ADHD is rapidly becoming the most diagnosed childhood disorder. The disorder continues through adolescence and adulthood over half the time. Symptoms include problems with paying attention and staying focused, impulsivity or erratic behavior, and hyperactivity that often turns to restlessness over time. The disorder co-exist with other mental health concerns in about seven out of ten cases making answering the question as to what medicine is prescribed for ADHD not necessarily as clear-cut as one would initially believe.
Twenty years ago few people were talking about ADHD (then known as ADD) and even fewer wanted to know what medicine is prescribed for ADHD. At that time there was still a great deal of skepticism about the existence of the disorder itself prompting physicians to prescribe medication to help manage symptoms only about 0.06 percent of the time.
Today it is an entirely different story as the total number of cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children age 4 to 17 has increased from 7.8 percent in 2003 to 10.5 percent today. Experts estimate that six out of every ten children diagnosed with ADHD are on some type of ADHD medication. Of these medications stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall remain the most widely prescribed but by no means are they the only ones. This is especially true for adults who have a higher incidence of co-existing conditions such as depression, bi-polar disorder, and anxiety.
Stimulant medications now come in a variety of forms and brands. They do provide some short-term benefit but recent studies seem to suggest that the longer they are taken the less effective they become. Additionally, they provide no healing or lasting benefit for once they are discontinued any benefit derived will be lost.
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