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Archive for December, 2008
5 Steps to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment
by Admin on December 14th, 2008
5 Steps to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment
It your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder cannot be permanently cured, it can be effectively treated with a five-prong approach. Please note that the advice in this article is not meant to replace evaluation and treatment from a competent mental health professional.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment, Step 1: Medication
There are several medications on the market that can help balance the chemicals in your child’s brain and make it easier for him or her to concentrate and focus. The most common treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder consists of low levels of stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall, etc.). However a new drug on the market, Strattera, is not stimulant-based and seems to produce the same improvement in symptoms.
Getting your child’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms under control is the first vital step in treating the disorder.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment, Step 2: Diet
Watch you child’s eating patterns. Do certain foods seem to make his or her symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity worse? Many children, for instance, become more hyper and have a harder time with self control when they eat sugar or caffeine. Wean the foods that seem to spell trouble from child’s diet.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment, Step 3: Education
Explain attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to your child in language he or she can understand. You might say, for instance, that everyone’s brain works a little differently. Some brains are good at math, and others are better at reading. Your child’s brain has a hard time concentrating and focusing. It doesn’t have anything to do with being good or bad, or being better or worse than anybody else. It’s just a fact of life that your child must deal with. That’s why he or she takes medication, and that’s why you sometimes remind him or her to “slow down” or “take a moment and think about that.” A child who understands his or her condition is much easier to treat than a child who doesn’t.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment, Step 4: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
It’s a good idea to get your child into counseling with someone who can help your child challenge illogical thoughts, such as “Why should I even try? I’m just going to fail”. The professional can teach your child how to learn new self talk, for instance, “I can do this; I may have to take my medicine and concentrate a little harder than my friends, but I can do it” as well as new behaviors.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment, Step 5: Support
If possible, get your child into a support group with other kids who suffer from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. This will help your child realize he or she is not alone. Your child may even learn new coping techniques from other group members.
Alternative Medicine - Yahoo! Health
by Admin on December 13th, 2008
More info…
Find information on alternative medicine, herbal remedies, ayurveda, homeopathy, holistic medicine, Chinese medicine, naturopathy, and more.
Alternative medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world, encompasses any healing practice “that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine.” Commonly cited …
How Effective Is Ritalin for Attention Deficit Disorder?
Attention deficit disorder or ADD as it is commonly known is a mental affliction which usually preys on children between four and twelve years of age. The overall symptoms are acute incapability to concentrate no matter how much they try, hyperactivity and rash and impulsive behavior.
Attention deficit disorder and Ritalin are the most common pair in the treatment of the ADD. Other drugs in the methylphenidate group are also used for the treatment, though in lesser measure. These are metadate, methylin, focalin and so on. These are drugs which are also known as speed and are usually classified as illegal drugs. Among the prescribed and approved drugs is desoxyn which has the methamphetamines marketed as legal.
Attention Deficit Disorder and Ritalin - The Side-Effects
Attention deficit disorder and Ritalin are however the most accepted pair in this treatment. The approved medication for ADD consists of Schedule II drugs and these are said to be as powerful an additive drug as the cocaine. Hence, in spite of some times having good results with attention deficit disorder and Ritalin, it is discontinued after a brief period of time, lest it becomes addictive.
If Ritalin is not used for attention deficit disorder, then there are some other options too. Children who are suffering from ADD find it extremely difficult to concentrate in school or at home. As a result, these children live through some extremely difficult situations till they receive the right treatment. Peer pressure coupled with the parents nagging about homework, studying for exams and so on, makes the children’s lives just miserable. The worst part is that the child too is suffering a great deal.
Make it a point to see that no one should anyone bother your child about his condition. A lot of counseling is required as well so the child understands and internalizes the fact they are different from the main stream and they will have to put in extra effort from now on.
Alternative medicines for ADD are in plenty. Thos who are not really happy about the drugs which are addictive can experiment with herbal medicines that can treat ADD pretty well. A lot of care should be taken though that the medicine can be cut off when you need to cut it off. Keep in mind that the group of drugs recommended are highly addictive and may result in a life-time addiction.
