Consequences of Ritalin®
This article will use the critical thinking model to
evaluate the possible consequences of prescribing Ritalin®
to youth for ADHD and to offer ideas for solutions. Critical thinking experts, Paul and Elder,
explain that critical thinking provides a manner in which one may pose a
question, procure and analyze data about the question, and then reach
conclusions and solutions that are well-reasoned (Criticalthinking.org.,
2011). Paul and Elder’s Critical
Thinking Model will be utilized as the format for the information that is
presented (Foundation for critical thinking, 2009). The purpose for
clarifying a societal problem, associated research, the history of ADHD, the
rational choice theory, an interpretation and conclusion for a proposed action
plan, assumptions, a point-of-view utilization to an action plan, and the implications
and consequences will be analyzed in this article.
Purpose for
Clarifying a Societal Problem
The objective of this section is to analyze the societal
problem of the prevalence in which Ritalin®
(methylphenidate, MPH) is prescribed to America’s youth for ADHD. Children’s diagnosis of attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) skyrocketed approximately 41% from 2003 to 2011
to reach a total of 6.4 million children according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) (Story, et.al., 2016). The CDC also
claims that the most commonly used neurobehavioral diagnosis is ADHD with
7-years-old as the average age at the time of diagnosis and twice as many boys
in comparison to girls (Holland and Higuera, 2015). Marco, et.al. (2011) explain that concern is
surfacing about the long-term safety of the extensive number of adolescents and
children who are given MPH, a psychostimulant, for ADHD. Basically, the purpose of the author’s
thinking is to evaluate the possible causes for this situation. Next the issues that raised the need for this
objective will be presented.
Associated Research
The problem with this issue is that research indicates that
there are side effects associated with Ritalin®
as will be explored in this section. Calipari, et.al. (2014) report that the
action mechanism of MPH is similar to that of cocaine. Bottelier, et.al.
(2014) further explain that a -50% reduction in dopamine transport density is
associated with MPH “treatment” of young rats’ striatum with no apparent
affects to adult rats to demonstrate that the adverse effects of Ritalin® are age dependent.
“Adolescent
exposure to MPH seems to provoke persistent neurobehavioral
consequences: long-term modulation of self-control abilities,
decreased sensitivity to natural and drug reward, enhanced stress-induced
emotionality, together with an enhanced cortical control
over sub-cortical dopamine systems and an enduring up-
regulation
of Htr7 gene expression within the nucleus accumbens”(Marco,
et.al., 2011, para.1).
Helle-Valle,
et.al. (2015) state that other studies as well as their own question the
validity of the ADHD
diagnosis tool and the usual treatment of ADHD symptoms. The associated research is a small
sample of available data that has been gathered concerning the dilemma of
children taking Ritalin®. Information concerned with history of ADHD
will be discussed next.
History of ADHD
Facts and data about the
development of ADHD and its relation to historical trends will be discussed in
this section. According to Holland
and Higuera (2015) Sir George Still, a British
pediatrician, first mentioned ADHD in 1902 when he noted “an abnormal defect of
moral control in children” who were intelligent yet unable to control their
behavior (para.2). In 1936 Benzedrine
was approved as a medicine by the FDA and the next year Dr. Charles Bradley
noticed that school performance and behavior improved among his young patients
when given the psychostimulant (Holland and Higuera, 2015). Bradley’s findings were ignored until many
years later when researchers and doctors recognized the “benefits” of giving
children pharmaceutical speed (Holland and Higuera, 2015). It seems that this diagnosis or its treatment
was not embraced by the scientific community at its onset. The next paragraph will present this author’s
interpretation of historical trends related to the DSM and the skyrocketing
cases of ADHD.
It appears that the DSM’s acceptance of early work in ADHD
led to this diagnosis flourishing in America.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM) was first issued in 1952 to list mental disorders that
were recognized along with causes and treatments for conditions, and it did not
include any disorders related to ADHD which
may be why the disease was basically unknown at this time (Holland and
Higuera, 2015). The year 1955 saw Ritalin® approved as a medicine by the
FDA, and in 1968 the second DSM was published with hyperkinetic impulse disorder, an early name for ADHD,
included in it (Holland and Higuera, 2015). In 1980 the release of the DSM-III saw the
original name changed to attention deficit disorder (ADD) to include those do
not possess all of the symptoms of the original diagnosis and attention deficit
hyperactive disorder (ADHD) to create two subtypes of the disorder (Holland and
Higuera, 2015). The revised DSM-III that
was released in 1987 removed the subtypes of ADHD, and in 2000 the DSM-IV was
published with three subtypes of ADHD that are used
today (Holland and Higuera, 2015).
