The Truth About ADHD Alternative Therapy

Have you ever wondered if you are doing everything possible for a loved one who suffers from ADHD? Are you equally curious if there is anyone out there that can help you cope with the challenges of living with someone who has this disorder? If the answer is yes, it is time you learned about ADHD alternative therapy options that are available to the whole family.

Anyone who loves someone with the disorder knows that the conventional ADHD therapy of medication is not the total answer to having the ability to live a relatively normal life. They also know that everyone in the family suffers, not just the individual who has been diagnosed. In fact, it is not only a personal or family problem; it becomes a social issue as well.

So, if you are looking into ADHD alternative therapy, here are six suggestions that should help everyone in the house live with the disorder:

Parenting Skills
Support Groups
Family Therapy
Behavior Therapy
Social Skills
Psychotherapy

The first 4 items on the short list are geared more to the loved ones of an individual who has ADHD. The last 2 are ADHD therapy suggestions to help those with the disorder become a productive and happy member of society.

Parenting Skills- are the ADHD alternative therapy that just might be a lifesaver for moms and dads who are struggling with raising a child with special needs. The bouts of extreme activity, emotional outbursts, associated health concerns like depression, and trying to ensure the child has the best opportunity for a good education are emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting.

Instead of simply enjoying the good family times, parents are always on edge waiting for the next symptom of ADHD to crop up. Thus, it is extremely important to have the skills and knowledge necessary to know how to hand the inevitable situations that will happen on a daily basis.

Support groups-are basically a resource to keep sane. Whether you join a support group for loved ones living with an individual with ADHD, or you personally suffer from the disorder, having people to talk to, who face the same challenges is very cathartic. In addition, it is a great way to learn how others are managing to live with ADHD.

Family therapy- is a very important ADHD alternative therapy. Since the entire family lives with the disorder, everyone needs to know the best skills to deal with the everyday challenges, and have a place to safely vent frustrations. Not only do parents need to understand how to best raise this child, but siblings need to feel heard and learn the best way to cope with a sibling who is loved, but not always lovable.

Behavioral therapy- seems like it should be related to teaching social skills. However, this ADHD alternative therapy is for the adults who are in the position to be disciplinarians and caregivers when someone suffering from the disorder starts to get out of hand. Whether it means a reward system for when the child exhibits proper behavior or timeouts to curtail negative actions, it is extremely important to know how to take the appropriate steps to help someone with the disorder learn how to maintain control.

Social Skills- are a necessary ADHD alternative therapy for all who suffer from the disorder. With hyperactivity and an inability to concentrate, it is perfectly understandable that such an individual may not always behave in an acceptable manner at school, home, church, or other social occasions. Thus, it is extremely important to help these children and adults recognize when their behavior is getting out of control, and give them the skills to reign in their emotions and curtail activities, to live normally among their peers.

Psychotherapy- is an alternative ADHD therapy allowing patients to explore why certain behaviors are unacceptable, learn how to cope with the symptoms, and discuss any other issues that are causing concern. It is a safe and non-judgmental environment, which may be hard to come by in normal daily living.

Make no mistake about it; ADHD is not just a personal disorder. Instead, it is a challenge for everyone in the family and can adversely influence social situations. Thus, ADHD alternative therapy is extremely important for sufferers and anyone who wants to help a child or adult control the disorder and achieve a more normal life.

Tina Matsunaga is a freelance writer for home-based businesses, Internet marketers, and professionals around the world. She enjoys working at home while raising 2 children. She holds a BA in English and secondary education from Regis University.

For more information about ADHD alternative therapy please visit http://www.curing-adhd-naturally.com

5 ADHD Alternative Treatments to Consider

If you have decided not to give your child psycho-stimulants to treat ADHD, you need to research ADHD alternative treatments. Without some kind of treatment, your child will suffer too much from the symptoms of ADHD.

Alternative treatments help your child lead a normal life by alleviating the most common behavioral issues stemming from ADHD. Here are 5 alternative treatments you should consider.

Dietary Control. As an ADHD alternative treatment, dietary control is highly effective and important. The key is omitting common allergens from your child's diet and making sure that his diet is optimal. There are certain nutrients such as the B-complex vitamins, iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids, which are often deficient in children who suffer from ADHD.

You have to give your child an excellent multi-vitamin multi-mineral supplement and ensure that he eats plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and lean meats. Allergens you should avoid include dairy products, food coloring, MSG, chocolate, sugar, and refined flour.

