Children with ADHD to medicate or not to medicate Not all children are created equal when it comes to the issue of how children should behave. Some children who have a difficult time in certain areas are considered highly hyperactive. Hyperactivity is defined as, “Extremely active or too active, affected with or exhibiting hyperactivity; broadly more active than is usual or desirable” (“Hyperactive,” n.d). Parents often battle with the decision of whether to get their child tested for the reasoning of the hyperactivity overload of not being able to sit still for a short period and the inability to focus on certain task. A licensed professional may diagnose that particular child with a common mental disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD has become an epidemic. Children are diagnosed with the disorder and medicated with a number of different medications. The thought of giving children prescribed psychotropic medication can be concerning according to different controversial articles. The reviews all seem to share the same topic that ADHD must remain relevant. The medication may not be for every child, but the question of the safety of the children is. What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also known as “ADHD”, is a mental disorder which seems to be a very common childhood brain disorder and the disorder continues through adolescence and adulthood. Children with ADHD have a hard time focusing so paying attention becomes unbearable. Making friends and getting along with adults is a difficult task, because ADHD comes with behavior issues. ADHD incorporates a couple of group behaviors, inattentiveness and a combination of hyperactivity and impulsiveness (Davis, 2009, para 1). Figure 1: Contai... ... middle of paper ... ...of seeking therapy and gaining knowledge about ADHD. Not all of the reviews I read were pro medication, however, doing, what works best for each child differs. My message of giving the readers a clear understanding of why the use of mediation can be effective. As well as making the choice not to medicate can also be an option. With proper treatment indicated for ADHD as well as parents, doing their part obtaining knowledge through research. Children suffering from ADHD can be controlled and grow up to live a productive and successful life. All of the reviews and other sources seemed to be in agreement that parents play a huge part in deciding treatment and whether or not to medicate so don’t get behind the wheel blind folded. Although there is no cure for ADHD a parent can do everything in their power with professional help to ensure their child lives a normal life.
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.
The internet is widely used with massive amounts of information at the tips of ones fingers. Kids Health is a website that has been around for almost twenty years. Having four sites in one, with sections for parents, kids, teens, and educators ensures them an audience of all ages and backgrounds. Kids Health, dedicated to providing the audience with wide prospective, factual advice, and comfort on a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues affecting children and teens (Health, 2012). Kids Health’s knowledge about ADHD is what will be under review seeing as how it is a growing concern in our young people. With such an extensive audience and an emotional topic, this website needs to be current, accurate, objective, extensively covered, and use proper authority with the information given.
ADHD is an exceedingly real diagnosis for many children in the United States. Are we over diagnosing our little ones just to keep from dealing with unpleasant behavior? “ On average 1 of every 10 to 15 children in the United States has been diagnosed with the disorder, and 1 in every 20 to 25 uses a stimulant medication” (Mayes, Bagwell, & Erkulwater, 2008). Several believe that virtually all ADHD diagnoses are retractable with appropriate discipline of children instead of being so hasty in medicating them. The material found on the CDC website describes facts about ADHD, it clarifies the signs, symptoms, types, causes, diagnosis tools, and treatment forms of ADHD. What the article neglects to go into is the reality that there is a considerable amount of controversy surrounding ADHD. The CDCs usage of ethos, pathos, and logos and by what method the website manipulates them to affect the reader will be the basis of this paper.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
Many children exhibit such behaviors as energetic, running, jumping, playing, and excitement in their daily learning activities. But at what point is a child’s exuberant behavior considered to be hyperactive? All children are supposed to be full of life, wonder, and questions. Today, though, it seems that these qualities are not appreciated; they are seen as compulsions that need to be controlled. While it is true that hyperactivity, compulsivity, and inattention are symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder, these can also be symptoms of other issues.
Every day, doctors are diagnosing kids with ADHD. A diagnosis can come as early as four years old. Doctors evaluate the patient. They also read reports from teachers and or coaches, along with talking with the child’s parents. Typical symptoms of ADHD include: “being in constant motion, squirming and fidgeting, making careless mistakes, not wanting to listen, being easily distracted, losing things, and making careless mistakes” (WebMD, 2014). If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, they may be put on a typical ADHD drug. Medicines that are used to t...
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.
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
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.
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 Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco’s chief medical officer, seventeen percent of total drug cost spending last year was for behavior medicines; compared with sixteen percent for both asthma and antibiotics, eleven percent for skin disorders and six percent for allergy medicines. There was also a 369% increase in spending on ADHD drugs for kids under the age of five. A lot of children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and many of their parents have opted to give them behavioral drugs. Some parents give the drugs because they are not aware of the long term effects or the psychological dependency, and lastly because they are not aware of the alternatives. As parents we have to be more cognizant of what these disorders are and how they affect the child. Drugs are not always the only solution.
Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, are more challenging to parent than the average child. An ADHD child may act without thinking as if they have no filter or fidget constantly with an endless fuel supply. At first, these behaviors may be minor annoyances, but now the caretaker’s patience is running out. Furthermore, the child suffers from a short attention span that makes even the most ordinary of tasks hard to accomplish. All parents love their children and want them to succeed. They may think: There must be something other than pills that can help my child with ADHD.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very commonly known. Today, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children. The NIMH (The national institute of mental health) predicts that it affecting 3 to 5 percent of all children(AACAP), with an approximate amount of 30% to 65% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (AACAP).There are three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combination Type(ehow.com). The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three main categories; hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. These behaviors can interfere with ADHD sufferers’ ability to focus deliberately on organizing and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy. A case of this kind of behavior is recognized in a report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behavior (clinicaltrials.gov) These kinds of behaviors can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem, depending on severity of their symptoms (adhd.com). In this paper, the multiple factors of how ADHD affects, and is handled, of those who undergo this disorder, are shown.
MEC 7501 Professional Article Review. Article Critique: Perceptions of Children with ADHD. Maddy La Voe Wilmington University Abstract This paper examines and analyzes the article “Exasperating or Exceptional”?