Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Research Paper Example

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Introduction Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neuropsychiatric condition. This condition is also known as hyperkinetic disorder. It affects children as well as adults. But it is more common among children and particularly among boys. Boys have a greater vulnerability to suffer from this disease than girls. This disease is caused by alteration in the functioning of the brain which occurs mainly due to disturbances in the balance of neurotransmitters. ADHD leads to violent behavior and the patients suffer from anxiety and personality disorders. They are not able to manage the tasks of everyday life and cannot complete work which requires concentration. Children cannot perform very well at school as well and later in life they have difficulties in getting into relationships. Trauma to the brain by accidents and falls as well as exposure to chemicals such as lead during prenatal and early years of life can be counted as causes leading to this disease. Genetic factors also pose as a risk for it. Consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and other chemicals which affect the development of the brain can also create a risk for the infant to suffer from ADHD. A healthy atmosphere at home and educated parents can decrease the risk of developing this psychiatric condition. These people find it very difficult to cope up with the everyday activities and their weaknesses make them susceptible to develop addictions which include alcohol consumption and abuse of the prescription medications as well as other stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. Body: Being focused on to the important aspects of life is one of the main functions of the brain. In some diseases or disorders this special function of the brain is either lost or diminished. One such disorder which diminishes the functions of the brain is the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder was initially considered to affect only children but this is a misconception as this disorder is also noticed amongst adults. According to the National Resource Center on ADHD, 5-8 percent of children of the school going age are affected with this condition and 2-4 percent of adults develop this disorder. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also indicated that 8 million children in the United States between the age of 3 to 17 years have been diagnosed by this condition and 11% of the diagnosed cases are boys whereas 4.8% of the diagnosed cases are girls. Thus this disease is more common among children and it has a higher rate of occurrence in boys than in girls. Attention Deficit Disorder is a neuropsychiatric condition in which an individual is not able to concentrate or focus on a single aspect for a longer time. This leads to a lack of attention and it affects activities of an individual in everyday life. This disorder has a genetic predisposition as well as environmental factors play a role in it. Neurotransmitters which help in transmitting signals to and from the neurons are usually affected in this type of disorder which usually affects the chemical functions of the brain. Thus injuries to brain and chemicals which affect brain functioning can result in this disorder. A child who has close relatives and siblings suffering from ADHD is at a high risk of developing this condition. As already indicated by the statistics of the Center for Disease Control and prevention boys possess a risk of developing this disorder and they possess a more than two time greater risk of this illness. Damage to the brain through direct brain injury also makes a child more susceptible to have ADHD. Pregnant women, who consume alcohol, smoke and are exposed to other toxins like lead and chemicals that create hindrances in normal brain development may give birth to children possessing very high risks to suffer from this psychiatric condition. Not only this but also children who are exposed to harmful chemicals such as lead are also more vulnerable. This is because these chemicals prevent the normal growth of the brain and also affects the neurotransmitter release. Deficiency of calcium in the child also poses as a risk factor of ADHD and a clear indication can be perceived if the child does not like consuming calcium in his diet. Another factor which makes a child more inclined towards this condition is when he does not receive a proper atmosphere at home that is parents play a key role in decreasing the risk for this disease. Parents who are educated are able to maintain a healthy atmosphere for the child at home and hence these children have low chances of suffering from this neuropsychiatric condition. Another important factor includes the behavior and personality of the child and children who are violent and do not mingle with other people and also have changes in their moods every now and then are also predisposed to have ADHD. ADHD is a hyperkinetic condition which affects the everyday lives of the individuals. They suffer from anxiety, irritability, and lack of concentration and they also have difficulties while trying to complete organized work. The individual would not be able to decide on his own self and would naturally want the help of others while completing the tasks in his life. It has also been found that adults with ADHD usually cannot tend to learn things in the same time as the normal individuals can and are unable to take care of themselves and they might face problems while choosing things for themselves. This can lead to problems if these individuals consume goods which are not hygienic for them and it