Is ADHD a Real Disorder Essay Example

pervasive. That is they have to be not just a temporary situation but the behavior has to be exhibited in several settings. The treatment for the disorder includes a drug known as a stimulant. The stimulants reduce hyperactivity and improve the ability to focus. The side effects of the stimulants are usually minor and often times related to the dosage being taken. Although the medications help the children with the disorder temporarily, behavioral therapy and emotional counseling help children cope with everyday problems.

The article also explained how the disorder affected adults. “ Several studies done in recent years estimate that between 30 percent and 70 percent of children with ADHD continue to exhibit symptoms in the adult years” Usually these adults have no idea they even have the disorder. Everyday simple task can prove to be major challenges for adults. All in all the National Institute of Mental Health provided an insightful article detailing the facts of the supposed disorder of ADHD. On the other hand, Wright argues that ADHD is in fact not an actual disorder but a mere “fad diagnosis”.

He states that “Every parent has noticed, particularly with younger children, that toward the end of an especially exciting and fatiguing day children are literally “ricocheting off the walls” …it is nothing more than excessive fatigue. ” Distractibility is also frequently caused by excessive fatigue but in no way do the symptoms above rise to the level of a treatable disorder. Using his fifty years of knowledge with the subject, Wright notes many examples in childhood when the medication for ADHD was causing harm rather than helping a child. Distractibility or hyperactivity in children

usually lessens through adolescence and after puberty.

Like the first article Wright also explained ADHD in adults. The symptoms in adults are much more subtle. Poor judgment, forgetting, difficulties reading, and getting lost are typically the symptoms that adults present. Usually these symptoms become apparent in adulthood after a tragic accident. To make his case even more compelling Wright explained 3 cases in which ADHD was caused due to an accident. “In none of the foregoing situations was attention deficit or hyperactivity a significant presenting complaint, although the presence of both was clinically demonstrable at various times”

Both articles provided insightful information about the disorder of ADHD. Wrights article proved to be more experienced based rather than scientifically based like the first article. Wright included many cases which helped with his argument, while the first article included many statistics and many conclusions from prior experiments. With all the information given on the disorder in the first article it proved to be the more persuasive of the two. Unlike the second article the first article detailed the facts on the symptoms, diagnosis, causes, treatment, and how to know if it was really ADHD.

Being written by a national institute also helped its case, the article sounded more professional and the correct information was given. Although Wright never fully proved if ADHD was a disorder or not he merely left it as it was usually always over diagnosed and overmedicated. While the National Institute of Mental Health ended their argument with research that suggest that the best treatment for ADHD should include medication that in turn prevents greater problems in a child’s later life.