Zombie Effect Essay

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a real and serious condition that affects many people around the globe. One of the things that can be done to supposedly help a person dealing with ADHD is medication. But what happens when something goes wrong? There is no cure for ADHD, simply management. Doctors will talk about all the benefits of taking medication for ADHD, but some things may not be what they seem. Not many people speak of what is being called the “zombie effect” openly. There’s whispers between parents, but not much more. This has been going on for a few generations now. Is medicine advanced enough in the modern age to avoid the zombie effect? Or is there something still going on inside the minds of people heavily medicated for ADHD?
Many people believe that the zombie effect is simply a myth. Paranoid parents reading too much into their child’s actions or inactions. That might not be the case. I have witnessed firsthand what too much of the wrong medicine to treat ADHD can do to a person. My little brothers have a friend who I will call Carson for the sake of anonymity. This little boy was diagnosed with ADHD last year. Sure he was hyperactive sometimes and had some problems listening, but I’m not sure that medication should have been the first course of action. One day, I noticed that there was something different about Carson. He wasn’t acting like himself. Instead of playing with my little brothers and having fun like he always did, he just couldn’t get into the games that they were playing. Instead, he opted to simply sit on the floor. This was not like the fun loving child I had come to know and love, it almost seemed like Carson was a different child altogether. What made him act this way? Was it ADHD medi...

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...ow what they’re doing, but things like this take time. There is no one medication that works for everyone. When you do find the correct medication, the wait will be worth it.
I believe that the zombie effect is real, that it is not a myth and can certainly happen in real life. That being said, I do not believe that all ADHD medications do that or that a specific medication can cause it. Instead, I believe that the wrong ADHD medication or the wrong dose can cause this effect. I believe that ADHD medication can really make a difference in the lives of people dealing with ADHD, but that it should not be considered a quick fix or the first course of action. ADHD medications should be coupled with other forms of treatment such as behavioral therapy, or certain changes around the house. Combined with other treatments, ADHD medication can help enrich the patients’ lives.

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