Adhd Position Paper

Running Head: ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVY DISORDER 1

New Government Regulations Concerning Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Chris Haddeland

Linfield College

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER 2

Table of Contents

Preface……………………………………………………………………………………………..3

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………7

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..8

The Debate………………………………………………………………………………...8

ADHD Symptoms…………………………………………………………………………………9

Untreated ADHD………………………………………………………………………...10

The Diagnostic Process…………………………………………………………………………..11

Guidelines………………………………………………………………………………..11

Misdiagnosis……………………………………………………………………………..12

Treatment………………………………………………………………………………………...14

Therapy…………………………………………………………………………………..14

Medication……………………………………………………………………………….15

Stimulant Medications…………………………………………………………...16

Non-Stimulant Medications……………………………………………………...18

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….19

References………………………………………………………………………………………..21


Preface

All-nighters and caffeine induced headaches were a common theme during this past

semester. Numerous tabs on my laptop filled with information about attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder were open, and there I was, wishing I had started the assignment on

Thursday instead of Sunday night. Obviously procrastination was not my friend, not with the

extensive editing and researching that I had to conduct to finish each assignment.

Playing a sport, taking 16 credits and working for The Linfield Review did not help me in

anyway in terms of time available to spend on Information Gathering homework. Baseball takes

up the majority of my free time. With three-hour practices four days a week and weekends

consumed by double-headers and extra inning ball games, an average of about 25 hours a week

was spent on baseball, and that was if we played at home. Road trips were a whole different

story. Those trips could consist of a plane flight to the southern half of the Western United

States, a nine-hour bus ride to Lewiston, Id or just a simple 45-minute bus ride to Portland, Ore.

Either way these trips were a brutal blockade in my attempt to complete my assignments. With

no Internet on the bus, I was basically helpless, left counting down the moments until I would

have to start on my delayed work. Along with baseball, I had other class work that competed

with Information Gathering over my time (Info Gathering always won). Countless reading

assignments were skipped, tests went unstudied for and quizzes came out of the blue, luckily I

managed to get through all of them without too large of a performance declination. The Linfield

Review did me no favors either, having to spend some of my limited writing abilities and time on

articles. All together I spent at a minimum of 45 hours a week were spent on other activities not

including Information Gathering or sleep. I wish I could say that this was the reason for my late

starts on assignments, but unfortunately it was my inability to get started, also known as


procrastination, that got me. I got through it by powering through my work, dedicating Sunday,

Monday and Tuesday nights solely to Information Gathering. I sacrificed my social life and more

importantly sleep. Sleep came sparingly on those nights, and was made up for later in the week,

so I could be well rested for my Saturday start in baseball.

My first experience with Information Gathering came last spring. One of my best friends,

Zach Manley, had a slightly different experience than the one I am currently having. He, like me,

was playing baseball during the class, which did him no favors. Eventually sickness, the time

commitment and workload got to Zach and he had to drop the class. He told me that taking

Information Gathering during baseball was a dumb decision. However, I believed that I had the

discipline to manage my time efficiently enough to get all my work done, and so far my

prediction has been right.

This class was extremely difficult. Not only was the work high intensity and fast paced,

but there was a significant amount of it. Luckily we started gradually, only writing five or six

pages a week. This allowed my to get my feet underneath me and see the specific areas of my

writing that I was struggling in. As the semester went on the workload increased, but so did my

writing ability. A five-page assignment would have been a breeze in mid-March, but my

professors kept pushing the class, making sure we had to put a similar effort into all of our

assignments.

I chose my topic on ADHD for a couple reasons. Although I am not a pre-med major, or

involved in any sort of science courses at Linfield, I am interested slightly in the medical field.

Both my parents work in the medical field, and I find the work they do to be interesting. A

second reason I chose this topic is because of how many friends I have that are diagnosed with

ADHD. This is a super common disorder and I wanted to understand what was going on in their


brain because of the disorder. I also was interested in the effects that stimulant medication has on

people who take it.

