In this paper, I will be discussing my opinion against the diagnosis of ADHD and the darker side of psychiatric medication through the story of Sean, who is diagnosed with ADHD. In the latter half, I will be analyzing Sean’s situation through various lenses of health ethics and compare my belief with the ideas of Lainie Friedman Ross. Whether or not ADHD is a true illness is subjected to debate. Despite the continuous efforts of experts in updating ADHD criteria within the DSM, the diagnosis for it continues to be controversial due to over reliance on vague evidences obtained from perceived irregularities in a patient’s mood and behaviour (Szasz, 2008). I believe ADHD, particularly in children, should not be considered legitimate illness. …show more content…
Sean did not give informed consent of any kind, yet was forced to take Ritalin. As I mentioned earlier, Ritalin has numerous side-effects, including addiction and potential death from heart attack. It stated clearly in the story that after taking Ritalin, Sean felt unwell yet was forced by his parents to keep taking the drug, because the drug made it more convenient for the parents. Clearly something is wrong with this situation, particularly when I analyze it in terms of beneficence. Beneficence states that the welfare of the patient should be the ultimate goal of any trials or health services (Pantilat, 2008). In the story, Sean’s welfare is placed secondary to the convenience of his parents and their desire for him to do better in school. This was done at the expense of Sean, as he suffered from the side-effects of the drug. Furthermore, beneficence should be the promotion and advocacy of health as defined by the patient’s own values. In other words, the physician who is treating the patient need to be certain that their perception of doing “good” is identical or related in some way to their patient’s own value of what is good for them (Macciocchi et al., 2009). Clearly Sean’s physician failed to do that since he prescribed Ritalin despite Sean’s discomfort, and even gave free Ritalin to his parents. Despite him being very vulnerable, Sean’s best interest was ignored by the physician. From the fact that Sean’s physician is actively prescribing and giving out free drugs, it is evident that he is associated with pharmaceutical companies that make Ritalin. As mentioned in the first paragraph, private pharmaceutical companies in present times have a lot of influence on drug intensive practices such as psychiatry (Moncrieff, 2009). They can easily influence the actions of health providers in order to increase their
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.
In the supply and demand society that we live in, there will always be a need for drugs. Adderall and Ritalin are included in this equation. There are ads for these medications promoting children who look perfectly and act rather perfectly while on the drug. The companies are targeting parents who want their children to feel “normal.” There are high hopes of dependency which would then increase sales for the businesses selling the drugs. In the long run they are hoping for drug abuse which will keep them in business. The marketing of these drugs will only hurt us in the long run, though. “As a nation we will feel sicker and sicker until we move away from the medical model and begin to view most of our major health issues as manifestations of inequitable economic and social factors (Diller, pg50).” Something needs to be done to move away from this method of medicating children unless there is a serious need.
One of the remarkably renowned mental disorders in the world is ADHD, but despite being infamous, there are still stigmas and myths about it. People often listen to what the general public says than to form their own arguments or research on them. By all means, this will be a problem to all including those who have ADHD.
