Over Medicating Children Essay

By that, ADHD is not a modern disorder and our knowledge has only expanded. Although this may be true, there are still numerous myths about it.

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.

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

The controversial issue of over-diagnosing ADHD and the subjective matter of psychiatry is a topic that is shrouded in misconception and lack of understanding within the American public. An apparent epidemic of ADHD overdiagnosis has increased the number of young children taking psychostimulants and this dramatic increase has been a cause for concern in the United States. ADHD is one of the most prominent mental illnesses in the United States and the effect to which it is diagnosed -especially in young children- has become a significant problem and raised the question about the credibility of psychiatry.

Although it is appropriate to start medication early for some children with severe ADHD, APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition (DSM-5) doesn’t recommend to use medication for preschoolers. Moreover, APA did not include preschoolers in the ADHD treatment guidelines and algorithm. Behavioral therapy has been shown to be efficiently working on preschool children. For the long-term effect of pharmacological treatment on preschool children hasn’t been well studied, it is important to balance the potential risks and its benefits. However, in school children the combination of medication and behavioral interventions has been noted to be useful in scientific research and evidence-based practice

Are we really receiving the correct medication needed within our medicated society today? This article goes over some very important facts about Attention- Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It includes a lot of data and statistics about the disorder, including the shocking statistics that “approximately 11% of children 4-17 years of age (6.4 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011”, and “the percentage of children with an ADHD diagnosis continues to increase, from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). As of 2011, only 6.1% of children diagnosed with ADHD were taking medication for their diagnosed disorder, another statistic stated in the article (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). The article also uses many graphs and charts to show geographic occurrence of current and past diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, along with those receiving or having received medication for their diagnosis. Lastly, the article also includes details and facts of injuries associated with a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, peer relationships with children diagnosed and their parents, as well as economic costs in regards to ambulatory rides, emergency room visits, and medication costs.

What if there were a way to easily control young children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) whose behavior can impede their health? There is, ADHD medication, such as ritalin or adderall, can help children focus, control hyperactivity and reduce injuries. Medication is a necessity in controlling children who have been diagnosed with ADHD.

There are a few other important and major questions that I would like to figure out and answer. First question, what are the different kinds of symptoms? There are people out there that might not be completely educated or aware of ADHD. Thus, he or she might not know he has ADHD because he is unsure what his symptoms mean. With an increase of knowledge, people can get help and better their conditions. Next question, what are the causes of ADHD? Is there only one cause or are there several causes? That goes to my next question, is ADHD genetic? If so, are people born with the disorder?

The recognition of symptoms similar to ADHD have been prevalent in our society for quite some time. According to the World Federation of ADHD, symptoms of this disorder were recognized well before the 1900’s. The history of recognizing attention and its effects dates back to the late 1700’s when Alexander Critchon, a Scottish Physician, wrote a book that discussed a topic called mental derangement, which is viewed as a subtype of what is now called the inattentive type (World Federation of ADHD, 2014). In the 1800’s hyperactivity was recognized in children’s books as the fidgety behaviors appearing in fictional characters, as well as recognizing the over explosiveness of children (World Federation of ADHD, 2014). Then in the 1900’s there was a marked

Early inception of prime uniqueness: The specific symptoms of ADHD materialize to arise on average age of 3 to 6 years of childhood. The particular symptoms like impulsive behavior and hyperactivity is associated with disorder. Some other characteristics may appear in the age of 13 years.

It is one of the most common medical conditions now worldwide and the first signs of ADHD are seen usually at the age of seven and may go on to adulthood. The persistent negative effect of this disease on lifestyle causes a lot of struggle for the patients of ADHD.

The different causes, symptoms, rick factors, complications and ways to prepare for your appointment. ADHD was first mention in 1902 a man by the name of Sir George. ADHD was at one point known as ADD Attention-deficit disorder but in today’s world it is now ADHD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects children and adults. ADHD includes different types of problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. I’m also going to give examples on how parents can help their child that has Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Just to give you some information about how ADHD affects adults some of their symptoms are trouble focusing, difficulty completing tasks, disorganization, and low frustration tolerance, mood swings, hot temper, trouble coping with stress, unstable relationships. ADHD in children sometimes get confused with normal behavior. Most healthy children are active and have troubles focusing and it normal for them to have short attention spans and not be able to work on one project for a long period of time for those kids who are preschool age. For older and preteen their attention spans is based on level of interest. Today most doctors will not test a child for ADHA until they are school age (5-6 years old).

The exact cause of ADHD is still not known, but it may run in families. Ongoing research is focused on finding that genes that cause a person to be likely to get ADHD. A mother’s use of cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs may increase the risk of ADHD. ADHD is a medical disorder that can be caused by a number of factors that can affect how brain develops and

RESEARCH QUESTION #3 &PROPOSALUnderstanding how the process of evaluating a child who may have ADHD is multi-stepped and involves a great deal of people does give a good reason as to why clinicians may be so quick to recommend the use of stimulant mediations for the ailment of children with ADHD. Not all clinicians have the support of mental health professionals therefore they must create their own set of guidelines for clear diagnostic evaluation. This could pose a challenge for many primary care clinicians. However, the fact is that stimulants are overprescribed regarding dealing with kids with ADHD. Psychologist LeFever studied the over prescription in southern Virginia and found that “8-10% of children in the second through

The timeline below shows estimates across the years for the percent of children in the United States with ADHD. Alongside the estimates of how many children have the condition, the timeline also illustrates how the criteria used to diagnose the condition have evolved. Finally, the timeline also marks the approval of medication treatments by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) beginning with Benzedrine in 1936.