While I was watching the video “The Medicated child” I couldn’t stop feeling uncomfortable to see how many kids are asked to take medication at an early age. It is very sad to see that there is a large number of children who have the need to take medications and how this medication attempt to help them with certain issues but at the same time is creating a new issue/health problem on them. For example, on the first case that it was shown on the video, Jacob didn’t had any serious problem until the age of three, and after his third birthday a teacher suggest that he was hyperactive (he had no impulsive control), and a Pre-K teacher suggested to give him medication. Therefore, his parents decided to take him to a psychiatric. And this is when…
In this week’s reading, one can see that the overwhelming prevalence of comorbidities in students that have been diagnosed with emotional and behavior disorders. The linkage of the two directly correlate to the student’s inability to make rational decisions. Throughout the chapter, the authors suggest that there is no clearly defined diagnosis or intervention process. As a result, the assumption can be made that children may be improperly diagnosed as early as three years of age. A further assumption can be made that the effects of common ADD/ADHD drugs have resulted in little to no effect by the time the child has reached adulthood and ultimately indirectly resulting in substance abuse (Visser, 2010). The result, according to studies, has led to the creation of biophysical drug rehab programs that are aimed at treating children who have become addicted to what can commonly be referred to as “street drugs” to recreate the effect of medication that is no longer providing one. As relating to ADD/ADHD, the classes of drugs that are often used are considered to be highly addictive by the…
We claim that we are a society of "Just Say No To Drugs." Then why are there are approximately four million children on Ritalin today. (Connecting with Kids, Fox News 43, November 13, 2000) The World Health Organization and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) place Ritalin in the same category as cocaine, morphine and opium. These drugs are known to have the highest potential for abuse and are very addictive. Literature that is given to parents, does not address the abuse potential or actual abuse of methylphenidate, a generic for Ritalin. It is portrayed to be a mild substance that is not associated with abuse or serious side effects. In reality,…
Shute, N., Locy, T., & Pasternak, D. (2000). The perils of pills: The psychiatric medication of children is dangerously haphazard . U.S. News and World Report, Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/000306/archive_021339_5.htm.…
Rhoda Penmark, upon whom The Bad Seed is based, suffers from an antisocial personality disorder. To the common person, she would be known as a psychopath or a sociopath. It can be hypothesized that Rhoda suffers from antisocial personality disorder because the motives to her crimes are for her own self-fulfillment.…
The use of pharmacological treatment to manage behavioral problems, such as EBD and ADHD, is a frequently used, yet highly controversial topic. Medication seems to be the quick, convenient solution to behavioral problems. Research, for the most part, has shown positive results regarding medicating children with behavioral disorders, according to Rosenberg, Westling, and McLeskey (2007). However, many concerns, regarding the long-term health and social impact of this type of intervention, are being raised. Although medication may seem like the easiest solution, many wonder whether it is the most advantageous solution.…
The Problem: A Historical & Social Perspective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsive, hyperactive, distractive tendencies, and difficulties focusing.1 While the nature of this condition may be “maladaptive” in the context of modern society, some authors have viewed ADHD as having beneficial qualities in our evolutionary past.2, 3 Etiologic research indicates that natural selection favoured ADHD traits because they were necessary for hunting, and therefore survival.2, 3 As civilization developed over multiple centuries however, these inherent traits became ‘medical symptoms’ of a neurological disorder, simply because these traits had no adaptive function in its emerging culture. In the 1980’s ADHD had become widely accepted as a medical disorder, and soon after was the development of prescribed treatments such as Adderall to diminish the symptoms.4 Approved by the FDA in 1996, Adderall quickly became one of the most commonly prescribed medications for ADHD, and still is today.5 The use of Adderall however has become a growing concern specifically among university students, due to the substantial increase in illegal Adderall consumption across university campuses.6 Whether students are seeking an academic edge, suppressing their appetite to induce weight loss, or simply wanting to feel high, these ‘rewarding’ outcomes induced by Adderall have contributed to its popularity among university students.7 Research of the literature unearths an especially alarming theme, indicating that the use of Adderall by students has become a salient part of the university culture.4 Of the 34% of college students who admitted to the illicit use of ADHD medication, 63% reported that their first use was during college.4 The former percentage is likely an underestimation of the true prevalence, as subjects may not openly admit to…
Many students today who were diagnosed with EBD or ADHD were prescribed some type of medication to help manage their symptoms. In my opinion I feel as though many children benefit greatly from these medications, especially those with severe cases. On the other hand I also feel as though we are depending too much on these medications, which leads to some children receiving medications they may not need. Overall, I am at a crossroads when it comes to medicating children with EBD and ADHD.…
