Running Head: PRESCRIPTION OF DRUGS ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANXIETY AND ADHD 1

Prescription of Drugs on People Who Have Anxiety and ADHD

Natalie Castro

The University of Texas at El Paso

PRESCRIPTION OF DRUGS ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANXIETY AND ADHD 2

Abstract

Prescription drugs have been around as early as the 1890s. Prescription drugs could be

used ranging from a cold to even disorders such as anxiety. Some may agree to the use of

prescription drugs and others may not agree with that idea at all. Anxiety is the feeling of worry

or excessive fear, while ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Both these

conditions could be healed by the consumption of prescribed drugs, attending cognitive

behavioral therapy, physical activity, and the practice with holistic medicines. Prescription

medications have both its benefits and consequences. Other options of treatment include physical

activity which shows major improvements, along with cognitive behavioral therapy which makes

sure that the awareness of one’s negative distorted thoughts allows one to correct themselves and

think realistic thoughts instead. Which will work best? The best form of treatment all depends on

the patient and what they are open to trying.

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Introduction

When someone is sick, the first thing for someone to do is to go to a doctor’s office to be

prescribed medication in order to cure the sickness. It may be for several reasons and the

doctor’s diagnosis is different each and every time. Prescription drugs have been around as early

as the 1890s. In 1951, Durham Humphrey Bill created categories in which prescribed and non-

prescribed medicines would fall into. It set up limits in the number of refills a prescription drug

was allowed. In 1970, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act required

pharmacies to have security and have strict rules over specific types of medicines. In 2007, it

became crucial for all pharmacist to be certain that the medicine being prescribed was going to

be used for all the right reasons.

In America, medications are becoming a part of everyday lives. Kids and young adults

are found to be packing their pills for school along with their lunch, pencils, paper, etc. Some of

them are taking these pills for depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc. It all depends on the patient’s

condition. Whether people would be able to live without these pills is a big question that is

almost always being asked. Are they good for people or are they hindering everyday lives?

Prescription drugs are prescribed to patients for various reasons, but the focus of this

literature review will be on the conditions called ADHD and anxiety. What does ADHD stand

for? It stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It has been known to affect mainly

children, but has also been a diagnosis found in adults. Some symptoms include high activity

levels and limited attention spans. There are usually two types of people which are inattentive or

hyperactive. Inattentive people don’t pay attention details and make careless mistakes. They have

difficulties staying focused on tasks such as long readings and lectures. Inattentive people are

also disorganized and are easily distracted. On the other hand, hyperactive people tend to fidget
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with their hands and feet, aren’t able to stay seated, talk too much, and are always “on the go”.

Doctors usually diagnose patients with ADHD through a medical evaluation because there is no

official lab test to perform.

Anxiety is the feeling of worry and excessive fear. Some symptoms may include

excessive distress, fear of social events, unexpected panic attacks, irritability, and difficulty

sleeping. These symptoms of anxiety usually interrupt one’s daily activities. It can occur in

social, occupational, or academic settings.

These conditions are almost always taken care of by prescription drug. Some may agree

to the use of prescribed medication and others refuse to use that form of treatment. Debate is an

on-going issue on whether prescribed medication is good or bad for the treatment of these

conditions. This is why it is important to ask the questions that follow:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of prescription drugs on people diagnosed

with ADHD and anxiety?

2. What are other ways of treatment besides prescribed medication for ADHD and anxiety?

3. Is holistic medicine a better form of treatment than prescription drugs on people

diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety?

These questions will help inform others who aren’t aware of the effects of prescriptions drugs

and show people the variety of options available.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of prescription drugs on people diagnosed

with ADHD and anxiety?

Prescription medication has its benefits and its consequences. ADHD prescription drugs

are found to be effective to people in the sense that they lower the amount of hyperactivity,

impulsiveness, and are able to focus much better. Medications keep ADHD symptoms under
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control. In a survey conducted by consumer reports, most parents stated that the medication

given to their children helped them tremendously with their academic performance and helped

with their behavior at home. Children who had severe symptoms before beginning their

medication showed the most improvement. Medication has helped children build a more positive

self-esteem and has helped children avoid failure. Gulf Bend Center found that stimulant

medication drugs are short-acting. They will be out of a child’s system by the next morning

when they awake and don’t remain in the body for long. The medication will also stop being

effective if a child were to be told to stop taking their medication along with all the side effects.

On the other hand, the Department of Psychology Community Clinic found that

medication for anxiety has relieved 50% of one’s symptoms. Antidepressants have shown to

decrease panic from occurring, add-on treatments have flexible dosage schedules and have

helped by stabilizing one’s mood. Benzodiazepines have relieved one from feeling panic due to

its calming effect. For example, it can be helpful with people who have phobias such as flying.

