I chose to complete the Psychology 1000 Mental Disorder Project on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder because I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. predominantly inattentive attention at age 5, which caused me to struggle academically throughout elementary school and high school. I received an individual education plan for math in elementary school that was supposed to help me succeed, but I didn't get it because to this day I still can't do college-level math . Around the age of 5, I was given Ritalin methylphenidate to help me concentrate in school, but it gave me stomach ulcers and I lost a lot of weight due to stomach pain after taking the pill. Although, according to Timely Data Resources Inc., they state that children "are at increased risk of being overweight and the extent to which treatment with stimulant medications modifies this association." But because of the personal side effects of the treatment, I became extremely thin, which led my doctor to prescribe me Methylphenidate Concerta, similar to Ritalin, but which is an extended-release tablet that helped me achieve greater success in school. I only had to take one tablet a day, unlike Ritalin, where I had to take one tablet with breakfast and then another with lunch. I also gained all my weight back while taking Concerta as the ulcers and stomach aches disappeared. Because I was initially prescribed Ritalin, my doctor wanted me to continue taking the same type of medication and, according to WebMD.com, "methylphenidate is a mild stimulant that works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain.” Fast forward to the present, I feel like I'm almost past the disorder because I no longer need to take the medication to be able to concentrate...... middle of paper...... 21, 2014, from http https://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-19857Concerta%2Boral.aspx drugid=19857&drugname=Concerta+oral&source=1Cherry, K. (nd). Perspectives in modern psychology. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/a/perspectives.htm 314.0 attention deficit disorder (ADD); attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (2011). (). Capitola: Timely Data Resources, Inc. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.ivcc.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/863560352?accountid=39160 Döpfner, M., Breuer, D ., Walter, D. and Rothenberger, A. (2011). An observational study of once-daily modified-release methylphenidate in ADHD: the effect of prior treatment on ADHD symptoms, other externalizing symptoms, and quality of life outcomes. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 20277-288. doi:10.1007/s00787-011-0205-1