Summary Of Alex's Story

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Reginald Lowery September 30, 2011 General Psychology (R57-F11C) Research Assignment Alex’s Story After watching Alex’s story, I question why kids are being medicated. Nearly everyone has heard of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and probably knows a child who has it. This isn’t surprising since approximately six million children, or two per every classroom, are currently taking stimulants to modify behavior. It is also likely that many have been in heated debates about ADHD and medication. Are doctors too quick to prescribe medication? The portrait of Alex McCarty, a depressed child with suicidal tendencies, is particularly moving. Alex is an articulate 12-year old, and it is bewildering to learn that he worries over…show more content…
Shire Richwood, the manufacture of Adderall, clearly has a stake in whether or not their stimulant is prescribed. The organization hires doctors like Bill Dodson to promote their product, and donates money to organizations like CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) to help raise ADHD awareness. They are making it all about the money, because they know a lot of people, especially kids, are being diagnosed with issues that will need their drug to fix it. I would questioned them about this, because do they really know the underlying side effects to their drug. Grant it that the drug corrects the issue at the moment, but what about later in life? All medicine has some kind of effect at the end of all the good that it does. On the other side of the aisle are the Church of Scientology and school board members like Denver’s Patti Johnson. Both believe that children are being over medicated, perhaps for a non-existent disorder. Unfortunately, it is the parents, guardians, and the children who are caught in-between. They need answers and treatments, not political positions or the company line. Families are in this to help their child and to have them come back to normal. The companies know that parents want to help their child, so that is what keeping them in…show more content…
After watching this film, it was clear that medication helped Alex. They took a mixed approach with mixed results. Even when medication does work, no one knows why. Still, any parent, teacher, or professional will gain a better understanding of all sides of this controversial issue from this program. Frontline also gives ADHD a human face. Some doctors, teachers, and parents may be too quick to medicate children. Others may actually be too slow. The issue—finally—isn’t really about pharmaceuticals, protesters, or even about whether or not to medicate. Instead, the issue centers on how to help individual children with ADHD function effectively and successfully in our

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