ADD/ADHD: A Decision That Can Change a Life
Although American culture has changed over the years, parents today still want what is best for their children. Why then, are parents allowing their children to be put on medications that may have an adverse effect on their children? Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) have increasingly been diagnosed among young children today. Parents should become more informed about the over diagnosing, side effects, results of the medication and all other pertinent information before they allow their children to become treated. In this research paper we are first going to look at why ADD and ADHD diagnosing has become so widespread. Then we will look into the side effects of Ritalin; the number one drug prescribed for ADD and ADHD. Finally, we will consider the results of the treatment. ADD and ADHD have had a dramatic rate of increase since it was first "discovered" 25 years ago. "This "epidemic" has grown from 500 thousand in 1985 to between five and seven million today." (Baughman) ADD and ADHD have become popular for many reasons. In today's American culture and fast paced society it is likely that both parents will work. This breaks down the traditional family where only one parent would w
Schools are looking for answers as to why students are doing poorly. These schools are also looking for a "quick fix" to the problem. Due to new federal programs and funding, (in 1991 federal education I grant were changed to provide schools with $400 per each student diagnosed with ADD) schools are now allocated with in-school clinics and psychologists to help determine if students have learning disabilities. As a result of these new federal programs, and funding, schools today are no longer held responsible for a student's lack of performance. Now schools have a new "efficient" system to protect themselves. It works like this: if a child has trouble in math, he is deemed to have a mental disorder under code number 315.1 - "Mathematics Disorder," if a child can't write literature composition he/she must be suffering from code 315.2 - "Disorder in written Expression." (DeWeese) The list goes on and on and it is quite obvious that schools are well protected. With all the advertising of Ritalin as a cure for ADD and all the knowledge of it's existence and use, few people seem to be concerned or know anything of the side-effects that Ritalin has. Ritalin seems to the public to be a great drug to stop children from misbehaving and focus them on their academics to help them do better in school. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Ritalin however, actually has quite a few side effects to include but not limit to "brain damage, impaired learning, psychosis, depression and apathy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, motor tics, insomnia, reduced appetite, cardiovascular disease, growth suppression and even death." (Breggin) The results of Ritalin are not what you would expect; in fact using Ritalin causes brain entropy and thus a decrease in the students' academic performance. A bit of information not widely known about the Ritalin is that it does in some cases over a long period of time cause violent episodes. These violent episodes are not widely researched due to the fact that they are a long-term exposure side effect. Examples of these types of violent episodes are the Columbine shootings, where all the shooters had been diagnosed with ADD and prescribed Ritalin for drug therapy. In conclusion, American culture needs to change and become more of a traditional
Some common words found in the essay are:
Baughman Baugman, ADD ADHD, DeWeese Schools, Disturbing Behavior, Ritalin Ritalin, ADHD Teachers, Challenge ADD, Breggin Navartis, Ciba-Geigy Navartis, Disorder ADHD, add adhd, treatment add, diagnosed add, drug therapy, violent episodes, american culture, federal programs funding, care children, drug treatment, poorly school, corrective action,
Approximate Word count = 1538
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
