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Jack Hanley

Dr. Campbell

URWT-1104

8 November 2018

ADHD Medication: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

ADHD, a disorder that wasn’t recognized until 1955 has become a. In modern day, the

over prescription of ADHD medication has become an epidemic recognized by many doctors

and researchers. Just like any other drug they’re benefits and consequences that come with

taking the medication. Is taking the medication really worth the risk of being extremely

addicted and dependent on the drug? How hard is it to focus without the medication? ADHD

has become more and more of a hot topic of the past few years because of the possibility of

addiction. Doctors are willing to give prescriptions to almost everyone, how can doctors tell if

the patient truly needs the medication? It is important to note the positives and negatives that

the ADHD medication brings to create and educated opinion on this huge modern-day

controversy.

The three most popular drugs prescribed by doctors in 2018 is Adderall, Ritalin, and

Dexedrine. These three drugs all bring the same effect, an increase in focus, and increase in the

ability to perform everyday task in the most productive way possible. These three stimulants

work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain

that is linked to motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. Where these three stimulants

differ is the various symptoms associated with the medication. For the most part, they all share

common symptoms, but no two drugs can share the exact same symptoms. Most side effects of
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ADHD medication carry symptoms for around three to five days. If a patient feels intolerable

symptoms or other side effects that are presented after three to five days, they are told to

contact a clinician. It is important for the patient to speak up about their symptoms before

their experience with the medication becomes unpleasant. These stimulants are intended to

improve the day to day lives of people struggling with the disorder, which is why it is so

important for people to speak up about their problems with the medication to ensure that they

can find a solution.

They’re two classes of medication used to treat ADHD, stimulants and non-stimulants.

The stimulant medications become effective as soon as they enter the blood-brain barrier,

which generally takes around 45 minutes to an hour. For adults battling ADHD, it is easily

possible to find the right dose of the medication to maximize the effects of the drug but for

children recently diagnosed with ADHD it is much harder. The less common, non-stimulant

drugs such as Strattera, Kapvay, Wellbutrin and Intuniv take about 5 to 7 days until a user is

expected to see the effects of the drug. Due to the extended time non-stimulants take to enter

the blood stream, they have become the less common drug prescribed by doctors around the

U.S. Along with the extended time it takes to see results in the non-stimulants drugs, finding

the optimal dose for patients could take as long as a month.

An important aspect of ADHD medication is the varying effects between adults and

children, and no two people will react the exact same to the medication. For example, the most

common stimulant drug used to treat ADHD, Adderall, has been proven to work amazing for

one person and then bring another person negative effect, or no effects at all. Many parents of

children with ADHD have mentioned that they have seen the effect of the medication diminish
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a little as the child continues to take the drug. Some people have noticed a horrible reaction to

the medication the first time they take the drug but over time they have grown accustom to the

drug’s symptoms. The various reactions that users have with the different drugs used to treat

ADHD makes it very difficult for doctors to make the best choice on what drug and what dose

would best suit their patients.

With all medications that vary throughout the entire medical world, ADHD medications

are well-known to be linked with addiction. In fact, multiple studies in rats have suggested that

young pups exposed to Ritalin are more likely to display drug seeking behavior in their later

years. Similarly, children taking ADHD medication are more susceptible to become addicted to

their prescribed medications in their later years. This has become a huge issue in the United

States. One of the main problems with current high school and college students prescribed with

ADHD, is they believe that taking more than the prescribed amount isn’t necessarily bad for

them because it is a drug made to help their life. Many high school students take the drug to

lose weight or get high. Kids using the drug for this purpose are in fact abusing the drug. Kids

also use the drug with alcohol, so they are able consume more alcohol while not necessarily

feeling the effects of drinking. Kids are also known to crush, chew or snort the pills which is

considered abuse because the drug is not being used the way it was intended to be used.

