ADD
In the United States, where there are over 63 million children, three to five percent of these children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Skeptics suggest psychiatrists are too ready to make a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and too quick to dismiss them with a chemical fix. Despite the high rates of diagnosis, this condition is often overlooked by many parents, teachers and health professionals and scoffed at by others who suggest the condition is simply a grab-all term for children with a range of behavior problems. Children with these disorders, particularly those with ADHD, are often dismissed as hyperactive children and misdiagnosed as emotionally disturbed, or deficient in proper home training. To the affected individual, however, the condition is very real. Many children have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior; and for a select group of children, it is a daily struggle to cope with these behavioral problems, which never seem to go away. ADD often interferes with their daily life, school assignments and social interactions. Progress has been slow but despite scientific obstacles and ongoi
Although stimulant drugs are highly effective in treating the symptoms of ADD, they are not without side effects, some of which are common, some uncommon, and others very rare. Weight loss, irritability, abdominal pain, insomnia, and mild social withdrawal and anxiety are all short-term effects, in addition to mood swings as the medication slowly wears off. Overmedication can often lead to a decrease in mental task performance. Symptoms of the tic disorder, depression, hypertension, and rapid heartbeat may also occur. With Cylert, abnormal liver functions associated with chemical hepatitis may take place in up to 3% of individuals, thereby making careful monitoring of the liver functions essential. Dizziness, nightmares, fatigue, lethargy, anxiety, fearfulness, hives, rash, and mild nonspecific complaints have all been associated to stimulant drug agents during treatment of ADD (Quinn 23). Possible psychological dependence and addiction to these drugs has been studied, but no conclusive evidence demonstrating any increased incidence of dependence has been found. "Though stimulants have been used in ADD children for over half a century, there is no evidence of addiction, dependency or an increased risk of later substance abuse" (Goldstein 1993). Many of the specific side effects mentioned can be effectively managed by changing the dosage or form of the drug prescribed (Quinn 23). The most conclusive evidence that genetics can contribute to ADHD, however, comes from studies of twins. Jacquelyn J. Gillis, then at the University of Colorado, and her colleagues reported in 1992 that the ADHD risk of a child whose identical twin has the disorder is between 11 and 18 times greater than that of a non-twin sibling of a child with ADHD; between 55 and 92 percent of the identical twins of children with ADHD eventually develop the condition. In one of the largest twin studies of ADHD, Helene Gjone and Jon M. Sundet of the University of Oslo with Jim Stevenson of the University of Southampton in England found that ADHD has a heritability approaching 80 percent, meaning that up to 80 percent of the differences in attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity between people with ADHD and those without the disorder can be explained by genetic factors. It seems clear there is a gender and genetic connection to the disorder. On the average, at least one child in every classroom in the United States needs help for the disorder (Neuwirth 1) and four to nine times more boys than girls are found to have ADD (Cyr 216). The reason for this gender difference is not known. Some research also points to genetics since ADD tends to run in families. Children with the disorder have been found to have at least one close relative exhibiting the disorder. Ten percent of ADD parents are also hyperactive. "And at least one-third of all fathers who had ADD in their youth bear children who have ADD. Even more convincing, the majority of identical versus fraternal twins share the trait" (Neuwirth 7). Often, the social skills of a child can be affected, though this is not always true: Medication can help to control some of the behavioral problems associated with ADD, but it does not aid in coping with the emotional repercussions that a disorder like this one can incur. For many of the children affected with ADD, being scolded is the only attention they receive from their parents. They rarely experience moments that build their sense of self worth and competence. If they are hyperactive, then they are often told that they are misbehaving and are punished for being disruptive (Neuwirth 16). Often misunderstood and mislabeled as being rude or lazy, ADD affected children facing the daily frustrations that come with having this disorder can make them fear that they are either stupid, abnormal, or strange. Both parents and children need to develop techniques for managing the patterns of behavior as well as the frustration and anger that results
Some common words found in the essay are:
ADD Psychotherapy, ADD ADHD, Ritalin Dexedrine, ADD Evaluation, Clomipramine Anafril, ADD Quinn, ADHD Richardson, Disorder ADHD, University Chicago, ADD Cyr, children add, stimulant drugs, add children, attention deficit, quinn 23, children adhd, attention deficit disorder, social skills, add affected, treatment add, deficit disorder, short attention span, schweitzer 2001 stimulant, parents teachers health, 2001 stimulant drugs,
Approximate Word count = 6036
Approximate Pages = 24 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
