ADHD Epidemic Among Kids

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in which one suffers from inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder, with a whopping 11% of children aged 2-17 reported. This means about 6.4 million children in the US alone have been told by their physician that they suffer from ADHD, and over half are put on some form of psychostimulant medication, commonly referred to by the name brand Adderall. One has to wonder if these 6.4 million children really do suffer from ADHD, or if overdiagnosis or even misdiagnosis is the underlying issue.

There has been in increase in diagnosis by 35% from 2003-2011. This dramatic increase could be caused by two main factors. The first possible reason is that children are being evaluated poorly by their doctors. It is part of one’s innate human nature to label others, so when a parent brings their child to the doctor because that child is having difficulty focusing in school or has been acting out aggressively towards others, there is a need to find a solution, which can then lead to a misdiagnosis of ADHD. The second cause is the effects of a child’s environment and pressures that can lead to a wrong diagnosis. Kids as young as 4 years old have been diagnosed with ADHD which is crazy because all 4 year old children are impulsive and hyperactive. This has to mean that the expectations placed on children starting from a young age are too unreasonable. Putting young children on psychostimulant medication not only has many negative side effects such as trouble sleeping and headaches, but it can lead to dependence as it changes neurotransmitters in the developing brain.