Jan 13 2008

Finding ADHD Treatments Is Crucial

Any parent who has a child with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder knows that finding ADHD treatments is crucial to the child’ and the family’s well-being. There are a couple of approaches families choose to take to deal with the disorder. After seeking advice from a doctor, parents can decide what approach will work best for their situation.

Children with ADHD are often difficult to deal with because their behavior can be impulsive and aggressive. Without warning, these children can suddenly engage in unexpected and extreme behaviors. Parents look to ADHD treatments to deal with the difficult behaviors. Some find psychotherapy to be helpful in identifying and dealing with feelings that can cause aggressive and impulsive reactions.

Many children with this disorder have great difficulty following social rules because they have difficulty understanding many social situations. ADHD treatments should involve some sort of social interaction that requires the person with the disorder to learn the rules of social interaction. The problem lies in the child’s inability to focus long enough to acquire proper social skills.

Basic skills like eye contact and waiting for someone else to finish before speaking have to be deliberately taught to a child who has the disorder. It is also important to communicate that there are consequences for specific actions. If a child talks out of turn there should be consistent ramifications for the behavior. Otherwise, the interruptions will be repeated.

Many children who have ADHD are not fully capable of fully understanding the concept of past, present and future. These individuals tend to live in the here and now and they tend to quickly forget the past. They also do not think about the future. Since there is little regard for future events these children often act without thinking about the consequences of their behavior. Cause and effect have to be deliberately taught as well.

Behavior therapy has proved to be one of the most successful interventions that a family can use in collaboration with professionals. These ADHD treatments help the child develop a structure and routine. Behavior interventions also help the child develop social skills and learn cause and effect cycles of their actions.

It is also important to make some adjustments that will work with the child instead of against him. For example, I worked with a girl who had difficulty sitting still while completing assignments. Her ADHD treatments often revolved around getting her to sit still. However, we found that even though she sat without fidgeting, she was unable to concentrate. If she was allowed to move around she was able to complete assignments with relative ease.

No matter which of the ADHD treatments you choose it is still important to treat each child as an individual who has unique needs. This is the first step in any successful treatment plan.

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Jan 13 2008

Psychiatrists Develop Individualized ADHD Treatments

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and it is a chronic condition that can have a great impact on a child if a child does not get help, or if the right ADHD treatment is not prescribed. Some of the most common symptoms of ADHD are impulsivity, inappropriate behavior, and hyperactivity. These children have difficulty staying on task and completing projects, which if not identified and treated early can be a huge barrier throughout the school years and eventually on the job. Before there was a diagnosis, these children were just seen as having lots of energy, or were just wild and always getting into trouble. Now that ADHD treatments are available, parents have the option of getting their child help so that they can be more productive in school and have fewer disruptions at home.

Not all parents and professionals agree on what type of ADHD treatment is the best, or if it should be used at all. Some parents feel that it is unnatural to treat a child with prescription medication that could have significant side effects, or otherwise harm the child. Side effects are dose dependent and can be lessened by reducing the dosage or switching to a different medication. Many times behavior modification therapy is not effective on its own, which is why ADHD treatment usually requires use of a stimulant drug. Stimulants have a paradoxical effect on children; these drugs do not increase hyperactivity, which is a normal response in adults, but help the child focus, control behaviors, and improve self-esteem. Stimulants used in ADHD treatment help children to complete tasks, learn more efficiently, and interact more positively with their peers.

Physicians and psychiatrists develop individualized ADHD treatments for each child, because not all experience the same symptoms or have the same level of severity. There can also be other conditions that are present as well, such as mental or physical disorders that need to be addressed in addition to ADHD treatment. Such conditions may have a great impact on how the child responds to therapy, and if not treated simultaneously will tend to slow down progress. There are a number of sites on the internet that discuss ADHD, the symptoms, and how to go about getting help for your child. ADHD treatments and the controversies surrounding them are also discussed in depth. If you suspect your child has ADHD have him or her evaluated by a professional as soon as possible, so that your child can get the treatment he or she needs.

