Adhd and the Zombie Phenomenon

“ADHD and the Zombie Phenomenon”

Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is common among children today. The number of children being diagnosed has increased substantially from 7.8% in 2003 to 11.0% in 2011. Of these percentages, several children are prescribed stimulant medication to treat the disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health stated: "Stimulant medications work well to control ADHD symptoms, but they are only one method of treatment for the condition.” Furthermore, “experts estimate that about 60 percent of children with ADHD are treated with medication” (NIH). Many parents are leery with their children taking medications and have reported zombie like behavior. The correlation of ADHD and the Zombie Phenomenon is only an analogy of the behavior of children when taking these stimulant medications.

Zombies are popular in American culture because of shows and movies like The Walking Dead, World War Z and 28 Days Later. The Author Dan Birlew, a Las Vegas web developer, designer and programmer says “The modern zombie evolved very gradually. The word “zombie” is derived from African and Haitian legends regarding voodoo doctors who could temporarily resurrect the dead and turn them into mindless slaves.” Why would people relate the symptoms of ADHD medication to Zombie like behavior? The key component of Dan Birlew’s statement is “Mindless slaves.” This same effect is what parents are reporting when their children are taking ADHD medications. Using the Statement “zombie like” is not only an American phrase but a phrase used worldwide. Martin Whitely is a teacher in one of Western Australia's private schools. He has noticed that some of his students that are diagnosed and prescribed ADHD medication lose their “life spark.” Mr. Whitely stated that his students “were really quite compliant, which made classroom management easy, but they weren't succeeding academically and they didn't relate to their peers.''

Stimulant medications have been proven to be very effective in treating symptoms of ADHD. The three major symptoms of ADHD are Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity. The goal of prescription drugs is to counter these effects. The reasoning to this is to help children focus better while