A solution to adhd

             A Solution to ADHD.
             Attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome, not a disease that affects children, adolescents, and adults. The difference between a disease and a syndrome is that a disease can be detected in the body through medical tests and therefore treated with drugs, and a syndrome is marked purely by symptoms (Stein, 19). The cause of ADHD is something experts cannot seem to agree on. Some psychologists and doctors are convinced it is a biological disorder (that is, having to do with the brain and body), contrary to the fact that there is no evidence to date to support this claim. Others, myself included, believe it is caused by one's environment.
             The problem with ADHD is that diagnosis of this disorder is based on behavioral symptoms, because currently there are no medical tests to detect ADHD in the body (if in fact it is a biological disorder). Furthermore, when children are diagnosed as having ADHD, the immediate answer seems to be to place the child on Ritalin, an amphetamine used to reduce hyperactivity. In my opinion, ADHD is a behavioral disorder rather than a medical disease, and should be treated through behavior modification techniques rather than with the use of Ritalin.
             There are several reasons why the use of Ritalin is unwise and dangerous. First of all are concerns about triggering the addiction process. Ritalin is considered an amphetamine and is listed by the Federal Government as a Schedule II drug (Stein 11). This means that it has such a high addictive potential that prescriptions for Ritalin must be carefully monitored and controlled. Even more alarming is the fact that this same category of drugs includes opium, morphine, and cocaine. Is it any surprise that Ritalin has also become a street drug in recent years, being traded illegally between teenagers all over the country? It is after all, a form of speed.