Alternative Treatments for ADHD - Child ADHD TreatmentA typical reaction to ADHD in children is to medicate them with prescription drugs. But while there are benefits to the results these drugs can have, other options should be explored as well.
Dear Bethany,
My child has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. My doctor has recommended a couple of prescription drugs we can choose from, but I have heard mixed reactions from parents regarding the use of drugs for ADD and ADHD. Do you have any opinion on this? - Concerned Mom in Detroit Dear Concerned, Good for you for checking out your options! If you have a child who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, there are a number of options open for treatment. The most common ADHD treatments usually involve as their biggest part the use of drugs like Ritalin or Dexedrine. These drugs change the balance of receptors in the brain so that the child can concentrate more. In addition the ADHD treatments should involve the use of some counseling. I'm not talking about the type of counseling used for emotional disturbances, although this can be a help as well. I'm actually talking about teaching the kid some study skills and organizational skills. The problem is that many ADHD treatments address the physiological part of the condition and ignore every other part. This is a problem, because ADHD children have trouble forming strategies to organize their lives and so they need, in addition to the drugs, some coaching in study skills that other students may be able to learn on their own. It is not enough just to medicate as an ADHD treatment, because this only will solve half of the problem. So many kids just get ADHD treatments by being dosed with medication that there has recently been a bit of a backlash. Many other kinds of ADHD treatments have come out recently and received support instead of the drugging. Some people believe that a well balanced diet itself can form one of the most effective ADHD treatments. According to them, eating the right foods and eliminating all junk food, sugar, and highly processed or caffeinated stuff can form the best of ADHD treatments, without the side effects of the drugs. Many ADD and ADHD kids hate the drugs that they are on, and complain that they make them feel like zombies. If drug free ADHD treatment works, why not switch? Other people recommend meditation techniques as ADHD treatments. They say that the best way to treat ADHD is to take advantage of the mind's natural flexibility and to rework the way it runs through self programming. Through daily meditation, focus, relaxation, and an end to the anxiety that plagues ADHD kids can be achieved, these experts claim. Although meditation may not be one of the most popular of ADHD treatments, it should be considered. Meditation is good for so many things – concentration, calm, an end to anxiety, that there is no reason to believe that it couldn't help with ADHD treatments as well. Additional Resources: CHADD - Non Profit organization representing individuals with ADHD Other Health & Beauty Questions Answered:
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