Over-Diagnosing ADHD

ADHD is a disorder that many psychiatrists, parents, and teachers are now labeling normal childhood behaviors as mental disorders. So you have to be careful with your children from now on as well.

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

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.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), a mental illness in which every American thinks they seem to have at times. Many people seem to think they have ‘ADHD brain’ or say they are ‘so ADHD’. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder which is characterized by the DSM-V as impairing one's attention, shifting tasks constantly, and displaying hyperactive behavior (European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of Adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD). Although some people seem to think ADHD is just something kids experience nowadays, recent research is showing perhaps ADHD is a product of natural selection, and at one time needed to survive

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

The trending topic of ADHD and the medication provided has been widely criticized and reviewed for its long and short term affects. Most commonly the concerns are raised from parents struggling to decide whether or not to place their children diagnosed with ADHD on the available prescribed medication. The persistent controversy stems around the long- term effects of stimulant ADHD medication and the development of substance abuse within kids and adults (Zheng, Lichtenstein, Halldner, D’Onofrio, Serlachius, Fazel, Larsson, 2014). Many claims surround the condition is not adequately recognized, while others claim once diagnosed medication is pushed too hard on the parents without knowing the possible hidden dangers or complete understanding

ADHD is indeed a part of the Western Culture. People are familiar with the term, treatment and some behaviors that ‘shows’ its existence; and since it has become part of the culture itself it is considered as something relatively normal -or at least common. Both sides of the debate agree on the fact that the behaviors called ADHD do exist, but is it a biological disease? A conduct disorder? Or are we as humans trying to narrow our behaviors in the way where anyone who is not as ‘efficient’ as us are considered to be ‘sick’?

This overdiagnosis is mainly in elementary aged children. Parents will bring in their kids that are only acting out and being hyper because of lack of discipline. According to Dr. Daniel F. Conner, who is a psychiatry professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, says that while there is scientific information out there about ADHD, many of us really don’t understand it (Reynolds 2). This is why there is such an over diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of ADHD, especially in children. Many parents think that it is mostly a behavioral thing and as soon as their kids start acting out, they rush them to the doctor. The doctor then just prescribes ADHD medicine to make it quick and the parents leave happy. This is not always the case with ADHD. It is much more than just a behavior thing, there are many things that ADHD actually is and that lies in the

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.

This research paper will include strict academic research. It will begin by introducing the existence of an over diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and describing the many plausible reasons behind this diagnostic inflation. Although the reasons mentioned in the paper cannot be scientifically tested to provide a direct answer, factual evidence shows a valid correlation. Moving forward, the paper generally addresses the presence of mental disease within the American youth. However, one will see how mental disorders such as ADHD are classified in such broad terms. The format of the education system is examined as it creates a lack of sleep within the American youth. Education within America and inconsistent

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 DSM 5 criterion for ADHD is “ a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.” It was at first thought to be a type of mental retardation, until it became clear that those effected by symptoms where not stupid but in fact highly intelligent. However they stubbornly refused to conform to societal rules not due to lack of comprehension but due to what seemed to be a lack of self-control and general disregard for rules. George F. Still did a great amount of work in coming to understand the connection between these behaviors and neurological impulse in the early 19th century. Massive amounts of research was done in an effort for the medical community to explain the bizarre and socially inappropriate behaviors of different individuals.“ the history of compiling these symptoms into a formal diagnose represents an increasing drive to medicalize unconvential childhood behaviors” (Rafalovich) Understanding of ADHD has developed a great deal in the pass 100 years from being thought of as “imbecility”, to “minimal brain damage” to the present diagnosable psychological condition it is today. In fact it was not called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder until 1980, in DSM-III (a diagnostic reference book for physicians). This is shocking considering the number of people that are diagnosed every year with a disorder that is

It is widely agreed that ADHD is over diagnosed. According to the study, only 22 percent of 92 children referred to an ADHD clinic actually met the criteria. Furthermore, numerous arguments would urge the general public and the medical community that what has been proven is a large varying degree of severity of the condition. In turn, the symptoms may be expressed in every person, only with varying intensity. Although no conclusive evidence is currently available to prove the existence of the genetic disorder, no concrete evidence dispels its existence either. Still, the fact that the disorder has passed through a crowd of names, including organic drivenness, hyperkinetic syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and now ADHD provides evidence on

Every person on this planet is unique. We share similar traits and characteristics but as a whole no two individuals are identical. However, it is very common to call someone different. Either by the way to behave or interact, they are different. Children nowadays essentially go through a screening process as they enter schooling. Usually, it starts by a teacher thinking that they noticed a trait that leads them to believe the child has a certain disorder. The child may be perfectly fine but the parent is now frightened that their child may be “different” so they go see a doctor. Here is where the problem lies. Doctors are supposed to be the esteemed answer to any medical question so when the doctor