ADHD

The DSM-V defines Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) as having 5 or more of the listed symptoms including; difficulty with organization, losing or misplacing items, frequently forgetting information, distracted and failure to pay close attention to details. According to this definition myself
and the majority of the population should be diagnosed and treated for ADHD. 

It is well-known that the United States is the most medicated country in the world. Direct-to-Consumer advertising allows Big Pharma to push drugs into the marketplace. As pharmaceutical advertisements list the symptoms that this drug can treat, consumers begin to think that they have that disease and need that drug right away. No sooner than when the commericial ends, consumers are scheduling doctor appointments in hopes of a new prescription. Drugs are viewed as a quick fix and the demand continues to rise. 

I have seen ADHD medication misused and abused more than any other prescription drug. Individuals who are prescribed it will sell it to their peers during midterm and finals week. I have seen parents use it during the holiday season to cross off everything on their to-do list. Most alarmingly, I have witnessed individuals take it at parties claiming that it makes them more alert and sociable. 

In my opinion, there are two types of individuals who are diagnosed with ADHD: those who have a normal level of distraction or impulsiveness and those that have an underlying disorder. There are several conditions or disorders that can lead to symptoms that parallel ADHD symptoms including; sleep disorders, undiagnosed vision or hearing disorders, substance abuse, iron deficiency, bipolor or major depressive disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and learning disabilties such as dyslexia. 

The stimulants that are prescribed to ADHD patients are highly addictive, have negative side effects and only work short term. ADHD medication isn't a treatment option, it is a band-aid at best, simply masking the underlying effect of the disease. I cannot minimize the fact that some individuals are more distracted than others and have a hard time paying attention but in most cases there is another cause.  

Some of the side effects of stimulants include; increased anxiety, irritable, depressesion, severe weight loss due to appetite suppression and suicide. In a recent study, children treated with stimulants for ADHD experienced slower BMI growth followed by a rapid rebound that could continue to obesity. The rapid rebound occured in late adolescene after discontinuation. The study emphasized it was the stimulant that was associated with rapid rebound and not the disease as the stimulant can cause growth delays. 

Public health professionals should pay attention to the effect that stimulants can have on childhood obesity and should aim at restructuring the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.