How to Treat ADHD With Violence Issues

ADHD is a condition that affects over four million children between the ages of five and 17. The side effects of untreated ADHD include drinking and drugs, poor school performance and early dropout and anti-social behavior. These are many of the same past behavioral patterns found in up to 70 percent of juvenile offenders, and more than 40 percent of men in medium-security prisons. Undiagnosed or untreated ADHD may be responsible for some of these numbers. With that in mind, we must take a look at how to treat ADHD with violence issues in order to keep today's children from becoming tomorrow's prisoners.

Instructions

• 1

  Make sure that ADHD is the only issue. Many psychological issues are present along with other problems, so ADHD may not be what's responsible for the violence. You may need to be treating a condition other than ADHD in order to handle the violent tendencies.

• 2

  Use of drugs like Adderall and Ritalin soon after diagnosis can prevent the beginning of the cycle of violence. Violence leads to more and escalated violence, which will not happen if a tense situation never starts. However, these drugs need to be part of an ongoing behavioral treatment program in order to learn how to control negative behavior.

• 3

  Get the best results with a multi-pronged behavioral treatment program, which can include: parent training, summer camp, and teacher involvement. Combined with drug therapy, it shows the best long term results.

• 4

  Find a support group for family and friends of those with ADHD. Learn how to best respond to the difficult behavior you sometimes face while dealing with someone who has ADHD. If you are able to stay calm and directed, you can help them stay calm and directed.

• 5

  Follow through with the program. Many of the prisoners with ADHD stopped treatment when they reached their teenage years. Unless your doctor specifically tells you otherwise, keep up with the medication and behavioral treatment through to adulthood.