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Jan 13 2008

Other People Recommend Meditation Techniques

If you have a child who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, there are another of options open for treatment. The most common ADHD treatments usually involve as their biggest part the use of drugs like Ritalin or Dexedrine. These drugs change the balance of receptors in the brain so that the child can concentrate more. In addition the ADHD treatments should involve the use of some counseling. I’m not talking about the type of counseling used for emotional disturbances, although this can be a help as well. I’m actually talking about teaching the kid some study skills and organizational skills.

The problem is that many ADHD treatments address the physiological part of the condition and ignore every other part. This is a problem, because ADHD children have trouble forming strategies to organize their lives and so they need, in addition to the drugs, some coaching in study skills that other students may be able to learn on their own. It is not enough just to medicate as an ADHD treatment, because this only will solve half of the problem.

So many kids just get ADHD treatments by being dosed with medication that there has recently been a bit of a backlash. Many other kinds of ADHD treatments have come out recently and received support instead of the drugging. Some people believe that a well balanced diet itself can form one of the most effective ADHD treatments. According to them, eating the right foods and eliminating all junk food, sugar, and highly processed or caffeinated stuff can form the best of ADHD treatments, without the side effects of the drugs. Many ADD and ADHD kids hate the drugs that they are on, and complain that they make them feel like zombies. If drug free ADHD treatment works, why not switch?

Other people recommend meditation techniques as ADHD treatments. They say that the best way to treat ADHD is to take advantage of the mind’s natural flexibility and to rework the way it runs through self programming. Through daily meditation, focus, relaxation, and an end to the anxiety that plagues ADHD kids can be achieved, these experts claim. Although meditation may not be one of the most popular of ADHD treatments, it should be considered. Meditation is good for so many things – concentration, calm, an end to anxiety, that there is no reason to believe that it couldn’t help with ADHD treatments as well.

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Jan 13 2008

Usual ADHD Treatments

I have had ADHD since I was very young, and have tried all of the usual ADHD treatments, but I just can’t seem to get completely over this condition. This is despite the fact that I am 23 years old, and in most respects, quite successful in my life. Still, it is hard for me to sit still, hard for me to organize either my thoughts or my actions, and I find myself still daydreaming away large bits of my day when I really would rather be getting things done. None of the ADHD treatments I have tried have done the trick, despite the fact that I have tried them all.

Because I did well in school, despite my occasional acting out, no one diagnosed my ADD until I was about twelve years old. They might have thought that I had behavior problems, but they didn’t even consider that ADHD treatments might help at the time, since they figured it was just a matter of acting out. It was actually my friends who diagnosed me with having ADHD. You see, they had ADD and ADHD themselves, and could spot one of their own. I went to the doctor, and he put me on Ritalin, as was popular at the time. I hated the Ritalin, as I would come to hate all of my ADHD treatments.

The problem with Ritalin is that it turns you in to a zombie. This is the most common complain among people of all ages going through ADHD treatments that involve this drug. You feel stoned all the time, and not in a happy way. It becomes hard to interact with other people, or to do anything besides what is in front of you. When I began stopping my ADHD treatments and refusing to take the Ritalin, my parents realized that they needed to try alternate therapies.

After that, they tried everything, and although some of it did make things a bit better, none of it really did the trick. They tried nutritional therapy ADHD treatment, where I avoided all processed foods and caffeine, and I guessed that helped a little, but the ADHD never really went away. They tried meditation, which I hated – how many people really want to spend an hour every day in their teens sitting perfectly still? They even tried Neuro-Linguistic programming and therapy, but I just started to hate the therapist after a little while, and it never went anywhere.

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Jan 13 2008

ADHD Article Databases

One of the best things about the Internet and about serious, scholarly, and devoted professional help sites is being able to find the accurate, timely, and truly informative articles related to your search.  The ADHD article is among such benefits.  While we can find astoundingly apt materials in the bookstore on ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), such as Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo’s lifesaving book, or those equally useful works by Thom Hartmann, Shari Holden, and others, the ADHD article is quicker, more easily accessible (online, I mean), and is just as valuable as written by an ADHD specialist, expert, and/or professional.

