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ADHD—overcoming the specter of overdiagnosis, 2002
ADHD analysis
ADHD—overcoming the specter of overdiagnosis, 2002
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The medical world has seen many changes and advances over the last century, but possibly none that is as financially lucrative then the prescription medication industry. New drugs turn up everyday and claim to treat more and more conditions. On the corner of every block is a pharmacy and their shelves are stocked with prescription medications and it seems they are here to stay. The question is, to medicate or not to medicate?
Most regularly we turn to prescription drugs for everything from acne to severe back pain. The condition known as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is no different. ADHD is a behavioral disorder commonly diagnosed in school-aged children ages 5-17 years old about 8% to 10% of that population (Kidshealth.org), which is 4.5 million children have ever been diagnosed with ADHD (Bloom & Cohen, 2006 p.5). The brains of these children work differently. Not allowing for them to focus on tasks considered by most as boring or routine. A person living with ADHD is characterized as having chronic difficulties with one of the following areas; attention, impulsivity and [hyper] activity (Addresources.org). They require excitement to keep alert and they cannot spend the time to prioritize what they need to focus on. This can be very disruptive in a classroom and a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder often gets into trouble at school and/or home. If not recognized early this child now categorized, as a “trouble maker” becomes a frustrated, underachiever with low self-esteem. These teen have a higher rate of substance use and as adults can find themselves with a history of failed relationships and frequently under or unemployed (Addresources.org).
Diagnosis of this behavioral disorder is a...
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Kingsley, R. (Septmeber, 2008). KidsHealth. In What Is ADHD?. Retrieved January 21, 2010, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/adhd.
Mental Health in the United States: Prevalence of Diagnosis and Medication Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. (2003, September) MMWR weekly magazine
The MTA Cooperative Group(1999). A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56:1073-1086.
National Institute of Mental Health. (September 2009). Attnetion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In MedlinePlus. Retrieved January 21, 2010, from http://.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.html.
Surgeon General of the United States (1999).. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is the most common psychiatric condition effecting 9.5% of school-aged children in the United States (intuniv, 2013). If the disorder goes untreated, it will cause more long-term side effects and difficulties for the individual as an adult. Adults who have this condition face several adversities in every day life, such as impulsive behavior, low self-esteem and poor work performance. People are not aware of the complications that come with ADHD in adults. Not knowing the symptoms of the disease can cause people to not be sympathetic when they are interacting with someone with disorder.
Department of Health, A. H. S. (n.d.). A look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from
Although writing a prescription may be an easy way to put a bandaid on a problem, people tend to forget that medication can’t be responsible for curing our nation. Slowly we are becoming a country where pills are handed out like candy, causing a severe series of negative effects and downfalls. Ray Bradbury, the author of the award winning novel Fahrenheit 451, is definitely in agreement. In 1951, when the novel was written, Bradbury was able to make the prediction that the innocent use of medication would soon turn into an extreme drug epidemic, and unfortunately he wasn’t wrong. The overuse of drugs in the United States, such as mental illness medication
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). (2004). In The concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.credoreference.com.library.gcu.edu%3A2048%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fwileypsych%2Fadhd_attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder%2F0
At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. was $148 billion. According to a new report by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five children suffer from a mental health problem. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a mental illness that is diagnosed mainly in young children and doesn’t always disappear in adulthood.” All we know is that this genetic, inherited condition [ADHD] is not due to brain damage at all but rather a variation in how the brain functions.” Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes symptoms and characteristics that can be placed in one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics commonly leave a person with ADHD with lack of attention span, easily distracted, fidgety, struggling to stay seated, having trouble engaging in calm activities, impatient, and talking excessively or out of turn. A new study by researchers says that hyperactive children have behavioral differences due to under active parts of their brain, a biological malfunction, rather than due to way they were brought up. This was revealed by a magnetic scanning device that allowed researchers to look at the brains of children diagnosed with ADHD. These studies and statistics reinforce the claim that mental illnesses are not invented simply to justify drugging of children and a disease that needs be educated to the public for better understanding. Rather, ADHD is an illness that affects many people throughout their lives. This topic is often misunderstood by the public. The media and medical community need to educate the positive side of this controversy and not just show the opposing view, which often times misrepresented by the media.
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.
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. 2005. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Second Encyclopedia.com. The World of War II. 17 May. 2012 http://www.encyclopedia.com Zieman, Gayle and Dewan, Naakeesh A. “Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults”. Relay Clinical Education -.
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)
behavioral outcomes of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Volume 50, Issue April 2008, Pages 347-350. doi: 10.1080/00131880802499803.
Chandler, C. (2011). The Science of ADHD: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. New York:
“What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)?” National Institute of Mental Health. National Institutes of Health. Web. 6 March 2014.
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
Quinn, P. (2012). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Is ADHD?. WebMD. Retrieved on December 3, 2013, from
Elia, J., Ambrosini, P.J., Rapoport, J.L. (1999). Treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 56 pp. 530-533
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.