Over-diagnosis and Medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The legitimacy of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been a controversial topic since it’s recognition as a part of the DSM-III, although there is copious research proving how many children are affected by this disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD may affect around 3-5 percent of children. Psychiatrist Sami Timimi and psychologist Nick Radcliffe believe that ADHD does not exist and that the rapid increase of children taking stimulant medication to control it since 1996 is astonishing. Timimi and Radcliffe assert that it is a disorder made up by Western culture in order to explain away normal behavior in adolescents. They claim that normal adolescent behavior is viewed as unacceptable in today’s self-indulgent society. There have been millions of dollars and countless hours spent funding research about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, how it affects children, and what is the cause of ADHD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most widely diagnosed “mental-illness” in children in the United States today, and approximately 99% of children diagnosed are prescribed daily doses of methylphenidate in order to control undesirable behaviors. (Stolzer)

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral development disorder among children. In the United States there are at least 2 million grade school children that are diagnosed with the disorder (Dupper, 2003). ADHD is determined to be one of the most common development disorders in children (Barlow & Durand, 2009). This paper will discuss the different aspects of ADHD, its symptoms, common traits, and the known treatments being used by clinicians. Moreover, the paper will also touch on the important things to consider when dealing with ADHD, particularly in the area of social work. By doing so, it will determine why social work should be an integral part of the diagnosis and

The following paper deals with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Adults. The paper will mainly focus on the symptoms of ADHD along with diagnosis of it. It will show how at least some research demonstates that adult and child ADHD are two different things and should be treated as such. In the process it will higlhight the what at times can be conflicting nature of adult ADHD research.

“ADHD is the most extensively studied pediatric mental health disorder, yet controversy and public debate over the diagnosis and medication treatment of the disorder continue to exist.” (Connor D., P.1, 2011) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often a debated subject when the method of treatment is being discussed because it has become a trending issue to over medicate children with ADHD. A fitting label for the trend is the anesthetization of our youth, caused by government agency expansion and pharmaceutical allowances, and blame parents not advocating for their child better.

Hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity maybe considered traits of adolescent’s students, but are defined as symptoms for anxiety disorders such as Tourette’s syndrome (TICS) and Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These anxiety disorders show a disproportion rates in both sexes; males are diagnosed at higher rates of ADHD; while females are diagnosed at higher rates for TICS. Research conducted by the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology states this approach would result in over diagnosis of ADHD. Because boys represent the prototypical gender for ADHD, our second hypothesis was that clinical diagnosis ADHD more easily in boys than girls, even if the symptoms exhibited are the same. (Bruchmuller, Siliva, & Jurgen, 2011) Together, these findings establishes the benefits of medication stimulants, parents comprehension of ADHD, and the disadvantage of a therapist diagnosis.

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.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a well-known problem across the world. The most controversial topics when it comes to ADHD are the drugs used to treat the disorder. It is commonly known that ADHD represents something along the lines of “one is too hyper and cannot pay attention”, but that doesn’t mean they should be forced to take a medication that will potentially affect their well-being for the rest of their life. The mind of a human being is a beautiful and fragile thing, drugs should not be used for those who struggle with ADHD. The school system does not treat those with ADHD in learning environments correctly. Those who have been

In Bobby's second grade classroom, his teacher threw up her hands and said, "That is it!" On that very morning, Bobby leaped out of his seat seven times to go sharpen his pencil, each time accidentally colliding into other students desks and chairs, sending papers and books plunging to the floor. Bobby screamed out comments to every slightly comical part of the book that the teacher read. His teacher's last straw was when, after repeatedly kicking the desk in front of him, it toppled to the floor, spewing all it's contents to the ground. This is an example of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, most cases in which a doctor is brought in to rule if a child has ADHD are NOT like the

ADHD is a condition which affects multiple areas of functioning. Because of the widespread diagnosis this disease keeps doctors, pharmaceutical businesses, and teachers employed. According to Diller (2008), the use of drugs like Ritalin is at rates never seen before in this country or anywhere else. Diller also states that “we medicate our children with psychiatric drugs ten or twenty times more than countries of Western Europe (pg50).” Many children are said to be made unhappy, often alienating themselves from parents and others. They are also much more unmotivated which is directly related to the use of ADHD medication. Parents lean on medication as an excuse to control their children; when most children do not even

My opinion on ADHD is that it is an overdiagnosed disorder because some children don’t even have ADHD but the doctors still prescribe them the medicine even though they don't need it. I think that children are normally hyper so the doctors should test them a bunch of times before they give them the medicine because some people might act like the have ADHD so they can just get the medicine. Some people might even lose their life or have some serious problem just because the drug or medicine that they have been prescribed.

The most common diagnoses made by doctors among children is Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) (LeFever, G. B., Dawson, K. V., & Morrow, A. L.,1999). What is ADHD? ADHD: a short attention span accompanied by excessive activity (Cowerdly & Allen, 2012, p. 174). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) In the United States 11% of children ranging from ages 4 to 7 were diagnosed with ADHD in 2011: making this an average increase of 5% per year from 2003 to 2011 (2016). Why is it that other countries such as France are not having an increase diagnosis of ADHD? In France .5% of children are diagnosed with ADHD (Molland,2012). There is no reason why the United States should have more children diagnosed with ADHD than France. Are we trying to say that children in the United Sates differ from children in different countries? According to Judy Molland children in France are not different: the psychiatrist in France just happen to have a better method for dealing with children with behavioral problems (2013). The number of children diagnosed with ADHD Continues to increase, but why?

Life for many is an unfair playing field. Some players are just naturally stronger or more strategic than others. Some have to put in a bit of effort to level themselves out with everyone else. Then, there are some- potentially seen as benchwarmers- who find it excruciatingly difficult to keep up with the rest and no matter how hard they try, many will never do so. Who are these “players” and what are some aspects to consider when balancing out the “playing field”? Take notice to an issue slowly becoming more evident and disastrous each year: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder has been afflicting many undiagnosed students and even adults

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

The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to