Natural Medicines for Conduct Disorder

The use of natural medicines in the treatment of conduct disorder in children has gained interest as an alternative to traditional prescription medications. The long-term effects of prescription drugs on a child's development are an ongoing parental concern. Natural treatment remedies include herbal medicines, correcting metabolic imbalances and homeopathic treatment approaches.

Conduct Disorder

• Conduct disorder is a condition in which children and adolescents demonstrate emotional and behavioral problems in socially unacceptable ways. Children who suffer from this disorder are often labeled as delinquents or "bad seeds." Conduct disorder can result from a number of factors, some of which include physical, mental or sexual abuse, life traumas, learning difficulties and genetic predispositions. Natural medicines used to treat this condition may be similar to prescription drugs in effect, as stimulant and stimulant-sedative effects combined work to reduce the symptoms of conduct disorder.

Herbal Medicines

• Herbal remedies are a form of natural medicine in which all of the properties of a plant are used as a curative treatment. Many prescription medications are also derived from plants, however one or two properties of the plant are used and targeted at specific brain and body functions. Herbal medicines instead use all of a plant's properties as a holistic treatment approach. The combined stimulant and anti-stress properties inherent in ginkgo, brahmi, siberian ginseng and gotu kola can carry the same effects as prescription-type drugs depending on a child's individual body chemistry.

Metabolic Approach

• When the nutritional needs of the body go unmet, metabolic imbalances can begin to impair bodily system functions. One natural medicinal approach to treating conduct disorder involves addressing whatever chemical imbalances may exist in a child's system. Metabolic treatment approaches involve the use of nutritional supplements and vitamin therapies. A thorough physical examination performed by a nutrition-oriented physician may help to uncover possible metabolic imbalances. Dietary intake can also have an impact on overall cellular and brain function. Diets high in sugars and refined carbohydrates may work to aggravate a child's biochemical makeup, especially when biochemical imbalances are present within a child's brain chemistry.

Homeopathic Approach

• Homeopathic treatment approaches involve the use of natural formulas to treat the conditions that contribute to conduct disorder behaviors. As children with this condition often exhibit aggression and hyperactivity, a particular homeopathic formula would be designed to balance the individual biochemical makeup of the child. The formula is intended to act in much the same way as a vaccine, meaning the same formula used on a normal child would result in conduct disorder behaviors. Formulas used are made from plants, minerals, metals and animal-derived materials. Medicinal treatments may also be combined with environmental conditions such as sunlight, moonlight or magnetic therapy.

Considerations

• The high potential for side effects when taking prescription medications is one reason many turn to natural alternative approaches. However, natural medicines can also cause side effects, as well as adverse reactions depending on a child's individual body chemistry. As herbal medicines, metabolic supplements and homeopathic remedies are classified as natural medicines, these treatments are under no regulatory guidelines, unlike prescription drugs. As a result, natural remedies are not subjected to clinical testing and trials to determine safety and effectiveness. In addition, drug interactions or allergic reactions are always a possibility when taking any type of drug or medicine.