Cut these ingredients out of your child's diet and wait a few days to see if his behavior improves. If it does, start adding the ingredients back into his diet one by one to figure out what is causing the ADHD symptoms to flare up.



Behavioral Therapy. The goal of ADHD alternative treatments like behavioral therapy is to increase the frequency of desirable behavior on the part of your child. Children behave well when they are rewarded for their good behavior and feel that they are making their parents proud.

Inappropriate behavior is reduced by behavioral therapy because parents consistently provide negative consequences when their children behave badly. A qualified therapist can help you design an appropriate therapy plan for your child.




Exercise Program. As an ADHD alternative treatment, exercise is highly effective because it modifies behavior by altering brain chemistry. When your child exercises, the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are increased.

These neurotransmitters help your child focus, stay calm, and provide emotional stability. Exercise also releases endorphins, which improve your child's overall mood and demeanor. Plan an intense aerobic exercise program for your child to improve his ADHD.


Sleep. Children who exhibit ADHD-like symptoms may actually be suffering from sleep deprivation. Obstructive sleep apnea, sleep walking, and other issues that cause sleep deprivation can lead to ADHD-like behavior in your child.


The first thing you must do in order to provide effective ADHD alternative treatments is to find out how much sleep your child is getting. 10-12 hours a night is essential. Take your child to the doctor to diagnose any sleep disorders and address those problems in order to ensure that your child gets enough sleep every night.


Homeopathy. As an ADHD alternative treatment, homeopathy is highly beneficial. Unlike other types of remedies, homeopathic formulas are safe enough for daily use and cause no side effects whatsoever. They address the underlying imbalances that lead to ADHD and help to alleviate all of the symptoms of ADHD, including restlessness, inability to concentrate, and over-excitability.

Homeopathic remedies contain only tiny amounts of natural substances that would cause symptoms of illness in a healthy person when given in larger doses. These minute concentrations actually help to awaken the body's innate healing ability. Best of all, homeopathic remedies improve overall health because of their immune-boosting properties.

By making these simple ADHD alternative treatments a part of your child's lifestyle, you will help him overcome ADHD once and for all. These solutions may not bring results overnight but when combined, they actually help to cure your child's ADHD.

Why not get started today? Improve your child's diet, address sleep issues, make sure he gets enough exercise, take him to a behavioral therapist, and administer a homeopathic remedy on a daily basis. You won't regret your decision.

John Paduchak is a health researcher and the webmaster of http://adhd-planner.com and http://natural-adhd-remedies.com designed to help parents and those with ADD/ADHD find natural remedies & information to improve their lives. John has ADHD and is also a parent of 2 children with ADD/ADHD. One of his children's ADHD symptoms were so severe it forced him to do continual research on the subject and share it with everyone who might benefit from the effort in his sites.

5 Big Reasons to Incorporate ADHD Medication and Alternative Therapy

Are you just plain fed up with people who think treating ADHD is simply a matter of regular doses of medication and strong discipline? Oh, if only life was really that simple! Dealing with the disorder on a daily basis is a challenge at the very least. Oftentimes, a child who has been diagnosed has other health issues that compound the symptoms. Thus, it is very important to incorporate ADHD medication and alternative therapy to cope with the disorder and have a happy life in the process.

Depending on ADHD medication alone, to cope with the symptoms of ADHD, is a mistake. Sure, it might control the symptoms for a time. However, what happens when it is not time for the next dose, but the affects of the medication are wearing off. Oftentimes, in the interim, the symptoms are more pronounced than before and life at home or at school has become a nightmare.

So, go ahead and use any ADHD medications the doctor prescribes to make the symptoms bearable. Then, check out the alternative therapies that might help life advance from bearable to enjoyable. Now, what a novel concept! Here are 5 big reasons to take advantage of all available resources:


Other health issues usually complicate ADHD
Learning disabilities are common
A family disorder
Coping skills are vital
An ADHD child grows up

Other health issues usually complicate ADHD and medicine cannot be the only answer. For example, kids with ADHD often suffer from depression. Understandably, these children are under a lot of pressure to conform to world expectations for proper behavior. ADHD medication cannot address the feelings and emotions that can make life unbearable for youngsters who know they are different and do not have the skills to cope.

Learning disabilities are common with children who suffer from this disorder. While these kids may be of above average intelligence, it is impossible to adequately display their talents when it is extremely hard to concentrate and sit still in a regular classroom. Then, factor in the need for ADHD medication every four to six hours, and it is no wonder they have trouble succeeding in school.

