"Six million children a year are diagnosed with ADHD in the US alone, out of which over 4 million are reported using prescription drugs such as Ritalin to treat the disorder."--Prophet Ogbebor, 10th grade
Six million children a year are diagnosed with ADHD in the US alone, out of which over 4 million are reported using prescription drugs such as Ritalin to treat the disorder. But there have been many instances where a child has been misdiagnosed, often prematurely, because of their high energy levels or having a shorter attention span.
“The skyrocketing number of children with attention deficit disorders has led some pediatricians to question whether the diagnosis criteria for them” said Dmitri Christaki pediatrician at the University of Washington medicine, in a debate with the New York Times on whether or not ADHD medication is helping or hurting children. He argues that it is“ necessary for medication prescriptions and disability accommodations, and is too subjective.” Dr. Christaki also went on to say “Some children may be over diagnosed and overmedicated, while others who fall short of the diagnosis go unsupported.”
This is not the first time in the last 20 years that a medical professional has come to question the increasing rate of the diagnoses of children with ADHD. Children diagnosed with the disorder have grown 24% in the last 20 years, which is ten percent higher than the previous decade, according to The New York Times.
Which begs the question: are ADHD diagnoses helping or harming children?
In an interview with Geneva Warren, a parent of a child with ADHD and public speaker of child development, “ I started noticing things in my child at the age of three. My son wasn't even done with preschool, when teachers were calling home, complaining about my child’s inability to sit down and focus, they would always stop me in the hallways wanting to have meetings and bring in the school psychologist. I would often blow them off, not because I didn’t notice odd behaviors in my child, but because I thought they were as simple as home training issues.”
The diagnoses of children with ADHD began to popularize in the 1980’s. With more moms going to work, the role of the school system changed. Part of it became noticing a student's abnormality and odd behavior, and alerting parents. A surge of kids being reported rose in the 2000s.
“To make sense of the numbers, it helps to understand the disorder itself. ADHD, when properly diagnosed, is not just an inability to focus and sit still, though those are two of the most common symptoms. ‘ADHD is a complex mental disorder that affects a person’s ability to regulate cognition and emotions,’” says Stephen V. Faraone, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Suny Upstate Medical University, who has been studying ADHD for two decades, from Healthline News. As such, children with ADHD should be given special education privilege and more access to therapy in school in school, rather being kicked to the curb like they are, and degraded by those who think they are lazy or dumb.
“Those who have the disorder have difficulty coping with complex environments and following tasks through to completion. Because of these symptoms, people with ADHD are at increased risk of academic failure, substance abuse, depression, divorce, driving accidents, and other negative outcomes,” from the New York Times noted by Guilherme V. Polanczyk, PhD, an assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of São Paulo Medical School and an expert on ADHD. People with ADHD are already prone to be at higher risk for substance and alcohol abuse just to name a few so they are given more resources than medication that make them sit down, but therapy and counseling instead of mocking people with ADHD and saying they’re not smart.
But this research wasn’t around in the 1980’s when they were just figuring out a proper name for the diagnoses. Scientists thought it was an hyperactive condition that could be treated with Ritalin, which is a stimulant drug that calm the brain still used for some children today. Scientists were baffled at the sudden rate of children being diagnosed with ADHD from the 1980’s to late 90’s, that then skyrocketed in the 2000’s, but why? Warren explained, in the early 2000’s when this was going on neither me or my family were aware of the term ADHD, let alone the disorder itself and I was skeptical to get my child tested. As it was hard for me to accept it once he was diagnosed, not only because of my religious beliefs, but because it was just becoming accepted in society.”
A lot has the due with the fact that in the past 20 years ADHD has just been really accepted into the medical community and the diagnoses became more common to the point of over diagnosing in many cases, when people become adult saying they never had ADHD in there youth, as more teachers and parents are reporting their children to have ADHD. “ An inability to pay attention and sit still, to even finish a sentence or hear someone speaking to him,” were some of the few things Geneva noticed about her child, saying “ his mind was moving so fast and the world too slow.” Her child was unable to keep up with the world they hadn’t even started and suffering for it.
Giving a better perspective of a person living with ADHD from the person who raised them. It's not only your body that’s processing at a fast rate but also your mind, that her child was unable to do basic things a child developing properly at their age should be able to do like tie their shoes and make their bed. That when their child was on medication, they noticed significant changes in them. Although her child didn’t ease into medications as easily, starting off with 2.5 milligram of Ritalin then 5 milligrams, then eventually her child would be given such a high dose daily. That the medication was so stimulant that they suppressed his mind, which in some cases made it easier to be successful having a stronger ability to focus, he would be completely drugged but it would give him a certain calmness nothing else could give that allowed him to live.
What causes ADHD? Researchers are still looking for the answer to that question. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), “Brain injury, exposure to environment during a pregnancy or young age, alcohol and Tobacco use during pregnancy, premature delivery, and low birth weight.” This disorder is seen solely as a clinical cause and the CDCP strongly urges against beliefs that ADHD can be caused by bad eating habits, technology consumption, or social environments, such as poverty or family chaos. Although parents and children with ADHD have experience triggers and some even believe a cause could be related to family matters and personal tribulations.
To the contrary, in the interview with Warren she sought the importance of family dynamic and a stable environment for her child living with ADHD, saying, “Some of the most challenging things my child faces with ADHD was scrutiny and mockery from our family, he knew that they thought he was stupid and that he would never amount to much.” The education system has made a point to ignore children with special education, and make them feel less.
These are some of the challenges people with ADHD face, like it is not bad enough they have this disorder, but that they're underestimated and made to feel less by others, because they're different. Geneva also said bullying was another huge problem for her child growing up, that adds stress and anxiety which only worsen his ADHD.
Scientists in terms of knowing what is the cause of ADHD are no farther than they were in the 80’s. But, according to the CDCP have no evidence to rule this out, and have eliminated the possibility of ADHD being caused by a non-medical problem, thus a problem that could be solved by prescription drugs in 2015, Big Pharma, made 711 billion dollars, out of that 13 billion was from ADHD medication such as Atomoxetine and Adderall. So we have to begin to wonder why doctors would recommend such strong medication, that has not been not only non-affected, but has some side effects that actually harm some young people. For Warren, child she was lucky to have her child only experience loss of appetite, which made him malnourished and rapidly lose weight. Which was another way the medicine was hurting him causing a loss of appetite for days, which worsened his disorder and made him less focused and anxious.
It’s that ADHD is a market that big Pharmaceutical companies are making profits from. These medications are nothing but an expensive bandage, since scientists don’t know what ADHD it really is, just that 3 out of 5 children in America have it. This is just another ploy to make more money for the pharmaceutical industry and for the education system to slack off at its job. Geneva even described how she was pressured by doctors to put her child on medication, from an early age, and that she was against it and didn’t think her child needed it or it would help. For so long she thought it was benefitting her child when really it was making him suffer.
As soon as her child was able to realize fully what the medication was and what it did to them, they immediately stopped taking it because it didn’t help them and it side effects were growing worse, that her child was able to flourish better without that medication because at that point they were able to get therapy and better accommodation in school, which also helped them in the long term., that would help long term. Which raises the question, who was the medication benefitting? Because it surely wasn’t the patient himself, who even now into they’re adulthood refuses to be medicated. It seems like this diagnosis has been a clutch for young children who are more active or not as focused as their peers because every child is different to be, and of course you would be misdiagnosing kids and categorizing them as having ADHD for just being a kid which is energetic.
The school system has done everything in its power to fail children with ADHD, according to Frontline Mag, “Only the first group--those with a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity--is entitled to receive educational services or special education. Individuals who qualify under the second and third criteria are protected against discrimination, but the school isn't required to make special educational arrangements for them.” These children end up failing school or dropping out making it really hard for them to get jobs and live productive lives, with no resources.
