ADHD, or short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition that affects so many children from all over the world, and due to the fact that it has gained so much notoriety in the past several years, there now exists more than a handful of treatment options, although admittedly, there still is no known cure for it. In combating ADHD, the most crucial aspect is to control or manage the symptoms, the idea of which is to help the child cope up and eventually live a normal life.
When it comes to treating ADHD, prescription medication as well as behavioral intervention may be used. But for the most part, medication is already enough.
Below is a look at the various treatment options available for ADHD today:
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1 – Stimulant and Non-Stimulant Medication
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One of the most commonly prescribed ADHD drugs are referred to as central nervous system or CNS stimulants. They work by increasing the amounts of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, thereby improving the patient’s tendency to concentrate and focus. The most popular and preferred variants are dextromethamphetamine, amphetamine, and methylphenidate.
Meanwhile, there are some cases over which doctors will instead prescribe non-stimulant medication. Non-stimulant medications are mainly used if the stimulants caused side effects or if they didn’t work at all.
2 – Therapeutic ADHD Treatments
Medication isn’t the only treatment option available for kids with ADHD since doctors can also prescribe or administer various kinds of therapeutic options. For instance, psychotherapy is widely used for helping the patient in opening up his or her feelings, specifically when it comes to how he or she is coping with ADHD. There is a wide consensus that psychotherapy is indeed helpful and effective in helping kids with ADHD improve their skills in building friendly relationships and positive interaction with other people.
There’s also another type of therapeutic ADHD treatment called behavior therapy, and in this method, children will be taught to monitor their behaviors in the hope that someday, they’d be able to correct them. Highly specialized strategies will be used for teaching the child to behave in a such a way that his or her response to a specific situation is similar to how a normal child will respond.
Furthermore, another therapeutic ADHD treatment called social skills training is used whenever a child exhibits alarming or serious issues dealing with the social environment. It has some semblance to that of behavior therapy, but the difference is that the focus of the teaching process is to help the child develop appropriate behaviors as a means of response when interacting with other people.
If you have a child who suffers from ADHD, as a parent you know it is your responsibility to talk to a doctor to determine the right and effective treatment.