This kind of sickens me because it is literally taking advantage of children to sell powerful drugs. Another thing that concerns me it that this marketing could cause doubt that the disorders actually exist, which can harm people who are really struggling from them.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Advertising A.D.D.- Francesca Bartos 2nd
It is estimated that about five percent of children actually have ADD and ADHD. As opposed to the fifteen percent of children who have been diagnosed with and are being treated for the disorders. The over publicized nature of the illness and its various medications is devastating. The legitimate illnesses include symptoms such as hyperactivity, extreme impulsiveness, and inability to concentrate. But many children have been diagnosed with false symptoms such as impatience and forgetfulness, which are not symptoms of ADD and ADHD, but symptoms of childhood. There is no doubt that the over-diagnosis of these disabilities is fueled by the want to sell more of the drugs that treat the disorders. These medications are being advertised as " benign and 'safer than aspirin'" while in fact the drugs are regulated on the same level as morphine and oxycodone, by the FDA due to their potential for abuse and addiction.
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There is also a possibility of kids faking the disorder when tested in order to get extended time on standardized testing (esp. the SAT and the ACT). The thought of whether these disorders actually exist and whether they are just a way to produce more revenue for companies is very interesting. Though this could very well be true, there are people who genuinely need this medicine to be able to excel in their studies and other aspects of life.
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