| Parents faced with the problem of a child suffering | | | | have been so many health warnings that the FDA has |
| from ADHD may take the easy ADHD treatment | | | | been compelled to recommend that children should be |
| option, that is conventional medication, using drugs | | | | checked for heart problems. Other drugs like Adderall |
| which are also known as psychostimulants, | | | | have been banned in Canada. |
| recommended by their doctor or pediatrician. Here are | | | | Fourth Myth. It is the fault of negligent parents and too |
| some myths to bear in mind when deciding which is | | | | much TV! Again this is just not true. Parents cannot be |
| the best way of treating ADHD before going down | | | | blamed but they CAN be involved in behaviour therapy |
| the 'drug path'. | | | | whereby the child is rewarded for small gains, eg: being |
| First Myth. ADHD can be cured and you only have to | | | | able to sit at the table for the whole meal. Also, |
| take the medicine! This is entirely false as there is as | | | | parents can play a vital role in staying with the children |
| yet, no permanent cure for treating ADHD. There are | | | | by playing with them and making sure they do not |
| many ways of treating this condition but all or any of | | | | become couch potatoes. They can take them into the |
| them will only help to keep the symptoms under | | | | open air for exercise. A University of Illinois study |
| control and interfere less dramatically with your child's | | | | showed that being in a green area (as opposed to |
| development. The drugs can help to keep the child | | | | walking through a shopping mall) lessened hyperactivity. |
| calmer and help him/her to focus better so that can | | | | The children were then given some tests and they did |
| learn like normal children. The alternative treatments | | | | much better at attention and impulse control than the |
| can range from talking therapy (psychotherapy) to | | | | children who had walked through the mall ! This was a |
| behaviour therapy and social skills training. Sometimes | | | | very small study (only 17 kids) so more research |
| these are used in conjunction with taking conventional | | | | needs to be done. |
| medication. | | | | Fifth Myth. ADHD is caused by too much sugar in kids' |
| Second Myth. ADHD only affects children! Entirely | | | | food. Only partly false in that if children are not |
| false as many adults - about 1.5 million of them- suffer | | | | nourished with a well balanced diet, this may cause |
| from ADHD and it severely compromises their | | | | them to eat too much junk food which is not only full |
| productivity at work. It has been proved now that | | | | of sugar but also colourings and additives as well. This |
| there seems to be a hereditary link and many ADHD | | | | type of diet has been shown to cause hyperactivity in |
| children (maybe as much as a third) have parents who | | | | children and the British Food Agency did an extensive |
| are suffering from this condition or certainly suffered | | | | study on this. |
| from it in their childhood. | | | | If you need more advice about how to treat ADHD , |
| Third Myth. Side effects from conventional medication | | | | take a look at the site below which sets out very |
| using psychostimulant drugs are very minor and have | | | | clearly what the best ADHD treatment may be for |
| been wildly exaggerated! This again is completely false | | | | your child. It also explains a natural treatment for |
| because while the drugs are an effective aid, there | | | | ADHD. |