Holland and Higuera (2015) report that a significant increase in ADHD
diagnosis began in the 1990’s; this author feels that this climb is related to
DSM’s classification of ADHD. Please
recall that ADHD cases increased around 41% from 2003 to 2011 to reflect a
large increase in cases (Story, et.al., 2016). The documentary Making
a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging (2012)
explains that the DSM has codes in it that are used by doctors to collect money
from insurance companies so that any disorder that is not listed in the DSM is
not covered by insurance. Observations
seem to reflect that it is possible that the societal problem of ADHD and MPH
may be related to the DSM classifying ADHD with an insurance code. Other trends in psychology are related
because psychopharmacology appears to be taking over the field of psychology
since the development of psychotropic medication and the establishment of the
DSM. Concepts related to a social theory
may explain the manner in which ADHD has evolved into a societal problem will
be discussed next.
Rational
Choice Theory
An
analysis of the rational choice theory with supporting evidence for the
author’s choice of this theory to explain the societal problem will be
presented now. According to the rational
choice theory motivation for wants and goals drives individuals so that “the relationship between preferences and constraints can
be seen in the purely technical terms of the relationship of a means to an end”
(Scott, 2000. p.3). That is to say that
choices are made by individuals to will help them attain their goals and
individuals are “motivated by the pursuit of a
'profitable' balance of rewards over costs” (Scott, 2000, p.5). The rational choice theory points out that
people gauge their relationships by what they can profit from them. Next, what may be profited from putting
children on pharmaceutical speed with lasting adverse effects will be analyzed.
It’s possible that lobbying and big pharma rewards are
providing profit to those who prescribe Ritalin® to America’s future
generation of citizens. A system of rewards
used by pharmaceutical companies to convince doctors to prescribe their
medications and double agent FDA members who work for big pharma to help get
drugs to market are discussed in the documentary Making
a Killing (Of Interest, 2012).
Scholarly reviewed Senior (2013) states that the biosimilar or generic
war has demonstrated the extent to which healthcare policy and legislation is
influenced by lobbying. In 2012 there
was $234 million dollars released for lobbying by the US drug industry as the biggest
contributors to this practice (Senior, 2013).
Another scholarly reviewed author professes that alternative medicines
are seen as witchcraft by some in the scientific community who wish to close
out the alternative medicine section of the NIH (Stone, 1997).
Reardon (2014) reveals that the NIH budget may be even more impacted by
lobbying than the revealed estimates indicate in another scholarly reviewed
article. Is there any chance that the
people who do not wish alternative medicines to be tested are being rewarded in
some fashion? The manner in which these
principles relate to the proposed action plan will be presented next.
Interpretation and
Conclusion for a Proposed Action Plan
This author’s interpretation of
the data presented so far infers that a proposed action plan should involve
changes. The
NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA) demonstrated that for 6 -8 years
a transient raise in emotional disorders after treatment with Ritalin® (Bottelier,et.al.,
2014). Bottelier, et.al. (2014) inform
us that behavioral therapy is associated with 4.3% of depressed and anxious
children while Ritalin® therapy
is associated with 19.1% children with anxiety and depression to indicate that
behavioral therapy alone may be more advantageous for ADHD than
psychostimulants. Helle-Valle,
et.al. (2015) suggest that more awareness is needed about the need to be
creative and restlessness that is associated with childhood, and that better
cooperation between the local community and institutions is a necessity. It is also suggested that adults are
co-creators of children’s problems so that adults should share in the
responsibility to resolve said problems (Helle-Valle, et.al., 2015). These principles are related to the proposed
action plan because the plan involves changes.
Next assumptions will be discussed.
Assumptions
Assumptions are made by the
author in the line of reasoning presented.
The author’s line of reasoning assumes that all children who are
diagnosed with ADHD can be better helped with alternative methods than Ritalin®,
it is also assumed that teachers
and doctors who recommend pharmaceutical speed that affects the developing
brain are aware of what they are telling trusting parents to give their children. This author knows for a fact that she gave
her own child MPH because his kindergarten teacher asked her to and his doctor
gave it to him in a 10-minute office visit when he was 6-years-old; in fact, at
that time this author assumed that teachers and doctors had her child’s best
interest in heart. Nevertheless, Fiore
(2014) explains that financial relationships between researchers and investors
result in biased research. In fact, this
school source states that “conflicts of interest pose a threat to
scientific integrity by introducing forms of bias that affect the enterprise of
science itself” (Fiore, 2014, para.46). It
seems like many parents must take it for granted that their doctors and
teachers know what’s best for the children so that they do not research
products for themselves. This author’s
point-of-view will be utilized to formulate an action plan next.
Point-of-View Utilization to an Action
Plan
There are a few alternatives for ADHD treatment that may not
be discussed when parents take their children to doctors. Forgoing food coloring and avoiding potential
allergens with diet management is one choice to aid with hyperactive symptoms (Story,
et.al., 2016). Some studies suggest that
EEG training may help with ADHD symptoms while other studies state that yoga
helps and still other studies recommend tai-chi (Story, et.al., 2016). Green space and regular exposure to outdoors
was determined to help in a 2011 study (Story, et.al., 2016). According to the American Academy of
Pediatrics the first step in treating ADHD in young children should be
behavioral therapy (Story, et.al., 2016).
