Prescription Medication Essay

Ritalin is another example of a prescription ADHD stimulant that is misused frequently with a high mortality rate from overdose. Ritalin, which is more prevalent with high school age students, is primarily misused for weight loss and a feeling being high. The majority of children misusing prescription drugs such a Ritalin are under the impression that it is safer then illegal street drugs (CCHR, 2013). Ritalin is the most common stimulant drug prescribed to children with ADHD, but is also prescribed for other disorders, such as cancer, brain injury and pain management (Morton & Stockton, 2000). According to Morton & Stockton (2000) the effects of Ritalin are similar to the feeling of using cocaine, which may be one of the reasons that the ADHD drug is misused. According to research done by Musser et al. (1998) most school aged children using Ritalin did not think that Ritalin or any other prescription medication for ADHD could be abused. This ignorance may be part of the overwhelming reason that drugs such as Ritalin are becoming more widely

Medication for ADHD can cause a great deal of overdose for children that have ADHD. Their bodies will get addicted to the medication when they cannot do without them. If a patient stop taking it, their bodies will shut –down and start reacting in a strange way. These hidden symptoms can cause behavioral analysis that can evaluate the effect in medication that has form in the children body. It all starts from genetics, which cause ADHD, so it can be diagnose from the medication that can help the situation. This could be a good thing or a bad situation. The real risk factor of taking medication could start at birth or afterbirth.

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.

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 medications doctors are now prescribing are harming our children greatly. The drug that affects our children the most is Ritalin. Doctors are providing these medications to children even before they are properly diagnosed with ADHD. Some critics suggest that some youth are simply immature and have a lack of discipline, which can lead to being mistakenly diagnosed. When ADHD is properly diagnosed doctors still gravitate toward medication, when alternative treatments are available to them.

When looking at medicating a teen fro ADHD it is important to make sure they will not abuse the medication and either give it to someone who does not need it or overuse it. A webMD article states, “ The survey also found that one in seven non-students of similar age also report abusing stimulant medications” (WebMD). This becomes a problem when so many people are doing it. They are overusing the drug instead of its sole purpose. When

When taken as prescribed, Ritalin is a valuable medicine. Research shows that people with ADHD do not become addicted to stimulant medications when taken at prescribed treatment dosages. However, because of Ritalin’s stimulant properties, in recent years high levels of abuse of Ritalin by people who are not prescribed, has been reported.

Another common opposition to ADHD is the medications used to treat it. People wonder why hyperactive children are being treated with stimulants. The side effects of stimulant medications seem to not be so positive and don't seem to be acceptable for a child with ADHD. Side effects such as motor tics, insomnia, and loss of appetite are all commonly seen among stimulant medications. Stimulant

According to an article about the side effects of ADHD medication on Psych Central, the younger the child, the worse the side effects will be. Any child aged seven to nineteen are four to five times more likely to die of unexplained cardiac arrest due to the amounts of adderall and dexedrine in the ADHD medication. Among the many drugs used to treat the disorder, Ritalin is one of the most common. Although this medication is developing a negative reputation after the number of deaths found linked to this Stimulant. One story of a boy named Matthew, his last name is not released to the public, died at the age of 14 due to cardiac arrest caused by his ADHD medication, Methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Side effects from any behavior stimulant can cause side effects such as; panic attacks, insomnia, new or worsening depression/anxiety, violent mood swings, mania, etc. All of which are much worse when given to a younger child compared to an adult. The side effects of this medication whether it be needed or not can be very dangerous which is why many children should not be taking it unless it is drastically

There are many Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications in the pharmaceutical world. All ADHD medications have their differences and similarities. Two of the most popular and widely-used medications to treat ADHD are Adderall and Concerta. These two medications are very similar in producing the same effect on a person with ADHD; however, these medications are made very differently. These medications today are in high demand because the number of ADHD diagnoses is increasing in people today. As of 2011 11% of children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. Kids who are diagnosed with ADHD will most likely take Adderall, Concerta or any other ADHD medication for the rest of their life.,

Over five million children in the United States alone are prescribed Adderall to treat ADHD (Sturdy 44). That is about three to five percent of all American school children prescribed to the drug. Is Adderall or similar drug treatments necessary to treat ADHD? No, Dr. Edward Hallowell writes that having ADHD is not necessarily a bad thing. “Often these people are highly imaginative and intuitive. They have a "feel" for things, a way of seeing right into 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

The medications associated with ADHD are broken down into a few categories. Stimulants, Non-Stimulants and Antidepressants.

The authors of this study used quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate the college student’s perceptions and use of illegal Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) stimulants. There are important differences between a qualitative research design and a quantitative design. Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting seeking to understand a certain complex human behavior and then presenting a narrative description of that behavior. With a quantitative research design the gathering and analysis of data is expressed in statistical form. Both have their places in research and the characteristics of each are unique to the effort. This study was conducted with participants from fall 2005 through fall 2006, and the authors used 1,811 undergraduates from a large, public, southeastern research university in the United States. Many different ranges of upper class and

There are several effects that stimulants have on the brain, when they used to treat ADHD. The two drugs that are used for ADHD are methylphenidate and amphetamines, which are both simulants. Some examples are about the effects of the brain, health issues, and contraindications.