The overprescription of ritalin

            
             "The Over Prescription of Methylphenidate (Ritalin) in Today's Society".
             It's been said that nearly one out of every thirty Americans between the ages of five and 19 has a prescription to Ritalin (Rowland 2003). Ritalin is a potentially harmful, over prescribed drug, put out as a treatment to the over diagnosed disease Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. .
             The National Institutes of Mental Health has historically had a difficult time putting together a solid definition of the psychological condition known as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. They have, however, put together a list of symptoms or indicators that can be seen before the age of seven that are supposedly very effective in identifying if a child might have ADHD. Inattentive kids, lacking concentration, that are often easily distracted may be easily branded as having this particular condition. Also, hyperactivity and impulsiveness are frequently considered sure signs of ADHD (Simon 2003). These "symptoms" are unbelievably commonplace in young children. Children naturally act hyper all the time and most have short attention spans. These are somewhat ordinary behaviors that we generally overcome with age. The behaviors themselves are so common that they must on occasion be confused by parents as indicators of ADHD. At this point ADHD is so well known and has been such a large issue in the media over the last ten years or so that many parents are quick in identifying and associating such behaviors as ADHD. These premature notions can often lead to them convincing themselves and the psychologists and or doctors that their child has the disorder. .
             Distinguishing between whether these overexcited, inattentive children are the way they are because of the condition ADHD or because of other factors such as learning disabilities or certain emotional or neurological problems is certainly very difficult. No objective tests exists for diagnosing ADHD so doctors put a lot of emphasis on the opinions and descriptions of how the child is behaving as given by the parents and teachers involved with the child (Simon 2003).