Overprescribing Of Stimulants For ADHD Case Study

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)

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.

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.

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.

Random controlled studies have been conducted regarding one of the main concerns which is substance abuse, increase of blood pressure and heart problems. There is a new debate for people who take the drugs extended periods of symptoms of chest paid, heart attacks, and strokes (Harvard Health Publications, 2017). The stimulants used to treat ADHD is considered to have potential for recreational abuse for teens, and grows into substance abuse as an adult (Harvard Health Publications, 2017). In August of 2003 through December of 2005 there were 64 hospital records that involved ADHD medications caused by intentional ingestion, or of an overdose (Harvard Health Publications, 2017). The diagnoses and medication has a higher rate in the United States than in the UK due to prescription guidelines being more relaxed and being prescribed to children under the age of six ( Steer, 2014). With the wide criteria used to diagnose children, the number of prescriptions for ADHD medications are increasing to large numbers to treat ADHD (Steer, 2014). Due to the increasing misdiagnoses and surrounding issues of medications provided to children, before considering medications it is also important to research other alternative treatments that can be beneficial as

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.

This academic journal is written by Shaheen E. Lakhan. (source and author) The point of this segment was to test how people react to prescriptive stimulants. Those who have ADHD and those who do not. (summary) This source is helpful to my research because it compares the effects on students that take adderall, prescribed to them or not. (relevance)

In the United States, 9.5 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD (Morris 1). ADHD is defined as a constant issue with hyperactivity, lack of focus, inability to control behavior, or a combination of these (Berger 1). In order to quell the difficulties caused by ADHD, parents will usually resort to sending their child to a physician to prescribe a specific medication. These medications serve a great purpose, but also include numerous unwanted side effects. As of 2010, 48 percent of 325 surveyed patients reported side effects caused by ADHD medications, the most frequent being loss of appetite, sleep problems and mood swings. About 21 percent of these side effects

Geoffrey Hosta in his editorial, Why Are We Tranquilizing Our Brightest Children? (February 12, 2018), for Newsweek, argues that children diagnosed with ADHD may be gifted and will “suffer more of the harmful effects of stimulants,” (Hosta). He supports his claim by first illustrating his own experience with his stepdaughter and her ADHD diagnoses . Then, he follows by expanding on the possible repercussions with prescribing children with ADHD medication, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

The use of stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall in children with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to rise, albeit at a slower pace than in previous decades, a new study finds. The study authors tracked data on prescription in the US 1996 to 2008. They found that the use of drugs for ADHD was higher among children of 6-12 years and increased slightly from 4.2 percent in 1996 to 5.1 percent twelve years later. However, increase more pronounced occurred in older children, ages 13 and 18. In this group, the ADHD drugs increased more than double, from 2.3 percent in 1996 to 4.9 percent in 2008. The researchers said this reflects a greater understanding

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, has become a well-known disorder that our ears hear lightly and many don’t think twice about. Although, ADHD is presented in over 11,000,000 people that are living in the United States (Frank, 2017). ADHD is prevalent in both women and men of all various ages. Once one has this disorder, it stays with them forever. However, many therapists as well as psychologist believe that this disorder is over diagnosed and leads into false and inaccurate prescriptions. Due to ADHD being primarily diagnosed at the age of 7 (Holland, 2014), the main symptoms leading into the identity of ADHD are hyper activity, being easily distracted, acting out, daydreaming, physical aggression, and a lack

According to a report done by Consumer Union, “Many American children are likely to be taking stimulants for only mild disorders or even in the absence of ADHD” (Zwillich, 2005). WebMD has suggested on their informational website for people to get a second opinion when it comes to diagnosing ADHD, as this is a difficult diagnosis to make and cannot be done in a one time, short period doctor’s office visit. Some medical professionals have even agreed that the diagnosis of ADHD is more than a one-person diagnosis, therefore, the medications prescribed should not be given out on the initial

Addiction, classification and possible side effects are all hidden dangers when receiving medication to treat ADHD. Not knowing the true risks of consuming a stimulant drug could have harmful side effects on the human body People who seek medication for the treatment of their ADHD symptoms should be aware of the risks. Families should research the possible long term effects this medication could have on their child. An educated consumer will be able to notice the harmful side effects and stop taking the

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine