Over Medicating College Essay

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

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

Most people have heard of the term Attention Deficit Hyperactive (ADHD) disorder. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder that interferes with an individual's ability to attend to tasks (inattention), inhibits one's behavior (impulsivity), and may interfere with a person's ability to regulate one's activity level (hyper-activity) in developmentally appropriate ways (Barkley 19)". The most important job for teachers and parents is to separate fact from fiction, to clarify what we know and don't know.

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.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Everyone has heard of it. A few years ago every newspaper and weekly magazine had a feature about the disorder. The disorder was mostly associated with school-aged children because that was the time when most of the symptoms surfaced. Today ADHD is the most common behavior disorder diagnosed in children and teens. ADHD refers to a group of symptoms that begin in early childhood and can continue into adulthood, causing difficulties at home, at school, at work, and within the community if not recognized and treated (1). But what most people never hear was that ADHD also affects adults and if left untreated can have serious effects.

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.

Stimulant Therapy is used to treat both moderate and severe ADHD and can increase alertness, attention, and energy in addition to elevating blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. This medication therapy may help children and adolescents focus their thoughts and ignore distractions to increase success across settings including at school, work, and home. The most commonly used stimulant medications are
methylphenidate and the
amphetamines. Evidence demonstrates that these
stimulants are safe when
prescribed to healthy children monitored
under medical supervision.21 (see table 1)

Most regularly we turn to prescription drugs for everything from acne to severe back pain. The condition known as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is no different. ADHD is a behavioral disorder commonly diagnosed in school-aged children ages 5-17 years old about 8% to 10% of that population

Some students have major difficulties in life when faced with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or more commonly referred to as “ADHD” , although if recognized early by noticing symptoms this disorder can be properly treated and contained causing minimal troubles for the victim. ADHD will distinguish itself commonly at an early age. There are exceptions to this with ADHD in adults. Some people can go years without noticing their disorder. These people in particular fall to the devastating effects of this disorder. They do have the power in their

Many of the students are prescribed different types of drugs to manage the behavior in the classroom. ADHD can be treated with stimulants, certain antidepressants, and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists. Stimulants are used to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. The alpha- 2 adrenergic agonists are effective in “reducing irritability, aggression, and impulsivity and in promoting sedation, as well as comorbid tics” (Preston & John H. O'Neal, 2013, p. 257). Because many students with ADHD have been known for experiencing depression, antidepressants are suggested. “Antidepressants are helpful in reducing mood symptoms” (Preston & John H. O'Neal, 2013, p. 258). Some of the medications suggested for ADHD are Ritalin, Adderall, Wellbutrin, Catapres, Kapvay and many more. Within my research, many students with ADHD were recently prescribed with Xanax also to ease any anxiety that may come with their experiences. Many students with and without ADHD were observed taking the Xanax drug without any formal prescription for recreational uses. Because of Xanax abuse, many of the students were observed being drowsy, faint, tired, and with weak muscle joints. Due to the abuse of medications for students with ADHD, many schools have assisted in monitoring the intake of medication within the school setting. In many cases, the students are suggested to take the medications prescribed as well as participate in

Pharmacological treatments have been the most widely used and recommended treatment in the past 30 years but despite their beneficial effects on ADHD patients; there are limitations when it comes to their clinical effectiveness. Past studies on MPH have shown that the effects are more focused on the core symptoms of ADHD (hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity) and the effects are less pronounced on improving long-term academic achievements and peer relationships (Conners 2002; Hoza et al., 2005). Considering these limitations, there is still a need to examine the benefits of psychosocial treatments.

However, each family must weigh the pros and cons of taking medication. Medications may carry the risk of side effects. Physicians need to monitor their patients who take medication for potential side effects, such as mood swings, hypertension, depression and effects on growth. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of children with ADHD respond positively to psychostimulants medications (MTA 1999). Significant academic improvement is shown by students who take these medications: increases in attention and concentration, compliance and effort on the task, as well as amount and accuracy of schoolwork, plus decreased activity levels, impulsivity, negative behaviors and social interactions and physical and verbal hostility. These improvements show up clearly in the short term, however, long-term effectiveness is still being studied by researchers (Hinshaw, et al., 2015). A non-stimulant medication--- atomoxetine-- appears to have similar effects as the stimulants. Antidepressants, antihypertensive and other medications may decrease impulsivity, hyperactivity, and

Growing up, my cousin was diagnosed at a young age with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Medicating children was not very common back in the 1990’s, or at least not as common as it has become today. When she started school, she was not medicated, however, as time progressed and her teachers began to notice her struggle. Her parents and her pediatrician decided to medication should be tried. She started on a Ritalin regiment and it seemed to help. It helped her to sit still and be able to focus, her struggle nearly disappearing. After a few years, they noticed the effect of the Ritalin was not as strong and her struggle in school began to reappear. She had two options, they could up the dosage again or she could try something new, Adderall. Going through the majority of the rest of her schooling, she was taking Adderall and seemingly had no problems. As she hit puberty, the ADHD seemed to disappear nearly entirely and she was able to disregard the medication. Today, she has not seemed to have any lasting effects from the medication directly or indirectly, fortunately.

For example, the students may be daydreaming in class again and did not turn in their homework at all. Although, children with ADHD want to do well in their classes, but because they have no organizational skills or the memory capacity to do it the homework never gets turned in (ADDitude, ND). As a result of the children with ADHD not turning in their homework and not being able to stay focused in the classroom this will ultimately lead to failing grades in their class. There have also been studies that have proved that children who are taking medication for ADHD, such as Ritalin, have been shown that they perform even worse in their academic studies compared to a child that is not on medication for ADHD (Huff, 2015). Most schools have classes that are designated to students with learning disabilities it would be better for the child to be in a class where they can receive an education in a healthy way. In the long run the lessons they learn will become beneficial to them when they leave school and go to the adult world, and the children need to make passing grades in school to have a successful

While there are benefits to prescribing children with ADHD medication, no benefit is without a disadvantage. Many parents do believe that ADHD is over-diagnosed and over-prescribed, which aids in the decision of parents to not medicate their children. One of the pros of children not taking ADHD medication is that there is no chance of over-prescribing. Another pro would be that there is no chance that a child will endure the negative effects of medication, especially when there is always a time where doctors and parents are giving their children a variety of different medications in different combinations as a trial and error to see which combination works. However, not using medication can hinder and derail the road to academic success for many students. Even though there are risks to taking medication, the medication will help a student succeed in the classroom. Not having a child take medication can make things harder on them academic wise. Students who are not taking medication will have greater chances of fidgetiness, low grades, and low concentration which all have negative effects on academia.