Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, affects approximately two million children in the United States today. This condition was discovered in the mid-19th Century and has become well known in society. Children with this disorder have a much more difficult time in early childhood development than the average child. Children with ADHD need much more attention from the adults in their everyday lives, not to be prescribed on lethal drugs, to have a productive future. Developing special courses for children with this disorder in our public schools, more attention from teachers and guidance counselors, and educating parents about this disorder are all solutions to lead a child with this disorder towards a bright future without the usage of lethal drugs. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder still has many questions unanswered to this day about the causes of the disorder. Studies have been performed by neurologists, but questions still remain. Are drugs the answer? The drugs designed for this disorder only help the symptoms; they do not get rid of the disorder. Parents, teachers, guidance counselors, etc. need to step up their game. These children deserve the much needed extra attention and the guidance to move towards a successful future. Children can still reach their full potential; all they need is a little more attention from the many adults in their everyday lives. This can be accomplished without the use of drugs.

How do parents know if their child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Symptoms of ADHD generally need to occur for at least six months in order for a physician to diagnosis a child with the disorder. Inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are three areas in which symptoms can be categorized.

Warning signs of inattention include: trouble listening when spoken to, does not follow directions, forgetful about everyday things, often distracted by activities around them, careless mistakes in schoolwork, misplaces items for school or toys, and difficulty with organization. Symptoms of impulsivity range from: interrupting conversations to trouble waiting turn. Signs of hyperactivity consist of: trouble playing quietly, always fidgeting with hands or moving around in seat, and excessive talking. Some children will have trouble keeping still in the classroom when told by the teacher. If the teacher asks for the children to remain seated, a child with ADHD, will often times leave their seat without permission. Most parents are unaware of the symptoms of this disorder. A child may have symptoms for quite awhile before ever being diagnosed. A diagnosis will take place, and many parents have no idea what to do. Millions of parents, who have a child with ADHD, opt for dangerous drugs to keep a child under control. This seems like the easy road to take for adults who do not want to share the time and patience it takes to guide a child with this disorder.

The causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder remain unclear; however complications during pregnancy and genetics remain solid causes for this disorder. ADHD is said to run in families, but there is not evidence at this time to make this a solid claim. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been studied by neurologists recently, and they have discovered that this disorder is most likely caused by inefficiency in the neurological area of the brain that controls impulses and attention. Other causes of ADHD include trauma during pregnancy or birth and prenatal alcohol or drug abuse. Studies have been performed to find the causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Head injuries or brain trauma during pregnancy, lead exposure, and alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy have all been recently studied. Researchers have found an association to ADHD with all of these three areas, however at this time; more research must be conducted to make a stronger argument for these studies.

Over the years, there have been several cases in which children who use medication to treat the effects of ADHD have encountered problems. In the article, by Stephen Barlas (2006),

[The Pediatric Advisory Committee looked at evidence that those drugs caused excessive psychotic and cardiovascular adverse events in children and adolescents. A March 3 memo by 2 psychiatric drug reviewers in the agency's Office of Drug Safety stated that since January 1, 2000, the agency and drug companies had received hundreds of reports of psychosis or manic behavior, particularly hallucinations, in patients with no known risk factors who took the usual dose of an ADHD medication.]

According to Stephen Barlas, a FDA advisory committee has taken a second look at the much needed use of a warning label on ADHD drugs. This committee recommended that the FDA place a label warning of the potential risks of cardiovascular problems in children and the very rare risk of psychotic issues. There have even been instances where parents choose to put their child on medication that has not even been researched or studied by doctors and scientists who specialize in this disorder. These children are on medication, for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, that does not even have the approval of the FDA.

Drug treatments for children with ADHD are popular, but with the popularity, come the controversy.

Is it right for a parent to allow a child to be put on drugs to treat this disorder? The answer is NO. Ritalin was the first drug of its kind to help maintain some sort of control for a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A newer drug being used today is called, Concerta. Concerta is a pill that can be taken one time a day and will work over that time period. All these drugs do is control the symptoms of this disorder. Ritalin and Concerta do not solve the problem, and they do not rid a child of ADHD. All a child is receiving in return from the usage of such drugs is an increased risk of cardiovascular and psychotic problems. Another risk factor of children using drugs to control the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the dependency factor. What if a child gets hooked on these drugs? What if this adds to the problem, instead of helping control the symptoms? Could drug usage as a child lead to harder drug usage as an adult? Drug usage is not an alternative. Children who have this disorder are put on these drugs because the parents do not want to waste their precious time with extra help and more attention.

Mark L. Wolraich (2006), describes in his article that,

[None of the new formulations or new medications appears to be under study