...English 1010 ADHD: Amphetamines Don’t Help Disorders There are more drug users in elementary schools today then every before. Most of these users are children around the ages of seven to fourteen. The drugs they use are highly addictive Amphetamines, similar to cocaine. The worst part is these drugs are prescribed to them for behavioral problems in school. The stimulants these children are taking are for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Because these children do not behave the way schools have described as “normal”, they are drugged with harmful synthetic stimulants. Behavior traits in children can be changed by a proper diet, adequate sleep, and positive activities at home. The principle causes of ADHD are unknown. The attempt to classify it as a disease has failed. There are four categories of disease in the medical world: infectious, contagious, traumatic, and systemic. Infectious and contagious diseases have to do with germs so we can rule those out as classifications. Traumatic indicates an outside force such as head trauma or nervous system trauma so that is also ruled out. Systemic diseases happen when the cells or chemicals of the body begin to malfunction such as cancer. This is not correct for ADHD either and so it is not a disease (Stein 23-24). Doctors turn to other causes and classifications of this disorder including genetics. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often appears to run in families...
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...Disorder: Alternatives to Stimulant Medication Eng 215 Abstract Today, millions of children are taking stimulant medications for ADHD. Most of these children are being medicated without even receiving a proper diagnosis. While on these medications, children experience harmful side effects. Some children have died from complications related to the medication. The list of symptoms for ADHD reads like a list of bad behavior not a medical condition that warrants medication. Parents are outsourcing their parental responsibilities to pharmaceutical companies. Alternative treatments are available and have been proven effective. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: Alternative Treatments According to the 1994, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., (DSM-IV) Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a disruptive behavior disorder characterized by the presence of a set of chronic and impairing behavior patterns that display abnormal levels of inattention, hyperactivity, or their combination. (as cited at http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/adisease/add-adhd/cdcplan.html) ADHD is mostly diagnosed in children and adolescents. (DEA, 1995) ADHD is not a disease but yet most children diagnosed as having ADHD are treated with medication. The standard ADHD diagnosis is divided into three types: Inattentive type, hyperactive type, and hyperactive-impulsive type. The inattentive type includes symptoms...
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...English-123 9 January 2016 ADHD Medications: Evidence of Overprescribing ADHD is a familiar and often used term in today’s society. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ritalin is the medication most-often mentioned when looking at the treatment of ADHD patients. “First synthesized in 1944, Ritalin is a stimulant drug and was first approved for use in adults during the mid-1950s” (Mayes, et al). According to Dr. Matthew Smith, Ritalin wasn’t even considered for use in children with behavioral issues until many years after its introduction. It was originally marketed as a “pep” pill. Advertisements were aimed towards the elderly, and housewives whom lacked the energy to get all their work done around the house. The pharmaceutical company Ciba, whom created Ritalin, did not receive approval to market the drug to underachieving school children until 1962 (Smith). ADHD later became the diagnosis for both children and adults who were observed as having concentration and behavioral issues. Whether or not too many people are being diagnosed and medicated for ADHD has certainly been a hot topic of debate for many years now. Research does show that medical professionals are overprescribing ADHD medications. Trends have indicated a rise in diagnosis along with drug treatment, the ADHD drug industry is booming, and ADHD prescriptions are easily obtained by those seeking them. Today, ADHD drugs are prescribed to both children and adults who have been diagnosed with the disorder...
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...ADHD: To Medicate or Not Timothy Pettigrew COM 172 June 8, 2015 Peter Conrad ADHD: To Medicate or Not When many of us think of ADHD, we think of hyper children the medication Ritalin. While there has been many other medications to stem off of Ritalin, did you know that there are also other options and choices to treating ADHD other than just medication? Most of the ADHD medications are stimulant based, therefore a lot of parents are reluctant to use them. I am going to discuss some of the other treatment options for ADHD. Some of them are cognitive behavior therapy, biofeedback or even just removing sugar from your child’s diet can help with the treatment of ADHD. Treatment with medication is the option that most people choose. This seems to be the quickest way to address the issues of the ADHD individual, whether it be a child, adolescent, or even adult. However, with most of the medications being stimulant based, a lot of parents are reluctant to put their children on medication without exploring other options first. There are however, other drugs that are non-stimulant that work in the same way, but these medications take longer to build up in the body and notice the effects of the medication. This can cause some frustration with parents and patients the same, sometimes even causing them to give up on treatment. Another alternative to medication is cognitive behavioral therapy. This is where the patient undergoes therapy with a certified...
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...Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Page 4 Possible Symptoms of ADHD Page 5-6 Possible Causes of ADHD Page 7-10 Possible Treatments for ADHD Page 11-12 Medication for ADHD Page 13 Evaluation Page 14 Conclusion Page 15 Bibliography Page 16-17 Introduction As part of the assessment in my Psychology module, my tutor has asked me to select an illness for my second assignment. The assignment must be informative and well researched. I am expected to cover the basics of the illness. I have decided to do my assignment on (ADHD) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, I have chosen this disorder as I have not got much knowledge or proper understanding of it and would like to educate myself more and file it in my brain with all the other illnesses/disorders I do know about. ADHD is a well known disorder yet there seems to be a lot of confusion on the topic also. Within the assignment I plan to research the topic to the best of my ability through media, books, magazine, internet and organisations where it is possible. I will cover the causes, symptoms, treatments, look into help groups and centres, my aim is to get a clearer understanding of how the disorder comes about basically live the life of an ADHD patient and see how life is through their eyes. I will finish my assignment with...