ADHD is a family disorder and should be treated accordingly. Everyone in the house suffers from the symptoms that make it difficult to behave properly, control emotions, or keep from saying the wrong things. The entire family cannot take ADHD medication like a magic pill and everything is all better. Everyone, including the person who has been diagnosed, needs to have the understanding and skills to cope with the inevitable situations that can challenge even the best of relationships.

Coping skills are vital for the entire family. Having a chemical imbalance in the brain does not mean the child is bad. Unfortunately, the symptoms make it seem like this kid is simply undisciplined and out of control, to the average person. Therefore, it is important to teach the individual the skills to recognize when he/she is exhibiting acceptable behavior and when it is necessary to reign in emotions and actions before they get out of control. No amount of ADHD medications can do the trick.

An ADHD child will eventually grow up. Then, parents will not be around to run interference. Therefore, it is vital to implement every ADHD alternative therapy available in the attempt to get this child prepared to live a happy and productive life as an adult. Again, ADHD medications might control the symptoms for now, but what is going to happen in a few years. With special needs children, it is important to prepare for the long term goals.

Make no mistake about it; ADHD medication plays a vital role in controlling the symptoms of ADHD. However, it is not the complete answer. Living with a disability presents special challenges that most people do not understand. Naturally, it will take special skills and a greater understanding in order to live peaceable with this disorder.

Although ADHD will always be a part of life, it does not have to define anyone.

Tina Matsunaga is a freelance writer for home-based businesses, Internet marketers, and professionals around the world. She enjoys working at home while raising 2 children. She holds a BA in English and secondary education from Regis University.

For more information on ADHD medication, natural and alternative therapies, please visit http://www.curing-adhd-naturally.com

ADHD - Alternative Treatments

Typically, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is treated with medications combined with behavioral therapy. They have been proven effective to some ADHD patients but were also found to not work well for a number of ADHD individuals. Apart from this, ADHD medications may bring about the onset of side effects which may be harmful to the ADHD patient's health.

You do not have to undergo the hassles that may result when your child takes medications and suffer from side effects. There are ADHD alternative treatments that you may use in addressing the problem of ADHD symptoms in your child.

One ADHD alternative treatment which is found to be beneficial in an ADHD individual is the EEG Neurofeedback or commonly known as biofeedback.  This method of treatment has been used to address the problem of ADHD for over 25 years. The effectiveness of this alternative treatment has been attested by many parents and by some published studies.

Studies have shown that several symptoms of ADHD in children are associated with the food they eat every day. Thus, diet therapy is used by some to treat the symptoms of ADHD. This alternative treatment restricts some food in an ADHD patient's diet and encourages the inclusion of foods which are rich in fatty acids and low in sugar levels.

Vision therapy is another ADHD alternative treatment. This kind of treatment is based on the concept that children who have ADHD have problems reading for extended periods or may not be able to concentrate on what they are reading at all. With the help of vision therapy, a child can have enhanced focus on reading and can have improved academic skills.

Auditory stimulation is another alternative method of ADHD treatment. Children are made to listen to music, preferably classical music, while performing a task. This has been proven to be effective in helping children focus on their tasks. However, this may be considered as a method of helping ADHD children to complete a task rather than an actual method of treating the disorder.

Still another alternative method of treating ADHD is the interactive metronome approach. This method was proven to have positive results by a recent study. It was shown to have considerable improvements in the reading, writing, and language skills of children who have ADHD.  

Nutritional and herbal supplements are also used in treating ADHD. The use of these supplements as treatment for ADHD is based on theories that ADHD symptoms are caused by the lack of certain nutrients and minerals in the body. As of this writing, there have been no clinical data to back up the claims that giving ADHD patients doses of vitamin C and other minerals can indeed treat the symptoms.

Other alternative treatments include chiropractic care, antimotion sickness medications, candida yeast treatment, and cerebellar training. While these treatments may be effective in addressing the problem on ADHD, however, their effectiveness and their use as treatment remain controversial as there are no scientific bases to support the claims.

ADHD alternative treatments may indeed be helpful for some ADHD patients while for some, they may not work at all. Nonetheless, these methods are worth trying, especially that they may not result to any harmful side effects. They are also less expensive than prescription drugs.

Jennifer Kaplan has written several articles on ADHD and ADHD alternative treatments On some of her articles, she has discussed the benefits that ADHD patients can get from ADHD alternative treatment