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How Is Adhd Being Diagnosed?

Essay by   •  August 13, 2011  •  Case Study  •  1,205 Words (5 Pages)  •  1,988 Views

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How is ADHD being diagnosed? The criteria for the diagnosis are all subjective and comparative, meaning that one person may look at a child and reach the diagnosis of ADHD while another sees a perfectly normal child. This leads to a large number of misdiagnoses of ADHD and harms a large number of children and teens each year. These "findings" could indicate something of a whole other matter, such as, boredom or possibly the superior intelligence of that person. Hyperactivity could be caused by immaturity and poor attitudes which could be a result of their environment. There is very limited evidence that ADHD even exists, and there are surely no clinical studies supporting the idea of a chemical basis relating to this syndrome. The damage done to children with this diagnosis is insurmountable and irrevocable, and forgets to look at what is known about behavior of certain age groups. Aren't adolescents supposed to be overly energetic?

Ritalin is a stimulant closely related to the drug amphetamine. It is known that in 2003, 10,000,000 children and adolescence in the United States took Ritalin. Several countries have banned the use of Ritalin because of the possible indications of psychosis and violence. Enough is known about the negative effects of this medication on all levels of development of a child. In fact the FDA has ignored studies reporting the adverse effects of Ritalin. The House of Representatives even released their concerns regarding Ritalin, and then in turn the drug was suggested to improve learning and have long term beneficial effects by the U.S Department of Education. Still the FDA has continued to ignore any concerns including the House of Representatives. Enough is even known about Ritalin to stop its use treating psychological problems in children. However the drug companies obviously are invested enough to cause the use of this drug to continue to be used and rise in its use. These drug companies invest money to Scientists and Universities to improve their facilities, shouldn't this raise some questions? . Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has become the single most common diagnosis for children with problems concentrating in school or who consistently misbehave. The medical treatment for this condition consists of prescribed doses of stimulants, which increase mental activity and slow down the impulsive outbursts associated with ADHD. However, it is estimated that this diagnosis is reached and medications are prescribed three times more often than is actually the case. Ritalin raises many health concerns and has a direct impact on the development of that individual. Drugging unruly children because of a supposed disorder is a method of social control. .

While ADHD is a valid developmental and behavioral disorder, there is not an empirical test that can positively determine whether a child does or does not suffer from it. There has risen a trend in our society that every child that is having troubles with concentrating, paying attention or is causing troubles probably has ADHD. Only a few decades ago we had not even heard of this disorder and now almost 3% of every child beneath 17 is diagnosed with it. The diagnosis of this disorder has increased in the last thirty years over 500%. Also since Ritalin is the obvious drug of choice, its production has increased over the same time period. There are many related disorders to ADHD that are mostly diagnosed as ADHD.

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