Over the past 15 years, however, doctors have been pinning the ADHD label on-and prescribing stimulants for-a rapidly rising number of patients, including those with moderate to mild inattention, some of whom, like the sixth grader I saw, have a normal ability to focus. Thus, appropriate medication might keep a person out of prison, away from addictive drugs or in a job. Severe inattention and impulsivity put individuals at risk for substance abuse, unemployment, crime and car accidents. Indeed, the pills can improve attention, concentration and productivity and also suppress impulsive behavior, producing significant improvements in some people’s lives. The majority of patients take methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), whereas most of the rest are prescribed an amphetamine such as Adderall.Īlthough it sounds counterintuitive to give stimulants to a person who is hyperactive, these drugs are thought to boost activity in the parts of the brain responsible for attention and self-control. are taking stimulant medications as part of their therapy for ADHD, the CDC reported in 2005. An estimated 9 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls in the U.S. As its name implies, people with the condition have trouble focusing and often are hyperactive or impulsive. children-twice as many boys as girls-age six to 17, according to a recent survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was the last time I saw her.Īttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder afflicts about 5 percent of U.S. I told her that I did not think her son had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that he did not need medication. His mother acknowledged this was a side effect of the Adderall. On a previous casual encounter, when the boy had been on Adderall, he had seemed reserved and quiet.
I also noticed that off the medication he was friendly and playful. The boy had been taking the medication for several years, and his mother had liked its effects: it made homework time easier and improved her son’s grades.Īt the time of this visit, the boy was off the medication, and I conducted a series of cognitive and behavioral tests on him. A few years ago a single mother who had recently moved to town came to my office asking me to prescribe the stimulant drug Adderall for her sixth-grade son.
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