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...ADHD in Children: Medication and the Natural Approach Amanda Nance COM156 January 8th, 2012 Leah Omilion ADHD in Children: Medication and the Natural Approach Making ADHD medication decisions for your child can be difficult, but doing your homework can help. The first thing to understand is exactly what the medications for ADD and ADHD can and can’t do and to know that it isn’t a magic pill that will fix all of your or your Childs’ problems. Medication can help reduce the symptoms of hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsivity but they also come with many risks. The negative effects of stimulant medication in children with ADHD are staggering; however, there is a natural approach that can be just as effective. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a neurological disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, inattention, and in some cases, hyperactivity. It is estimated by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) that 3%-7% of school-aged children have ADHD1. ADHD is characterized by many symptoms including the following: • Poor concentration, distractibility, impulsive behavior, careless mistakes, difficulty in controlling anger. • Inability to complete tasks, difficulty sustaining attention toward tasks. • Hyperactive behavior, excessive activity, fidgeting, squirming, running, climbing excessively. • Poor listening...
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...Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or more commonly known as ADHD is a disorder that is common in childhood that continues into adolescence. ADHD is a neurological disorder that affects how the brain receives, processes and responds to information (The National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2014). The main symptoms of ADHD include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (Brady). Many children suffer from ADHD without being diagnosed because the symptoms are different from child to child. There are three different categories of ADHD. These include predominantly hyperactive impulses, predominantly inattentive, and combined hyperactive-impulses and inattention (Brady). A child can be diagnosed with one of these three categories of ADHD depending on their specific symptoms but most children have a combination of hyperactive-impulses and inattention. The cause of ADHD is unknown but researchers are continually searching for answers. There are many different indications as to what causes ADHD such as genes, environmental factors and possibly the central nervous system (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). Several environmental factors have been identified as supposed risk factors for ADHD. In utero events such as maternal stress during pregnancy (Talge, Neal, & Glover, 2007), prenatal exposure to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs/environmental toxins, (Ribas-Fitó et al., 2006) (Pineda et a., 2007), pregnancy/birth complications...
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...Head: CHILDREN AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Children and Prescription Drugs Although prescription drugs help significantly in some people, can they also be considered harmful in young children? Many children are experiencing early diagnosis on their medical conditions whether it is attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), or even a bipolar disorder. In the past few years the use of prescription drugs in young children has greatly increased in schools and in homes due to parents and doctor’s diagnoses. In numerous cases this can cause harmful side effects. Studies have shown that there are other ways of controlling the disorders without the use of medication. Many of these side affects could easily be avoided. In the article Mass Tracks Children on Physiactric Drugs by S. Allen (2007), doctors who overprescribe or diagnose young children incorrectly are causing harmful side effects. Many children, some even under the age of five, are being diagnosed with forms of psychiatric or medical problems that require prescription medication. Doctors are then going and giving children doses of medicine, sometimes three different kinds at a time (Allen A1). For some children, this works wonders. Others, however, have to deal with serious side effects. In her article for the International Herald Tribune, T. Parker-Pope (2008) states, “Nearly one-third [of children] experience worrisome side effects.. the side defects could be severe...
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...ADHD is over Diagnosed A simple way to describe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is that it is a brain based condition where there is an imbalance of the brains chemicals dopamine and noradrenaline, these chemicals being responsible for self-control and slowing down of impulses. Because of the slight imbalance of these important chemicals, people with ADHD will experience impulsive, hyperactive behavior as well as inattentiveness with short term memory and in some cases, learning difficulties. Although doctors and scientists have more information about the causes and treatment of ADHD today, there is an interesting history around this disorder which had many different theories and beliefs. Discovered over one hundred years ago, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not a recent medical discovery. It was first described in about 1902 by George Still, an English pediatrician, who had observed a group of patients and recognized them as being inattentive, over active and suffering from a "lack of moral control". After George Still's discovery, many controversies followed. It was believed that ADHD was a result of brain damage, but when doctors realized that most children with ADHD had no brain damage, that idea was discarded. ADHD was then called Hyperactive Child Syndrome, where all the focus was on hyperactivity. In addition to this, Dr Ben Feingold researched a link between ones diet and hyperactivity, but this controversy was soon proven to not have much effect...