You can start with the ADHD site or ADHD ezine (online magazine), for example to find almost any ADHD article as it is relevant to you and yours:

*BTE, borntoexplore.org, offers information and a number of helpful, informative ADHD articles for scholarship and personal use.

*ADDitude magazine is online and by subscription, and has so many practical and realistic ADHD articles for the professional, the student, the parent, and the adult that you will want your own scrip! I discovered the magazine through the college where I worked, and read every magazine issue cover to cover.  I then had to subscribe, so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep the copies I borrowed.

You will also want to check out the ADHD article databases:

*The absolute premier site for ADHD articles is ADD Consults (addconsults.com).  It will take you a minute to figure out the organizational system, but once you decide on a subject area, or sub-topic, you will get ADHD articles on everything from ADD strategies to co-morbidity information to ADHD articles about children and adults with ADD.  The articles are upscale and professional, clinical, and/or personal, and are a must read! The site is engineered by Terry Matlin, MSW, ASCW, and features the astoundingly superbly brilliant support of ADHD article writers who are ADD specialists—Edward Hallowell, John J. Ratey, Sari Solden, Thom Hartmann, Michelle Novotny, and many others!

And once you find the primary source that is most user-friendly and most helpful to you, sign up for a free newsletter, one which offers an ADHD article or two every week or month (whenever the newsletter is delivered to your ebox):

*Terry Matlin, ACSW, also offers a newsletter which features an ADHD article, book reviews, and blurbs on many ADHD aids/products for the ADHDer, as I call her or him (as I call myself).

*Breath and Shadow, a monthly (or thereabouts) newsletter put out by ROSC as the Journal of Literature and Disability Culture, is for writers and artists with any or all disabilities, and issues a monthly newsletter with a predetermined theme, but occasionally you might get an ADHD article.

As you can see, you can find the most scholarly ADHD articles, or the most personal and still accurate and relevant ADHD article written by a non-credentialed individual who has or knows someone who has to put up with the frustrations and challenges and special and unique gifts of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a.k.a ADD.

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Jan 13 2008

ADHD Article

Reading the latest ADHD article, I was surprised on how far treatment of attention deficit disorder has come since I was a kid. You see, I had childhood ADHD, and I can tell you first hand that, back then, there was only one option for treatment. That was to medicate. Oh sure, sometimes there was counseling used for ADD, but every  ADHD article that I read at the time said that the only solution was to medicate. Fortunately, it is not that way anymore, according to every article on ADHD I’ve read recently.

Of course, the truth is that it varies between doctors, so an  ADHD article tells an absolute, definitive medical position, but if you look at the facts, things really have changed a whole lot in the last ten years. The cutting edge in  ADHD article research is now focused on the stories of kids who have been treated for ADD successfully without medication. There are many reasons why things have changed so much, so here are a few.

One of them is simply the fact that there have not been enough longitudinal studies done on the effects of using speed on kids. ADHD medication is usually made up of powerful stimulants, and although there has not been an epidemic of kids dying or anything like that, nevertheless, there is no one who knows for sure if these medications are really as safe for kids as they are claimed to be by the pharmaceutical industry. According to one  ADHD article that I read, the reason that treatment by medication became so popular in the first place has to do with the tremendous amount of money which has been invested into ADHD articles by the pharmaceutical industry to claim that the medications are safe. More than one  ADHD article questions this wisdom and says that, not only are the medicines not safe, but there are more effective treatments available today.

Some  of the treatments advocated in an  ADHD article are things like NLP, or various behavior modification programs, but many doctors say that they have gotten good results through simple things like diet. Now that my kid has developed ADHD, I think that I will try out what these articles have to say. Even if I can not find the solution in any  ADHD article, it is worth trying if it means that there is a chance that my kid will not have to take medication.