Fortunately, there are many signs of addiction that you can physically see on people

struggling with prescription pill addiction. One of the most common signs of addiction are vision

problems, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. Also, most children struggling with addiction also

have terrible headaches during the day. The most common sign of addiction that is most

relevant is weight loss and loss of appetite. ADHD medication is known to create a loss of
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appetite and people are unwilling to eat much causing them to lose weight. Addiction to

prescription pills is a terrible habit, primarily because of the awful consequences in hold

because of it. Along with the physical signs of addiction there are multiple mental signs of

addiction. First of all, prescription drug addicts are more prone to angry outburst if they are

engaged in something that could heat their emotions. Along with angry outburst, addicts are

more likely to suffer from restlessness. Addicts are known to increase their level of talking and

interestingly, addicts are also known to possibly hallucinate and intense nervousness and

paranoia.

Intense use of ADHD medication cause one to become easily fatigued. One’s

cardiovascular system is also negatively affected by an over consumption of these medications.

Poor cardiovascular health can lead to many terrible health problems such as hard attacks.

Along with the health and mental problems links to the over consumption of medication,

addiction can lead to extreme familial problems. For children it can become a problem staying

focused in school, and adults may struggle trying to accomplish work with their addiction

problems. Drug addiction of any kind has been known to cause a problem between families, a

lot of times leading to divorce. Addiction unfortunately has become a problem in the United

States, and only since the late 1990’s have we really started to notice it.

It would be unfair to talk about the negatives of ADHD medication without speaking on

how they have benefitted everybody from children to older adults. ADHD works as a stimulant,

upon entering the bloodstream patients are expected to see the effects of the drug. The drug is

supposed to reduce the symptoms of ADHD, leading to users to become less hyperactive.

Patients should also feel less impulsive and have an increased ability to focus on their task.
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These medications such as Adderall, Kapva and Intuniv unfortunately do not treat all types of

learned behavior or other types of learning problems. These drugs are made specifically to treat

ADHD. Also, while Adderall may work extremely well for one person it is possible for someone

else to have a terrible reaction to the drug. It is important to know that medication cannot cure

ADHD, it can only relieve of some of the symptoms that the condition causes. ADHD,

inconveniently, comes in several different varieties making it very difficult to recognize and

diagnose the drug in the best way possible. Likewise, the various drugs are designed to manage

and treat different symptoms, which makes it very difficult to figure out the best medication for

each patient struggling with the disorder. The number of children diagnosed with ADHD has

spiked 40 percent between 2003 and 2011, leading to an intense surge of the amount of ADHD

medication being produced. Almost 70 percent of the people diagnosed with ADHD are taking

medication for the condition. Contrary to unpopular beliefs, people with ADHD who used

medication were over seven percent less likely to receive medical attention for a substance

abuse disorder. Studies have shown that people treated with medication are less likely to suffer

from chronic health problems relating to ADHD. This result is less children being diagnosed with

substance abuse, various STD’s, and unwanted pregnancies. Not only do ADHD medications

help prevent these health concerns but the drugs are known reduce the severity of these

problems when they do occur. Like everything else with ADHD medication, these side effects

vary between user and can be more severe to one person than another.

Overall, in recent years the surge of medication used for ADHD has changed the

production of these drugs dramatically. Medication like Adderall has become easy for children

to get their hands on even when they are not diagnosed with ADHD. For people who do
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struggle with ADHD the medication is usually very helpful to patients. Unfortunately, some

patients and other people who aren’t diagnosed with ADHD have been known to abuse the

drug which has caused a huge problem in modern day.

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Works Cited

Aubrey, Allison. “Misuse of ADHD Drugs By Young Adults Drives Rise In ER Visits.” NPR,
NPR, 16 Feb. 2016,
www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/02/16/466947829/of-adhd-drugs-linked-to-increased-er-
hospital-visits-study-finds.

Morash-Conway, J., Gendron, M. & Corkum, P. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord
September 31. 2017
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0204-7

Rice, Sabriya. “ADHD Medication Might Be Overprescribed in the U.S.” Modern Healthcare,
18 Mar. 2014, http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140318/NEWS/303189948.