ADHD Medication - Why This Should Be The Last Option Rather Than The First

ADHD Medication - Why This Should Be The Last Option Rather Than The First

To medicate or not to medicate, that is the question. Let us see if the statistics can give us any clue to what is going on here when we look at the extent and coverage of ADHD medication. The figures are startling and most medical authorities now firmly believe that if the trend continues, then we are in for a very worrying period.

Let us take Canada as an example. Just last year, there were 2.9 million prescriptions for Ritalin and other psychostimulants like Adderall and Vyvanse written for children and teenagers under the age of seventeen. That is an incredible increase of 43% in a five year period!

So, do we have an ADHD epidemic on our hands or is it simply due to the fact that doctors are far too quick to write these prescriptions? It is probably the latter and that is not helped by the fact that many parents are now convinced that this sort of ADHD medication is the first option, rather than the last one. They are wrong and let me tell you why.

Let me tell you about the guidelines that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are recommending. They say very clearly that the very first step should be managing behavior in children. We can call this child behavior modification, behavior therapy or simply parenting skills. Whatever we call it, it is clear that unless we parents are actively involved in the front line, the chances of our ADHD children growing out of this condition are pretty slim.

Why? Simply because ADHD medication is not going to turn on a light in our children's brain when they are about to run across the road, hit another child, or when they simply are so distracted that they cannot stay on task even for a few minutes. These are the issues that we face every day and no ADHD medication is really going to help. The medication will help with keeping children calm and can help them to focus too but it does little else. The other problem is that effects of these meds will wear off after about three years.

In the UK, the government actually set aside some funds to help parents attend sessions where they learn these parenting skills because that is really the only way forward. We can change kids' diets, give them green time and help them with homework but unless the behavior problems and coping skills are dealt with, then there is little hope of coming to grips with the problem.

If you are convinced that you want to try out behavior modification and also use homeopathic remedies to help you instead of the conventional ADHD medication, the links below will help to shorten your learning curve. You will also be investing wisely in your child's future.

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