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Melanie Rao

ENG112
Assignment #3: Source-Based Argument
Due 4.26.2017

Why ADHD Should be Removed to Repair American Culture

In the United States, there are many social institutions that shapes how our society lives. One

important social institution is medicine, which not only plays a role in how our society functions,

but it also has an influence in controlling the behaviors of our society. A common behavior that is

controlled through the use of medicine is ADHD, which is attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder mainly diagnosed in kids. Although our government and social institutions feel

medicine is required to treat it, there are many sources that say otherwise. To improve the culture

of America, an important social institution that needs to be repaired is medicine and the diagnosis

for ADHD because the disorder is not a physically diagnosable disorder, the medicine required to

treat it is unnecessary and is only a financial benefit to pharmaceuticals, and there are many

reasons ADHD does not stand as an actual disorder as many of the "symptoms" can be

counteracted as normal behaviors and possibly boredom.

A television show, called "Man in the High Castle," medicine was used as a social institution to

how the Reich's society was run. There was a boy named Thomas who was the son of a very high

Reich official, and he was diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy. Of course, in this day and

age muscular dystrophy has physical evidence to prove that the disease exists; during the show's set

time period where medicine and doctors were limited in their knowledge, they used an observational

test to diagnose Thomas. Through the practice of observational diagnosis, this can lead to a

misdiagnosis leaving Thomas to be killed. In this same way, ADHD can be misdiagnosed and the
individuals are forced to take medicine especially to cope with a school environment. In addition to

observational diagnosing, the Man in the High Castle also relates to how government plays a role in

diagnoses and coping mechanisms. Even though ADHD is not the same as muscular dystrophy, it is

considered unacceptable in our society, or less than perfect as the Reich would call it, which proves

the point that the government is trying to control through social institution of medicine and doctors.

ADHD is considered to be a behavioral disorder, and can be diagnosed in both children and

adults. The diagnosis for ADHD is as quoted from WebMD, "There is no single test that can be

used to diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults. ADHD is diagnosed

after a person has shown some or all of the symptoms of ADHD on a regular basis for more than six

months. In addition, symptoms must be present in more than one setting. Depending on the number

and type of symptoms, a person will be diagnosed with one of three subtypes of ADHD: Primarily

Inattentive, Primarily Hyperactive or Combined subtype." This disorder is mainly based off of

observation, which makes it very hard to believe there can even be levels of ADHD. As stated in

the article, "Is ADHD a real disorder?," " Despite copious amounts of medical and psychological

research, science has yet to discover a biological marker or characteristic for ADHD." A few

examples of physical existence usually done in medicinal science could be blood testing or brain

imaging. Unfortunately, this type of evidence is not possible to obtain due to lack of change in

the chemical makeup of the blood as well as the physical brain functions if imaging were used to

observe the brain. This is why ADHD may either not exist or is not as common as it is perceived

and children are taking medicine that they truly may not need.

Some children or adults do not have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder all of their lives.

They may be perfectly fine through a period of their life before symptoms start or they may grow
out of it after childhood. A list of common symptoms for ADHD from Webmd "are in constant

motion, squirm and fidget, make careless mistakes, often lose things, do not seem to listen, are easily

distracted, do not finish tasks." According to WebMD, possible causes for the onset of ADHD is,

"Recent major life changes (such as divorce, a death in the family, or a recent move),

undetected seizures, thyroid problems, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, lead toxicity." Still, it is

not solid proof, as the diagnosis for thyroid problems and lead toxicity are done with physical

evidence to diagnose those specific diseases. A lot of these symptoms can just be kids that are

annoying adults, as said by Quinn and Lynch, " Some critics of the ADHD construct question the

possibility that ADHD is perhaps nothing more than an example of the medicalisation of

behaviours in children which are the most annoying and problematic for adults to control."

Basically, diagnosing of ADHD or the prescribing of medicine is just to calm children down

because of improper observations. This is a social institution of medicine and doctors that are

controlling the ways of American life. Children instead need to be let outside to let their normal

energy levels tire out. That is partially how the social institution can and should be repaired.

Medicine is a high profiting business among pharmaceuticals. Just with attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder, there are many drugs used as a treatment. Just on WebMD there was a list of

over 20 drugs that can be prescribed for ADHD. This is major profit for pharmaceutical companies.

According to CCHRINT, ADHD pharmaceuticals is a multi-billion dollar profiting business scam. In

addition, ADHD drugs such as Adderall go beyond the pharmaceuticals and are being sold by the

users that are prescribed them to people looking for a drug induced high. Another source, Psychology

Today says ADHD drug sales have increased up to 10 billion dollars every year. This is crazy money

making for something that can be unnecessary to consume.


Attention deficit hyperactivity drugs usually last for a period of 4-6 hours, and this could result in

the child taking them 2-3 times a day just to stay normal according to the doctors that prescribe them.

Over a thirty day period, that would equate to 60-90 tablets. According to Truemed, for that ratio, that

medicine would cost anywhere from $270 to $450 dollars to treat a disorder that really has no proof of

existing at all, and this does not include any side effects or long lasting issues that may erupt due to

the use of this medicine. In this way, medicine as a social institution, is playing a big role in how

society should function while using this vulnerability to reap profits.

The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as previously stated from WebMD are,

"are in constant motion, squirm and fidget, make careless mistakes, often lose things, do not seem to

listen, are easily distracted, do not finish tasks." The symptoms listed can be very similar to a child

disinterested in the activities he or she is participating in. Children in general have high energy levels

and just want to play. In addition, according to Psychology Today, instead of drugging the medicine,

parents should redirect their children's activity to an outdoor area, such as if a child is jumping in the

living room, instead redirect it so they are jumping outside. This is a minor example that can be put

into play because it is not really a disorder, just a child being a child. According to social institution, if

this activity were put into play in a school area, they would not work with the child, they would

instead force the parent to have the child take ADHD medicine. This is excessive when the child only

needs some physical exertion of their energy.

Although some children may require some medicine to help them with some aspects of their

behaviors, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a very hard disorder to diagnose in general as it

contains no physical proof. Again, ADHD may exist in some children and adults, just because it is not

observable physical does not mean it does not exist either. In this case, doctors, parents, or individuals

need to be cautious about diagnosis' and medicines that are being distributed to calm down disorders
or diseases that may be fixed with minor external adjustments as opposed to blaming the child or

individual that is being diagnosed.

Social institutions are important in some cases in running a society smoothly, but sometimes social

institutions run too far in how our society should be run. Just in medicine, there is a lot of excess being

done in the pharmaceutical world that could really use some more thought to repair it. Attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder is very hard to diagnose and should maybe even not be considered as

diagnosable without significant proof. In addition, there are many medicines that are being used to

treat a disorder that may not even exist that is profiting big bucks for pharmaceuticals. Many children

and adults may just be displaying these behaviors due to stress or lack of interest in the activity. In

addition, human beings have that need to be active and playful to have a fun life. Social institutions

have many components that need to be repaired, just with medicine especially for the treatment of

ADHD, there is a major chance that government is forcing humans to take medicine for a disorder that

may not even exist due to lack of physical evidence instead of the observations many doctors use.

That is why the social institution of medicine needs to be repaired to improve the culture of America.
Sources-Cited Page

Quinn, Michael and Lynch, Andrea. "Is ADHD a 'real' disorder?." Support for Learning, Vol. 31 Issuse

1, Feb. 2016, pp 59-70. DCCC College Library Services, doi: 10.1111/1467-9604.12114.

Scott, Ridley, producer. Man in the High Castle Season 1. Amazon Studios, 2015.

No name. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosing ADHD."

WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/diagnosing-adhd#1.

No Name. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Treatment and Care."

WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-treatment-care.

No Name, "ADHD Medication Chart."

WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-medication-chart#1.

Hickey, Phil. "ADHD: A Destructive Psychiatric Hoax."

Behaviorism and Mental Health, http://behaviorismandmentalhealth.com/2016/10/27/adhd-a-

destructive-psychiatric-hoax/.
No Name. "How ADHD Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry."

CHHRINT, https://www.cchrint.org/2015/12/09/how-adhd-became-a-multi-billion-dollar-

industry/.

No Name. "Social Institutions - Medicine."

SparkNotes, http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-institutions/section6.rhtml.

No Name. "Adderall,"

TrueMedCost, http://www.truemedcost.com/adderall-price/.

Frances, Allen J. "Most Active Kids Don't Have ADHD."

Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/saving-normal/201403/most-

active-kids-don-t-have-adhd.

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