Over the course of the semester I learned plenty about writing, researching and myself. I

believed this is the largest stride I have ever made in my writing ability. I feel comfortable

editing any paper I write and am certain that it will be a high quality piece of work. Some things

I struggled with were APA style, subject pronoun agreement and comma use. I have constantly

worked on these things throughout the semester, and although I am not perfect, I feel much more

confortable with these writing problems. Researching was the most fun part of Information

Gathering for me. I love uncovering new information about my topic or digging into an author’s

background to try and find any bias that he or she or the publisher could possibly have. I learned

a lot about myself as well. First, and foremost, I know exactly how much sleep I need to function

and surprisingly it is not that much. I also found out how dedicated I am to my education; at no

point during this semester did I seriously contemplate on just giving up or not doing an

assignment. I had one goal in this class, and that goal was to finish. I’m pretty close to the end

now, and my motivation will not be detoured, not even by a regional and national championship

possibility on the horizon. The final thing I learned was how well I perform under pressure. At

multiple points during this semester I was put in difficult situations in terms of time until my

assignment was due. I rose to the occasion in every single situation and did fairly well in the

majority of them.

If I could change anything about this class it would be the final interview. It would be

helpful to have this interview due before the outline. Interviews are the most beneficial part of

the research process in my opinion. Having the final interview done would have made a large


impact in my outline and final paper. Another strategy I could have taken was just getting the

final interview done early, but unfortunately that did not occur.

I am thankful that I have gotten this far in the class. The experience will be beneficial for

my writing and researching projects here at Linfield and for my future jobs in whatever field they

may be. I am thankful that I was able to stay healthy for the whole year. If it had not been for

baseball my motivation for this class would have gone down the drain.

Over the course of the semester I made new friends and strengthened other friendships. I

would like to thank everyone in the Renshaw Crew: Carrie Skuseski, Sarah Mason, Alyssa

Townsend and Ivanna Tucker. These three worked along side me almost every weekend, editing

and polishing each others papers, in an effort to have the least amount of ink on them once they

were returned after grading. A special thanks has to go to Ivanna. Ivanna and I spent countless

nights procrastinating, thinking about doing our work, getting distracted and then eventually

doing our work together. My ‘PIC (partner-in-crime)’ as I call her made sure I got all my work

done and I did the same for her. I would like to thank Brad Thompson and Susan Barnes-White

for the work they put into this class. We may hate it while we are doing the work, but looking

back on Information Gathering I have learned more about my writing in one semester than I had

in the previous six years. I would like to thank Kelsey Sutton for providing encouraging words,

helpful tips and great examples for each and every week’s assignment. I would like to thank

Zach Manley. Zach and I spent a few all-nighters together, and he provided the coffee. He’s a

great friend and was helpful in telling me that I could get my work done. I would like to thank

the entire staff of The Linfield Review, without their support I don’t know if I could have

completed what I have done so far.


Abstract

This paper discusses attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is the most common

neurological disorder in the United States. In this paper information has been gathered from

numerous sources to prove that stricter regulations do not need to be put in place on the

diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. The most common medication for ADHD is stimulant

medication. Although there is concern that these medications are dangerous, evidence shows that

they are a safe and effective medication used to combat ADHD. Overdiagnosis of ADHD may be

occurring in the United States, but the impact of diagnosing someone who has the disorder

outweighs the slight risks that an individual may be incorrectly diagnosed. Increased risk of job

failure, drug abuse and criminal charges are all associated with undiagnosed and untreated

ADHD. Overall, the current guidelines do an adequate job of helping clinicians diagnose the

disorder and help doctors prescribe medication and treatment for ADHD.

Key words: stimulant, medication, diagnosis, treatment, therapy


Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most common neurological disorder in the

United States. This mental disorder affects somewhere between 5 to 8 percent of the United

States population (Bruchmüller, 2012). There is a broad list of symptoms of ADHD, but these

symptoms can be broken down into three categories: inattentiveness, hyperactivity and

impulsivity (Frank, 2013). Physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners and

other licensed therapists and counselors can diagnose ADHD (Elliot, 2006). There are multiple

treatment options for ADHD, all of which have their benefits and side effects, but the most

common and most effective treatment is a combination of behavioral therapy and stimulant

medication (Jaska, 1998).

