Tuesday, October 14, 2014

How to Get Rid of ADHD

How to Get Rid of ADHD

How to Get Rid of ADHD

How to Get Rid of ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is a developmental and behavioral disorder that is common among children. If a child has ADHD, he or she must display three problem areas – overactivity, impulsivity and inattention. While medication is known to treat ADHD effectively, non-drug therapies guarantee greater success. Getting rid of ADHD can be done through the following methods:

ADHD Treatments

Drug Therapy -- Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dexamphetamine are the two main stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD. Once a child takes in any of these two, the calming effect becomes apparent after 30 minutes. A dose will last three hours or more. Since these two drugs have different chemical effects and makeup, a drug may suit a child better than it does another.

Anger Management – Impulsive children who get angry easily need to undergo anger management training. With anger management, a child learns how to identify the signs of a developing frustration and is provided with a wide array of coping skills made to soothe aggression. It is also through anger management where a child is taught stress management and relaxation techniques.

Cognitive Therapy – Cognitive therapy is designed to help the child when it comes to self-control and problem solving. The target of this type of therapy is the thinking skill of the child. Cognitive therapy can be done by helping the child work in advance in order to properly handle coming situations. Role playing is a common part of this therapy too.

A child learns to think about the consequences of a specific action from cognitive therapy. This in turn will guide him or her to whether or not an action should be performed. A child learns self-instruction by stopping first, in order to think about what he or she is going to do, before proceeding. The words “Stop!” or thoughts like “What is the best way to solve this problem?” or “What is wrong with this?” are mostly used. If a child with ADHD is impulsive, then cognitive therapy is the most recommended therapy to use.

Behavior Modification – Behavior modification is most effective when the role of the child is recognized. A child’s role in this therapy is to decide on the incentives, goals and the program itself. Generally, therapies that include punishment never work at all. The secret to the success of behavior modification is rewarding a child for his or her good behavior.

Family Counseling – Before family counseling becomes an effective way to get rid of ADHD, all the members of the family should understand what ADHD is all about. Joining support groups or reading books about ADHD will be a big help. With family counseling, family members learn how to deal with the behavior of the child with ADHD. For example, a child’s parents will be asked to employ some management techniques in the house, such as balancing rewards and punishments. Family counseling becomes most effective when coupled with anger management and communication skills.

Social Training – In primary school, a child with ADHD is easily identified because he or she is usually alone. A child with ADHD lacks social skills and is highly aggressive, making him or her an unpopular kid. A child develops low self-esteem because he or she is teased, ignored and bullied by peers. With social training, a child learns how to interact well with other people. Role playing is also usually employed with social training. A child will learn how to start a conversation, listen to someone who is talking, maintain eye contact when talking to someone and be cooperative when working with other kids.

Alternative Techniques

Some therapies claim to treat ADHD, but all of these are never substantiated. Alternative therapies are unproven and controversial, but some doctors say these work for other children.

Vitamin Supplements – Children with ADHD are provided with a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Since they are a special case, they are usually given large doses of vitamins to get rid of ADHD.

Patterning – Patterning is the result of the theory that the development of a child should occur in a specific sequence. One example would be the belief that a child develops ADHD because he or she did not crawl before learning how to walk.

Treatment for Allergies – Special diets and homeopathic remedies are among the treatment options for ADHD. Treating allergies as a way to treat ADHD came from the belief that ADHD is caused by certain allergies.

Dietary Changes – While others believe that dietary changes can help a child get rid of ADHD, studies show that dietary modifications do not benefit children that much. ADHD is not caused by the food a child eats. In fact, experts do not recommend modifying a child’s diet. If a family believes that the diet of a child should be changed, then someone must consult a dietitian or a doctor about it.

Vision Training – Tinted eyeglasses are used by a few to cure ADHD. Others include eye exercises as part of vision training.

Things to Remember

  • Combining non-drug therapies and medication guarantees a high success rate. Aside from giving a child stimulants for calming effects, it is always best to help him or her improve behavior through some techniques that can be applied everyday.
  • Distractions must be eliminated. If not, then these should at least be cut down. A child can be overstimulated by television, computer games and loud music. If a child is doing his or her homework, or everytime he or she is eating meals, then the radio or the television must be turned off. Busy shopping malls are also not good for a child with ADHD.
  • The house should always be organized because a child needs to place his clothes, toys and schoolwork in logical places. This way, he or she is less likely to lose his or her stuff. A good example of this would be saving a spot at the front door for his bag so that he or she will only have to grab it as he or she leaves the house.
  • Positive behavior must be rewarded all the time. Rewards can come in the form of material gifts, hugs or kind worlds. It is best to reward a child everytime he pays attention, because this is where a child is most challenged with.
Other things to remember include setting reachable goals, limiting choices, using calm discipline and looking for tasks that a child can succeed at. With all these tips, getting rid of ADHD is no longer just a part of daily routine, but a success story of a child seen from a mile away.

Click here for more information on how to get rid of ADHD.

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