Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Ritalin, and the Brain

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

Geoffrey Hosta in his editorial, Why Are We Tranquilizing Our Brightest Children? (February 12, 2018), for Newsweek, argues that children diagnosed with ADHD may be gifted and will “suffer more of the harmful effects of stimulants,” (Hosta). He supports his claim by first illustrating his own experience with his stepdaughter and her ADHD diagnoses . Then, he follows by expanding on the possible repercussions with prescribing children with ADHD medication, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

(“ADD”) (Kinman). This is because children with ADHD have a lower brain volume than children who do not, especially in regions of the brain responsible for attention and emotion (Kinman). Dopamine and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters that help send messages between areas of brain associated with attention and motivation. The brain of a person with ADHD may have less of these chemicals available. This may explain why someone with ADHD has trouble paying attention or performing repetitive tasks. (Kinman) When people with ADHD are prescribed methylphenidate (a stimulant), it helps increase the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. This increase in the level of neurotransmitters seems to improve attentiveness and motivation. Inattentive type symptoms include daydreaming, becoming easily confused, having difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others, seeming not to listen when spoken to, and more. Hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include fidgeting, talking nonstop, have trouble sitting still for sustained periods of time, being very impatient and

There are so many truths about Ritalin, how much it actually harms the body overtime then do well. According to the booklet “The Truth About Ritalin Abuse” by drugfreeworld.org, the long-term effects of Ritalin are permanent damage to blood vessels of the heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and even death. But it does not stop there; strong psychological dependence becomes long term as well. Every one of a dozen children treated with methylphenidate experienced genetic abnormalities associated with an increased risk of cancer. The long-term effects are staggering but the emotional effects are just as bad. For

The question of the validity of the use of stimulants for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly connected to the question of attempting to balance the effectiveness of the drugs and the dangers inherent in their use. ADHD is a problematic mental and behavioral disorder especially among children and it is very important that we as a society find an effective method to treat it with the least amount of adverse effects to patients. It is a very good question to ask if a treatment is worth the risks and this definitely the case with the use of stimulants for treating ADHD. The use of stimulants has been rightly controversial and their negatives are very hard to ignore. Keeping this is in mind, it is still much better to prescribe stimulants for the treatment of ADHD. There is overwhelming evidence that which points to the fact that despite the prevalence of opinion against it doctors and parents should, in fact, have no problem prescribing amphetamines to children for the treatment of ADHD. This paper will argue that despite a lot of adverse effects and negative press which the use of stimulants has gotten as the primary method for the treatment of ADHD it is, in fact, one of the best and most effective ways which we have to treat it.

Side effects happen with almost any medication used to treat a condition. ADHD medications are known as stimulants. Stimulant medications will lose their effects after a few hours, and in a day or two their side effects will disappear (WEB MD). The most common medications used to treat ADD and ADHD are Adderall,

ADHD is a very difficult and confusing disorder to deal with when it comes to your children. It is hard to establish is looking out a window or active behavior is just natural for your child, or if your child has a problem. Many drugs can help a child settle down and concentrate better. These drugs should be used for a temporary purpose only; where the goal is to be able to function

Ritalin is a prescription drug used primarily in the treatment of behavioural problems in children such as Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (National Drug Intelligence Centre 2006). It is estimated that 11 percent of Australians between the ages of 6 to 17 are affected by ADD or ADHD and the amount of Ritalin being prescribed has doubled in the last 10 years ( Schriever 2012).

Another common opposition to ADHD is the medications used to treat it. People wonder why hyperactive children are being treated with stimulants. The side effects of stimulant medications seem to not be so positive and don't seem to be acceptable for a child with ADHD. Side effects such as motor tics, insomnia, and loss of appetite are all commonly seen among stimulant medications. Stimulant

Children with behavioral or emotional problems are being over medicated by psychiatrists who are too busy to provide therapy, because of parents who are too occupied to provide a healthy environment for their children. The most common category of medication given to children are stimulants, to be specific, methylphenidate which is found in drugs such as Ritalin. Stimulants are controlled subjects, this means it has potential for abuse and since these medications are prescribed for long periods of time, even into adulthood, it is not uncommon to quickly form a dependency. If you’re faced with the decision whether to put your child on ADHD medication, you want to know what possible long-term effects it could have on their developing body and brain, for example, sleep problems, decreased appetite, delayed growth, headaches, tics, etc. Pushing pharmaceuticals onto a child that does not need any is destructive to both the child and their development and making childhood prescriptions a social norm is detrimental to a pharmaceutical recovery in

Medications for ADHD patients do not improve nor cure the disorder they just control it for about eight hours. The largest treatment research conducted was done for a group of 165 children still in pre-school between the ages of three and five year olds (Costa-Dias S45).The study showed most common side effects were that some of

Whoever consumes stimulants triggers hostility, aggressiveness, anxiety, paranoia, and depression. Depending on the person, their mood may transition from time to time. Stimulants for ADD/ADHD should not be taken by people with heart conditions, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, glaucoma, or a past of drug abuse. Stimulant abuse is the main reason why stimulants should not be consumed by just any person of choice without a review of their medical history. Medications seem to be non-effective in the beginning. According to Strattera, “side effects of Strattera include: upset stomach, decreased appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, and mood swings.” The main concern is the connection between Strattera and the brain. It has been shown in scientific study that Strattera causes the person to have suicidal thoughts. Non-stimulants are next in line if Stimulants have not proven to be efficient or has severe side effects. The Methylphenidate Stimulants class contains the following drugs: Focalin, Methylin, Ritalin, Metadate ER, Methylin ER, Ritalin SR, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, Concerta, Quillivant XR, Focalin XR, and Daytrana patch. The short-acting drugs of this class are Focalin, Methylin, and Ritalin. Because these medications are short-acting, frequent dosage is essential to manipulate the symptoms of ADHD. Focalin only lasts in a person’s system for 4-6 hours. Methylin and Ritalin only last for 3-4 hours. They all have the common side effects of appetite loss, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, and irritability. There is a high concern that if children and adolescents consume Ritalin, their brain may abnormally develop. The intermediate-acting medications of this class include Metadate ER, Methylin ER, Ritalin SR, Metadate CD, and Ritalin LA. Metadate ER and Methylin ER last for 6-8 hours, while Ritalin SR lasts for 4-8 hours. Metadate CD and Ritalin LA last a

ADHD medication has been proven to be the most effective way to help treat ADHD and kids need it because it helps them focus and will help out exponentially in school and their activities. The affected person does not need to be on medication their whole life and can be easily weaned off the medication because they are all taken in small doses that do not cause the person to become addicted. In an article written by Harold S. Koplewicz one of the leading child and adolescent psychiatrists he says “It has been shown over and over again, in controlled scientific trials, that stimulant medication is the best and safest means of counteracting the symptoms of ADHD. As many

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects school aged children with a high degree of inattention, excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of any of these. In order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, there must be two different environments in which the child has displayed his or her symptoms and it must occur before the child is twelve years of age (Halter, 2014). Children have a high comorbidity level with developmental, learning and psychiatric problems. There are three types of ADHD; inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and combination type. With inattentive type the child displays disorganization, is unable to complete tasks, becomes easily bored, and

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder also most commonly known as ADHD is one of the most common disorders among children and young adults. It is not only the most common but is on the rise in the United States over the past decade. Many people turn to the internet to find answers on such a disorder as ADHD. However, one has to be careful in what they read, because some websites are not accurate and have lots of bias towards one thing or another dealing with the subject of ADHD. Everyday Health’s webpage on ADHD is a very informative source and well put together by using authority, coverage and objectivity.