Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder of children. It is often believed to be a physiological brain disorder with a genetic component. Children with ADHD are impulsive, overactive, inattentive, poor learners, and are frequently disruptive, aggressive and uncontrollable.
People with ADD and ADHD display their stress in different ways depending on their unique make-up. They may show distraction, spaciness, boredom, compulsive tendencies, depression or aggression, and lack of self-confidence. Though the symptoms displayed can be very diverse for each child, conventional approach tends to label each child with one diagnosis.
ADHD is treated conventionally with stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, oral anti-hypertensive and antidepressants. While these medications can at times be effective if carefully monitored, side effects are possible, and most of these drugs should not be (though sometimes are) given to children under age six because of risk of toxicity or lack of dosage information due to inadequate testing for adverse drug reactions in this population.
ADHD and Symptoms
- Children suffering from ADHD perform very poorly in school, may have behavioural issues at home, and have difficulty in social relationships with other children.
- Children with ADHD have difficulty concentrating and paying attention, especially when they are forced to sit at their school or home to complete their homework assignments. If a child suffering from ADHD chooses to do an activity himself, he may well sit and do it for hours and be completely involved in it.
- For a child with ADHD, it may be extremely difficult to follow any instructions.
- Children with ADHD have trouble making and keeping friends.
- Children with ADHD can be uncomfortably intrusive, interrupting others, and verbally loud to make sure their needs are attended to. They are often also described as silly and immature.
- ADHD children may be perceived in the school environment as troublemakers.
- ADHD children may be very bright, but may not succeed in any task that requires sitting still, paying attention, and concentration.
- Parents of ADHD children complain about having to repeat instructions again and again even to get the simplest things done.
Conventional Treatment
- Stimulants provide only short term superficial healing and do not in any way treat the root cause of the problem.
- The effect of stimulants last only for four to eight hours.
- Stimulants do not treat all the symptoms manifested in children who suffer from ADHD.
- Stimulants seem to be effective only in 70% of the children with ADHD.
- Stimulants can cause side effects such as appetite loss, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, tics and stomach aches.
- Parents of some children with ADHD who were administered these stimulants report other side effects such as increased heart rate or blood pressure, drowsiness, social withdrawal, irritability and moodiness, and involuntary movements or sounds.
- Stimulants get children into the habit of taking drugs.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy offers natural, effective remedies for children suffering from ADHD. Rather than suppressing the symptoms of restlessness, difficulty in focusing, hyperactivity and lack of behavioural control, homeopathy gets to the root cause of the problem and works to bring the system into a state of balance. Homeopathy individualizes the child by his/her unique qualities and conditions such as genetic predisposition, anxiety, depression, fear, grief, low self-esteem and anger, rather than using one umbrella diagnosis for every child.
If the child is already on stimulants and homeopathic treatment is being considered, the child can continue the stimulant medication while taking homeopathic remedies. The stimulants can be slowly reduced only under the recommendation of the child’s prescribing doctor. More about homoepathy……