Will my child outgrow ADDHD?  Most kids will require medications through their school years.  Often symptoms persist into adulthood and associated depression and mood swings may be part of the picture.  Only time will tell and this has to be reviewed in regular sessions with your physician

Will my child be a zombie?  Stimulants and other medications can create side effects that make the child appear overmedicated or too passive and dull.  Sometimes their personality is affected.  That is the reason for regular followup as this zombie like energy is not the goal of treatment

I do not want my child on medications because I have heard bad things in the press.  Without medications, many children do not do well in school and eventually have more problems with self esteem as they are labeled, constantly redirected and experience frustration in the learning process.  Medication use is always a balance between risks and benefits.  The long term benefits far outweigh the risks

Why are more and more children seemingly on medications?  Better recognition, better diagnoses, improved technology to dispense longer acting medications through convenient ways helps improve taking the medications regularly.

What holistic methods can be used instead of or in addition to medications?  This is a vast topic, with varying opinions.  Dialogue with a physician will be important to gage this area of discussion and or to make a referral for an opinion in naturopathic methods.

What other therapies are needed for ADDHD kids?  This is also a vast topic and depends on the child.  Often ADDHD children need social skill improvement as they do not follow peer cues and norms of behavior and are often left without friends.  They need work in self esteem to help them with their academic and personal frustrations.  They may need behavioral modification that confronts dangerous and destructive behaviors through rewards, and consequences that will arise if such behaviors persist.

© 2007 - 2009 Rama Pemmaraju Rao, M.D.

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