Medication vs. Natural Treatment for ADHD Essay

direction Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (also agnizen as minimal brain dysfunction) is an increasing engagement among children in to solar days society that affects them at home, in their social lives and academic bothy. umteen people think that all- instinctive mete discoverments are the only way to help children who struggle with ADHD however, despite the controversy over using practice of practice of medicine with come-at-able side puts, Adderall bottomland be a helpful tool in the troth against ADHD. ADHD is a chronic neurological condition that affects millions of children and slew often carry into adulthood. Signs and symptoms of ADHD may include pain staying focused, trouble listening, difficulty completing tasks, fid stays and squirms and guides to be for repairful. Clearly, having these symptoms tolerate make it difficult for a child to succeed in inform and in another(prenominal) activities as well. (mayonnaise Clinic Staff, 2011) Many people believe th at medicine will affect a child negatively that medicaments are used every day to help with medical issues.For instance, if your child had diabetes would you hesitate to contend the disease with practice of medicine? Obviously, parents would do what was needed to help their child overcome this disease. In the same(p) way, we need to be rotate to the idea of using medication to treat ADHD. There are some(prenominal) handlings available to help in the engagement against ADHD. Medication is a controversial subject when it comes to treating any disorder however, when medicine is used below a doctors watch and distri scarceed correctly, it hind end go for a positivist effect on the problem. When medication is taken, it enters the blood stream and the key ingredients begin to stimulate the brains production of norepinephrine and dopamine which improves a persons concentration and alertness. People with ADHD also tend to suffer from high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat but when medication is taken, it can help to get these problems under control and produce the persons system back off to a normal state. (Nall) other method of treatment that is widely used is natural treatment much(prenominal) as dieting and instruction. Some people may check positive results with Natural Treatments but for some children, medication is the only way to get their symptoms under control. Some experts believe that ADHD can be caused by food allergies and that by using the elimination diet, you can locate the allergy and treat the symptoms. In an elimination diet, you remove foods one at a time that your doctor believes may be causing the symptoms. Gradually, you begin re-introducing these foods back into your diet and when your symptoms return, then a diagnosis can be confirmed. ( body waste diet and, 2011)There has also been much thought put into the effect that processed sugar has on ADHD and research shows that it can have an effect on childrens activity levels. Nutritionists suggest that adding high roughage foods much(prenominal) as berries and other fruits, whole grains and oatmeal to your childs diet that it can help manage their glucose levels and aid in the treatment of ADHD. These diets may be useful in the battle against ADHD but you cant guarantee that this will help with the symptoms.There are so many processed foods available in the market straightaway that it is very hard to keep sugar and other processed ingredients issue of your diet. In order to follow through on the diet, one must(prenominal) make their childs food and snacks and keep up on a very strict regime to make sure that they do not consume the culprit foods. Not every person can keep up on a diet to this extreme and that is when medication is available to help keep the symptoms under control. Counseling such as behavioral readying can be an effective treatment for ADHD. similarly available is learning behavior management that can be an subjective part of a ny ADHD treatment. There are three levels of ADHD behavioral training that they focus on* Parent training* classroom behavior modification* Special education placementAlthough behavioral training management can be effective, according to WebMD, most experts agree that cartel behavior management along with medication treatment can be the most effective treatment plan. One medication that has been used to treat ADHD is Adderall (Dextro speed-amphetamine). Adderall was approved for treatment by the FDA in 1996 and has become a very popular choice in treatment. Adderall is pick outed a stimulant medication and according to The Mayo Clinic it appears to boost and balance levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Adderall helps to improve symptoms such as attention problems, impulsivity and hyperactivity. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011) Adderall has many possible side do that can cause concern, but if under a doctors supervision it is considered a safe treatment. (Monson & Schoenst adt, 2008)When taking treatments into consideration, one must figure out if the side effects of the medicine are a small hurt to right to conquer the annoying and life interrupting symptoms of ADHD. There are many benefits to both methods of treatment. When using the natural methods such as diet and counseling, you do not have the possibility of side effects like you do with the medication but for more severe forms of ADHD, you do not see as high of an improvement rate. Although there are the chances of side effects when taking Adderall, it does have more of a calming effect on the patient. The benefits of using Adderall include being able to focus, sit still, complete school assignment and help in many other areas that ADHD affects.I know that with my own personal experience as we have walked through the battle of ADHD with my son, it is difficult to find the correct treatment plan that require to be followed. We tried diets and counseling but could not seem to get a grasp on hi s symptoms. After being against medication for such a long time, we finally sat down with our pediatrician and explored all options available to us.Our pediatrician explained to us that when people have cancer, they need treatments of chemotherapy and or radiation to kill the disease. In my opinion, Adderall is the chemotherapy and radiation for ADHD. We tried for many days to help our son succeed in school and it wasnt until we started his treatment of Adderall twice a day that we started to see improvement. Adderall is not an instant revivify but given time, it is effective. Our son is now going into high school and not only does he have passing grades, but we no longer get calls from the teachers because he is unable to sit still and pay attention.Anytime medications are used in treatment plans, there is always a possibility of side effects. By going about treatment with medication in the proper manner and following your doctors advice, Adderall and other medications can be a v ery useful tool in gaining control of your childs ADHD. I do believe that natural treatments are always the best option and should be considered first, but when these treatments do not help solve the issue then you need to consider other options. When your child suffers from ADHD and it affects all areas of their lives, you need to be open to whatever options are available to help you get the situation under control. By using Adderall and natural treatments such as diet and counseling together, you can get control back of your childs behavior and see many benefits in the home, social setting and school settings.References(2011). amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, adderall. Retrieved from http//www.medicinenet.com/amphetamine_and_dextroamphetamine/article.htm Elimination diet and food challenge test for diagnosing allergies. (2011). Retrieved from http//www.webmd.com/allergies/allergies-elimination-diet Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, Feburary 10). Mayo clinic. Retrieved from http//www.may oclinic.com/health/adhd/DS00275 Monson, K., & Schoenstadt, A. (2008, July 10). emedtv.com. Retrieved from http//adhd.emedtv.com/adderall/adderall.html Nall, R. (n.d.). ehow.com. 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