diagnoses, and in turn an unprecedented increase in Adderall prescriptions followed. In the past decade, the number e .H.D. diagnoses (Pierson 1). This has led to an increase in the supply of Adderall sold to those without a prescription (Pierson 1). If there weren’t as many prescriptions, the number of people using Adderall dangerously would decrease greatly. The worst part is how the doctors prescribe these people, especially children, with such a dangerous drug. In the documentary The Medicated Child, Dr. Patrick Bacon, a psychiatrist in Denver, Colorado with a degree from The University of Michigan, says he thinks of these prescriptions as “experiments”, due to the inexact nature of prescribing the right amount of Adderall to each person (The Medicated Child). This presents another problem entirely, due to the danger of taking too much of a drug at one time. This isn’t an easily fixable problem either, because there is no way to tell how what dosage a person should receive other than trial and error, and this trial and error of a “non-addictive drug” can lead to huge amounts of addiction and substance…
All of these reasons are great reasons to believe kids are being overdiagnosed with prescription drugs for ADHD. This disorder takes a lot more than just a pill so if you think the prescription drugs will help with no other treatment you're wrong. That is why i think kids with ADHD are being…
After examining the situation, I understand that my discomfort comes from the conflict between the behavior of the agency workers and the code of ethics the NASW has provided. The code of ethics is big on human dignity and respect as well as confidentiality and self-determination I feel that in this situation all three were compromised. By speaking out against someone while they're not around to defend their selves you do not give them self-determination or respect and dignity. By speaking of clients and the client’s problems without their presence makes me think that their confidentiality is being violated. However, I do not have information saying whether the clients have given permission for them to speak to each other…
My first argument is that society today has become much too reliant on prescription medications and it has gotten to be out of control on many grounds. The two groups of individuals I feel are most at risk for this type of over-indulgence are children and the elderly. A third group of concern involves the mentally impaired or depressed segment of society, which I will get to. But first, I will divulge my assessment of children’s psychiatry from my viewpoint. A century ago, parents were free to discipline their children in the way they saw fit. As a result, children grew up to be respectable adults with jobs and accountability for their actions. There were still those who deviated of course, but it seems it was much less prevalent than it is today. Now, we have become a society who is afraid to discipline their children for fear of repercussion from social services and the threat of losing their children. As a result, we now have many children growing up who learn that they are in charge of their parents. These children are not…
Within the past few years, more children are being prescribed atypical anti-psychotic medication. Anti-psychotic medications are harmful to children. Parents have a choice rather or not to put their children on this type of medication, but they usually let the doctors make that choice for them. However, doctors need to stop prescribing anti-psychotic drugs to children due to there being a lack of research on the long-term effects, also there are major health issues and side effects associated with these medications, and doctors need to educate parents and help them to find a healthier alternative.…
If one is diagnosed wrongly, there is a possibility that the hyperactivity of an individual can increase. In these cases, ADHD is mistaken for immaturity. Some people just never grow up and the immaturity rate they have makes it look like they have a hyperactivity condition. "Some 6.4 million American children aged between 4 and 17 have received an ADHD diagnosis at some point in their lives, the US government scientists found" (Swaine). Not all individuals diagnosed have the actual condition, but rather act as if the medication is a necessity for everyday life. "Dr. Graf said that it was now clear that American parents were encouraging the medication of their children merely to enhance their mental performance rather than to cure an illness" (Swaine). The effects of ADHD medication can be very beneficial. Generally, one who actually has the condition can be less disruptive if they are put on the right medication. An individual can also be less distracted with the use of ADHD medication. Being less distracted and less disruptive can make it easier to get certain tasks…
According to studies there are more than an estimated 6 million kids aging in the range of 4 to 17 that’s been diagnosed with ADHD which is an increase of 15 or more percent since studies done in 2007 regarding ADHD and it is over a 40 percent increase from in the past ten years. Most of the children diagnosed with ADHD have received prescriptions to use stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse, which are known to tremendously improve individuals’ lives that suffer with ADHD however these drugs can result to an individual to have anxiety, psychosis, and can lead to addiction. Many of people are floored at the astronomical numbers such as a professor of Yale that studies medicine where he states “Mild symptoms are being diagnosed so readily, which goes well beyond the disorder and the zone of ambiguity to pure enhancement of children who are otherwise healthy” (Dr. W. Graf, 2013). To make matters worse there will be a larger number of teenagers that are going to be prescribed Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin in the foreseeable future because the APA (American Psychiatric Association) is considering changing the meaning and definitions of ADHD to allow room for more individuals to be diagnosed with the disorder which means more will be treated with stimulants. ADHD is normally described by many doctors as a result of chemical levels abnormity that is associated in the brain that impair an individual’s attention skills and impulses control (NIMH, 2013).…