In 2018, The New York Times reported in 2018 that 47% of students living with ADHD don’t graduate high school. Many of them live below the poverty line or homeless. Using medication once more, but now instead of ADHD medication, it’s now opioid, as people who took medication regularly in their youth are more likely to continue in their adulthood. The New York Times reported that “1 out of 5 children diagnosed with ADHD would experience some type of drug abuse in their adulthood.”
This is not just a coincidence, but a connected cycle the Pharmaceutical company has used to get over the most vulnerable of people which are children to keep them drugged and making them money, by believing this is the only way to be treated with ADHD. Doctors shouldn’t be in such a hurry to diagnose children but instead, make sure that they are being able to express themselves and their energy in a positive way. At 5 or 6 years old when they are being treated, they are supposed to have energy and it’s alright if they can not sit and focus for eight hours. Once we get children on medication it’s hard to get them off. And major Pharmaceutical companies are ready to profit off your children, who have a disorder that were not really sure of.
“There are several problems that contribute to ADHD misdiagnosis. The first is the subjective and limited nature of the evaluations used to diagnose an already high-energy population (kids). A checklist of behaviors should not be the only or primary source of an evaluation when so much is at stake. For example, observation over a period of time and in multiple settings are needed. How active and attentive are students when they are watching TV or playing games. What are they like in places of worship or when they are traveling, and so on? It is worth considering, in every case, how a child changes their behavior based on location and time of day,” according to Professor Dona Ford of Vanderbilt University.
I think that we should be more focused on the development of our children rather than medication. Warren, although she believes her child was properly diagnosed, wants others, especially parents, to be wary about assuming an ADHD diagnosis on their child because no one child is alike. If you suspect your child has ADHD, look for patterns in the family, like abnormal pregnancies, research other learning disabilities too, and observe your child. Have talks with them and try to see how they feel about it.
Before you get your child tested, talk to a pediatrician about other possibilities and be open minded. Some good tips to watch out for if you think your child has ADHD are, look for any patterns, like family members or abnormality during a pregnancy, look for any other disorders ADHD that usually come with learning disabilities, observe your child and have talks with them about it try to gage where they are at, and last before you get your child tested talk to a pediatrician about other possibilities and be open minded. As medication is an option, but not always the best.
“The skyrocketing number of children with attention deficit disorders has led some pediatricians to question whether the diagnosis criteria for them” said Dmitri Christaki pediatrician at the University of Washington medicine, in a debate with the New York Times on whether or not ADHD medication is helping or hurting children. He argues that it is“ necessary for medication prescriptions and disability accommodations, and is too subjective.” Dr. Christaki also went on to say “Some children may be over diagnosed and overmedicated, while others who fall short of the diagnosis go unsupported.”
This is not the first time in the last 20 years that a medical professional has come to question the increasing rate of the diagnoses of children with ADHD. Children diagnosed with the disorder have grown 24% in the last 20 years, which is ten percent higher than the previous decade, according to The New York Times.
Which begs the question: are ADHD diagnoses helping or harming children?
In an interview with Geneva Warren, a parent of a child with ADHD and public speaker of child development, “ I started noticing things in my child at the age of three. My son wasn't even done with preschool, when teachers were calling home, complaining about my child’s inability to sit down and focus, they would always stop me in the hallways wanting to have meetings and bring in the school psychologist. I would often blow them off, not because I didn’t notice odd behaviors in my child, but because I thought they were as simple as home training issues.”
The diagnoses of children with ADHD began to popularize in the 1980’s. With more moms going to work, the role of the school system changed. Part of it became noticing a student's abnormality and odd behavior, and alerting parents. A surge of kids being reported rose in the 2000s.
“To make sense of the numbers, it helps to understand the disorder itself. ADHD, when properly diagnosed, is not just an inability to focus and sit still, though those are two of the most common symptoms. ‘ADHD is a complex mental disorder that affects a person’s ability to regulate cognition and emotions,’” says Stephen V. Faraone, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Suny Upstate Medical University, who has been studying ADHD for two decades, from Healthline News. As such, children with ADHD should be given special education privilege and more access to therapy in school in school, rather being kicked to the curb like they are, and degraded by those who think they are lazy or dumb.
