Psychotropic Medications

Michael Jordan, one of the all-time greatest basketball legends, explains how to overcome obstacles in life: “If you are trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Michael Phelps, Walt Disney (Sonny) - all of these very successful men have one significant thing in common. They are all diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperniss Disorder (ADHD). This can be considered proof that people with ADHD are capable of great things. In Jordan's quote, he talks about roadblocks and how people should overcome them. In this instance ADHD is the roadblock and medication is the way around it. Those who have ADHD should be medicated because the stigma of the disorder and medication continues to lessen with time and information, the positives of taking medication outweigh the negatives, the selection of medications is becoming more varied, and it allows the patient to advance in school and their careers. Many people are against medication due to ignorance, when all they need is a better understanding of the effects of it. The number of patients diagnosed with ADHD taking medication is rising due to the accessibility of the information. Many people are seeing how the good outweigh the bad which

Attention Deficit hyperactive disorder is a prevalent and ever rising affliction in modern societies. “According to the American Psychiatric Association (2009), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in school-aged children(Saemi 179)”.While the initial response to handling the syndrome is to medicate it and continually medicate to stem the Simpsons. This is not a temporary instance to cure the disease just a never ending cycle. It is my belief that not only is the medication over prescribed, but the alternative methods are to quickly overlooked. To clarify, I do not argue that the medication is uncalled for and should be removed. Only that everyone who has the condition should be

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

“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.

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.

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

When dealing with adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD may become a challenge for many parents. Knowing the facts about this disorder and how to treat the problem is the key to a healthy lifestyle for adolescents as well as families. Many therapies and medications are available to families with children with ADHD but many questions that parents have with their children with ADHD is which therapy is best and what would work best with their children and their quality of life. The question of which therapy, alternative versus medication therapy would improve adolescent’s quality of life and behavior modification.

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.

I'm not only an educator working directly with these children but a mother living with a child with this challenge and a learning disability. My viewpoint comes from my direct experience on a raw and personal level. In the end we made the decision not to medicate our daughter for the ADHD, although we were highly encouraged to do so. If the same information was given to me five years earlier, I would have gone right out and gotten the prescription from our doctor. But, my experiences and research told me it wasn't the right path for us at that time. I wanted to try and help our daughter with a natural approach, using medication as a last resort. Of course, I'm in no way saying that medication is bad. I've actually seen it work incredibly well with many children over the years. On the other hand, I've seen the terrible side effects children have to endure when the medication is wrong or the dosage is not right. Treating attention issues is a personal decision every family has to make based on the individual needs of the child and family. There is no one size fits all cause or treatment for attention disorders. Every person is different and comes with individualized needs. In my next blog post I will outline the things I have tried as both an educator and mother to help children

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.

It is estimated that between 3 and 12 percent of the population has to deal with conditions known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This equals approximately 3 million children in the United States alone. Both of these disorders (ADD and ADHD) exhibit the same traits leading them to be lumped together. Children affected by ADD or ADHD have behavior and emotional problems. Trouble concentrating on simple tasks, a short attention span, failing to give attention to details, and disruptive behavior are a few of the problems resulting from

My final thoughts about medication treatment for teens that have ADHD, I believe you have to look at two points of view. One as a parent having the best solutions for your child, and two on what your child thinks about any treatment before going any further. A child feels when they are different or special of rejection from their classmates, because of their responses or actions on what they say or do, are completely different than others. Not everyone understands ADHD, and sometimes they fear of one’s action because they don't know how to accept it. It is not a perfect world out there, and sometimes a child does or will experience criticism as they go through elementary and middle school. A child grows, socialize, play, and learn they mature

Being a child suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not an easy thing to overcome or to live with. Children who suffer from ADHD often also have dyslexia, which is just another obstacle to overcome. I understand where children with ADHD could also develop behavior defiance issues stemming from always being told what to do and how to do it. Just because a child has ADHD does not mean that you should take any creativity or a learning opportunities away from them. For the children that are old enough to understand the difference, Ritalin is a vital tool in

Antipsychotics are classified as major tranquilizers that are used to treat mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. They can also treat severe depression and severe anxiety. These antipsychotics drugs reduce or increase the effect of neurotransmitters in the brain to regulate levels that help transfer information throughout the brain. The neurotransmitters that are affected are the serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.

Finally, my main argument against overmedication is that children and adults with ADHD has been taking over the counter medication prescribed by a doctor and have become abusive against their loved ones, also have lost mental disabilities, and have done suicide or overdose. This is an important issue to me because many people die innocently for not paying attention on what the side effects are, how much they take and what the medication is.  Its an interest because my grandpa is diabetic and he takes medicine for high and lower his cholesterol, blood thinner, insulin, and so many more. Many medications he takes is not what he even is needed, it destroys and makes his body.  Americans are taking medication that is not needed, each medication