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Jan 13 2008

ADHD Treatment Methods

Until I found the methods and medications that worked for me and me alone (which means I will not be dispensing any all-knowing advice, here), I researched, studied, and investigated the many ADHD treatment possibilities available to me in 2001.  I had been the outcast, the freak, the truant, the pest, the unruly one, the class clown, and in general, the wild one of every classroom, social gathering, and family event and circumstance for forty years.  (Yes, I was just as “bad” if not worse at forty….)

I spent more time in the principal’s office in grade school than all the students in the school combined.  I got tossed out of more classes in high school than my face had zits.  I slept with [really] strange men I met while I was hitchhiking in blizzards from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire to Provincetown, Mass..  I crashed cars (on purpose), I had cars towed for lack of appropriate paperwork, and had cars repossessed for lack of organized check- and other budgeting and accounting.  I over-achieved in college and was under-estimated and over-admonished at jobs.

And the harrowing and horrific lists and symptoms go on and on.  In fact, for the usual ADHD “victim” (though I now see us as blessed), approximately sixty-nine symptoms or maladies afflict us at any given time—at any minute, second, or millisecond we interrupt; we blurt; we intrude; we mis-read social cues; we are dis- (under-) or over-organized; we fight time and timing; we can’t wait, sit still for long, or rest and relax as “normal” people do; we are, as the blanket observations have it, irritable, impulsive, hyperactive, and defiant.  We need (and often for many years go on needing) diagnosis and subsequent ADHD treatment to help us regulate or self-regulate.

Luckily for those of us who do [eventually] get diagnosed, there are attentive, conscientious, qualified, super-intelligent specialists in the field (and professionals in medicine in general) who have developed ADHD treatment methods, procedures, approaches, and medicines.  Some of these are as follows:

Medication

Amphetamines:  Ironically, when a person with ADHD is hyper and speedy in action and thought, giving him or her speed (amphetamines) as an ADHD treatment is a most common occurrence.  Though they don’t know the exact way it works, the amphetamine prescription (federally regulated, as it is highly susceptible to abuse) helps focus, organization, attention span, and many other subtler or quirkier symptoms of ADHD.

Ritalin: Ritalin is one of the grandparents, the elders, of ADHD treatment drugs, working again in ways the scientists cannot exactly pinpoint but in a very similar way to amphetamines.  Ritalin is also still debated over constantly, especially with regards to children.  (Do we dope every little imp that acts like a class clown or gets angry on the playground or performs on cue in front of the neighbors?)  Ritalin is still mysterious as an agent for quelling ADHD symptoms, but many swear by it for or despite its minimal side effects (weight loss, mood swings, and others) compared to its positive effects, which lend themselves to clarity, stability, patience (physical and mental focus), and other nuances I cannot speak to here.

Other more commonly used medications:  Also in contention with the two most “popular” or most often used or most studied meds are the increasingly introduced Adderall; Cyclert; and some of the SSRIs and MAOs.  As with all medications, with these and the ones I describes from a personal (and not professional) point of view, research thoroughly before asking a doctor about one in particular, before, that is, committing to one.  Each works in mysterious ways, still, and each works differently for and on each individual.

Neurofeedback (a. k. a. Biofeedback): Typically involuntary, certain impulses and electrical activity in the brain can be voluntarily modified.  The ADDer, whose brain wave patterns are evidently different than non-ADDer brain wave patterns, is hooked up with electrodes (no pain).  The ADDer sits facing a video screen/monitor, as the technician “amplifies brain activity.”  The resulting patterns appear on the screen, whereby the ADDer manipulates controls electronically to manipulate and take control of the brain wave activity.

Behavior Modification/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: You might already understand behavior modification as consisting of a system of punishments and rewards, each applied to reinforce positive behavior.  For the ADDer, the disorder is as much about “unacceptable/inappropriate” behavior as it is about miserable feeling and unique thinking.  There are approximately 69 symptoms of ADD, most of them behavior-based: perception of social cues is skewed; the ADDer interrupts/blurts; he/she has demanding difficulties with organization; he/she has trouble with time and timing; he/she is challenged by waiting; he/she cannot easily relax or enjoy leisurely activities….  With behavioral therapy, which targets one or a few of such challenges at a time, the ADDer learns to “self-regulate.”

