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... n of responsibility for keeping the household running smoothly and meeting the needs of the children, the spouse with ADD, and, if he or she has time, his or her own priorities. Raising a child who has ADD can be an exhausting and, at times, frustrating experience. Parents play a key role in managing the disability. They usually need specialized training in behavior management and benefit greatly from parent support groups. Parents often find that approaches to raising that work well with children who do not have ADD, do not work as well with children who have ADD.
Parents often feel helpless, frustrated and exhausted. Especially if the child's condition is unknown at the time. It could seem to the parent that the child is just bad. Too often, family members become angry and withdraw from each other.
If untreated, the situation only worsens. Parent training can be one of the most important and effective interventions for a child with ADD. Effective training will teach parents how to apply strategies to manage their child's behavior and improve their relationship with their child. Without consistent structure and clearly defined expectations and limits, children with ADD can become quite confused about the behaviors that are expected of them.
Making and keeping friends is a difficult task for children with ADD. A variety of behavioral excesses and deficits common to these children get in the way of friendships. They may talk too much, dominate activities, intrude in others' games, or quit a game before its done. They may be unable to pay attention to what another child is saying, not respond when someone else tries to initiate and activity, or exhibit inappropriate behavior.
There is no cure for Attention Deficit Disorder. "Along with increasing awareness of the problem, a better understanding of its causes and treatment has developed (Wender 3). There is medication for ADD which will only alleviate the symptoms. The medication will not permanently restore the chemical imbalance. Approximately 70 % of adults with ADD find that their symptoms significantly improve after they take medication prescribed by their doctors. The patient is able to concentrate on difficult and time-consuming tasks, stop impulsive behavior, and time the restless twitches that have been experienced in the past.
Some ADD patient's psychological and behavioral problems are not solved by medication alone, and are required more therapy or training. Adult patients have the burden of the past that often hinders their progress. The patient then needs help with the relief of disappointment, frustration, and nagging sense of self-doubt that often weighs upon the ADD patient. Some ADD patients suffer from low-grade depression or anxiety, others with a dependence on alcohol or drugs, and most with low self-esteem and feelings of helplessness. There are two types of drugs that work to balance the neurotransmitter and have been found to be most effective in treating ADD, stimulants and antidepressants. Stimulants work by increasing the amount of dopamine either produced in the brain or used by the frontal lobes of the brain.
Antidepressants also stimulate brain activity in the frontal lobes, but they affect the production and use of other chemicals, usually norepinephrine and serotonin. All the drugs used to treat ADD have the same goal, to provide the brain with the raw materials it needs to concentrate over a sustained period of time, control impulses, and regulate motor activity. The drug or combination of drugs that work best for the patient depends on the individuals brain chemistry and constellation of symptoms. The process of finding the right drug can be tricky for each individual.
The psychologists are not able to accurately predict how any one individual will respond to various doses or types of Attention Deficit Disorder medication. However, the drug of choice for Attention Deficit Disorder is Ritilan. Ritilan (Methylphenidate) is a mild CNS stimulant. In medicine, Ritilan's primary use is treatment of Attention Deficit /Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The reason why this drug works so well is not completely understood, but Ritilan presumably activates the arousal system of the brain stem and the cortex to produce its stimulant effect. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), prescriptions for Ritilan have increased more than 600 % in the past five years.
Ritilan (Methylphenidate) is manufactured by CIBA-Geigy Corporation. It is supplied in 5 mg. , 10 mg. , and 20 mg. tablets, and in a sustained release form, Ritilan SR, in 20 mg. tablets.
It is readily water soluble and is intended for oral use. It is a Schedule II Controlled Substance under both the Federal and Vermont Controlled Substance Acts (Bailey 5). As stated before, ADHD is a condition most likely based in an inefficiency and inadequacy of Dopamine and Norepinephrine hormone availability, typically occurring when a person with ADHD tries to concentrate. Ritilan improves the efficiency of the hormones Dopamine and Norepinephrine, increasing the resources for memory, focus, concentration and attention (Clark 6).
Ritilan exhibits pharmacological activity similar to that of amphetamines. Ritilan's exact mechanism of action in the CNS is not fully understood, but the primary sites of activity appear to be in the cerebral cortex and the subcortical structures including the thalamus. Ritilan blocks the re-uptake mechanism present in dopaminergic neurons. As a result, sympathomimetic activity in the central nervous system and in the peripheral nervous system increases.
Ritilan-induced CNS stimulation produces a decreased sense of fatigue, an increase in motor activity and mental alertness, mild euphoria, and brighter spirits. In the PNS, the actions of Ritilan are minimal at therapeutic doses (Clark 2). Ritilan is the quickest of all oral ADHD stimulant medications in onset of action: it starts to achieve benefit in 20 - 30 minutes after administration, and is most effective during the upward slope' and peak serum levels. Ritilan's effect is brief: Most people experience 2 - 3 hours of benefit, but after 3 hours, benefits drop off rapidly. Some individuals, especially children, may obtain 4 or even 5 hours of positive effect (Clark 1). Attention Deficit Disorder is very prevalent throughout this country and the world.
There is no cure. Those afflicted with the disorder must learn to compensate for it and live regardless of it's affects. There are drugs and therapy available for those with this disorder to help them maintain there life. It is very frustrating to live with ADD or ADHD and even harder to live with it and not know it. Since ADD's detection is difficult, often the symptoms are likened to some other cause in an effort to explain the behaviors. This has lead to many misdiagnoses.
However, new studies on ADD and ADHD are in the works and with the Human Genome Project's completion in 2003 there is hope more light will be shed on this disorder. Bibliography: Bibliography Belief, W. J. Attention Deficit Disorder. 9 May 1997. Online Internet. 10 November 2000. web Clark, C.
G. Children Who Cant Pay Attention. 5 October 1998. Online Internet. 10 November 2000. web Hallahan, Daniel & Kuaffman, James.
Exceptional Child. 1999. Online Internet. 10 November 2000. web Hallowell, Edward M. & Rate, John J. Driven to Distraction. 13 April 1997. Online Internet. 10 November 2000. web Wender, Plan H.
M. D. The Hyperactive Child, Adolescent, and Adult. 15 November 1998. Online Interest. 10 November 2000. web Weiss, Lynn M. D.
Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. 4 January 1999. Online Interest. 10 November 2000. web
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Research essay sample on Attention Deficit Disorder Frontal Lobes
