More than five million children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD and that number continues to grow.
The number of children now on strong medication to treat it but are stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin really needed? Are they helping or hurting children in the long-run?
Omavi Owens will admit that spelling is not his strongest subject, but he loves learning, especially here at Huntsville Achievement School.
"I like this environment better because you really don't have to worry about peer pressure or bullies. Any of that stuff that distracts you from school work, you don't have to worry about it," said Owens.
Distraction is the last thing he needs.
The 12-year-old was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Dyslexia, when he was in second grade. Doctors prescribed several medications. However, his parents noticed something was wrong.
"He lost weight. His behavior, the spark that we saw in him, the laughter, the joy, he had a very flat effect. He just was an empty shell of who he was," said Omavi's mother, Marcia.
"I just hate taking pills and I just didn't like them," said Owens.
So, just a little after a year of being on several medications to treat the disorder, he decided, with his parents permission, to stop taking them altogether.
"It is needed in many cases," said psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Adams.
Dr. Adams treats several ADHD patients in his Madison office, from ages five through adulthood.
He said while every person is different, medication for ADHD patients has a purpose.
"Ironically, what it does- why would you give somebody who is hyperactive and has all these thoughts a stimulant medication? It doesn't make sense from the surface, but it wakes up or stimulates that ability to keep that working memory in tact. And what you see then are people who are able to stay on track, not get distracted, and they look calmer and they feel calmer because there aren't all these competing impulses and thoughts," said Dr. Adams.
He said too much medication can lead to side effects like weight loss and what's called the "zombie effect," and if not corrected can do more harm than good.
It may be doing more harm than we realize.
Studies now show that out of the more than five million children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, one million of them actually don't have it. They have been misdiagnosed. However, they are taking the prescribed stimulants, wasting $500 million a year on unnecessary medication.
Doctors are not yet sure of the long term effects on a person who really doesn't need the medicine in the first place.
David Stephens is a therapist with Trinity Counseling Center in Huntsville. He said improper testing can lead to a misdiagnosis.
"Some things that will interfere with that is if a child has not had enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can mimic inattention. If you are really sleepy, you are not going to be focused. Other things can be depression or anxiety. So it's important to really do a thorough evaluation.get a good history. Do all the testing. And that way when you collect all of this data together, you can form a more accurate diagnosis," said Stephens.
He says with an accurate diagnosis comes accurate treatment of ADHD - behavior modification, along with medication and accommodations.
Omavi decided to remove medication from the equation years ago, and is doing well without it.
His mom says there is nothing wrong with medication, but for her child, the more natural way to treat this disorder is the best way.
"In extreme cases, yes, maybe medications, but I do not think that the first thing we need to do as in the mental health profession in areas of psychiatry is prescribe medications," said Owens.
Every ADHD case is different. Some people tolerate medication better than others.
Omavi's mom said he could not tolerate it, so she removed red dyes from his diet, among other things and that seemed to help calm his behavior.
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