The Ethics of Giving Children ADHD Medication - 1642 Words

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that causes children to have problems with paying attention, trouble with following instructions, have impulsive behaviors and become easily distracted. Medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are used to treat the symptoms of this disorder by helping the patient to focus and pay attention while also curbing their impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. Side effects of these medications are, but not limited to, anxiety, addiction and in some cases psychosis. Proponents of giving ADHD medication to children argue that ADHD is a real disorder in children and the medication does improve the symptoms of the disorder by a large margin as well as being cost effective.†¦show more content†¦The stimulant medications have been revealed to affect the prefrontal cortex of the brain that is responsible for making decisions, expressing one’s personality and paying attention (Basu). Stimulant medication affe cting the prefrontal cortex gives the why it clears the symptoms of this disorder but not the how. The stimulant medication taken for ADHD increases the levels of the two neurotransmitters in the brain one being dopamine, which causes good feelings and may play a role in the creation of memories, and nonepinephrine that is linked to paying attention and arousal (Basu). The increased levels of these two neurotransmitters and the region of the brain they interact with being the prefrontal cortex show the how and why these stimulant medications could be an effective treatment. The ADHD medication treating the symptoms of this disorder remarkably well is one of the reasons proponents back up the practice of using the medication for treatment so fiercely. Along with many other psychiatric disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one among several recognized by both the psychiatric and medical communities. The main treatment for this disorder is medication that can be used with or without behavioral therapy. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health came to the conclusion thatShow MoreRelatedThe Treatment Of Psychiatric Drugs1309 Words   |  6 PagesThe Use of Psychiatric Drugs To Treat Children Statistics determine that seventeen million children in the world have been prescribed psychiatric medications for mental illnesses or disorders (â€Å"Facts and Statistics†). In a society where one in four people suffer from a mental illness, it’s disturbing to find that many of these people are children. Many of these children will never have the opportunity to live normally without being under the influence of a drug. After taking a position as a leadRead MoreAdhd And Its Effects On Children1995 Words   |  8 Pageshyper, these are all signs of ADHD. ADHD can affect people of all ages, it doesn’t just affect children. ADHD is a mental health disorder that has an impact on the brain and body, influences individuals with ADHD s behavior by having them act out get easily distracted during school, work, driving and in personal relationships. ADHD is a lifelong condition that affects both sexes of all ages. Millions of people go through the symptoms and get diagnosed every day. ADHD is considered the most commonlyRead MoreThe Abuse of Psycho-Stimulants on College Campuses Essay2337 Words   |  10 Pagesstudent’s health, but also the transactions behind such abuse are highly illegal. This is an ethical issue formulated by a society’s willingness to accept or abuse pills, and the rate which doctors are willing to prescribe medications. Psycho-stimulants began being used to treat ADHD in the 1930’s when it was first observed to have positive effects on hyper activity. It was next synthesized in the form of Ritalin in 1957. This was prescribed to people who had issues with attentiveness and hyperactivityRead More The Ethics of the Mental Pursuit of Perfection Essay2778 Words   |  12 Pages * More than 1 million children and teenagers are taking drugs for some form of mental disorder (Elias, 2004). * There are close to 2 million cases each year of drug complications that result in 180,000 deaths or life-threatening illnesses in the eldery (Langreth, 2004). These alarming figures call us to question the causes behind this influx of diagnosed mental disorders as well as the consequential drug prescription as a solution. When asked to discuss the ethics of the mental pursuit ofRead MorePrescription Drugs And The United States And New Zealand1719 Words   |  7 Pages(para 6). This has resulted in a huge rise in psychotropic drug sales. This is a big problem. Consider Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). We now have millions of school-aged children taking strong anti-psychotic, highly addictive drugs to tame the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. We have teachers diagnosing the disorder (Phillips, 2006). It is of no surprise that the drug companies are involved with educating parents and teachers about Ritalin and AdderallRead MoreAdderall: Mircle or Curse Drug1751 Words   |  8 Pagesto treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (Adderall 1). Students who do not have ADHD or ADD have admitted to taking the drug to enhance their study or work process (Desantis, Hane 32). Not being distracted while studying or writing a paper seems like an amazing opportunity, but what students do not understand are the dangers of abusing a stimulant such as Adderall. Students, who do not have ADHD or ADD, and are using Adderall, are depending on aRead MoreMental Health Is Becoming Serious1776 Words   |  8 Pagesas Sandy Hook has placed our government in the position of reexamining and improving access to mental health treatment. Although the government sees a great need for changing it s unhurried I have witnessed mental health patients unable to get medication and have limited access to mental health care due to lack of insurance or other barriers. Mental health comes in many different faces some are being treated others are undiagnosed. The current economic crisis and environmental violence has createdRead MoreKV Pharmaceuticals Case Study E ssay3983 Words   |  16 PagesIntroduction Business ethics is an extremely important topic in our world today. This is especially true because of the fact that we live in a changing society where it has become increasingly common to see more and more cases of companies that participate in illegal, immoral and unethical activities. So that we can prevent these behaviors, it is necessary to study and understand how these situations can occur and what we can do to prevent them from happening. In this research paper, we willRead MoreAbnormal Psychology Terms9960 Words   |  40 Pagesreally help? I keep hearing bad things about how kids act once they leave. based on research, the person who said this would be most accurate if she or he were expressing reservations about a doctor in a TV drama suggests using antidepressant medication in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. based on the most current research, you know a 3-year-old child is wetting the bed at night. the bed wetting apparently is beyond the childs control. the best diagnosis is a 16-year-old has justRead MoreYoung People Essay14812 Words   |  60 PagesStandard 1: understanding the principles and values essential for working with children and young people. 1. Principles and values a. Show how you promote the principles and values essential for working with children; young people their families and their carers. .At Clayfields house all children, young people their families and carers are all treated with respect. Families and carers are always updated on children’s or young people’s progress during their time at Clayfields and any