Friday, April 24, 2009

ADHD Treatments - What Are The Alternative Treatments For ADHD?

By K. Rieger

What are the alternative treatments for ADHD? It's a question that many adult ADHD patients and the parents of children with ADHD have been asking more and more frequently in recent years. As the efficacy of using stimulant based medications has fallen into question, parents, doctors and therapists have sought alternative methods for controlling the disruptive symptoms of ADHD.

ADHD children and adults typically are hyperactive, can't focus on school assignments or work tasks, and can be very distracting to their peers. Needless to say parents and teachers hope for a remedy to this behavior and the pharmaceutical companies have provided that. Unfortunately, these drug often carry worrisome side effects and may even bring on new problems.

As the debate over stimulant based medications rages on, many physicians believe that the damage caused by these medications far outweighs any benefits. As a result they have begun to ask what are the alternative treatments for ADHD. The answer to that question is many and varied, with a host of different remedies and behavioral management techniques being used with different levels of success depending on the individual patient.

Naturally, each individual ADHD patient is different and so some tweaking of the final program is necessary, but with a little patience it is possible to get off the constant reliance on prescription medications. Combining specific diet changes, controlled daily routines and instilling a homeopathic remedy into the daily diet provide relief from ADHD symptoms and even get down to the true source of the problem.

So exactly what are the alternative treatments for ADHD? The simplest and most common is making changes to the diet. Not every ADHD patient will respond to dietary changes, but many have pronounced success from simply removing natural stimulants like sugar and caffeine, limiting artificial colors and flavors, and eliminating wheat and refined carbohydrates.

Another way to control behavior without using drugs is through the use of methods such as Auditory and neurofeedback and musical therapy. The use of sound or electronic impulses can help ADHD patients to focus and control their brain activity. Musical therapy is another way to use sound to help improve focus and reduce impulsive responses. Yoga and massage therapy are also quite helpful as tools for helping ADHD patients to remain calm and ease physical twitching.

As for homeopathic remedies, look for products made from natural ingredients like Arsen iod, Tuberculinum, and Hyoscyamus. These ingredients actually treat the chemical and neurological imbalances causing ADHD. They temper the symptoms without all the dangerous chemical toxins found in stimulant drugs.

While exact approaches to managing ADHD will vary from patient to patient, the fact remains that you do not have to rely on stimulant based medications to control symptoms. There are many different methods available to help reduce hyperactivity and improve focus and patients and their families should not hesitate to explore every possible avenue until they find the one which works best for them. - 14130

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