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Advantages & Disadvantages of Treatments for ADHD

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulty staying focused and controlling their impulses. Various treatments are available, the most common being dietary changes, vitamin supplements, physical changes, homeopathy and medication. Each of these treatments for ADHD has both advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, there is no cure for ADHD, so people might have to try more than one treatment before finding the best treatment for a particular child.

  1. Dietary Changes

    • One treatment option is the Feingold Diet, which removes artificial additives, artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners and preservatives from the diet (see Resources below). The advantages are that the child does not have to take prescription medication and winds up eating a much healthier diet. However, children can feel restricted and resent not being allowed to eat the same foods that other children eat. Not all children respond well to the dietary changes, which results in a lot of work with little payoff.

    Vitamin Supplements

    • Vitamin supplements, such as Omega-3 vitamins, are often used as a treatment for ADHD. One study found that supplements of Omega-3 and Omega-6 treated ADHD symptoms as well as prescription medication for ADHD (see Resources below). With this approach, a child can avoid taking prescription medication, and the cost of the supplements is low. Unfortunately, not all children respond to the supplements and finding supplements that do not taste "fishy" can be a challenge.

    Physical Changes

    • Getting enough sleep and keeping a structured schedule can help treat ADHD symptoms. Other physical treatments include getting lots of exercise, engaging in martial arts and participating in yoga and meditation. All of these activities are good for a child and most are fun. However, for many children with ADHD, these changes are not enough to improve the child's focus and body control. The only disadvantage to this treatment is the lack of effectiveness in some children.

    Homeopathy

    • Homeopathy uses natural remedies (see Resources below) to treat the imbalances in the body that cause ADHD. Homeopathy is tailored to the child and uses natural ingredients rather than prescription medication to treat ADHD. However, it can take a lot of trial and error to find the right combination, assuming one can be found, and the child must avoid eating certain foods (such as mint) that counteract the treatment.

    Medication

    • Ritalin in its variant forms is the only prescription medication that successfully treats ADHD. Ritalin can be extremely effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD while the drug is in the child's body. Unfortunately, Ritalin is a Class II drug, which is closely regulated and has a number of side effects, the most common being lack of appetite (resulting in weight loss) and insomnia. Children with underlying heart conditions cannot take Ritalin.

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