HEALTH PORTFOLIO (H-Portfolio)
Health = Wealth
H-Asset: Emotional Wealth
H-Investment: Weighing Your Options
Over the years, I have treated an increasing number of children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.) and have been prescribed A.D.H.D medication. According to Schwarz and Cohen (2013), “fifteen percent of school-age boys have received an A.D.H.D. diagnosis, the data showed; the rate for girls was 7 percent. Diagnoses among those of high-school age — 14 to 17 — were particularly high, 10 percent for girls and 19 percent for boys. About one in 10 high-school boys currently takes A.D.H.D. medication” (p. 1). By 2013, 3.5 million children were prescribed stimulants, and Adderall replaced Ritalin in many cases, for longer lasting effects (Schwarz, 2016). I was not only surprised by the number of children affected by these disorders, but also by the amount of drugs dispensed.
Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant. It is used to treat A.D.H.D. to increase attention span and mental alertness. Adderall is potentially habit forming and possible side effects include fast heart rate, nervousness, headache, and loss of appetite (Drugs.com, 2015). Adderall has 13 major disease interactions which include psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, glaucoma, hypertension, and seizure disorders (Drugs.com, 2015). I often wonder, did these disorders just erupt in our society or have they always been around? Is it something in the air or in the water? Did the kids in my class when I was younger who could not sit still long enough to learn anything have A.D.H.D.? Could they have been helped with medication? An even tougher question is whether our society helped the pharmaceutical companies push these drugs on children as an answer to controlling the normal growing pains of childhood. If drugs like Adderall can help to improve children’s lives, then should they always be given despite their potential side effects?
My training as a physical therapist and acupuncturist leads me to counsel caution whenever a medication is recommended for a specific diagnosis. The decision to follow a course of treatment must be made as an informed choice, knowing its risks, benefits, and potential alternatives.
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Lisa developed the Fund Your Health Blog to inspire people to achieve their health and wellness goals, by sharing what she has learned throughout her career and from her own personal journey. With Lisa’s relentless pursuit to restore the natural healing process, she reviews specific health assets (H-Assets) and recommends sound health investments (H-Investments) for building health dividends (H-Dividends) that are the key to a healthy lifestyle and will pay off in years to come. Yes, it is all about the H’s in her Health Portfolio. Using her approach will empower you to find your own solutions for a healthy lifestyle.
About Dr. Lisa Williams
Lisa has developed a business culture of health equals wealth and a core philosophy that bridges the gap between health and wealth using what she calls H-Portfolios (Health Portfolios), which leads to overall health. Lisa’s quest for health answers began nearly 30 years ago, when she needed to start building her own H-Portfolio, and this led her to create a multi-pronged approach to health and wellness, and pursue other areas of medicine and attain her acupuncture license. Lisa has managed several health clinics and consulted in multiple corporate, health and wellness industries and branches of medicine. Her areas of practice and experience have included corporate wellness, fitness, health and beauty, internal medicine, neurology, pain management, pediatrics, rehabilitation, schools, scoliosis management, sports injuries, and weight loss clinics.
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References
Drugs.com. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.drugs.com
Schwarz, Casey. (2016, Oct 12). Generation Adderall. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/magazine/generation-adderall-addiction.html
Schwarz A., Cohen, S. (2013, March 31). A.D.H.D. Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/health/more-diagnoses-of-hyperactivity-causing-concern.html?_r=0