“Those who have the disorder have difficulty coping with complex environments and following tasks through to completion. Because of these symptoms, people with ADHD are at increased risk of academic failure, substance abuse, depression, divorce, driving accidents, and other negative outcomes,” from the New York Times noted by Guilherme V. Polanczyk, PhD, an assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of São Paulo Medical School and an expert on ADHD. People with ADHD are already prone to be at higher risk for substance and alcohol abuse just to name a few so they are given more resources than medication that make them sit down, but therapy and counseling instead of mocking people with ADHD and saying they’re not smart.
But this research wasn’t around in the 1980’s when they were just figuring out a proper name for the diagnoses. Scientists thought it was an hyperactive condition that could be treated with Ritalin, which is a stimulant drug that calm the brain still used for some children today. Scientists were baffled at the sudden rate of children being diagnosed with ADHD from the 1980’s to late 90’s, that then skyrocketed in the 2000’s, but why? Warren explained, in the early 2000’s when this was going on neither me or my family were aware of the term ADHD, let alone the disorder itself and I was skeptical to get my child tested. As it was hard for me to accept it once he was diagnosed, not only because of my religious beliefs, but because it was just becoming accepted in society.”
A lot has the due with the fact that in the past 20 years ADHD has just been really accepted into the medical community and the diagnoses became more common to the point of over diagnosing in many cases, when people become adult saying they never had ADHD in there youth, as more teachers and parents are reporting their children to have ADHD. “ An inability to pay attention and sit still, to even finish a sentence or hear someone speaking to him,” were some of the few things Geneva noticed about her child, saying “ his mind was moving so fast and the world too slow.” Her child was unable to keep up with the world they hadn’t even started and suffering for it.
Giving a better perspective of a person living with ADHD from the person who raised them. It's not only your body that’s processing at a fast rate but also your mind, that her child was unable to do basic things a child developing properly at their age should be able to do like tie their shoes and make their bed. That when their child was on medication, they noticed significant changes in them. Although her child didn’t ease into medications as easily, starting off with 2.5 milligram of Ritalin then 5 milligrams, then eventually her child would be given such a high dose daily. That the medication was so stimulant that they suppressed his mind, which in some cases made it easier to be successful having a stronger ability to focus, he would be completely drugged but it would give him a certain calmness nothing else could give that allowed him to live.
What causes ADHD? Researchers are still looking for the answer to that question. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), “Brain injury, exposure to environment during a pregnancy or young age, alcohol and Tobacco use during pregnancy, premature delivery, and low birth weight.” This disorder is seen solely as a clinical cause and the CDCP strongly urges against beliefs that ADHD can be caused by bad eating habits, technology consumption, or social environments, such as poverty or family chaos. Although parents and children with ADHD have experience triggers and some even believe a cause could be related to family matters and personal tribulations.
To the contrary, in the interview with Warren she sought the importance of family dynamic and a stable environment for her child living with ADHD, saying, “Some of the most challenging things my child faces with ADHD was scrutiny and mockery from our family, he knew that they thought he was stupid and that he would never amount to much.” The education system has made a point to ignore children with special education, and make them feel less.
These are some of the challenges people with ADHD face, like it is not bad enough they have this disorder, but that they're underestimated and made to feel less by others, because they're different. Geneva also said bullying was another huge problem for her child growing up, that adds stress and anxiety which only worsen his ADHD.
Scientists in terms of knowing what is the cause of ADHD are no farther than they were in the 80’s. But, according to the CDCP have no evidence to rule this out, and have eliminated the possibility of ADHD being caused by a non-medical problem, thus a problem that could be solved by prescription drugs in 2015, Big Pharma, made 711 billion dollars, out of that 13 billion was from ADHD medication such as Atomoxetine and Adderall. So we have to begin to wonder why doctors would recommend such strong medication, that has not been not only non-affected, but has some side effects that actually harm some young people. For Warren, child she was lucky to have her child only experience loss of appetite, which made him malnourished and rapidly lose weight. Which was another way the medicine was hurting him causing a loss of appetite for days, which worsened his disorder and made him less focused and anxious.
