Mark Cartwright of Dallas Offers Advice About ADHD Medication

NEW YORK, NY, August 29, 2012

For many years, ADHD has been known as one of the most commonly-diagnosed of all children's mental disorders. As ADHD diagnoses increase, so do prescriptions for ADHD medications; these drugs can be very effective and safe in managing the effects of ADHD, when administered properly, but they can also prove dangerous or disadvantageous when prescribed incorrectly. A recent Fox News report weighs in on this important balance--and it has won the attention of many mental health providers, including psychologist Mark Cartwright of Dallas.

According to the Fox report, ADHD medication is being prescribed more frequently with each passing year. The American Journal of Psychiatry claims that 3.5 percent of all American children were prescribed some form of ADHD medication in 2008--a 2.4 percent increase from just a dozen years prior.

The article also offers a number of tips and questions for parents considering asking a doctor about ADHD for their children; these tips and guidelines are meant to help parents prevent against improper or unnecessary medicating. The article has won the attention of Mark Cartwright of Dallas, a psychologist who has devoted much of his career to evaluating and treating kids with ADHD. Cartwright has responded to the Fox News article with a new statement to the press.

"I agree with this article," says Mark Cartwright of Dallas. "The most difficult part in the diagnosis of ADHD is often separating the potential comorbid factors from other disorders such as anxiety, depression, various learning disabilities, and bipolar disorder."

For Mark Cartwright, proper assessment and evaluation is essential to the treatment of ADHD. "The evaluation process is also critical in order to develop strong treatment goals and to make sure these are targeting the actual problems," he remarks. "It is critical that the parents, school personnel, health providers, and the individual are all working together to obtain the best outcome possible."

Mark Cartwright of Dallas, whose academic background is in School Psychology, says that while there is no proven cure for ADHD, there are numerous treatment options that can often be highly effective, including both medications and therapies. He cautions parents that all of these treatment options are rendered moot if the assessment and diagnosis of the disorder are not handled properly. "ADHD can be treated, but it is not an easy 'fix,' and takes a lot of work and consistency by all parties involved," the doctor says. "To see more about the evaluation and treatment of ADHD please visit my website at www.carewright.org.

ABOUT:

Mark Cartwright is a psychologist located in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area. A specialist in school psychology, Mark Cartwright of Dallas holds master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree from Ohio University. After graduating with his doctorate, Mark Cartwright of Dallas completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Dallas Medical Center of the University of Texas Southwestern. Today, he practices as a licensed specialist. His areas of focus include the assessment, evaluation, and treatment of ADHD, different forms of dementia, anxiety disorders, autism, and PTSD.