The Debate

There has been a debate over whether ADHD is being overdiagnosed, thus

overmedicating patients. The rate of ADHD diagnoses has increased immensely. In 1990,

900,000 youths were diagnosed with the disorder; while in 2000, three to four million children

are diagnosed with the disorder (Mayes, 2009). This increased rate can be attributed to many

factors. The age range for the diagnosis of ADHD has broadened, allowing more children as

young as four to be diagnosed with the disorder (Rubin, 2011). Previously, a child had to be at

least six years old to be diagnosed with the disorder. Medicaid money spent on pharmaceuticals,

much of which is spent on stimulants (which are used to combat ADHD symptoms), increased

by $6.1 million from 1991 to 2001 (Mayes, 2009). This money allowed pharmaceutical

companies to have more advertisements, talk with more doctors and have a greater influence in

Washington, D.C. Another reason for the debate is because of the medication. Many parents

have a stigma toward children on medication. Another reason for concern is because of


addiction. Starting children with stimulant medication at a young age increases the likelihood for

addiction (Goodard, 2013). Along with the long term affects of medicating there are short-term

side effects associated with stimulant medication. These side effects include decreased appetite,

sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, mild stomach and headaches and personality change

(Turner, 2013). A final concern with stimulant medication is its correlation with heart related

problems (Dooren, 2011) and sudden and unexplained death (Vedantam, 2009). The rise in

medication and diagnosis has caused a stir in the United States. With the rapid increase, some

people don’t believe ADHD is real, while some others think the disorder is overdiagnosed. These

beliefs have caused people to be skeptic of ADHD and even have made fun of the diagnosis and

treatment process (Parker, 2000). Misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary side effects and risks.

The recent rise of ADHD diagnoses can be attributed to many factors that would suggest

misdiagnosis, but research and more knowledge about the disorder can also be attributed to the

increase of diagnosed patients.

ADHD Symptoms

ADHD has many symptoms that fall under three categories: inattentive, hyperactive and

impulsive types (Elliot, 2006). Hyperactive and impulsive symptoms are very similar and are

usually grouped together. Some symptoms for the inattentive type include the inability to pay

attention to details, make careless mistakes, difficulty keeping attention, appearing to not listen,

struggling to follow instructions, difficulty with organization, avoiding or disliking tasks that

involve sustained mental effort, easily distracted and forgetful. Symptoms for

hyperactive/impulsive type include fidgeting of the hands or feet, squirming in seat, difficulty

remaining seated, running or climbing excessively, difficulty engaging in activities quietly,

acting as if driven by a motor, excessive speech, answering questions before question is fully


asked, difficulty with waiting and taking turns and interrupting others. These symptoms persist

every day for ADHD patients. For adults the inattentive and hyperactive symptoms may still

apply, but one symptom that is extremely difficult to deal with is the inability to remember every

day conversations and simple activities, such as remembering where they placed the car keys

(Green, 2013).

One area where these symptoms are apparent is in a school setting (Sue Buel, 2013).

Loud outbursts from students with the disorder not only affect the student with ADHD, but also

distract the other students in the classroom. Often, teachers can try and combat the behavior by

giving the child something else to focus on, such as blocks at a young age. Another strategy for

dealing with ADHD patients is isolating the children in an effort to keep the distraction of other

students to a minimum. Students can become unfocused, thus unable to grasp the material and

answer questions.

Untreated ADHD

If the symptoms of ADHD are not treated devastating results can occur (Goodard, 2013).

Untreated symptoms can lead to unsuccessful habits in school, work and in other aspects of life.

Children who go undiagnosed with the disorder often receive poorer grades than the average

student. This is mostly because of the students’ inability to pay attention, stay focused and

remember the material. With poor results, low self-esteem can occur, changing the decisions a

person may make. These unsuccessful habits can continue into adulthood. Adults who

unknowingly have the disorder often have difficulty keeping jobs and are often unsuccessful at

work. Not only does ADHD play a role in school and work, the disorder affects all aspects of

life. One prime example of this is in the prison system. Drug and criminal activity often occurs


with those who have undiagnosed ADHD. There is a large percentage of people in jail who have

ADHD, and a large percentage of drug abusers also have the disorder.

The symptoms of ADHD can be troubling any person. Without the proper diagnosis and

treatment of the disorder, patients with ADHD struggle and are less successful than they would

have if they been aware of their medical condition. Even if some people are misdiagnosed with

ADHD, the help that is provided to the people with the disorder outweighs the effects that may

occur with misdiagnosed patients.

The Diagnostic Process

Diagnosing any mental illness is a difficult process. Each individual mind is different and

is shaped by past experiences. The mind is the least understood part of the body, and the

disorder’s that affect it are some of the most complex and misunderstood problems humans have.

There is a set diagnostic process for ADHD. Although this process has flaws that can cause

misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, those who have the disorder are almost always diagnosed, thus

receiving the treatment they need to combat ADHD.