Food Changes/Dietary Intervention

A close investigation of foods that are or contain allergens and irritants to the nervous system has revealed the possibility of ADDers being especially negatively impacted.  ADD treatments in this area include eliminating or curbing intake of white flour, sugar, and/or additives/preservatives.  But the controversy still roars on this one, and FDA and other regulatory bodies have not acknowledged the veracity of gross dietary changes…yet.

Psychotherapy

A schedule of sessions with a trained and qualified therapist enhances one’s understanding, gives one a reflecting surface (human), and provides one with the social tools of communication (the give and take), self-improvement, and social protocol.  Therapy is often recommended in conjunction with medication or other treatments, as one method compliments the other and one method’s weaknesses are compensated for by the other…and vice versa.

I do drugs and see a shrink—both of which/whom I am beyond grateful for.  May you find the ADHD treatment that works for you.

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Jan 13 2008

ADHD Alternative Treatment

I am an ADHD expert…to ONLY myself, to only my particular disorder, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.  So as I write, I do so from a place of 40 plus years of history of the disorder, of diagnosis in only the last four years, and of having self-medicated (with street drugs) and later having researched and engaged in therapy and medical treatment for my ADHD.

But I would like to share with you the ADHD alternative treatment methods I have learned about along the forty-year journey of hell and heaven, too.

First, know that while street meth is not a legitimate ADHD alternative treatment, it is what one MD says clever of you to try.  That is, many intelligent, proactive individuals who have ADHD but have not been diagnosed and are at their wits’ end trying to “cure” themselves will do what is called self-medicating.  So don’t be ashamed or overly obsessed with the esteem issues that come with street drug use.  Just get to a doctor or psychiatrist for diagnosis and understanding of the disorder.

Then, weigh the options available to you by reading whatever you can: read magazines, books, on- and offline articles.  Find the works devoted strictly to ADHD and written by experts and professionals in the field, including the following (listed here in no particular order): David Sudderth, Joseph Kandel, Thom Hartmann, Sari Solden, Thomas Whiteman, Michelle Novotni, Kate Kelly, and Peggy Ramundo.

At this point you will have come across the “traditional” or most common treatments, such as psychotherapy and drug (Amphetamine, Ritalin, etc. Al.) therapy combined, and will have found some ADHD alternative treatments, as well.  These include such alternatives as the following:

HOMEOPATHIC/NONTRADITIONAL MEDICINES

Some turn away from western medicine to such alternatives as acupressure—a healing technique that has been successfully applied for smoking habits, weight problems, anxiety disorders, fertility issues, and even HDHD symptoms.  As of 1997, the Lincoln Hospital Recovery Center in Bronx, New York, for example, administers acupressure treatments to those with ADHD.  They have had remarkable results: kids have been positively impacted in regards to their sleep and hyperactivity patterns, blood pressure and depression problems, studying and participating, working, and just sitting…calmly and without the “mind spinning” so familiar to those with ADHD.

ENERGY HEALING

Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, for instance, are energy healing approaches that work on the premise that the human being is a dynamic being, connected by physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional components.  Energy healing methods seek to balance these components, so in the person with ADHD, the symmetry that results is said to be calming—slowing the activity down so the person can focus, is less anxious, and is less intrusive and defiant.

DIETARY CHANGES

A close investigation of foods that are or contain allergens and irritants to the nervous system has revealed the possibility of ADDers being especially negatively impacted.  ADD treatments in this area include eliminating or curbing intake of white flour, sugar, and/or additives/preservatives.  But the controversy still roars on this one, and FDA and other regulatory bodies have not acknowledged the veracity of gross dietary changes…yet.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Much attention has been paid to holistic treatment, other ADHD alternative treatment, and vitamin therapies.  And many vitamin sources claim to help alleviate such symptoms as inability to focus, edginess, and sleep problems.  But as with any ingesting therapies, inappropriate application can lead to damaging results on other parts of the body and brain.  So what most specialists will acknowledge as important is nutritional balance, antioxidant vitamin supplements (A, E, for example), and/or a multi-vitamin…though as with many alternatives they will not attest to any remarkable cures or absolute recovery, which has yet to be proved, documented, and announced…for now, anyway.

