ADHD Treatment Options - A Better, Less Dangerous Method of Treating ADHD

Side Effects of Traditional ADHD Treatment

Although you'll have to check the insert for the particular drug your child is taking, most ADHD drugs are stimulants. Here is a listing of known side effects:

• Appetite Loss (if your child is not eating, this could potentially stunt his growth)
• Headaches
• Insomnia (potential for stunting your child's growth)
• Seizures

When treating ADHD with drugs, you have to ask yourself if suppressing symptoms is worth the risk to your child's health. Obviously, this is a question that only you can answer.

When my best friend came to me for advice after her son was diagnosed with ADHD, I did some research and will share the insights I came to as I learned more about medical ADHD treatment and its alternatives.

One thing I realized fairly quickly is that when something doesn't function properly (like a child's inability to focus), a deficiency can be causing the dysfunction. Often this deficiency is nutritional in nature. The problem with drugs is that they do not heal deficiencies, instead they mask them, so at least in some sense, drugs make the problem worse because they fail to heal the cause.

To further illustrate this point, let me give you an example. Rickets is a disease that is caused by a vitamin C deficiency. If a child gets rickets, taking a vitamin C supplement will lessen the symptoms and eventually, reverse the disease. Do you see where I'm going with this?

The big idea here is that when you supplement your diet with what is lacking, you begin to heal the cause.

However, this logic fails when you start talking about standard ADHD treatment. For instance, if you're treating ADHD by giving your son Ritalin, it is not because he is deficient in the drug.

See the difference? Drugs may suppress symptoms, but they do not heal the dysfunction that causes them.

It was this realization that led me to homeopathy. Homeopathy uses natural substances to suppress symptoms as well, but there are no side effects. Nor is there any danger of addiction.

When you weigh the pros and cons, it's easy to see that natural remedies are more effective than drugs, but on top of that, there's one more important difference: homeopathy uses small doses of natural substances to heal the body over time. This statement says it all: natural methods work by suppling nutrients which support the body's ability to heal itself—to transform deficiencies into sufficiencies and to restore proper function.

So to recap, homeopathic remedies:

• Have no side effects
• Are not addictive
• Restore balance and function over time

What to Look for in a Natural Treatment

Now that you may be ready to consider natural alternatives, let me tell you which ingredients to look for and how they work to suppress symptoms and restore health and balance:

• Hyoscyamus - soothes restlessness, over-excitability and reduces disruptive behaviors, outbursts and involuntary physical tics like grimaces, fidgeting or noises.
• Tuberculinum - relieves irritability, which works well for kids who seem to seek conflict or constant stimulation.
• Arsen iod - suppresses annoyance and frustration when things don't go as planned. Proven to help calm those who have a tendency toward hostility, restlessness and impatience.
• Verta alb - soothes jangled nerves and supports a feeling of stability and wellness.

When you compare homeopathy with drug-based ADHD treatment, natural remedies are the clear winner. Since homeopathic remedies will not interact with any drugs your child is currently taking, it makes sense to give them a try.

BrightSpark is a natural remedy that contains all the ingredients above.

Recently, I also became aware of a behavioral program for kids with ADHD. This program teaches kids coping skills so they can curb impulses, minimize outbursts and calm themselves. Developed by a psychologist whose own child suffered from ADHD, this is a program you can use at home.

It's my belief that natural remedies used in conjunction with teaching new coping skills and behaviors are powerful tools which work together to heal the body and mind and side-step drugs completely.

About the author: Laura Ramirez is the author of the award-winning parenting book, Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting. Laura is available for speaking engagements and media interviews. To learn more click on parenting expert