Guidelines

The guidelines for the diagnosis of ADHD are set in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic

and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

2012). The DSM-IV is the main book that mental clinicians refer to when dealing with any

mental disorder. The DSM-IV requires patients show symptoms of ADHD in more than one

setting for at least six months. This means that a parent, teacher or family member must be able

to provide evidence that this occurs. Along with the symptoms, the DSM-IV requires that all

other mental disorders must be ruled out. This final piece is added in an effort to make sure an

ADHD diagnosis is not hiding a different mental illness. Misdiagnosis can lead to mistreatment


and an unsuccessful approach to dealing with the mental disorder. The only way to correctly

diagnose a patient, according to the DSM-IV, is by following these steps. To completely adhere

to these steps, a lengthy examination and patient history must be completed. This can either

occur in one exam, or may take multiple appointments.

Even with following these steps, a correct diagnosis is not always provided. There are too

many variables that clinicians must deal with in order to make a correct diagnosis 100 percent of

the time. Some of these variables include patient history, the clinician’s history dealing with

ADHD and the extent of the symptoms that are present. But, if a clinician does follow these

steps, he or she is more likely to make a correct diagnosis and be able to start treatment in an

effort to combat the mental disorder.

Misdiagnosis

Although there are set guidelines, many believe overdiagnosis occurs on a regular basis.

There are a few reasons for this occurrence, such as not following the guidelines, incorrect

judgment and conducting examinations that are not thorough enough to make the diagnosis. One

reason for overdiagnosis is because those who diagnose the disorder do not follow the guidelines

set by the DSM-IV (Bruchmüller, 2012). Katrin Bruchmüller’s (2012) study shows that 16.7

percent of patients who showed some symptoms of ADHD, but did not have the disorder were

misdiagnosed with ADHD. Only 7 percent of patients with ADHD were diagnosed with a

different disorder, meaning that there is a 2.65 false-positive ratio. This ratio proves that the

disorder is overdiagnosed. A second reason that there may be a misdiagnosis is because the

practitioner judges a child’s maturation based on the grade they are in rather than their age. This

makes children who are the youngest in their grade 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with

the disorder (Szabo, 2010). Although this looks like the youngest children may be misdiagnosed,


there is also the other view, that older students are underdiagnosed because of their maturity. A

third reason for misdiagnosis is because the clinician does not do a thorough evaluation of the

patient, either they diagnose the incorrect mental disorder or diagnose the patient when there is

not disorder present (Goldman, 1998). The average doctor’s appointment is about 15 minutes

long. This is not an adequate amount of time to go through all of the steps in order to make an

accurate diagnosis of ADHD. An accurate diagnosis of ADHD takes a much longer time with

crucial attention to detail. An hour-long appointment or multiple appointments is a more

reasonable time to gather all the information and make the proper diagnosis.

Others see overdiagnosis occurring less often in children and more often in adults. This

misdiagnosis often comes from physicians, who have less time to conduct a thorough evaluation

(Goodard, 2013). Sally Goodard (2013) explains that Physicians do an adequate job of

diagnosing children with the disorder, but have a difficult time with adults. There are a couple of

reasons for this difficulty. One reason this occurs is because adults often have other factors that

influence their symptoms, such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse and anxiety problems. Also, as

stated above, physicians have an average appointment window of 15 minutes, so it is difficult to

gather all the information to make a correct diagnosis (Szabo, 2010). This situation does not

occur frequently though, since ADHD is most often diagnosed in children. Adults are force to

either learn to cope with their disorder or have never thought of ADHD as something they could

have. The two problems with diagnosing adults can be limited by a thorough examination. A

longer and more in-depth examination can allow the clinician to have the time to gather all the

information needed to make the proper diagnosis.

Like any other mental disorder, a correct diagnosis is not always made. Many factors are

attributed to this. Following the DSM-IV and having a thorough examination can often eliminate


misdiagnosis. Misdiagnoses often occur when insufficient time for an appointment is made or

other factors are not considered when making the diagnosis.

Treatment

There are multiple treatment options for ADHD including therapy and medication. The

most effective known treatment is a combination of therapy and medication. The medication

typically used to treat ADHD is stimulant medication, although there are other non-stimulant

medication options available (Hieber & Purvus, 2009). Each individual case requires a different

treatment plan. The only way to find the most effective treatment plan for an individual patient is

by evaluation and trying different combinations of therapy and different medications.

