Children fake symptoms to obtain behavior modifying drugs

In the U.S. right now an average of two out of three students are on some kind of behavior modifying drug according to Frontline PBS.org. And those numbers are rapidly increasing. Why you might ask? Because doctors are giving them out like they are candy.

Just because a behavior modifying drug is prescribed to one person, does not make it okay for their friends to have their fill.

Right now it is the easiest it’s ever been to get prescription drugs. When doctors notice something slightly different in a patient, they assume he or she needs help. Not only that, but those children prescribed these medications are selling them either on the streets or in school in order to appear as if they are taking them, while making a profit on the side.

Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Concerta are just few of the many prescription drugs floating around school. Students become so dependent on having these that they start to believe they need or want them to fill an empty void inside. In all actuality, taking these without medically needing them can cause some serious problems such as insomnia, anorexia, depression, hypertension and severe nervousness.

In this day and age, doctors should be inclined to run tests proving the patients have a disorder and not just take a child’s word for it. Patients, especially students, are becoming more aggressive in getting these prescription drugs. They manipulate the system by applying research they find on the Internet to make it appear as if they really have a behavior requiring the drug. To the doctor they believe it’s real, but what they don’t know is that they are feeding addictions.

Not only is it the doctors’ responsibility to know if a child is legitimately ill, but it’s also the patients’ and the parents’ responsibility. The parent can supervise his or her child’s medication to see if the right amount is being administered or act as a support system if addiction occurs. If the patient starts to notice symptoms of addiction, they should talk to their doctors right away. Alternative methods such as educating themselves about drug abuse, switching medications or treatment can then be addressed.