Well, ADHD is different and is surprisingly unclear. There is no clear consensus on what the cause or causes of this disease are. There have been countless theories however, and all have been disproved through studies. There is no urine test, blood test, PET scan, or physical test or examination that can tell if someone does or doesn?t have ADHD. This translates into mass confusion when parents, teachers, and even doctors are called upon to diagnose a child with this disorder or not. Psychiatrists around the world say that, ?about half the children who show up in their offices as ADHD referrals are actually suffering from a variety of other ailments, including learning disabilities, depression or anxiety-disorders that look like ADHD, but do not need Ritalin. Some seem to be just regular kids.? (Newsweek, pg.52)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, has become a well-known disorder that our ears hear lightly and many don’t think twice about. Although, ADHD is presented in over 11,000,000 people that are living in the United States (Frank, 2017). ADHD is prevalent in both women and men of all various ages. Once one has this disorder, it stays with them forever. However, many therapists as well as psychologist believe that this disorder is over diagnosed and leads into false and inaccurate prescriptions. Due to ADHD being primarily diagnosed at the age of 7 (Holland, 2014), the main symptoms leading into the identity of ADHD are hyper activity, being easily distracted, acting out, daydreaming, physical aggression, and a lack
and conduct and learning disorders” (Jackson 2725). Testing for ADHD for a child is a long, difficult, and frustrating process. The caregivers go through a battery of questionnaires, insurance hurdles, and serious behavior battles. ADHD is becoming more recognized as a legitimate issue and testing of treatments have gone underway, but do vary from physician to physician. Research shows that “ There is a growing professional acknowledgment that ADHD is a neurophysiologically based self-control disorder, However, the diagnostic and treatment approaches are controversial and vary considerably across professionals” (Magyary 554). There is a plethora of information about ADHD, and the treatments available. Studies agree that it is a fast growing epidemic, that has received the most funding for research for psychiatric
It is widely agreed that ADHD is over diagnosed. According to the study, only 22 percent of 92 children referred to an ADHD clinic actually met the criteria. Furthermore, numerous arguments would urge the general public and the medical community that what has been proven is a large varying degree of severity of the condition. In turn, the symptoms may be expressed in every person, only with varying intensity. Although no conclusive evidence is currently available to prove the existence of the genetic disorder, no concrete evidence dispels its existence either. Still, the fact that the disorder has passed through a crowd of names, including organic drivenness, hyperkinetic syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and now ADHD provides evidence on
When children begin to develop “symptoms” of ADHD, parents begin to become frustrated and lose patients, so they think they need to go to the doctors and have their own child put on medication. It is very common that children are misdiagnosed with ADHD. Eighty-two percent of teachers and sixty-eight percent of undergraduates agreed that ADHD is over diagnosed. “According to many critics, such over diagnosis raises the specter of medicalizing largely normal behavior and relying to heavily on pills rather than skills, such as teaching children better ways of coping with stress” (Lilenfeld).
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.
The second article is by Tim O’Shea, D.C. and is titled ADD: A Designer Disease. This article discusses ADD and how it is factious disorder invented by psychiatrists and drug companies to make profit. The views of several doctors are given to substantiate the unnecessary and over diagnosis of ADD.
There are many negatives involved in ADHD, but what’s often overlooked, are the positives. One of these positives is the fact that this disorder is very manageable and treatable. We have an extended amount of knowledge from numerous studies that have been done since the disorder was discovered. From these studies we now know that this disorder can affect people in many ways and be a burden on someone if not treated properly.
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 accurately assess their children’s symptoms, but the doctors trust on observers to record the child’s symptoms correctly. Parents need to develop a greater sense of awareness from the observations of the serious side effects that come with the medication their children consume every day. The increasing number of children diagnosed with ADHD demonstrates physicians’ inclinations to complacently misdiagnose their patients.
These symptoms might represent expressions of internalized conflict or unmet emotional or educational needs that differ from child to child. Each child ideally should have a full medical, educational, and psychologic or psychiatric evaluation, prior to drugs being introduced and giving to the child. There isn’t a neuropsychological test result is that shows someone has ADHD, and no genetic indicator has been steadily recognized, and heritability studies are confounded by household environmental aspects. Furman concluded t after careful review of the evidence obtainable; it is not obvious that ADHD is either a disease or a neurobehavioral condition. ADHD is an assortment of symptoms, namely, inattention, impulsivity, and over activity, that overlay with other major and minor mental health
The increase of ADHD diagnosis has raised many concerns among doctors in the United States. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported new data that showed the number of children diagnosed with ADHD grew by 22 percent in a four-year period Brown University, (2013). The information from the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) raised questions and concerns about the growth of ADHD diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stated that the percentage of children with a diagnosis of ADHD continue to increase in the United States. This information was provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to inform the public and raise awareness for ADHD. Researching the growth of
A research study conducted by Visser, Zablotsky, Holbrook, Danielson, & Bitsko (2015) discovered that the percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. has steadily increased 3% a year from 1997 to 2006. The study also revealed that the percentage of children diagnosed from 2003 to 2012 increased by 42%. Despite having the additional knowledge of and research about the disorder, ADHD diagnoses are increasing at an astronomical rate; due to this sudden, drastic change, researchers have begun to question the validity of ADHD diagnoses in the U.S (Visser, Zablotsky, Holbrook, Danielson, & Bitsko, 2015). Based on the research above, it is apparent that ADHD is becoming over