ADD & ADHD Disorders - Must Know Facts For Parents

Is there a difference between ADD and ADHD? ADD and ADHD disorders are usually lumped together as one disorder, the only difference being that ADD is sometimes used to distinguish those children who have the inattentive type while the hyper and impulsive kids usually get the ADHD label. In some of the older manuals used by doctors,ADD and ADHD disorders were one and the same thing.

If we are still using the ADD label or (ADHD Inattentive type) as it is most commonly called these days, these children frequently are spaced out and have a lot of problems in finishing a task and may flit from one task to another. These children are daydreaming types as well and often do not cause any behavior problems at school. It is for this reason that because they do not disturb the class, they are often neglected and never diagnosed at all with ADD ADHD disorder.

In many ways, the children with hyper and impulsive tendencies have more problems with behavior at home and at school because they are noisier and more intrusive in every sense. They often are diagnosed with a co -morbid disorder called OCD (obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). The ADHD Inattentive type child is more likely to suffer from co-existing conditions such as depression and anxiety.

As regards treatment for ADD and ADHD disorders, here are some facts for parents. Using psychostimulants is full of unknowns and there are lots of uncertainties about their efficacy and the long term effects. It is true that ADHD drugs can work in as many as 70% of cases. But when we say 'work', we should be cautious. Certainly these drugs are great at calming children down and helping them to get focused but the behavior problems will remain.

The drugs themselves such as Ritlain, Adderall and Cylert, to name the most popular ones, are quite powerful mind altering drugs. The most alarming thing is that nobody knows exactly how they work on the chemical neurotransmitters in the child's brain. The drug companies are equally coy about their long term effects although Ritalin has been on the market now for over forty years and has been used extensively in treating ADD and ADHD disorders. So, where is the research? We should remember too that we are dealing here with amphetamines and they are still regarded as Class II substances so there are all sorts of problems there.

The above information is hard to find and many drug companies do not want to tell the full story about ADD and ADHD disorders. That is why thousands of parents are turning to homeopathic remedies which are gentler and will be equally effective in soothing and calming the child, although they too will certainly not solve any behavioural problems associated with ADD ADHD disorder. The best way of all is to opt for a homeopathic medication which combined with ADHD behavioral therapy will be the most effective in the long run. No pills of whatever kind will teach the child how to cope, socialise, manage tasks and generally grow up to be a well balanced adult.