What You Should Consider About ADHD Medications

What You Should Consider About ADHD Medications

By Angie Dixon

Tip! ATTEND often works really well when combined with other nutraceutical products to target specific symptoms, such as temper outbursts, or obsessive behaviors, or depression. This is discussed in detail both at the ATTEND page and at the TYPES OF ADHD page.

I know some of my readers are up in arms that I even wrote this article. You think there is no question about ADHD medications. The funny thing is, some of you think there's no question that your child SHOULD take ADHD medication, and some of you think there's no question that your child SHOULD NOT take medication for ADHD.

The truth is, it's a very individual decision, and there are a lot of things to consider. First, just to be fair, let me say that my son takes ADHD medication and will as long as I have anything to say about it. For us, not medicating is not an option. It helps him handle his ADHD symptoms and he does better in school and at home. He stays out of ADHD-related trouble caused by impulsive behavior and gets better grades than before the ADHD medication. He also has more friends because he's easier to be around. That's why we decided to medicate Jack's ADHD in spite of side effects like lack of sleep and lack of appetite.

Tip! Review the program for the party with your children before the big day so they know what to expect when. Children with ADHD can easily get lost when there are many things happening.

When deciding not to medicate ADHD kids, a lot of parents talk about fear of side effects. This is a legitimate concern and one you should discuss with your doctor before deciding for sure against medications. Since ADHD medications affect different people in different ways, it's possible to mitigate side effects.

Some parents just don't want to give their kids medication for something that is "normal kid behavior." To this I would submit that if you're concerned enough about ADHD to be discussing medication, it might not be "normal."

Other parents really want to try natural remedies/diet/alternative therapies for ADHD first. Again, I would say do your research and know what really works in treating ADHD and what you're getting into.

Tip! Keep Your Home Organized. The more 'scheduled' you can keep your home, or the more 'organized' you can be at home, the better for your ADD/ADHD child.

Some parents believe every ADHD child should be medicated, and don't investigate very thoroughly what medication might work best for their child, but just go with the first thing the doctor suggests. I would suggest that ADHD medication is at best an art and not a science, and sometimes ADHD is very hard to medicate correctly.

My point in all this? There is no right answer. There is what's right for you and your child, and the best judge of that is you, once you've researched all the possibilities and are making informed decisions.

Tip! You want to help your ADHD child make more friends. Social skills are difficult for kids with ADHD, and they're often lonely.

For me, the informed choice is to medicate my son and myself. For you, there may be something that works better. But you need to do your homework first.

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie's site "That's My Son!" at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com