It’s that ADHD is a market that big Pharmaceutical companies are making profits from. These medications are nothing but an expensive bandage, since scientists don’t know what ADHD it really is, just that 3 out of 5 children in America have it. This is just another ploy to make more money for the pharmaceutical industry and for the education system to slack off at its job. Geneva even described how she was pressured by doctors to put her child on medication, from an early age, and that she was against it and didn’t think her child needed it or it would help. For so long she thought it was benefitting her child when really it was making him suffer.
As soon as her child was able to realize fully what the medication was and what it did to them, they immediately stopped taking it because it didn’t help them and it side effects were growing worse, that her child was able to flourish better without that medication because at that point they were able to get therapy and better accommodation in school, which also helped them in the long term., that would help long term. Which raises the question, who was the medication benefitting? Because it surely wasn’t the patient himself, who even now into they’re adulthood refuses to be medicated. It seems like this diagnosis has been a clutch for young children who are more active or not as focused as their peers because every child is different to be, and of course you would be misdiagnosing kids and categorizing them as having ADHD for just being a kid which is energetic.
The school system has done everything in its power to fail children with ADHD, according to Frontline Mag, “Only the first group--those with a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity--is entitled to receive educational services or special education. Individuals who qualify under the second and third criteria are protected against discrimination, but the school isn't required to make special educational arrangements for them.” These children end up failing school or dropping out making it really hard for them to get jobs and live productive lives, with no resources.
In 2018, The New York Times reported in 2018 that 47% of students living with ADHD don’t graduate high school. Many of them live below the poverty line or homeless. Using medication once more, but now instead of ADHD medication, it’s now opioid, as people who took medication regularly in their youth are more likely to continue in their adulthood. The New York Times reported that “1 out of 5 children diagnosed with ADHD would experience some type of drug abuse in their adulthood.”
This is not just a coincidence, but a connected cycle the Pharmaceutical company has used to get over the most vulnerable of people which are children to keep them drugged and making them money, by believing this is the only way to be treated with ADHD. Doctors shouldn’t be in such a hurry to diagnose children but instead, make sure that they are being able to express themselves and their energy in a positive way. At 5 or 6 years old when they are being treated, they are supposed to have energy and it’s alright if they can not sit and focus for eight hours. Once we get children on medication it’s hard to get them off. And major Pharmaceutical companies are ready to profit off your children, who have a disorder that were not really sure of.
“There are several problems that contribute to ADHD misdiagnosis. The first is the subjective and limited nature of the evaluations used to diagnose an already high-energy population (kids). A checklist of behaviors should not be the only or primary source of an evaluation when so much is at stake. For example, observation over a period of time and in multiple settings are needed. How active and attentive are students when they are watching TV or playing games. What are they like in places of worship or when they are traveling, and so on? It is worth considering, in every case, how a child changes their behavior based on location and time of day,” according to Professor Dona Ford of Vanderbilt University.
I think that we should be more focused on the development of our children rather than medication. Warren, although she believes her child was properly diagnosed, wants others, especially parents, to be wary about assuming an ADHD diagnosis on their child because no one child is alike. If you suspect your child has ADHD, look for patterns in the family, like abnormal pregnancies, research other learning disabilities too, and observe your child. Have talks with them and try to see how they feel about it.
Before you get your child tested, talk to a pediatrician about other possibilities and be open minded. Some good tips to watch out for if you think your child has ADHD are, look for any patterns, like family members or abnormality during a pregnancy, look for any other disorders ADHD that usually come with learning disabilities, observe your child and have talks with them about it try to gage where they are at, and last before you get your child tested talk to a pediatrician about other possibilities and be open minded. As medication is an option, but not always the best.