Therapy

Therapy is often the first choice clinicians go to for treatment of ADHD. Therapy can

involve anything from parent and child behavior therapy to life coaching (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, 2012 & Altschul, 2013). Therapy aims to combat the symptoms of

ADHD and work on coping with the different debilitating effects of the disorder.

The most common form of therapy for ADHD is behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy

often includes going over things that set off ADHD symptoms, working on coping mechanisms

for dealing with ADHD and tools to use in an attempt to be successful while living with the

disorder (Turner, 2013).

Another form of therapy is parent/family behavioral therapy. This form does not involve

the patient, but involves those who live with the patient. This form of therapy teaches family

members, or those who live with the patient, how to deal with living with a person with ADHD.

In this therapy, family members learn how to encourage ADHD patients when making behavior


changes. Another thing that is worked on is responding to disruptive behavior. Therapists teach

family members how to handle the disruptive behavior (Turner, 2013).

A final example of therapy is life coaching. A life coach meets with a patient, makes a

schedule, discusses different methods for coping with the disorder and makes sure the patient

remains organized. A life coach helps patients find tools that can help them function in a school

or work setting. Students who have life coaches often come in receiving C and D grades with the

occasional A or F. With a life coach these students often function better and their success in

school increases dramatically. People with ADHD often become anxious about the work that

they have to do. One way that people try to cope with this anxiety is by doing something they

can control. Surfing the Internet is a common way for ADHD to make an effort to control what

they are doing. Unfortunately doing this does not relieve the anxiety, and leaves less time for

work to be done. A life coach develops plans to help patients get started on their work and stay

focused throughout the process (Altschul, 2013)

Therapy is a great option for those with ADHD. There are no significant side effects with

therapy, unlike medication, where there are always side effects. Unfortunately, therapy has been

found to be less effective than medication. Although therapy alone may help some patients

function at a more normal level, usually medication is necessary for ADHD patients to combat

the disorder.

Medication

There are two different types of medications that doctors typically prescribe to patients

with ADHD, stimulant medication and non-stimulant medication (Hieber & Purvus, 2009).

Stimulant medication is the most common form of medication for ADHD, although there are


some concerning side effects that coincide with stimulant medication use. Despite concerns,

stimulant medication has been proven to be a safe and effective option for treating ADHD.

Stimulant Medications

Stimulant medications are the most effective form of treatment for ADHD. Although

many think a stimulant would speed up the body and brain in an individual, it does the opposite,

allowing the patient to focus on the task at hand without the impulsive, hyperactive and

inattentive distractions they are usually faced with (Turner, 2013). Up to 80 percent of

individuals with ADHD respond to stimulant medication (Hieber & Purvus, 2009). This makes

stimulant medication the most successful drug type known for treating the mental disorder. A

testimony given by Joan Davis in a hearing in the House of Representatives showed that

stimulant medication helped her son transform from a student who was being considered to be

held back into a child who was being recommended to attend the gifted learning class (United

States Congress House of Representatives, 2002). Stimulant medications are the most effective

medication option for patients with ADHD. Even though they are the most effective option, there

is some hesitancy for the use of these drugs.

The hesitancy for the use of stimulant drugs originates from two principle ideas:

medicating children is wrong and the side effects of stimulant medication outweigh the benefits

they provide. These two concerns appear valid, but have been proven to be untrue. There is no

way to prove that medicating children is wrong. This is a moral issue that each parent must

address, but hopefully the data that shows the effectiveness of stimulant medication influences

their decision to medicate their children. There are many stimulant medication options, but the

most commonly prescribe stimulant medications are Adderall and Ritalin (Goodard, 2013).

Stimulant medications have many side effects. Some of these side effects are decreased appetite,


sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, mild stomach and headaches and personality change

(Turner, 2013). Another concern with this drug is its correlation with deaths and cardiac issues,

although studies have shown that their is no significant risk and the benefits outweigh the slight

chance that the medication is a factor in major health issues (Lasser, 2010). One study showed a

negative correlation between children on stimulant medication and sudden and unexplained

death (Vedantam, 2009). Although there was a correlation between the medication and the

sudden and unexplained death, the author could find no cause. Along with not being able to find

a cause the FDA still says that the benefits of the medication outweigh the possible risks.

Numerous other studies have shown that stimulant medication is safe for treatment of ADHD.

