ADD ADHD Treatment Options
Treatment For ADHD and ADD
ADD ADHD treatment options vary greatly in effectiveness and safety. Learn how to treat ADHD and what treatment option for ADHD will work best for your child.
If you have taken your child for a visit to a physician and he or she has diagnosed ADD or ADHD, it is important to make calm, thoroughly informed decisions about the most effective treatments for ADHD.
It is important to discuss things thoroughly with your physician, therapist or psychologist and go over the things that you need to do in order to learn how to treat ADHD most effectively.
Whether you are concerned about child ADHD treatment, or treating ADHD in an adult, it is important that you devise a plan that will provide the greatest benefit. However, first it is important to have a thorough understanding of ADHD therapy and the options available to you.
Treatment Options Available to You
I have broken down the options available to you into 3 broad categories. The treatment most often prescribed by physicians is the use of stimulant medication.
However, ADHDchildparenting.com believes that medication should be left as a last resort for most children. The other two treatments discussed here, Behavioral Therapy and Natural Treatment of ADHD, can be extremely effective when used consistently.
Therapy using ADHD Medication
The traditional treatment and most often recommended by medical professionals is the use of stimulant medications. As parents are seeking how to treat ADHD in their child, this is the method most doctors will recommend. While medication is effective for many children, the side effects can often be severe and almost always work against the child's overall health and well being.
These drugs for ADHD typically lead to the child receiving inadequate nutrition and sleep, the two most important issues associated with children having self control and the ability to focus in school.
Having mentioned these concerns regarding stimulant medication for ADHD, the fact is that many children do benefit from these drugs. Two popular options are Concerta and Ativan which are linked to at the bottom of this page.
.ADHD Behavioral Therapy
ADHD behavior therapy is a treatment that is extremely helpful when combined with either ADHD natural treatment or medication.
Often, by the time ADHD is diagnosed and addressed, the behavior that is characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has developed a habitual component to it that must be resolved. ADHD behavioral therapy will help improve this behavior quickly.
Parenting Skills
While it is not actually one of the "treatments" for ADHD, learning effective parenting techniques is probably the single most helpful things you can do.
The right response to ADHD behavior will teach a child that it is far better to control how they act while the wrong response will inadvertently reward the behavior.
We have found that most parents greatly benefit from programs that teach parenting skills that are designed to work with difficult children. I encourage you to read our Total Transformation Program reviews page to learn about one program that has been extremely helpful for many families.
Treating ADHD in Your Situation
When it comes to ADHD and treatment plans, it is important to understand that both medication and natural remedies for ADHD take time to have a balanced and full effect. If the diagnosis of ADHD happens later in the school year, many parents will have the tendency to try to save the school year, but that may be hopeful thinking.
Instead, summer is a great time to make changes for planning that ADHD treatment in a successful way. If your child is already on medication, try beginning a natural ADHD therapy a month or so before summer break. Many individuals who already use medication find this to be an easy time to take a break from their attention deficit disorder medication, making it a good time to try an alternative treatment.
Natural Treatment of ADHD
Alternative treatments are effective in 70% of the cases they are used in. There are many types of natural treatments for ADHD. However, be aware that there are many therapies that are unproven.
Visit our alternative treatment for ADD page to learn about non traditional treatments such as biofeedback and behavior modification.
It is best to try the natural treatment for ADHD prior to beginning medication. If this type of ADD ADHD treatment is ineffective in your situation, you can always turn to medication at a later date.
The place to begin natural therapy for ADD and ADHD is with an ADHD diet. This will include increasing the amounts of foods that contain high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals.
A proven quality multivitamin will also be extremely helpful. Our family has had a great deal of success with Total Balance vitamins from Xtend-Life.
Finally, keep in mind that you need to discuss any ADD ADHD treatment over with your psychologist and see if he or she agrees with your proposed plan. ADHD specialists, even though they may not be familiar with the characteristics of your child and his needs, are at the end of the day specialists and they can see things from a medical point of view that you might not.
However, remember that you, the parent have the final say on how to treat ADHD in your child. Therefore, it is always best to study your child’s case in detail and then arrive at a decision that will affect both your life and the life of your ADD or ADHD child in the most beneficial way possible.
Combining therapy with natural products that reduce ADHD symptoms, such as Focus Formula has been found to be helpful for many families. This vitamin/herbal treatment for ADHD and ADD helps reduce anxiety while improving the child's ability to concentrate.
Additional Information
Medication:
Ativan
Therapy:
ADHD behavioral therapy
Parenting:
How to Discipline ADHD Children