Parental therapy that equips parents to deal with their children and
help them progress is another viable solution (Story, et.al., 2016). These alternative treatments to
psychopharmacology doesn’t take jobs away from psychologists; instead, it
shifts the responsibility of helping ADHD children to psychologists from drug
companies. Next an action plan will be
presented.
The action plan involves
restricting lobbying and doctoral awards associated with big pharma. Steinbrook (2008) reports that pharmacy companies
are allowed to give tens of millions of dollars in soft-core donations to
Congress and federal agents and this author believes that this as well as all
lobbying by drug companies should be made illegal in order to formulate an
action plan. Bodenheimer (2000) states
that “the evidence is persuasive that investigators with financial ties to
companies whose products they are studying are much more likely to publish
studies favorable to those products” so that it would be better if these ties
were severed (para.60). Doctors and
teachers should be instructed to tell parents to take children to psychologists
who are instructed to help children to resolve hyperactive and in attentive
issues in lieu of doping them up. It’s a
simple plan; however, this author sadly notes that it will not be put into
action because it affects the money flow of big pharma. In fact, this plan would so many who pay and
pay into the medical industry to never be healed. The implications and consequences of ignoring
this plan will be discussed next.
Implications and
Consequences
The implications and consequences
involved with prescribing pharmaceutical speed to children with ADHD symptoms
are varied. Americans are raising
children who think that it’s alright to take dangerous drugs in lieu of
learning to deal with a difficult youth so that they grow up thinking that
taking mind altering drugs to deal with your problems is okay. Considering the research provided in this
article and even more available research indicates that children’s brains are
being interfered with during development when they are given Ritalin®
it seems best for the future of
America to find a better way to deal with this societal dilemma. In private research with my son who took
MPH from 6 to 14-years I learned that he exhibits all of the visible symptoms
listed from the Marco, et.al. (2011) study.
It seems like enough evidence from University approved sources
have been provided to implicate that this author’s action plan is a valid one.
The purpose for clarifying a
societal problem, associated research, the history of ADHD, the rational choice
theory, an interpretation and conclusion for a proposed action plan,
assumptions, a point-of-view utilization to an action plan, and the implications
and consequences have been discussed in this article. This author hopes that society will realize
that the “cure” for ADHD is no more than a mask that sets children up for a
hard time later on in life.
I used what i learned in college and life to make some blogs when my school career ended. I did get to me bachelor's in psychology, but was blocked by a 3,000$ fee to get my degree. I did make a 100 on this ritalin paper. I learned that the school's and whole system is biased.
I used what i learned in college and life to make some blogs when my school career ended. I did get to me bachelor's in psychology, but was blocked by a 3,000$ fee to get my degree. I did make a 100 on this ritalin paper. I learned that the school's and whole system is biased.
Part 1: Big Pharma Controls the Medical Industry @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/03/part-1-big-pharma-controls-medical.html
Part 2: Beating the Cancer IndustryScam @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/03/part-2-beating-cancer-industry-scam.html
Part 3: Home Remedies to the Rescue @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/04/part-3-home-remedies-to-rescue.html
Part 4: Alternative Depression Treatments @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/04/part-4-alternative-depression-treatments.html
This author first learned of colloidal silver from a holistic doctor’s video at the time of the ebola scare, and the doctor showed some books that told of miraculous cures with colloidal silver that have been “squashed” in the medical industry because it kills “600 pathogens”. Dr. Sirian explained that colloidal silver will kill ebola so I pursued incorporating it into my life. As a single mom, I could not pay the doctor for his small bottles, but I did find out how to make it and ordered my silver rods for 20$. After 3 years of experimenting and researching I do believe that it is a miracle drug that could change and save lives so I will make this blog.
Part 5 : Take Charge with Colloidal Silver @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/05/part-5-take-charge-with-colloidal-silver.html
Sometimes a dirty energy field will cause problems that psychiatry and psychology miss for which i have some blogs about keeping the energy field clean.
Victims of Sexual Abuse May Need a Goode Cleanse @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/07/victims-of-sexual-abuse-need-goode.html
When Children are Afraid to be Alone with a Bit on Protecting Your Childe @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/06/when-children-are-afraid-to-be-alone.html
Shadows and Shadow People with a Protection Tip @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/06/shadows-and-shadow-people-with.html
tips on cleansing @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/06/tips-on-cleansing.html
Signs of Astral Attack and a Goode Light Cleasnsing Method @ http://citedinfo.blogspot.com/2017/06/signs-of-astral-attack-and-goode-light.html
Thank You for reading my blog :)
http://magickalgraphics.com/Graphics/Occult/BlessedBe/blessed68.gif
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