Essay Sample on Giving Stimulants to Children with ADHD

Many parents see their children struggling to pay attention and decide to test the child for an attention disorder such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). If the child has an attention disorder, the quick, attractive solution is to start the child on stimulant medication such as Adderall or Vyvanse. Both of these drugs, among a few others, are amphetamines intended to improve focus and attention span. “Teachers and parents are looking for a quick fix. They’re reluctant to look at what’s behind that behavior, at what’s going on at home” says Mark Smaller, PhD., a psychoanalyst in private practice in Chicago. What if the solution for most effectively treating attention disorders isn’t as safe as society once thought?

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies all chemical substances into a Schedule system with Schedule V being the least controlled, and Schedule I being the most controlled. Amphetamines such as Adderall and Vyvanse are classified as Schedule II currently, which is defined as including drugs with a high potential for abuse, possibly leading to severe psychological dependence. Schedule I’s definition is very similar, stating that these drugs have a high potential for abuse, and, also, have no currently accepted medical use. Amphetamines should be reclassified from a lenient Schedule II to a higher-control Schedule I so that doctors will no longer prescribe them.

This argument is being made for three reasons, really. First off, when prescribed, amphetamines can seem harmless and effective, but in reality, they are highly addictive and will cause crippling psychological dependence. Next, Adderall, among other drugs like it, causes physical deterioration of brain matter and organs. Lastly, amphetamines are the most abused prescription medication. 

Amphetamines' addictive properties are no joke. Although it is cleared to treat ADHD, amphetamines like Adderall have an identical chemical structure to crystal methamphetamine, intended to fire off copious amounts of neurotransmitters. Dr. Ryan Davison, MD, a neuroscientist at the American Chemical Society says, "People with ADHD tend to have lower levels of dopamine, a key chemical in the brain's reward center. This lack of dopamine means people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are constantly seeking stimulation." This constant urge for stimulation should not be mimicked by drugs that cause long-term dependence and throw the brain’s neurotransmitter levels off.

When taking Adderall, a substantial amount of dopamine is released, intended to calm and focus the user. But after years of use and dependence on the drug, the brain's dopaminergic system is broken down and dulled leaving the user with stunted levels of neurotransmitters. A New York Times article written by Casey Schwarts delivers a highly realistic account of what amphetamines are like, 

Adderall wiped away the question of willpower. Now I could study all night, then run 10 miles, then breeze through that week’s New Yorker, all without pausing to consider whether I might prefer to chat with classmates or go to the movies. It was fantastic. I lost weight. That was nice, too. Though I did snap at friends, abruptly accessing huge depths of fury I wouldn’t have thought I possessed. When a roommate went home one weekend and forgot to turn off her alarm clock so that it beeped behind her locked door for 48 hours, I entirely lost control, calling her in New York to berate her. I didn’t know how long it had been since I’d slept more than five hours. Why bother? (Schwartz)

This example is extremely beneficial to my argument because this particular user recalls the Adderall inhibiting decision making, acting as an appetite suppressant, and preventing a healthy amount of sleep. Over time, the brain begins to expect Adderall to be the source of dopamine production and shuts itself down. Trevor W. Robbins, a behavioral and clinical neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge, said, “...among amphetamine users, their poor decision-making may be associated with orbitofrontal damage and with reduced serotonin function in that region, as methamphetamine addicts have been shown to have reduced signs of serotonin function in the orbitofrontal cortex post mortem.” (Robbins). In terms of organ damage, stimulants like Adderall release myoglobin, a protein that must be filtered out by the kidneys, which are severely damaged by it. The nervous system is also affected, freezing up the bladder’s muscular function, which, in turn, prevents the ability to urinate, causing further kidney damage. Overall, the collapse of one’s body due to long-term stimulant abuse is something that can be easily avoided by simply staying away from amphetamines. 

As if all this physical and psychological damage isn’t enough to sway parents away from giving their kids Adderall, stimulants like Adderall are the most abused prescription drug to date. Prescription drug abuse is at an all-time high, looking over the past few decades. Emergency department mentions of amphetamines among patients 55 years and older have increased 700% from 1995 to 2002 (NCBI), for example. According to the UNODC, approximately 26 million people used amphetamines over the course of a year. To offer a bit of context, approximately 14 million people use cocaine, and 11 million use heroin. Across the globe, the only illicit substance that is used more than amphetamines is marijuana.

As a nation, we should fight the control that amphetamines like Adderall have over the development of our children. Attention disorders that cause an imbalance in brain chemicals are not a problem that can be solved with more chemicals. The American Medical Association stated, “While prescription stimulants carry real risks, they do not make people smarter”. Doctors should no longer prescribe amphetamines because of their addictive properties, the physical deterioration caused by them, and most importantly, the fact that stimulants are the highest abused prescription drug. This era of stimulant abuse could be ended by simply locking down government regulation. More specifically, by rescheduling amphetamines from Schedule II to Schedule I, inferring that there is no currently accepted medical use, barring medical professionals from prescribing these drugs.