Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medications (Essay Sample)

Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medications
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Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medications
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder in children. A long time ago, it was challenging assessing ADHD because the disorder has many characteristics that resemble normal hyperactivity in children. However, with the diagnostic statistical manual, diagnosis has been effective. Consequently, with research, better therapies like medication have also been innovated to improve patient outcomes (Scaglione, 2021). Usually, people start medication and other therapies at a very young age because that is when ADHD is diagnosed; usually at 3 years and above and rarely in adolescents or adulthood. Patients diagnosed with ADHD are put on medication for a long time and expected to adhere to prescriptions to achieve better outcomes. However, healthcare professionals do not state the possible long-term effects of ADHD medications. The side effects are expected and explained but no one explains the long-term consequences. Research shows that 77% of children diagnosed with ADHD in the United States are using ADHD medication but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of behavioral therapy as the first line of treatment (Scaglione, 2021). Therefore, there are hidden dangers of ADHD drugs such as cardiovascular effects such as myocardial infarction, slowed physical development,