ADHD does have side effects that can hinder one’s daily activities. Consumer Reports

stated that 35% of people who reported no longer taking medication was due to side effects. The

decrease in appetite, trouble sleeping, irritability, weight loss, upset stomach, etc. results from

the consumption of medication by people diagnosed with anxiety. Below are some percentages

of children’s symptoms based on the consumption of medications named Methylphenidates and

Amphetamines.
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Percentage of children experiencing each side effect while taking each type of medication

Methylphenidates (such as Concerta, Amphetamines (such as Adderall,

Side effects Ritalin) Vyvanse)

Decreased appetite 54% 57%

Sleep problems 35 37

Weight loss 32 32

Upset stomach/Stomach ache 26 24

Irritability/Anger 22 28

Headaches 19 20

Flat affect (loss of personality) 16 18

Fatigue 13 13

Jittery/Tremulous 9 11

Tics (repetitive movements or

sounds) 8 9

Overly high mood/energy 8 13

These side effects can affect the way a student or even a person at work preforms required tasks.

Irritability can cause social conflict between co-workers or even colleagues. According to Child

Mind Institute, ADHD medication can also affect a child’s physical development. Studies from

the last ten years have shown that children as little as three years old have shown to be behind

other children as much as an inch in height and six pounds in weight. Lastly, a study on teens

and young adults taking ADHD medication has also showed that substance abuse is at a higher

risk.
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Lastly, medications for anxiety such as antidepressants are often required to be taken by a

patient on a daily basis. This can often become an interruption in a patient’s day or can simply be

hard to keep up with. These medications also take time to be effective on a patient, such as four

to six weeks at a therapeutic dose. There are other medications such as gabapentin, pregabalin,

and buspirone that are considered to be add-on treatments. They are usually prescribed in

combination with antidepressants. The down fall of these add-ons is the fact that these

medications sometimes are required to be taken multiple times a day. Benzodiazepines such as

Xanax, lorazepam, and clonazepam can be highly addictive where tolerance and dependence can

develop with time. They also cause withdrawal once a patient stops taking these medications and

often increases symptoms such as increase in falling and confusion.

What are other ways of treatment besides prescribed medication for ADHD and Anxiety?

There are several different types of parent training that can be a better option rather than

medications. There is such thing as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Parent Management

Training, and a Positive Parenting Program. These teach parents how to use positive praise and

reinforcement consistently. This allows children to better follow directions. For example, when

you tell a child with ADHD to follow a set of directions, it is normally hard for them to follow

the rules, but they can learn that following the rules is something they will do more often due to

parent’s positive reinforcement. Scolding and punishing will only cause children to rebel and

continue to misbehave. Physical activity is also another option that has proven to be effective.

Exercising such as running, walking, doing jumping jacks, sit ups, etc., releases a hormone that

regulates mood, pleasure, and pain. This activity also elevates the brain’s dopamine and

serotonin levels which betters one’s focus and attention. Activities such as tae kwon do, ballet,

and gymnastics all have shown to be very effective towards adolescents. Cognitive Behavioral
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Therapy is considered to be brain training for ADHD. CBT aims to change one’s irrational

thoughts that prevent an individual from staying on task. CBT can help improve a low self-

esteem and improve one’s qualities in a job, social interactions, and every day routines. CBT

helps patients with ADHD overcome distorted thoughts such as, “This has to be perfect or it’s no

good” or “I never do anything right”. It turns thoughts such as these into realistic thinking. It has

helped adults with ADHD in life impairments such as procrastination and time management.

Participation in aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects. Something as simple

as a walk at the park can deliver several hours of relief for those who experience side effects of

anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, researchers found

that those who exercise consistently were 25% less likely to develop severe anxiety disorders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for patients with anxiety can help teach patients how to stop

worrisome thoughts and conquer any fears. CBT for anxiety can help discover any causes of

worries and fears which will allow patients to become aware of triggers. Therapy has also shown

people how to relax through breathing techniques, develop better problem-solving skills, and

look at situations in a whole different perspective. Lastly, CBT allows one with anxiety to

address negative patterns in the way that one views the world and themselves.

Is holistic medicine a better form of treatment than prescription drugs on people diagnosed

with ADHD and anxiety?

Holistic medicine includes nutrition and lifestyle changes. For example, having the right

amount of protein can prevent blood sugar levels to rise, which may increase hyperactivity. High

fiber foods can help stabilize energy levels in those who have ADHD. These foods include fruits,

vegetables, and whole grains. Mindfulness is an attention and awareness training that helps

manage stress for those who may experience anxiety. For example, meditation can help develop
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positive emotions and strengthen self-regulation skills. This involves a “staying in the moment”

mentality. Having an emotional, physical, and spiritual balance allows one to be healthy overall.

It is important to take care of the body, for it is what allows people to live everyday lives. Being

aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and lifestyle is a great way to cure or prevent the side effects

of ADHD and anxiety.

To conclude, there are different perspectives on prescription medication. One may

completely support the idea of prescription drugs and some may completely disagree with the

use of prescribed medication. These perspectives will depend on one’s experiences and beliefs.

There is no right or wrong answer, but there are better and healthier options to treat disorders

such as ADHD and anxiety.

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