Is Adhd a Real Disorder
Jenny Alvarez
September 2, 2010
Pysc 2105
Analysis Paper
Issue 12: Is ADHD a Real Disorder?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or commonly ADHD, is a supposed disorder in which a person has trouble controlling their behavior or paying attention. The condition usually becomes apparent in early school years. It is approximated that about 3 to 5 percent of children have this disorder. That is about 2 million children in the United States alone and in each classroom it is very likely that at least one child will suffer from ADHD. Many argue that the symptoms are just related to excessive fatigue or stress and that the treatments diagnosed are only hurting the person more. Is ADHD a real disorder or just a “fad diagnosis” as physiologist Rogers H. Wright suggest?
The first article presented the idea that ADHD is a real disorder. ADHD first gained fame when it first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III 30 years ago. Many argued that the behaviors are normal in young children while others argued that leaving affected children untreated will have consequences in adulthood and will also place them in a social, academic, and emotional disadvantage. In this article the National Institute of Mental Health explains the symptoms of the disorder. Some of the symptoms included inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The two main types of the disorder include Hyperactivity-impulsivity and Inattention. In Hyperactivity-impulsivity the patient is usually squirming in there seat, blurting out answers, having difficulty in line, or running around uncontrollably. In Inattention the patient usually fails to pay attention to details, rarely follows instructions, and often easily becomes distracted by sights and sounds. Although humans may show some behaviors of the disorder, to be considered ADHD the behaviors have to be excessive, long-term, and pervasive. That is they have to be not just a temporary situation but the
September 2, 2010
Pysc 2105
Analysis Paper
Issue 12: Is ADHD a Real Disorder?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or commonly ADHD, is a supposed disorder in which a person has trouble controlling their behavior or paying attention. The condition usually becomes apparent in early school years. It is approximated that about 3 to 5 percent of children have this disorder. That is about 2 million children in the United States alone and in each classroom it is very likely that at least one child will suffer from ADHD. Many argue that the symptoms are just related to excessive fatigue or stress and that the treatments diagnosed are only hurting the person more. Is ADHD a real disorder or just a “fad diagnosis” as physiologist Rogers H. Wright suggest?
The first article presented the idea that ADHD is a real disorder. ADHD first gained fame when it first appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-III 30 years ago. Many argued that the behaviors are normal in young children while others argued that leaving affected children untreated will have consequences in adulthood and will also place them in a social, academic, and emotional disadvantage. In this article the National Institute of Mental Health explains the symptoms of the disorder. Some of the symptoms included inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The two main types of the disorder include Hyperactivity-impulsivity and Inattention. In Hyperactivity-impulsivity the patient is usually squirming in there seat, blurting out answers, having difficulty in line, or running around uncontrollably. In Inattention the patient usually fails to pay attention to details, rarely follows instructions, and often easily becomes distracted by sights and sounds. Although humans may show some behaviors of the disorder, to be considered ADHD the behaviors have to be excessive, long-term, and pervasive. That is they have to be not just a temporary situation but the