ADHD: Is Ritalin Overprescribed?

Essay by iggie013College, UndergraduateA+, April 2003

download word file, 6 pages 5.0

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also know as ADHD, is a behavioral syndrome that can be found in both adults and children. Former ally known as hyperactivity, major symptoms are inattention and distractibility, restlessness, inability to sit still, and difficulty concentrating on one thing for any period of time. ADHD can be managed many different ways including through medication. One of these medications is Ritalin, and in recent years, there has been concern that this drug is being given out too often. (Web Md, 2002)

Children are more common to show signs of ADHD than adults are. There is not a definite test to determine whether a person has ADHD. A diagnosis is applied to children and adults who constantly display certain characteristic behaviors over a period. The three most common behaviors fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Inattention is when a person has a hard time keeping their mind on any one thing, and may become bored with a task after only a few minutes.

Learning something new may become difficult because of this, and the person is forced to deliberately focus. Hyperactivity is characterized by the need to constantly be in motion. One must wiggle, squirm, or move some part of their body at all times, and have extreme difficulty sitting in one spot for a long time. Hyperactive people may try to do several things at once, and may bounce from one activity to another. Hyperactive adults and teens may feel intensely restless and will become fidgety. Impulsivity is distinguished by people who are unable to curb their immediate reaction and have difficultly thinking before they act. This may cause a person to blurt out inappropriate comments or to become violent without thinking about the consequences. (Symptoms, 2002)

There is no official cure for ADHD,