would lead to other diseases. It is normally seen that these individuals usually tend to make a mess of whatever work they are carrying out. Moreover these adults are also not seen to be successful in relationships as it is very difficult for these individuals to relate themselves to others. All these things can have adverse effects on the life on these individual and these shortcomings push these people towards substance abuse and alcohol consumption. The patients suffering from ADHD consume alcohol, marijuana or are addicted to other stimulants such as caffeine and nictoine. This is because it helps them to think clearly. Apart from this there have been reports that children become addicted to the prescription medicines given to them to cure ADHD. It has been reported that from the year 1998 to the year 2005, there had been a rise of 76 percent in the cases of addiction to medications of ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition which affects a person’s day to day life. Proper care and attention is required for these patients and they can be cured with the help of medications and Talk Therapy, Marriage Therapy and Cognitive therapy are important therapies for these individuals. ADHD is a disorder which can be treated either through behavioral therapies or through medications. Nowadays both these treatment options are considered for the cure of ADHD. However it is believed by many that many of the patients suffering from ADHD are being overmedicated. In other words they are being prescribed medications which they do not even require. Many of the individuals believe that medications are a perfect cure for ADHD and the patients suffering from ADHD should be prescribed these medications. However some individuals believe that the patients are being overmedicated and these medications should not be prescribed but rather behavioral intervention should be practiced. Because of this argument many researchers have conducted studies to find out if ADHD is being overmedicated or if it’s not. In my view the arguments presented by the ones who believe that behavioral intervention helps are stronger and the disease really is being overmedicated (Barbaresi et al 2002). The proponents of the medications put forward the studies in which it can be clearly seen that the children are benefitting from them. Peter Jensen presented with a study in which four different types of groups were tested. The groups were divided into columns of medications only, behavioral therapy only, combined medication and behavioral therapy, and usual care. It was seen that the most normalized group of these was the one who was given medications and behavioral therapies both together. In the group of medication only it was seen that 56 percent reached the level of normality and in the group of behavioral therapy only 34 percent reached the level. This research is pointed out by the proponents of medication as it clearly shows that medications have a positive effect in comparison to the behavioral therapies. Medications prove to be in curing the individuals suffering from ADHD as believed by the proponents as these medications can also help children in school to cope up with their studies. These proponents believe that with the help of education the individuals can further get cured (Neurology now 2009). On the other hand the opponents of medications put forward other claims which deny all the arguments of the opponents. They put forward the statistics which clearly show that the medications of ADHD are being used far much more than the prevalence rate of ADHD in America. LeFever supports this argument by pointing out to researches in which a picture of drug usage in America is taken. She then compared it to the records of schools in Virginia which clearly showed that medicines were being overused for ADHD in comparison to the real rates of this disorder. LeFever through her study also found out that the only children who did not receive medications for ADHD were uninsured. It can therefore be derived from this study that if an individual would be insured then he would necessarily opt for medications. This can clearly tell that medicines are being overused for the treatment of ADHD in America. In my view the argument given by the proponents that much is known about ADHD now and because of this the number of prescriptions has increased is wrong. This is because it is seen that ADHD being over diagnosed because of the fact that the symptoms of the disorder come with other disorders and diseases too. At times even some experts are not able to diagnose the disorder properly. References Barbaresi, W. J., Katusic, S. K., Colligan, R. C., Pankratz, V. S., Weaver, A. L., Weber, K. J., Mrazek, D. A., and Jacobsen, S. J. (2002). How common is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?: Incidence in a population-based birth cohort in rochester, minn.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 156(3):217-224. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)* http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adhd.htm Christine Cadena. Sensory Input, Calcium Deficiency & Risk for ADHD in Children. 2010 Top of Form Hammerness, Paul Graves. ADHD. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2009. Bottom of Form Lloyd de Vries. ADHD Risk Factors Identified (ADHD Higher Among Boys; Parental Education Also Affects Risk) 2004 National Resource Center on ADHD http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/what Top of Form Richardson, Wendy. The Link between A.D.D. & Addiction: Getting the Help You Deserve. Colorado Springs, Colo: Pinon Press, 1997. Bottom of Form Serena Gordon. ABUSE OFADHD DRUGS ON THE RISE. Health day News. 2009 Read More