Informative Speech
Once I was at a horse show working as usual. One of our clients brought her entire frantic family to come and watch her compete. I noticed one of her kids repeatedly had massive tantrums and panic attacks in the middle of the barn and after I asked, "Is there anything I can do?" I was met with a response from the dad as he was hanging onto his child by one arm. "It's just his ADD meds; they make him have these stupid mood swings." I thought, is this really how we as a society are "treating" the problem? Over the years, I have experienced firsthand through my dad, my brother, and myself the effects that ADD medication has on an adult's life, much less a child's. What's the issue, you ask? The issue is the misdirected treatment and overmedication of the American youth. It is best said by Erica Komisar when she stated as follows "many of these young people don't actually have ADHD, clinical depression or anxiety. A 2000 study found that the majority of children and adolescents who were being medicated for ADHD did not fully meet the diagnostic criteria for the condition." Since I am medicated for ADHD, people might call me a hypocrite, yet my enthusiasm for this issue has nothing to do with my diagnosis.
What is ADHD, you might ask? Well, it stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which affects a person's ability to regulate their attention span and also causes unpredictable bouts of energy. It is one of the most common disorders in children and is typically treated with medication such as Ritalin and Adderall. "ADD looks very much like a willpower problem, but it is not. It's essentially a chemical problem in the management systems of the brain." This is how Thomas Brown described an aspect of the disorder, and I personally agree with that observation.
With the advancement of technology, parents are becoming increasingly careless about the natural evolution of their child's behavior due to iPads and TV, which in many households is used as a distraction; they then wonder why their 7-year-old can't focus in first-grade math class. Expected to be still, be quiet and be smart, tenacious teachers complain about children's inability to sit perfectly still in a 45-minute class. A parent's first recommendation from them is to see a pediatric psychiatrist. Pediatricians generally like to wait until at least the age of six to prescribe stimulants. Drug side effects at that young age often outweigh the benefits. Loss of appetite, stunted growth, and unpredictable moods are the most common side effects in kids prescribed with brain stimulants.
Additionally, I researched how the brain develops a dependency on brain-stimulant drugs. Adderall and Ritalin produce more dopamine in the brain, which it lacks naturally if a child has ADHD. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that signals the brain to focus and feel good. Once the body starts to rely on a synthetic drug to assist in the release of dopamine, it is unlikely that the body would be able to function normally without the synthetic drug. This is why many kids prescribed brain stimulants are typically taking them for life.
Subsequently, I find most of the responsibility for this widespread issue to be in the hands of school systems, physiatrists and parents. Yet, in spite of pediatricians being aware of the side effects, parents aren't always properly educated on the risks and benefits of medication. Eileen O’Connor said “”Parents need to be presented with a choice," he said, concerned that, in actual practice, the risks and benefits of medication are rarely presented. Wider treatment options, he said, "will help normalize functioning of many ADHD children without medication.” School is unnatural for the developing brain, and due to the growing misconception that children should be able to handle the amount of suppression they have to withstand in school. Many kids find themselves displaying symptoms of ADHD, such as inability to sit still, constant fidgeting, and excessive movement. For me, a tic called "knee hopping" started in the 2nd grade. My teacher at the time was quick to tell my parents about this "problem." My dad (also diagnosed with ADHD) thought it ridiculous that my actions were seen as a disturbance and distraction in the classroom. Nevertheless, here I am, six years strong on Adderall.
Bibliography
Brown, Thomas E. “Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults.” Yale University Press. December, 2005. Accessed Sept. 19 2022.
Komisar, Erica. “We’re Overmedicating Our Children: The use of drugs as a quick fix doesn’t help kids become resilient to stress or emotionally mature.” The Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2019. Accessed Sept. 19, 2022.
O’Connor, M. Eileen. “Medicating ADHD: Too much? Too soon?” American Psychological Association, December 2001. Accessed Sept. 19, 2022.