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...Abstract In this research paper it famous and influential people were observed with Attention hyperactive disorder. With the use of the DSM IV our classroom text book and various internet resource this paper goes through the use of Ritalin and how people are commonly diagnosed with ADHD and do not have the disorder. Widespread use of medication and doctors immediately jump to prescribing medications such as Ritalin. Robert daydreamed so much that he was pulled out of school. Frank went into such trancelike dreams that one had to shout at him to bring him back. Equally problematic were Sam's restlessness and verbal diatribes. Virginia, too, demonstrated a tendency to talk on and on. Thomas experienced school problems, in part because of his high energy. Nick's tendency to act without thinking caused him to have several scrapes with death and near-tragedies, such as plunging to the earth from the roof of a barn, clutching an umbrella”. These are examples of situations that are common to many children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD tend to have creative and unique ways of thinking, and many problems focusing on one task, especially in school situations. Today children with this disorder are frequently prescribed medications to control their attention and/or hyperactivity. But are we doing what is in the best interest for children, or making it easier on the adults who have to deal with these children daily? In the previous stated...
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...ADHD: Kiddie Watch Affecting our Daily Lives Benefits of early intervention for special children stressed Article by: | | IVY LISA F. MENDOZA Manila Bulletin Website If there is one thing that has been proven beneficial to children with special needs, it is early intervention (EI). Experts say that intervention services given early to children with special needs starting from ages 0 to eight years old result to long-term benefits thus minimizing the need for special education and other related services. Among these EI services are therapies (speech, physical, occupational), special education and others. "There are also the humanistic and pragmatic rationales for EI, and the biological fact that the human brain?s plasticity allows it to develop when stimulations are provided,?? revealed Dr. Mark Reysio Cruz III, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician whose work involves children with special needs. Dr. Reysio-Cruz along with Mrs. Susana Gosalvez-Pe, a parent of three children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) recently shared their expertise and experience with early intervention, detection and assessment in special education at a symposium. Titled ??Phases to Face: Detection, Assessment and Intervention," the symposium was organized by the master?s in special education class of Dr. Lilia S. Bautista in De La Salle University (DLSU) which aimed to present varying viewpoints in dealing with children with special needs, particularly...
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...discovered, hence the increasing number of diagnoses, but there seems to be more to this “disorder” than meets the eye. As the number of cases continues to grow, many believe that the number of people with ADD is actually unchanging, and is in fact, zero. While the APA would like you to think otherwise, ADD and ADHD are fictitious disorders. The cause for question in this conversation of the reality of Attention Deficit Disorder has many aspects. Of them, are the facts that ADD and ADHD are only recognized as psychiatric disorders in the United States of America, the suspicious timing of the entrance of these disorders into the APA’s psychiatric journal: the DSM, and the pharmaceutical industry’s role in treatment. These factors, some big, some small, build the often criticized argument against the authenticity of ADD and ADHD as mental disorders. The United States has been home to many unique and wonderful things, but rarely is any one country the sole victim of a disease, let alone one psychiatric in nature. Of all the countries in the world, the United States is the only one claiming that people are suffering from ADD and ADHD, using the thought process that “…ADHD is a behavioral disorder common to children of many different races and societies worldwide, but that is not recognized by the medical community, perhaps due to confusion regarding its diagnosis and/or...
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...wrong with the child? The child may have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. Within this paper the following questions will be answered, the definition of ADHD, the cause of ADHD, the symptoms of ADHD and if the symptoms differ in boys and girls, the different treatments for ADHD. Definition of ADHD If one has seen the children who cannot sit still, concentrate, or talks constantly and wonders if the child has ADHD then one needs to know the definition of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. According to Mayo Clinic (2009), the definition of "attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often persists into adulthood. Problems associated with ADHD include inattention and hyperactive, impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school" (Definition, para. 1). Within this clinics definition of ADHD there is an estimated three percent to five percent of children who are affected in the United States (Sharp & Odle, 2009). Causes of ADHD Parents of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder often wonder if they caused their child to developed ADHD. The causes of ADHD are not known. However, it appears that heredity plays a major part in the development of ADHD. Children with a parent or sibling with ADHD are more likely to develop the disorder. Before birth, children...
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...have emotional outbursts. I realized early on that "sorry" was the most common word spoken by Brandon as he was constantly apologizing for not following simple directions. I didn’t fully understand how severe his behavior was until he was in the second grade. At the time, he was enrolled at Ridge Lawn School and I was asked to attend a meeting with a social worker, Brandon’s teacher, principal, and the school nurse. At the meeting, I was informed by this group they believed Brandon was suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and needed medication. Initially, I was upset and baffled. My heart sank at the thought of my son’s actions being controlled by pills. They asked me to complete a questionnaire about Brandon’s behavior at home and after they had assessed Brandon’s behavior in school. After completing this form, I was asked to take Brandon to his pediatrician who they insisted would confirm their ADHD diagnosis and agree prescription medication was the proper course of action. I knew something was wrong with my son, but I never thought such extreme treatment would be suggested. Not convinced that I should go along with their recommendation, I decided...
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...Introduction Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been a controversial topic due to its’ causes, diagnosis, as well as the treatments. Some critics of this controversy deny the very existence of ADHD as a mental disorder and believe that the physicians along with pharmaceutical industry are conspired with one another just to fill their pockets. While others believe that not only ADHD is a genetic mental disorder but also a disorder that may be caused by the environmental factors like geographical location, parenting and diet. Furthermore, many studies show that ADHD is in fact a mental disorder that affects many children and adults. ADHD is not over diagnosed and needs to be treated, however the treatment should not consist...
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