Giving Children ADHD Medication - 1657 Words

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that causes children to have problems with paying attention, trouble with following instructions, have impulsive behaviors and become easily distracted. Medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are used to treat the symptoms of this disorder by helping the patient to focus and pay attention while also curbing their impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. Side effects of these medications are, but not limited to, anxiety, addiction and in some cases psychosis. Proponents of giving ADHD medication to children argue that ADHD is a real disorder in children and the medication does improve the symptoms of the disorder by a large margin as well as being cost effective.†¦show more content†¦A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health came to the conclusion that medication alone showed the most promising long-term effects for treatment of this disorder since it quickly took care of symptoms th at behavioral therapy could not fix in the same amount of time if at all (â€Å"A.D.H.D. Experts Re-evaluate Study’s Zeal for Drugs.†). Even though there are those who abuse ADHD medication, taking away the medication would prove disastrous to those with the disorder because of how well the prescriptions do treat symptoms associated with ADHD. The disorder is real and many children do have ADHD and the need to treat it as a real disorder is further proven by what happens in the adult lives of some of these children with ADHD. According to Dr. William Barbaresi, the complications for children diagnosed with ADHD does not stop in childhood as previously thought but a new long-term study found that not only did 29% of those diagnosed with ADHD as children still had the disorder but that 57% of those with ADHD as children had other psychiatric disorders (Jaslow). So it is not only a disorder for children but adults as well along with being a good indicator that the person could have other psychiatric disorders later in life making it very important to diagnose and treat as a real disorder to discourage further complications. Many opinions from doctors and parents have been heard on thisShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics of Giving Children ADHD Medication1642 Words   |  7 PagesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that causes children to have problems with paying attention, trouble with following instructions, have impulsive behaviors and become easily distracted. Medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are used to treat the symptoms of this disorder by helping the patient to focus and pay attention while also curbing their impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. Side effects of these medications are, but not limited to, anxiety, addictionRead MoreReading The Article By Milich, Balentin And Lynam827 Words   |  4 Pagesstart seeing signs of ADHD in a child. I agree with the opening statement saying that it is difficu lt to identify children that are below the preschool age, because they have not been in a situation that requires their full attention. I think it is very hard to really diagnose a child with ADHD who does not understand what the word attention even means. I think children who are not in preschool yet and do not have to give anyone their full attention should not be labeled as ADHD. Another part in theRead More ADHD Medication and Children Essay1429 Words   |  6 Pagesthe symptoms of a child diagnosed with ADHD. Though there isn’t a test to determine whether or not a child has ADHD many psychiatrists are quick to incline that the child may have this behavioral disorder even though they could just be acting like children. Not only are psychiatrists too quick to diagnose they’re also quick to prescribe medications that have high risks of causing behavioral changes and disruption of the chemical balance within the brain. Children under the age of twelve should neverRead MoreAdhd, Whether or Not to Medicate a Child1195 Words   |  5 PagesADHD, Whether or Not to Medicate a Child Samantha Edmondson COM/155 September 21, 2014 Laura L. Griepp ADHD, Whether or Not to Medicate a Child With the diagnosis of ADHD in children becoming such a controversial subject because of the medications that doctors prescribe; parents have difficult decisions to make. My son, T.J., has had ADHD since he was five years old, and has had many trials and tribulations with the medication that his doctor placed him on to help with the issues that comeRead MoreAdhd And Its Effects On Children1723 Words   |  7 Pages Though the disease of ADHD affects every child differently, doctors utilize the same guidelines for each child in determining if the symptoms results in ADHD. According to Alan Schwarz, the rising number of diagnoses makes ADHD the second most prevalent disease in children besides asthma. Over the past twenty years, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD has risen to 3.5 million compared to 600,000 in 1990 (Schwarz A1). The families affected by ADHD rely heavily on their physicians to accuratelyRead MorePsychology And Medication : Are Children Being Misdiagnosed And Ov er Medicated1334 Words   |  6 Pages Psychology and Medication: Are children being misdiagnosed and over medicated. Medicating Children is not the Right Thing to do There are many types of people who may have Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD/ADHD, which is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADD is defined as learning disorder affecting children, adolescents, and some adults. Common symptoms of ADD are learning and behavioral difficulties as well as the typical problem of ADHD, hyperactivity. Males are more likelyRead MoreAttentention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD and What Can be Done About It967 Words   |  4 PagesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD is the common childhood brain disorders and can continue through adolescence and even adulthood. The symptoms of ADHD includes sign of inattention, hyperactivity and implusivity. (National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 2012). Children with ADHD tend to experience problems in completing a task, academic performance and are often unpopular among peers. (Barlow Durand, 2012). Treatments for ADHD is classified into non medicine treatments andRead MoreCaring for Children with ADHD Essay examples954 Words   |  4 PagesADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. ADHD has been a recognized disorder for over 50 years. There are three different types of ADHD. The disorder affects both males and females. ADHD does not affect intellectual ability, individuals with this disorder are just as smart as others. Doctors and researchers are still not sure why some people have ADHD. Researchers show that theRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)1259 Words   |  5 PagesHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly found disorder in children in the United States. Statistics show that the male to female ratio for children with ADHD is eight to one. 4.4 million Children between the ages four to seventeen have diagnosed with ADHD (Cheng Tina L et al.). African American children are at a higher risk for having ADHD. Caucasian children are least likely to have ADHD. 2.5 million children receive medication for ADHD, but African American children are half as likely asRead MoreEffects Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Children1400 Words   |  6 PagesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Stephanie Santiago Lehigh Carbon Community College â€Æ' Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Pathophysiology Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) refers to developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity (Hockenberry, Wilson, Rodgers, 2017). ADHD is commonly found in school-aged children. While some children have a problem within one of the three areas, there are others who have