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Dec 17 2007

Troubled Youth Plan

With all the emphasis on juvenile delinquency that you see in the news today, there are disturbingly few troubled youth programs out there to do anything about it. It really is an excellent sign of our diseased society – people bend over backward all the time to lock teenage offenders up and throw away the key – they will spend millions on incarceration. But, when asked to fund troubled youth programs which cost a fraction as much, help prevent crime before it starts, and are much more humane than locking up human beings like animals, many taxpayers would vote no 9 times out of 10.

But, increasingly there are some troubled youth programs available to help at risk youth find better alternatives to drugs and crime. Some of them are after school programs, which are designed to give teenagers something to do in the afternoons to keep them out of trouble. Many of these kids have difficult family problems at home, so these troubled youth programs are an invaluable outlet. If you take a child who is suffering from poverty, missing parents, possibly abuse or neglect, and give them a few hours a day to play sports, study, and learn new skills from an adult mentor, it can do wonders for their self esteem, and even turn a life completely around.

Many troubled youth programs are designed for after the kid has already gotten into trouble. Some of these programs are nothing more than glorified work farms, but they still are a better alternative for some youngsters than going to juvenile hall where all that will happen is that they will be beat up on by older, tougher kids, and learn to indulge in even more anti-social behavior. On these troubled youth programs, they are taught discipline and obedience, and although they must work hard and live a life that can be traumatic to some, they also learn inner strength. They must keep a strenuous schedule and do as they are told, and this teaches some valuable lessons to those on these troubled youth programs. After they finish, the kids find it much easier to direct themselves, and they can, if they chose, more effectively tune out the distractions of their home lives to pursue their education and other goals. Any troubled youth programs that can help them find a way out of the self destruction that sometimes sets in can be tremendously helpful.

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Dec 17 2007

Troubled Youth Programs

In the recent past there has been a steady increase in teenagers getting facing difficulties with the law, and this has led to the operation of many more troubled youth programs. A troubled youth program is intended for those children and teenagers who may be experiencing a problem leading a normal life in society. While there may be numerous reasons for their trouble, many children who find their way to a troubled youth program are sometimes involved in criminal activity, drug usage, or may be experiencing abuse.

There are many different types available, but they all have the same goal-to rehabilitate the youth so they may function normally, and also thrive, in society. The different types of troubled youth programs include, but are not limited to, behavior modification programs, residential, boot camp type programs, drug and substance abuse treatment programs, and also therapeutic boarding schools that offer all-inclusive programs.

They are initiated and run by mental health professionals, doctors, psychologists, judges, child welfare workers, as well as everyday citizens who wish to make a difference in the life of a troubled child. Some programs are intense, while others are more casual. The right place for a troubled youth will depend on their particular problems, as well as what the troubled youth programs will have to offer them.

When youth begin traveling down the wrong road, they are generally counseled first by parents and school personnel. When this does not work and they begin to commit crimes, the police and court systems normally become involved. If problems continue past this point, child welfare workers are likely to be called in to refer placement in one of the troubled youth programs.

If your child, or a child you know is having difficulties and you believe they may benefit from one of the troubled youth programs, you can learn what options are available in your area by contacting the closest social service agency. Some troubled youth programs are religion based, some curricula based, some are residential programs while some provide day treatment only. Having the child examined by a professional will reveal exactly what type of troubled youth programs should be utilized.

When you are faced with choosing a one for your own child, make sure that the program is licensed and certified, and being run by professionals specifically trained to deal with troubled youth. Deciding who to trust with your child’s rehabilitation is an important matter that should not be taken lightly.

Since there are so many available, do not be discouraged if the first one you choose doesn’t seem to work. Maybe the youth will respond better to a different type, or approach at treatment. Never give up; with the help of quality troubled youth programs you will be able to make sure that your child becomes a productive, functioning member of society.

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