The Pros and Cons of Ritalin - 2456 Words

I. DEFINITION OF ADD AND HISTORY OF RITALIN When Jason was five, his mother, Cathy, had to take him out of preschool because of his temper tantrums. She tried behavior management and parenting courses, to no avail. Eventually, Jason was diagnosed with ADHD and given the stimulant Ritalin, which controlled his outbursts. It was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, Cathy said. Jason flourished for the next six years, even winning his fifth-grade citizenship award. In sixth grade, however, his medication stopped working, and he became aggressive again. But Jasons teachers did not believe he had a disability and refused to allow any special accommodations, like extra time to take tests. At Christmas, Jason was so depressed that he†¦show more content†¦There must also be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, academic or occupational functioning. Physicians did not begin to link childhood attention and behavior problems to biological causes until the turn of the century. In several lectures to the Ro yal College of Physicians in England in 1902, British physician George Frederic Still described twenty pediatric patients who were aggressive, defiant, excessively emotional or passionate, lawless, spiteful, cruel, dishonest and who displayed little inhibitory volition. He theorized that they probably had a basic defect in moral control that was either hereditary or due to pre- or post-birth injury, (Hartman, 42). A lot has happened since then though. Between the years of 1940 and 1960, many psychiatrists began using drugs to treat mental illness. Ritalin was first used to treat hyperactivity in 1961, and in 1968 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) first listed hyperkinetic reaction of childhood as a disorder in the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-II). In the 1970s, research focused more on attention deficits as causing behavior problems, but some members of Congress began questioning whether scientists were trying to medicate away energetic childhood behavior. On September 29, 1970, a House Government Operations subcommittee held a hearing on the federal governments role in sponsoring researchShow MoreRelatedAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1623 Words   |  7 PagesThe sufficient amount of adolescence and young adults that do not need the medication but have still been prescribed to it help prove the claim that the disorder is over diagnosed. According to Bromfield, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, â€Å"Ritalin is an ineffective form of treatment for people who exhibit symptoms of ADHD but suffer from another problem. Medication does not make up for skills that a child has never mastered, nor does it address learning problems† (Bromfield). The childrenRead MoreThe Debate Over Ritalin Use b y Children with ADHD3093 Words   |  13 Pages1. Introduction For years, the topic of Ritalin, the use of the drug and its short and long term effects has been a controversial one. People who have Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have abnormally low amounts of the neurotransmitting chemical Dopamine in their brains. This chemical plays an important role in the brain as it helps with signal transmission between the neurons. ADHD sufferers have difficulty concentrating and learning, they find it difficult to sit still and are oftenRead MoreVideo Games : A Huge Part Of Our Society900 Words   |  4 Pagesworld play them. In fact, the game StarCraft boasts to be South Koreas unofficial national sport due to the high number of players. Throughout media and just day-to-day life. Throughout this paper, I am going to discuss not only the pros of video gaming but also the cons. For most people, computer use and video game play is integrated into their lives in a balanced manner. For others, time spent on the computer or video games is out of balance, and has displaced work, school, friends, and even familyRead MoreChildren With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder1525 Words   |  7 Pagesdon’t have it so easy. Daily life in and outside of the classroom can be extremely difficult for such children; however, there are ways to help. The drug Ritalin helps elementary aged male children with ADHD improve test scores by allowing them to focus in the classroom and concentrate on schoolwork (Bronson). Not using a stimulant like Ritalin has negative consequences for children with ADHD. Although they may be bright intellectually, many children with ADD or ADHD lag behind their peers developmentallyRead MoreBeing Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1706 Words   |  7 Pagesmedication or labeled as having Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But what a lot of us don’t know is that it was always with us. Lack of knowledge is a part of the reason for our debate over medication. In this review we will look at the pros and cons to medicating children. Before we liked to label them as bad children exhibiting behavior problems. Child psychologist, Harvey Parker, who founded Children and Adults with ADD (CHADD), a nonprofit organization says, now we see that it s genuinelyRead MoreADHD Throughout the Years854 Words   |  4 Pagespublic for advertisement in a commercialized form for the readers’ intent. (DSM-IV-TR) Although ADHD cannot be cured, researchers are still studying the pros and cons of the disorder. Medications like; Quillivant Ritalin are labeled drugs to help divert the behavioral child. Medicine such as, Amphetamine is a stimulant. Methylphenidate (Ritalin), is commonly used to treat ADHD disorder. Studies are always changing to inform readers. Many side effects from the medication will always be the challengeRead MoreInformative Speech Study Drugs and College Students Essay1104 Words   |  5 Pagesindividuals without ADHD will experience higher energy, extreme confidence boost and be able to hyper focus, as stated in Rod Calvin’s book Prescription Drug Addiction. 2. Sub Point: Methylphenidate is the next type of drug, marketed under the name Ritalin. a. Sub-Sub point: It is similar to Adderall in various as to how it effects the brain, for it is also a stimulant compound that affects the motor activity of the central nervous system. Transition: So those are the most common types of studyRead More The Pros and Cons of Adderall Essay840 Words   |  4 PagesThe Pros and Cons of Adderall Why did the ADHD boy not introduce his girlfriend to any of his friends? He could not remember her name; or better yet, why would a chicken be considered ADD? It never gets all the way across the road because of all the distractions. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental and behavioral disorder that affects 3 to 5 percent of all school-age children. The American Psychiatric Association explains that, â€Å"Individuals with ADHD may know whatRead MoreAdhd : Causes And Effects On Children976 Words   |  4 Pageswith† this disorder. Medications, therapy, and different parenting tools. Some medications used to treat children with ADHD are stimulants including Ritalin, Concerta, and Methylin. (Parker 141). There are also amphetamines like Adderall, Vyvanse, and Dexedrine (Parker 141). All of these medications have side effects, and they all have pros and cons when used in children. They must be closely monitored by their physician. There is also non m edication related ways to manage the disorder. Therapy forRead MoreCognitive Enhancing Drugs: Used Recklessly or Medically Recommended924 Words   |  4 Pagesstructures (Chatterjee, 2004). With this improved development, yields multiple possibilities to a healthy, functioning person’s system. But despite this new advancement, it raises many ethical concerns. Numerous studies have conducted various pros and cons of this new found advancement based on the health, ability and risks of taking the medication. These drugs are known as cognition enhancers. They work on the neural processes that underlie such mental activities as attention, perception, learning