The Pros And Cons Of ADHD Research

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) characteristics are noted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website as, “trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behavior (may act without thinking about what the result will be, or be overly active” (CDC, 2017). The CDC also goes on to list the signs and symptoms which are: “daydream a lot, forget or lose things a lot, squirm or fidget, talk too much, make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risk, have a hard time resisting temptation, have trouble taking turns, and have difficulty getting along with others” (CDC, 2017) The way to treat ADHD is a highly debated topic. There are three main ways parents can go about getting help for their child: the medication approach,

There are a few main drugs, two of them being Ritalin and Cylert. “The Drug Enforcement Administration attributes several deaths to the drug Ritalin. In 1994, Ritalin use accounted for 1,171 emergency room visits” (Powell, Welch, Ezell, Klein, & Smith, 2018, 109). Cylert had a frightening side effect as well—death due to liver damage. Patients are warned that as the medicine “wears off” the effectiveness wears off which causes an up and down effect that adds to the disruptive stage that makes it hard for the patient to deal with (Powell, Welch, Ezell, Klein, & Smith, 2018, 109). These drugs also present more problems than helping the initial problem. Problems with stability, predictability of attention, mood, and behavior may become apparent in the

The drug Adderall is a very popular drug for the treatment of ADHD. Adderall produces significant improvements in the social, behavioral and academic performance aspects. There has also been no evidence of harm or a long-term risk for the thousands of children that have been given this stimulant by prescribers over the past fifty years. Adderall is also chosen over its competitor, Ritalin. The reason it is chosen over Ritalin is, “the duration of the drug action for Adderall is longer than that for Ritalin, which could reduce the number of times Adderall has to be administered at school” (Wood & Zabel, 2013, 40). Since, Adderall reduces the amount of medication going into the child’s body, this would make Adderall the best option if you chose to take the medication only route. Studies, like the Medication Management, have been done to test the safety of these medications and the majority are short and mild. The majority of deaths that have been noted by some of these drugs have been because of the use with another drug along with their prescribed ADHD medication. This is not the best way to go about treatment. The dual method of medication with intervention is the ideal way because that could require less medication in the child’s body. This would reduce the chances for any of the above side effects to