4 Ways to Treat ADHD

1. Treat Children With Stimulants

The vast majority of young ADHD patients--in the neighborhood of 80 percent--respond well to stimulant drugs. These medicines help your child stay focused and attentive for long periods of time and are available in a full range of strengths to manage mild-to-severe cases of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Commonly prescribed stimulants include amphetamines and dextroamphetamines, methylphenidate and dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride. Your child may encounter some unpleasant side effects, which may include loss of appetite, insomnia or irritability. It's also important that you check to make sure your child is growing at the right rate, since eating less due to appetite loss usually means your child isn't getting enough nutrients.

2. Treat Adults With Antidepressants

Adult ADHD is more complex and is rarely treated with stimulants. Instead, antidepressants are used, since mature patients seem to respond better to their effects. If you have a case of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, your doctor will test you thoroughly to see whether your condition is exacerbated by underlying psychological disorders. Adults often suffer from ADHD in tandem with other conditions, such as anxiety or depression. Your doctor's goal will be to treat as many of your symptoms as possible, with the minimum amount of medicinal intervention. Thus, tricyclic antidepressants and MAO inhibitors are prescribed most often.

3. Supplement with Coaching and Therapy

Children with ADHD are often matched with behavioral and family therapists, who can help both parents and the patient master strategies to help manage the symptoms of the disorder. Usually, therapy seeks to reinforce the important lessons your child learns by participating in tightly structured learning and living environments. While your doctor can help you design strategies specific to your child's case, it is generally held that children with ADHD perform much better when given a clear set of expectations, within a system that rewards positive behavior and penalizes bad behavior. If you're an adult with ADHD, talk to your doctor about occupational therapy and life coaching, which can help you take better command of your coping ability. Adults with ADHD often have trouble managing their careers, money and interpersonal relationships, and educational therapy can help you improve these aspects of your life while medicinal treatments ease your symptoms.

4. Natural Alternatives to Conventional Treatment

Holistic treatments are also available to both child and adult ADHD patients. Nutritional therapy is one of the most common. Talk to your doctor about ways to make sure you and your child are getting enough essential fatty acids, like omega-3. Essential fatty-acid deficiencies have been observed in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder patients. More doctors are also encouraging outdoor play in a natural environment as a means to control childhood ADHD. While no one is quite sure why, participating in outdoor exercise seems to trigger a reduction in symptoms. However, you should encourage your child to take part in activities suited to her disposition since some ADHD patients have a hard time playing team sports.