 A number of public figures have given controversial statements regarding ADHD . Tom Cruise has described the medications Ritalin ( methylphenidate ) and Adderall ( a mixed @-@ salt amphetamine formulation ) as " street drugs " . <unk> S. Neill criticized this view , stating that the doses of stimulants used in the treatment of ADHD do not cause addiction and that there is some evidence of a reduced risk of later substance addiction in children treated with stimulants . In the UK , Susan Greenfield spoke out publicly in 2007 in the House of Lords about the need for a wide @-@ ranging inquiry into the dramatic increase in the diagnosis of ADHD , and possible causes . Her comments followed a BBC Panorama program that highlighted research that suggested medications are no better than other forms of therapy in the long term . In 2010 , the BBC Trust criticized the 2007 Panorama program for summarizing the research as showing " no demonstrable improvement in children 's behaviour after staying on ADHD medication for three years " when in actuality " the study found that medication did offer a significant improvement over time " although the long @-@ term benefits of medication were found to be " no better than children who were treated with behavior therapy . " 
