Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder - Term Paper Example

Paying Attention to ADHD Module 2, en d Psychology and Science, discussed the different methods that researchers use to provide answers to questions, and focused mainly on the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. ADHD is a behavioral imbalance characterized by poor concentrations, disorganization, forgetfulness, impulsivity, overactivity, noisiness, performance inconsistency, and social clumsiness, among others, and is now recognized as the most common cause of learning and behavioral difficulties in school-aged children (Selikowitz, 2004).

The article really caught my attention because a close friend of mine often talks about her ten-year old son who was diagnosed with ADHD around two years ago. As with most ADHD diagnosed children, my friend had initially thought that he was just an overly active boy who couldn’t stay put long enough. Eventually, my friend’s son had had too many problems with his mates in school and with the teachers as well so my friend decided to have him diagnosed and that was when they found out that he actually had ADHD.

While the diagnosis caused some sadness for my friend, she was also relieved at the same time because her son was diagnosed early on and was given the necessary attention and treatment for ADHD symptoms.My friend is quite fortunate too as I learned from the article that only recently were guidelines released in the diagnosis of ADHD. I quite agree with the author that these guidelines ought to be followed closely so that other children who are just normally active, for example, do not run the risk of being incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD while, at the same time, children like my friend’s son who really have this problem may be attended to early on.

In addition, I was also particularly interested about the article’s claim on the seemingly “healing” effects of placebos. The article agrees with the popular view in the psychological community that confirms how much power our minds have over the issues of our bodies (Harrington, 2000). I find myself also agreeing with this view because I have been in several situations wherein my ailments “healed themselves” when I brought myself to think more positive thoughts rather than focus on my sickness.

This particular branch of psychology ought to be explored more because if we are in a capacity to provide ourselves with relief from our ailments, then that would mean that we wouldn’t have to subject ourselves to medications that are sometimes, ironically, quite harmful when taken in too frequently or in larger doses. I believe that the author was able to present sufficient evidence in the claims that he made regarding ADHD. He was quite successful in letting the readers know about the mechanics behind this behavioral problem and in enlightening us on certain misconceptions about this prevalent ailment.

More importantly, the information presented in the article has opened my eyes to a formerly unclear medical issue. In fact, the article has truly allowed me to better understand children and to be more tolerant socially when I see children with ADHD behave the way they do.Works CitedHarrington, A. (. (2000). The placebo effect: An interdisciplinary exploration. USA: Harvard University Press.Selikowitz, M. (2004). ADHD: The facts. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc.*Please include also the book where this module came from.