The Prevalence And Overprescription Of Adhd Drugs

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.

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

In today's fast-paced society, it seems that prescription drugs are a more reasonable and reliable solution for children and adults than diet and exercise for the "disease" known as ADHD. Rather than take the time to play with their children, or institute a proper diet, it seems that increasing numbers of parents would rather treat their children's unexplained zest for life with pills and doctors. While there are some explanations and reasons for the diagnosis of this popular disease, most children are improperly diagnosed, and are therefore taking unneeded medication. This medication is costly and it can be argued those who benefit from the sale of these drugs most are the

“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.

Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.

Well-known investigative journalist and analyst commonly known as the “myth buster,” Michael Fumento discusses the controversy surrounding ADHD and its treatment in his article Trick Question: A Liberal Hoax Turns Out to Be True. His work primarily consists of the debunking of common misconceptions about topics such as abortion, vaccines, and ADHD, which is exactly what this article is composed of. Multiple misconceptions about ADHD are disproven in the article by the inclusion of facts that prove the authenticity of the disorder and the resultant need for medicinal treatment like Ritalin. In doing this, Fumento supports and presents the main claim of the article, which is that ADHD is a true disorder. Fumento’s purpose is to disprove false conservative ideologies surrounding ADHD and to convince readers that treatment is needed. He adopts a sarcastic and almost aggressive tone in order to convince

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

The trending topic of ADHD and the medication provided has been widely criticized and reviewed for its long and short term affects. Most commonly the concerns are raised from parents struggling to decide whether or not to place their children diagnosed with ADHD on the available prescribed medication. The persistent controversy stems around the long- term effects of stimulant ADHD medication and the development of substance abuse within kids and adults (Zheng, Lichtenstein, Halldner, D’Onofrio, Serlachius, Fazel, Larsson, 2014). Many claims surround the condition is not adequately recognized, while others claim once diagnosed medication is pushed too hard on the parents without knowing the possible hidden dangers or complete understanding

A large percentage of Americans suffer from attention deficit disorder also known as ADHD. The news article I chose to write about is a U.S News article by Rachel Pomerance Berl titled Meds or No Meds? How to treat a child with ADHD. This article discusses ADHD and how many Americans are affected by this disorder but also when to treat or not treat a patient who claims to have ADHD. This disorder affects the way people focus, causes over activity and poor impulse control. ADHD can often begin to affect the individual’s life if the disorder is not properly treated.

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

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

When children are little and not feeling well, all it took for them to give that partially energetic smile was for either mommy or daddy to kiss where they were hurting, or give them a hug to make them feel better. In today’s times where feeling bad can be as simple as a cold to a lifelong ailment like ADHD, the usage of medication can help whether it is prescribed or over-the-counter. From the simplicity of an aspirin-a-day to help prevent a heart attack to being prescribed morphine to aid in extreme pain cases. When it comes to any illness, medication can be an essential factor in the recovery regiment or as the means to control the illness. ADHD is no exception. One of the most recognized medications

Children with behavioral or emotional problems are being over medicated by psychiatrists who are too busy to provide therapy, because of parents who are too occupied to provide a healthy environment for their children. The most common category of medication given to children are stimulants, to be specific, methylphenidate which is found in drugs such as Ritalin. Stimulants are controlled subjects, this means it has potential for abuse and since these medications are prescribed for long periods of time, even into adulthood, it is not uncommon to quickly form a dependency. If you’re faced with the decision whether to put your child on ADHD medication, you want to know what possible long-term effects it could have on their developing body and brain, for example, sleep problems, decreased appetite, delayed growth, headaches, tics, etc. Pushing pharmaceuticals onto a child that does not need any is destructive to both the child and their development and making childhood prescriptions a social norm is detrimental to a pharmaceutical recovery in