Two different articles show that although heart problems have been a concern with ADHD,

recent studies have shown that stimulant medications do not cause heart problems (Dooren &

Winslow, 2011 & Lasser, 2010). One problem that does exist with stimulant medication is the

illegal selling and abuse of the drug (Goodard, 2013). Stimulants are a popular drug that is often

used illegally by college students to stay more focused while studying. Doctors must be sure to

monitor their patient’s medication when prescribing stimulants in order to make sure they are not

abusing the drug or selling it to their peers for illegal use. Stimulant medication does have

negative side effects, but so does all medication. The patient, doctor and family members must

take these side effects into consideration before starting a stimulant medication treatment plan to

combat the mental disorder.

Although there are some risks with stimulant medication including drug abuse and side

effects, it is considered to be a safe and effective medicine to combat the symptoms of ADHD

(Moore, 2011). A combination of stimulant medication and therapy is found to be the most

effective option for helping those in need. The medication allows for patients to have a window


where they can get started on their work and stay focused, something that is difficult to do

normally with their symptoms (Altschul, 2013).

Non-stimulant medications

Although stimulant medications are the preferred and most often used drugs in an attempt

to combat ADHD, there are other medication options. These medications are non-stimulant

medications. They have similar effects as stimulant medication, but do not have the same side

effects or the abusive qualities as stimulants (Goodard, 2013). One medication that fits in this

category and is shown to be affective is Strattera (Hieber & Purvus, 2009). This is the only Food

and Drug Administration approved medication that is not a stimulant. This drug combats the

symptoms of ADHD effectively in most patients without the side affects that stimulant

medication can have (Goodard, 2013). One problem with Strattera is that most insurance

companies do not cover it. This makes it difficult for clinicians to prescribe the medication

because it is so costly on the family, leaving stimulants as the ultimate choice (Goodard, 2013).

A second problem with Strattera is its side effect of suicide (Hieber & Purvus, 2009). Other side

effects of Strattera are similar to stimulant medications, increased sedation, sexual disturbances

and hepatoxicity. Strattera also takes a longer time in order to start being effective. Some

stimulant medications can start taking effect within half an hour of consumption, but Strattera’s

long lasting effects can take anywhere from two to four weeks to start working (Hieber &

Purvus, 2009).

Strattera is a valid option for those who see stimulant medications as an inappropriate

medication for ADHD. Although it is a valid option, it is not the most effective option for

ADHD medication. Stimulants are proven to be the most effective option for the mental illness.

Along with the effectiveness, Strattera has heightened side effects, takes longer to start affecting


the patient and is more expensive than stimulant medication options. These limitations make

stimulant medications the best option for ADHD medications.

Conclusion

From my research, I believe ADHD guidelines should stay how they are. Although the

guidelines should stay the same, there needs to be more emphasis should be put on certain

guidelines. Physicians need to take the time to complete a thorough evaluation of their patients.

If a 15-minute appointment is all that is available to a doctor, they should recommend the patient

come back for another appointment or see a psychiatrist or psychologist who will have the time

to conduct a thorough examination. Along with longer appointments, the medication process

should be looked at as well. Medication should be prescribed carefully and monitored closely in

an effort to stop the illegal selling and using of stimulant medications and in order to combat any

side effects that may occur. These side effects include heart problems, although they are proven

to be insignificant, are the most worrisome and deadly side effects that stimulant medications

have. The treatment options should also be looked at. Therapy should be the primary option for

ADHD treatment, not medication. There are risks with medication, and if the disorder can be

managed with therapy, then medication should not be prescribed. If therapy is unsuccessful than

medication should be prescribed. When prescribing the medication, doctors should take into

account that stimulant medication is addictive and can be abused. To address this, doctors need

to monitor the drugs closely can help a doctor detect if there is anything illegal or unordinary

occurring with the patient and their prescription.

The main reason that the ADHD guidelines should not be changed is a simple one;

ADHD is a debilitating disorder and needs to be diagnosed to those who have it. It is important

to diagnose and treat those with ADHD. This disorder can limit the success someone has in life if


untreated. Along with the living successfully with ADHD, other problems occur to those who are

not diagnosed. Drug abuse and criminal activity are associated with untreated ADHD. Overall

the benefits of treating those with the disorder outweigh the consequences of mistreating the few

who have been incorrectly diagnosed, meaning that ADHD guidelines should not be changed,

limiting some who may have ADHD, but would not be diagnosed.


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