Toledo 1 Jada Toledo Prof. S.

Lago English 1100 From Medication to Meditation Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are misdiagnosed with an illness or disorder, with most of them actually being treated for the illness/disorder they were misdiagnosed with. Out of the thousands, would you ever think that you or a loved one could be a part of that number? If you or someone you love was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, you might. After the diagnosis, treatment is another question. Stimulant drugs to guarantee the right results, alternative means to help me/them along, or nothing? These are questions that parents of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, and individuals diagnosed with ADD/ADHD dont often enough ask themselves. School age children in America are the highest concentration of individuals with ADD/ADHD, and are the most misdiagnosed. Parents tend to assume their child has ADD/ADHD because their child has a short attention span, or cannot sit still for very long, but this is really a trait of young children. After the age of 6, a psychiatrist can clinically diagnose a child with ADD/ADHD. A Psychiatrist is a medical professional, much like a psychologist, who can diagnose a mental illness and prescribe the appropriate medication. Before the age of 6, a diagnosis cannot be made at all. According to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-V) there are nine key symptoms used to diagnose ADD/ADHD that

Toledo 2 must be present for at least 6 months prior to diagnosis, must be inconsistent with developmental level, and must have a direct negative impact on Academic, Social, and Occupational activities. These symptoms include: not listening when spoken to directly, difficulty organizing tasks and activities, avoiding to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort, losing important things, and often forgetful of everyday tasks, none of which manifest from defiance or inability to comprehend. Most Psychiatrists dont see or observe a child long enough to make the correct diagnosis. Similarly, many parents only notice their childs inattentiveness and hyperactivity, never looking beyond that for more concrete symptoms. The reason for a childs hyperactivity can be boundless in reality, and ADHD may not be the reason. In fact, a child who is unusually precocious or gifted may express the same symptoms as a child with ADD/ADHD. Webb and Latimer (1993) state that children who are gifted may spend a quarter to half of the school day waiting for their classmates to catch up. (Connor) Many parents dont have the time or patience to explore the possible reasons for their childs behavior. The parents want whats best for their child, so they take a trip to the psychiatrist. Any suggestions of ADD/ADHD from another person such as teachers, school nurses, or other parents are not a diagnosis, and at least one Psychiatrist should be consulted. Having a prescription for an ADHD/ADD managing drug, such as Adderall, Concerta, or Ritalin is like a simple and easy way out for all involved, but is not always the best course of treatment. After an initial diagnosis, a parents first thought is that their child needs to be put on medication to calm them down, but medication is not always needed and should be used only as a last resort. Some

Toledo 3 Psychiatrists jump to prescribe medication to children with ADD/ADHD, and never even utilize the other ways to manage the disorder. They do this to keep a patient, knowing that the parents must pay them for monthly visits from there on out to keep the medication prescriptions coming in. Stimulant prescriptions can only be prescribed monthly without any pre-set refills, so they must obtain the prescriptions on a month-to-month basis. The parent feels that they will have piece of mind because they know that their child can now behave at school, they will not have to worry about the teachers calling them during work anymore, and they can be happy knowing their child is actually learning now. The child, theoretically, will be able to fight their urge to fidget, lose focus, and can now retain information taught to them in school much easier, this ideally increases self confidence and self efficacy, but that may not always be the case. The use of these drugs, if not properly supervised can lead to other problems, such as eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa, tooth decay due to the side effect of dry mouth, elevated blood pressure, cardiac arrest, and manic depression. Some Psychiatrists jump to prescribe medication to children with ADD/ADHD, and never even utilize the other ways to manage the disorder such as: Meditation or Yoga to help ease the unwanted hyperactivity, Setting up a daily schedule and having a set time to have daily activities done by, Making bed time earlier to cut down on the irritability and moodiness often associated with ADD/ADHD, and keeping a visual aid to record achievements and improvement. Similarly, Most parents dont take advantage of the many other ways to treat or to

Toledo 4 help their children focus more and better manage their time simply because they are uneducated on the subject. The rate of individuals being diagnosed with ADHD has skyrocketed since its discovery in 1902 by George Fredrick Still. In 1970, when it was introduced to the DSM-III, there was only a mere 1% of total diagnosed cases of ADHD. In 2007, the percentage of children ages 4-17 diagnosed with ADHD was at 7.8%, with 4.3% of them on stimulant medication. (Hartnett) The diagnosis of ADD/ADHD rose as the acceptance for the disorder did. In 1997, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act officially recognized ADD/ADHD as a disability, making children with an ADD/ADHD diagnosis able to receive school accommodations. Also in the 1990s, Congress had expanded criteria for Medicaid, making the medications for the disorder more readily accessible than in past years, and making way for studies on the effects of the drugs on children. The pharmaceutical industry has also played a big role in the over diagnosis and treatment of ADD/ADHD. The production quotas for stimulant medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta have risen more than 50%. The over production of the drugs makes doctors and pharmacists want to sell them faster, so they make it so much easier to have them prescribed. There is almost an over abundance of these drugs. When children who dont need the medication have access to it, they sometimes begin to sell it to friends and acquaintances. Stimulant medication to treat ADD/ADHD should be a last resort. Ideally, if a child were complaining of a headache a doctor wouldnt assume that the child has a brain tumor and send them in for brain surgery. Headaches are a symptom of many

Toledo 5 ailments, from simple tiredness to yes, a brain tumor. Restlessness and lack of ability to concentrate is not in itself ADD/ADHD, they are symptoms of the disorder. Assuming that the child with restlessness has ADD/ADHD is the same as assuming that the child with a headache has a brain tumor. The underlying reason for each should be explored before choosing a course of treatment. If the problem could possibly be treated with non-medicinal means, exploring the options could prove very beneficial for all involved, in the short term and long run. Having a diagnosis or a child who was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD isnt quite the life sentence of stupidity that it was once thought to be. The vast amount of resources and help available to those with the disorder and parents with children who have the disorder are right at the tips of your fingers. From medication to meditation, children have the tools to fight it. What may be right for one child may not be what is right for another. Both, alternative methods and medication should be looked into, to find the one or combination of treatment that works the best.

Toledo 6 Works Cited Hartnett, D. N., Jason M. Nelson, and Anne N. Rinn. "Gifted Or ADHD? The Possibilities of Misdiagnosis." Roeper Review 26.2 (2004): 73-6. ProQuest. Web. 7 Nov. 2013

Connor, Daniel F., M.D. "Problems of Overdiagnosis and Overprescribing in ADHD." Psychiatric Times 28.8 (2011): 14-8. ProQuest.Web. 7 Nov. 2013.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V DSM-v. Washingon DC: APPI, 2013. Hardcover.