Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
adhd—overcoming the specter of overdiagnosis, 2002
ADHD analysis
adhd—overcoming the specter of overdiagnosis, 2002
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: adhd—overcoming the specter of overdiagnosis, 2002
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...
... middle of paper ...
...dex.html.
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
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.
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.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, generally known as ADHD can be described as having a nonstop conversation with yourself. Constant racing thoughts, changing from one thing to another, not needing coffee because you already have a buzzed. Instead of walking, you are running. Standing in line for one minute feels like five hours. Always on the go and never looking back because, it would cause you to slow down. Imagine that always happening and not being able to control any of it. Unfortunately, this effects two to eight percent of college students dealing with ADHD and it is the most common learning disability that receives accommodations at higher levels of education (Musso and Grouvier 186). The stigma about ADHD is that it can only affect the individual at school. It actually is incorporated into every aspect of their life, making everything just a little bit harder. Each student enrolled in college with ADHD is taking on a huge responsibility and society needs to recognize the battles endured by these students everyday. One alternative that tends to help for decreasing the symptoms is medication, but that has its flaws like any other treatment option. Typical life characteristics for these students are to have minimal friendships, engage in risky behavior, make impulsive choices, and battle with another psychological disorder. The most common diagnosis paired with ADHD is depression, but more research needs to be done to confirm the correlation. As a society, it is important to keep an open mind and acknowledge that this is a disorder. These individuals cannot control the glitch in their brain, but they can only learn to live with it.
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)
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
behavioral outcomes of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Volume 50, Issue April 2008, Pages 347-350. doi: 10.1080/00131880802499803.
It is important to understand what ADHD is. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that was originally thought to be a form of "minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) (D’Alonzo 88)," however, it is no longer recognized as a form of MBD. "Along with these changes in classification, investigators identified behaviors related to ADHD: hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, aggression, distractibility, and short attention span. These symptoms formed the three behavioral constructs inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity described by the American Psychiatric Association (D’Alonzo 88)." In both the professional and lay media ADHD is routinely referred to as a neurological disorder, while most experts agree that genetic-biochemical factors influence behavior somewhat, the general public tends to view this as biologically unco...
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]
6) The Hazards of Treating "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder" with Methylphenidate (Ritalin), The Journal of College Student Psychotherapy
Clinic, Mayo. Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Children. 1998-2013. Document. 29 November 2013.
The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to separate the myths of the disorder from the truths, while discovering the causes, diagnosis methods, and best treatment alternatives to battle this prevalent disorder.
According to Maria Basile, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder characterized by ongoing difficulty with attention span, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. She points out that many children have challenged themselves to keep the disorder under control. She also shows that the children can be over-active or impulsive. Their development is not equal to an average child. Numerous of researches have been constructed in order to determine the percentage of children that posse ADHD. Basile shows statistics that reveal the percentage of the children who have ADHD, “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 3% to 5% of children have ADHD. Some experts, though, say ADHD may occur in 8% to 10% of school age children” (Basi...
Department of Health, A. H. S. (n.d.). A look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders diagnosed among children in the United States (Lynch, 2013). Its growing prevalence in the United States is becoming a major controversy in the field of Psychology. The public seems to have an opinion as well. Should we be treating children with …