Parents have always blamed sugar rush to hyperactivity in their children, whereas others blame hyperactivity of a child to bad parenting. These are controversial statements in psychology. Children with severe hyperactivity may suffer from mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or depression. This can be due to genetic factor, environmental factor or a combination of both factors (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).
ADHD is not a new disorder. It was first described and brought to attention in the medical literature in 1763 by a Scottish Physician Sir Arthur Crichton. Dr. Crichton …show more content…
ADHD affects about “5-7%” in children and the results are similar between countries, depending on how they are diagnosed. ADHD is three times high among boys compared to girls. “30-50%” people diagnosed during childhood will continue to carry the symptoms into adulthood and 2-5% of adults have the condition but have gone undiagnosed. ADHD symptoms can be difficult to tell apart from other mental health disorders (WHO, 2013).
Individuals diagnosed with ADHD get treated with drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall. These drugs have side effects such as “anxiety, paranoia, weight loss, and insomnia and growth retardation of about an inch which one can outgrow” (NIMH, 2016). In rare cases the drugs can damage the heart. These drugs also kill the child’s appetite and parents have to force small meals all day to their kids (NIMH, 2016).
There is strong evidence of behavioral therapies that can help with preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD and they are the first to be recommended when symptoms of ADHD are observed and the therapies include: “psychoeducational input, behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioral training, behavioral peer intervention, organization training, parent management training and neurofeedback” (Evans, SW et al., (2000); Fabiona, GA et al., (2009); Kratochvil, CJ et al.,