Arguments Against Adhd

The Argument against Drug Therapy in Children with ADHD
There has been a great increase of interest in the treatment of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children from a scientific perspective as well as from a societal standpoint. The attention on this disorder has been reflected in the number of carried out researches, books, and scientific articles that explain the best treatment options for this common childhood disorder. In the same manner, big progress has been accomplished in handling and understanding the treatment of ADHD in children with drug therapy. Most children who are diagnosed with ADHD nowadays are being helped with favorable and considerable results due to this approach, which wouldn’t have been the case
a few decades ago when the disorder wasn’t effectively recognized and most often untreated. For parents, it is particularly vital to seek for the best treatment alternatives in order to ensure that their children receive the most effective and safest therapy available. Therefore, it is important to obtain a thorough understanding of the children’s behavior and learning problems before deciding to intervene or even considering a treatment plan. Even though there are numerous treatment plans, not all are equally beneficial for all children suffering of ADHD. Parents may feel distressed when seeking effective yet safe aid for their children since they find themselves misinformed and confused. In their desperation, parents can opt for treatments that may sound effective but are not necessarily the least detrimental. No matter how well-educated or how well-intentioned parents are. If they don’t count with the expertise necessary to evaluate the effects of treating their children with rigorous drug regimens, they won’t be able to recognize the potent hazards they are exposing their kids when choosing these treatment therapies.The purpose of this paper is to inform parents and to prove with supporting evidence that drug therapy for the management of ADHD in children is not the best treatment approach. In fact, the main focus of this work is to reveal that intensive drug regimens used to treat children with ADHD must be avoided since the side effects of such substances are more detrimental than beneficial.
According to Anastopoulos and Shelton (1994), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder describes “individuals who display developmentally excessive levels of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity” (Article section, para. 1). The history of the term “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” is a short one; it was given its current clinical nomenclature in 1987. But the history of ADHD goes beyond a simple name. The trademark inattentiveness and fidgeting that characterize the behavioral disorder have been documented for centuries.
As early as 1798, a doctor called Sir Alexander Crichton focused his study on what was called “mental restlessness.” About 100 years later another scientific called Sir George Frederick Still from the UK studied the behavior of 20 children.
The behaviors Mr. Frederick identified among these children included disobedience, spitefulness, and insecurity. He labeled the children’s behavior, “a morbid defect in moral control.” Later during the 19th century, the most used treatment approach for “immoral children” was physical punishment (Krans, 2012). Luckily, this treatment methodology changed when scientists began to explore the connection between bad behavior and biological
factors.
The first major scientific achievement took place in 1937, when Benzedrine was first used for the treatment of children with hyperactivity. Around 1950s, ADHD was labeled as “hyperkinetic syndrome” and was normally treated with stimulants such as Ritalin. By the 1960s, it was finally understood that “the disorder was not instigated by poor parenting or bad behavior, but was in fact a biological condition that tended to run in families” (Krans, 2012). Finally, in 1970, Doctor Conan Kornetsky theorized that stimulant drug therapy control children with ADHD since they increase the amount of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, in the brain (Anastopoulos & Shelton, 1994). Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages among the brain’s neurons. While it is still unknown exactly which neurotransmitters are responsible for ADHD, it is now proven that the condition is a consequence of changes of the chemistry in the brain and not because of “immorality.”
Some of the indications of ADHD are poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
These symptoms can negatively affect a children 's academic performance. Compared to children without this disorder, children who suffer of ADHD tend to have lower grades, lower math and reading scores, and are more likely to repeat a year or drop out of school (NIMH, 2009). Recent studies have revealed that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who take medication to treat the condition are more likely to improve their academic performance than children with ADHD who do not take medication. (NIMH, 2009). In a systematic review conducted on academic achievement among children with ADHD in 2013, authors Brogan, Mulvaney, Grainge, Stanton, and Sayal concluded, “In terms of academic performance, this review has found that drug treatment for ADHD benefited children in the amount of assigned seatwork that they completed, across three different drugs at both high and low doses” (Brogan et al., 2013). Even though stimulant drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall are known to improve attention and self- control, they won’t necessarily add up to a patient being a better student by test score standards. In a study done at the University of Michigan in 2012, researchers suggested that expanding the use of the medication in the population might have “negative consequences given the average way these drugs are used in the community” (Klimas, 2013). Moreover, studies
reported by the Wall Street Journal were found to have a lack of improvements in grades “surprising because the drugs seem to have the potential to improve memory, among other cognitive skills” (Riddle, 2013).
Although drug therapy approaches have helped many children who suffer of ADHD, there are a lot of scientific suggestions that such treatments involve real dangers for children, including drug abuse later in life, reduce growth, and altered circadian rhythms.
References
Advokat, C. (2009). What Exactly Are the Benefits of Stimulants for ADHD? Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(6), 495-498. doi: 10.1177/1087054708329781
Anastopoulos, A.D., Barkley, R.A., & Shelton, T.L. (1994). The history and diagnosis of attention- deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Therapeutic Care and Education (now called Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties), 3(2), 96-110.Golden, S. M. (2009). Does Childhood Use of Stimulant Medication as a Treatment for ADHD Affect the Likelihood of Future Drug Abuse and Dependence? A Literature Review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 18(4), 343-358. doi: 10.1080/10678280903185500
Ironside, S., Davidson, F., & Corkum, P. (2010). Circadian motor activity affected by stimulant medication in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Sleep Research, 19(4), 546-551. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00845.x
Prasad, V., Brogan, E., Mulvaney, C., Grainge, M., Stanton, W., & Sayal, K. (2013). How effective are drug treatments for children with ADHD at improving on-task behaviour and academic achievement in the school classroom? A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(4), 203-216. doi: 10.1007/s00787-012-0346-x
Spencer, S. V., Hawk, L. W., Richards, J. B., Shiels, K., Pelham, W. E., & Waxmonsky, J. G. (2009). Stimulant Treatment Reduces Lapses in Attention among Children with ADHD: The Effects of Methylphenidate on Intra-Individual Response Time Distributions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37(6), 805-816. doi: 10.1007/s10802-009-9316-2