Natural Remedies for ADD/ADHD

If your child has been diagnosed as ADD/ADHD you will naturally want to provide the best treatment possible for your youngster. And while there are several options involving diet, counseling and therapy, one major question to be asked and answered is, “Do I want my child to take prescription drugs?”

There are many drugs available today for the treatment of ADD/ADHD sufferers and millions of children take such drugs. But is that the right thing for the child? What is wrong with a child taking such relevant prescription drugs?

Well possibly nothing but there are some issues which arise once a child is taking prescription medication. The first is the issue of side-effects. Most drugs may produce side-effects but we are discussing medication taken by children who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Some children taking medication in this scenario have headaches, dizziness and bowel problems. More to the point, children taking this medication are not behaving in a natural way. That is to say the drugs are masking the real child. Some people argue that you can’t properly treat the hyperactive child if their behavior is being stifled.

Supporters of natural remedies argue their case. You will not cause any side-effects with natural medications. You will save a considerable amount of money because prescription drugs are not cheap whereas natural remedies cost little if anything. People producing prescription medication have a vested interest in promoting the so-called merits of their products. They have probably spent vast amounts of money on research, trialing and manufacture so naturally want a return on their investment.

Then there is the issue of drug dependency. If a young child is taking prescription medication for a number of years, there may be a possibility the child could develop some form of drug dependency in the future. No parent would want that so perhaps the alternatives should be evaluated at least.

There are two interesting facts about certain prescription drugs recommended for those diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and these facts are [a] some drugs produced for the specific purpose of helping children with ADD/ADHD have been withdrawn from use by governments in some Western countries. The health officials in these countries believe there are grounds for withdrawing such medications and [b] many health experts recommend that prescription medication be used only as a last resort.

In other words, parents should explore the use of alternative treatments first. They should use counseling, therapy, natural remedies and changes to the diet of the child first.

Chances are you are reading this article via the Internet. You are reading it online or someone has sent it to you as a concerned parent. The internet has made it possible for so much information to be freely and easily available. As a parent with a child diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, you have the opportunity to educate yourself as to the nature of the condition, its cause and its many possible methods of treatment. By making yourself aware of these facts – using the internet – you are in a much better position to discuss your child and his or her condition and, hopefully, provide your child with the best treatment possible.