ADHD Treatment - Safe and Effective Ways to Deal With the Symptom of ADHD

It concerns me greatly when I see the ADHD treatment that is being prescribed for many children today.

ADHD medicines may help with the symptoms, but the side effects often create a whole new set of problems to deal with.

ADHD, or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurobehavioral syndrome, which can be manifested as impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. People with ADHD tend to miss details and are usually averse to tasks that need decisiveness, organization or concentration, which is why ADHD treatment is recommended.

Pharmaceutical ADHD Medicines

Medicines for ADHD include non-amphetamine stimulants, amphetamine-based stimulants, non-stimulants, neuroleptic drugs, mood stabilizers, antihypertensive drugs and antidepressants. The most common ADHD medicines are not without side effects however.

Common side effects from this type of ADHD treatment include nervousness, abdominal pain, headaches, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmia, weight loss, vomiting, sinusitis, sore throat and dizziness. Other ADHD treatment medications might cause tics, a reduced stature, psychosis and moodiness.

Long term use of certain ADHD medicines has been linked to brain development abnormalities similar to those in cocaine users. Not all ADHD sufferers who use pharmaceutical treatments suffer from side effects but there is a high risk.

Behavioral Therapy and Psychotherapy

This type of ADHD treatment includes rewarding positive behavior, using the appropriate discipline for bad behavior and ignoring attention-seeking outbursts. This can work for children or adolescents suffering from ADHD but might not be the best solution for an adult with the syndrome.

For an adult with ADHD, psychotherapy might be recommended. This type of treatment can help an adult to identify how the illness has affected his or her work, education and relationships. The therapy sessions can also help an adult with ADHD to schedule projects and tasks, operate a self-reward program, record and remember important dates and improve time management skills.

Natural ADHD Medicines

If therapy does not seem to work and the side effects of medicines for this disease are too risky, what other ADHD treatment is there to try? Natural therapies include getting more sleep (many ADHD medications prevent this), improving nutritional intake through diet and supplements, homeopathy, and coaching.

Natural treatments for ADHD might contain ingredients such as gingko biloba which keeps the circulatory system healthy thus improving blood flow to the brain, skullcap which is a calming nerve tonic, chamomile which is soothing or gotu cola which supports and strengthens the brain and nervous system. There are many other natural ingredients that have been shown to extremely effective in dealing with the symptoms of ADHD.

Natural means of helping with ADHD have been found to work well on many individuals. They are also free of the debilitating side effects which are so common in pharmaceutical ADHD medicines. Some pharmaceutical ADHD pills and tablets have also been found to be addictive, which natural remedies are not.

In conclusion, the safest and best ADHD treatment is a combination of behavioral therapy and natural ADHD remedies. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, eat balanced and complete meals and drink lots of water. Everyone effected by attention deficit issues will notice great improvement with this type of ADHD treatment. Many people have found this to be the most effective approach, as well as the safest. Use the ADHD medicines as a last resort, not the first.

Terry Tobin has been a student of the link between nutrition and behavior for over 8 years. His research led him to finding natural ways of dealing with attention and mood issues in his own life and family. Terry is the editor of Help For ADHD where he shares what he has found to be effective, natural help for ADHD. If you or someone you know is dealing with ADD/ADHD and the behaviors associated with it, then visit Help For ADHD to learn more about effective ways to improve concentration and behavior.