagnoses of ADHD is problematic because it causes people to take medication that they didn't need in the first place. It labels young children for something they never had and could cause self- esteem issues. And also makes it hard for the mis-diagnosed to find out what's really wrong with them. Americans need to be more aware of the vast misdiagnosing of ADHD because it's a growing problem and it needs to be
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.
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.
Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) crosses gender, cultural, and socioeconomic lines, but it does not render adolescents from participating or excelling in the academic process. ADHD disorder has been defined as a neurobiological development disorder of impaired executive functions that significantly affects self-control, behavior, cognition, and learning. (Anthony L. Rostain & J. Russell Ramsay, 2005) According to a study conducted by the American
Many physicians presently believe ADHD is an inherited neurological disorder best treated with drugs. Smith addresses why children were first diagnosed with the disorder, why biological reasons became predominant, how influential drugs became the chosen treatment, and why alternative clarifications have failed to attain any validity. It’s important to note that hyperactive children are also a product of their social, cultural, and educational environment and Smith demonstrates how knowledge about the history of ADHD can lead to better decisions about its diagnosis and