20 Pills to Cure ADHD
By: Katheryn Wilcox
Christopher Arboleda
Aubrey Berman
Definitions

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders:


ADHD is a disorder primarily associated with children
who have an inability to concentrate and also are
hyperactive.
These symptoms must be extreme for a particular
developmental period, persistent in different
situations, and cause impairment in functioning in
order to be diagnosed as ADHD.
Stance

We feel children today are being overdiagnosed with ADHD and over-medicated with
ADHD medications.
Brief History




The first clinical description of ADHD appeared,
British pediatrician Sir George Frederick Still,
M.D. describes hyperactivity in children as a
"defect of moral control“ -1902
Amphetamines introduced to treat hyperactive
children. -1930
Ritalin introduced as a treatment for
hyperactivity. -1956
Adderall gains FDA approval for the treatment of
ADHD and Attention Deficit Disorder. -1996
Causes



ADHD is a neurobiological disorder
Heredity
Other factors may include:








difficulties during pregnancy
prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco
premature delivery
low birth weight
high lead levels in the body
postnatal damage to the prefrontal regions of the brain
The Exact cause of ADHD is unknown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V724jfgabKE
Symptoms









difficulty paying attention
easily distracted
difficulty finishing schoolwork
Procrastination
forgetfulness in daily activities
fidgeting, squirming when seated
getting up frequently
being always on the go
often talking excessively
7
Neurotransmitters





Neurotransmitters-are
endogenous chemicals which
transmit signals from a neuron to
a target cell across a synapse
The only direct effect of a
neurotransmitter is to activate one
or more types of receptors
The action that follows activation
of a receptor site may be either:
depolarization (an excitatory
postsynaptic potential)- makes it
MORE likely that an action
potential will fire
hyperpolarization (an inhibitory
postsynaptic potential)- makes it
LESS likely that an action
potential will fire
Drug Treatments






The stimulant medications increase the release or block the
reabsorption of dopamine and norepinephrine
Adderall- The combination of dextroamphetamine and
amphetamine. Side effects include vomiting, stomache pain,
dry mouth, nervousness, to name a few.
Concerta- Methylphenidate. Side effects include hives,
itching, fever, vomiting, seizures, and fainting to name a few.
Vyvance- lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. Side effects include
insomnia, headaches, dry mouth, and naseau
Ritalin- Methylphenidate. Side effects include include hives,
itching, fever, vomiting, seizures, and fainting.
Strattera- Atomoxetine. Side effects include heartburn, loss
of appetite, gas, muscle pain, dizziness
Problems With Stimulant
Medications




Individuals may become addicted to stimulants and dependent on
them
Can cause feelings of hostility and paranoia
Can cause dangerously high blood temperature, irregular heartbeat
and potential for cardiovascular failure or seizures
Discontinuing stimulant medications can cause withdrawal
symptoms such as:
 Fatigue
 depression
 sleep problems.
 It has been shown that children who are medicated with ADHD
medications in childhood, are more likely to use illegal drugs,
specifically cocaine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5r-
Alternative treatments
 Exercise
 Food
sensitivities/nutrition
 Behavioral therapy
 Reiki
How Does Exercise Help?

There are many reasons for exercise in ADHD.
Exercise almost immediately elevates dopamine
and norepinephrine and keeps them up for a
period of time so that it acts like a little bit of
Ritalin or Adderall
12
How Does Nutrition Help?


Many ADHD sufferers insist that eliminating
certain foods from their diet leads to a significant
reduction in symptoms. Removing sugar from diet
does appear to help some children particularly
younger children.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry believes that the removal of certain
dyes and other substances may be beneficial to
some children. This is especially effective when
artificial colorings and flavorings are removed
from the diet altogether.
13
How Does Behavioral Therapy
Help?

Sometimes only the child with ADHD needs
counseling support. But in many cases the
problem affects the family as a whole the entire
family may need help. The therapist can assist
the family in finding better ways to handle the
disruptive behaviors and promote change. If the
child is young, most of the therapist's work is
with the parents, teaching them techniques for
coping with and improving their child's behavior.
14
What Is Reiki and How Does
It Work?



Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and
relaxation that also promotes healing.
Reiki treatment can help you deal with specific
illness and promote mental and emotional well
being.
Reiki is based on the belief that energy flows
through living organisms.
15
Misdiagnosis

Economist Todd Edler claims suggests that as
many as 900,000 children who have been
diagnosed with ADHD in America may not have
the condition





Teachers tended to perceive symptoms of ADHD in younger children more often
than in older children.
Many diagnoses stem from a recommendation from the child’s school or day
care setting
Some teens fake ADHD symptoms in order to gain access to prescription
medications
Severe conflict of interest between the doctors who prescribe prescription
medications and the pharmaceutical companies who sell them
Many children are prescribed ADHD medications from their family practitioner,
whose training in psychology is usually only about 3 months.
Prescription Drug Abuse



In 2006, more than 2.1 million teens from the ages of
12-17 reported abusing prescription drugs
According to the University of Michigan’s annual
“Monitoring the Future” studies, in 1994 there were
high school seniors who abused Ritalin than those
who were legally prescribed
Researchers at Northwestern University found that 75
percent of college kids abused ADHD drugs, often
grinding them up and snorting them just like cocaine
Global Issues




The use of drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has more than
tripled worldwide since 1993
“ADHD could become the leading childhood disorder treated with medications across the
globe,” Richard Scheffle
France, Sweden, Korea and Japan all showed increases in ADHD drug use among 5- to
19-year-olds.
According to neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman, 500,000 children [in the USA] were
diagnosed ADHD in 1985 and between 5 and 7 million were today.

Substantial growth has also been reported in Australia, a country of just 19 million people,
where it's estimated that at least 50,000 children are now on drugs prescribed for ADHD.”
”University of Queensland figures show that legal use of dexamphetamine in Australia has
risen from 8.3 million tablets prescribed in 1984 to 38.4 million tablets in 2001. Over the
same period Ritalin prescriptions rose from 1.5 million tablets to 19.3 million.”
Economic Issues


Drug companies "fund" medical schools with
millions of dollars annually in exchange for their
loyalty, and therefore medical students are taught
only to prescribe drugs and never learn that
nutrition cures chronic diseases
ABC television revealed on 20120 (October 27, 1995)
that CHADD has received over $800,000 from CibaGeigy, the company that makes Ritalin

CHADD has even petitioned the Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA) to remove Ritalin from its controlled substance
status. Such removal would make it easier for doctors to
write prescriptions for Ritatin, expanding the use of the
drug.
Future


Costs are likely to rise globally as long-acting
medications which offer easier use and result in
better compliance, become more prevalent
outside the U.S.
Global ADHD Therapeutics Market to Reach
$4.2 Billion by 2015
Conclusion



Due to the potential dangers of stimulant medications,
the prescriptions which are written to treat ADHD
should be more closely monitored.
It is necessary to further develop the tests which are
used to diagnose the disorder in order to reduce the
amount a misdiagnoses which are frequently
occurring.
Corruption, conflict of interests, lack of education,
invalid testing techniques, and being able to easily
fake symptoms of the disorder are all factors which
lead to the over prescription of medication to treat
ADHD.
References

Abnormal Psychology Eleventh Edition. Kring, A., Johnson, S., Davison, G., Neale, J., John Wiley & Sons. New Jersey,
2010.

Angell, Marcia., (2008). Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption. The New York Review of Books. Retrieved
February 26, 2011 from http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2009/jan/15/drug-companies-doctorsa-story-ofcorruption/

Casey, B.J., & Durston, S. (2006). From behavior to cognition to the brain and back: What have we learned from functional
imaging studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 957-960.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/technology


How Easy is it to Fake ADHD? (2010). Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mouseman/201007/how-easy-is-it-fake-adhd

Kluger, J. (n.d.). Medicating young minds. Retrieved from http://behaviorhealth.org/medicating_young_minds.htm



Landau, E., (2010). ADHD: Who makes the Diagnosis? Retrieved February 25, 2011 from
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/11/adhd.medication.schools/index.html

http://behaviorhealth.org/medicating_young_minds.htm

SERVICES, U. D. (2008). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). National Institutes of Health.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml

The National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved February 25, 2011 from
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/prescription2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology