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder
by Admin on December 12th, 2008
More info…
http://www.thelastbestbiz.com can earn money even when the guy doing it is a victim of AAADD. This affiliate system is 95% automated, and includes …
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder
http://www.thelastbestbiz.com can earn money even when the guy doing it is a victim of AAADD. This affiliate system is 95% automated, and …
Considerations in Treating Adult Attention Deficit Disorder with Medication
For years, medicine has made the error of taking data from one group and applying it uncritically to a completely different group. Women, for instance, do not respond well to the heart disease interventions commonly used in men. And many adults do not respond as well to the attention deficit disorder medications used in children.
There are several things to consider when medicating an adult with attention deficit disorder. This article looks at some of the main issues.
Overall Health
Most children who receive medication for attention deficit disorder are fairly healthy. As the human body ages, however, organs may not work as efficiently. The heart may develop blockages (atherosclerosis) and the liver and kidneys may exhibit decreased functioning so they do not clear substances from the body as quickly as they once did. Any doctor considering the use of adult attention deficit disorder medication should run some simple blood tests to make sure the patient is healthy enough to take the medication.
Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy is a term used to describe the use of several medications in the same patient. Children who take attention deficit disorder medication usually don’t take a lot of other medications. Adults, however, may take several other medications, including birth control, medications to control high blood pressure or cholesterol, medications for mental health disorders such as depression, heart medications, gastric reflux medications, etc. Some of these medications may have dangerous interactions with adult attention deficit disorder medications.
Before starting a new medication, always give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of the medications you are already taking.
Potential for Abuse
Some adults want to take attention deficit disorder medication for the wrong reasons. Some, for instance, like to crush extended release tablets and then snort them for an immediate, intense high. Others request high levels of stimulants in an effort to control their weight.
Success Rate of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Medications
Overall, studies suggest that using stimulants to treat adult attention deficit disorder is effective 60 to 80 per cent of the time. Adults who don’t respond well to stimulants may want to consider other options. The use of antidepressants and mood stabilizers, for instance, has been shown to help reduce adult attention deficit disorder symptoms.
If you are an adult with attention deficit disorder symptoms, talk to your doctor or a psychiatrist about your treatment options. You may be surprised at what a huge difference controlling adult deficit disorder symptoms can play in your life.
Long-Term Effects Of Medical And Recreational Use Of ADD Meds
by Admin on December 10th, 2008
By Jimmy Brownen
Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, Concerta are the names of drugs used to treat ADD. These drugs are more often than not end up being misuse for some reasons. It was even shown in one episode of the Desperate Housewives where Lynette, the character that had hyper boys end up taking their medications so that she can keep up with them. This is a common scenario of ADD medication abuse.
Consider this story.
Mike is a thriving attorney, trying to make partner at the firm he works in. To do this would mean contributing more hours and energy. How will he be able to do this with an already busy schedule?
He was having drinks with a pal and telling his friend how he is not sure if he can keep up with his hectic schedule let alone working towards making partner. His friend told him that he too was in Mikes condition a not so long ago but ever since he started taking Adderall few months back, life has taken a positive turn. It was easy to get his physician to prescribe him the medication as all he needed to do was confess that he cant pay attention as well as stay organized at work. All this was worth it even if he did felt a little jittery.
True to what his friend had told him, Mike found that getting himself prescribed with Ritalin was very easy. His friend was also right about the extra energy this medication provided him and with that, and for the first few weeks; Mike found himself working like crazy without the need to rest. He was also winning like mad! Mike also found that he had lost weight in the process; something that was so hard to achieve before this.
Three month down the road, Mike began experiencing problems. He was loosing sleep and had often slept for no more than three hours at night. His moods became unpredictable and he was also becoming bad tempered. He had often taken this out on his wife and kids for no apparent reason and refuses to listen to his wife when she tries to point this out to him.
At work, things dont seem to be same anymore. Mikes coworkers are puzzled at his change of temperament. He was now treating other attorneys, which whom he had close working relationship with, like they are his nemesis. He is convinced that they only want to bring him down and sabotage his cases.
Mike finally went to a physician and it needless to say the cause was unveiled. He was immediately taken off the medication which was causing these symptoms and a few weeks later things went back to normal for Mike.
First, you need to know that chemically, the drugs prescribed for ADD are very similar to cocaine. And like cocaine, they increase the amount of dopamine available to receptors and that translates into a calming effect on the body. These drugs are dangerous, not only for those who dont have ADD, but also for those that do!!
Second, even though the goal of using these stimulants illegally is to get that calming effect just like they observe in those who have ADD, they get the opposite effect.
Non-medical users of these stimulants are college students and housewives. This is very much tied to their strong need to be more energized, get more attention as well as get high. The methods of taking them are like normal drugs or, for better effects of the drug, crushed and snorted.
It is essential that long term effects of these stimulants be made known to all as the number of users of these stimulants are gradually increasing.
Abusing stimulants for even short amounts of time alter the brain and its chemistry. These same drugs that are thought to produce that calming effect (remember the dopamine?) actually begin to destroy the receptors for dopamine, which in turn makes dopamine less effective for calming! Other side effects of using these drugs can include:
- Significant losses of grey matter in the brain what does that mean? This is stuff in your brain that surrounds the corpus callosum, which is responsible for the communication between the two hemispheres of your brain.
- functions like feeding, drinking, activity level, etc will suffer due to deficits in the hippocampus.
- Associated with a pattern of abnormal brain structure that looks like the deficits in early dementia and schizophrenia seen on MRIs.
What has been mentioned might not be enough to convince you so here are more side-effects:
- Paranoia
- Insomnia
- Extreme feelings of hostility
- Anorexia
- Depression
- Short temper
- Poor attention span
- A feeling of being on the edge
- Psychosis
- Memory loss
- Hallucinations
- Severe mood problems
Once you are dependent on these drugs, there is no turning back. You will find yourself taking more and more dose of them to get the same effect. This just proves that it is not worth it to get involve in the first place.
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD/ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.
The 4 swift steps of AD-HD diagnosis
By Hoe Bing
young kids seek help after the start of schooling years. The teacher is often bewildered as this child appears clever but is unable to meet expectations.
In most cases, the teacher initiates the first step and arranges for a young child psychologist, or perhaps more common an educational psychologist to test the overall intellect of the young kid and to exclude specific learning disabilities.
The results show a degree of failure which is not in keeping with the intellect and specific learning disorders. In other words they suspect that there might be something else troubling the young child. AD-HD then becomes the primary consideration.
Unexpected behavioural problems at home tend to be a rather vague symptom to look for. At home the Hyperactivity children have equal love and discipline, yet one child seem to stand out as many times more difficult.
The fathers will be making heavy weather of management due to a cluster of telltale ADHDD behaviours. Once alerted to the possibility of ADHD, it is time to move to STEP 2.
Step 2: Exclude false positives:
It is amazing that medical doctors are able to differentiate between AD/HD and ADD look-alikes.
Many scholarly journal imply that Attention Deficit Disorder With/out Hyperactivity is easily confused with a long list of diverse medical complaints. This is most definitely true on paper and in practice. The reason for this is simply and you know it well. The symptoms are too hazy!
Many psychiatrists however will tell you that they can tell without a shadow of a doubt that you child is suffering from Adhdthen they will go on to say something along the lines of but they have a mild degree of learning disability as well.
So much for the specificity. As a mother, please dont get caught up in the detail. Just know that in clinical procedures, they always try to exclude (to the best of their abilities) any other cause for the behaviour.
Here are some of the most commonly quoted Attention Deficit Disorder - (Add) look-alikes.
Normal active preschooler. The hearing impaired child, intellectually disabled child, specific learning disabilities (which strangely enough was part of the associated symptoms with Attention Deficit Disorder - (Add)), autism, brain injury, epilepsy, childhood depression, family dysfunction and the list goes on and on and on.
If you really want to find out the possible look-alikes I have an extensive list at my site.
Article Source : Article King Pro - Free Reprints and Distribution
To continue reading the rest of the articles in the series go toAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)
Symptoms and Signs of Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention deficit disorder is a syndrome, or cluster of symptoms, possibly caused by a structural defect in the brain. Children with attention deficit disorder display several signs; these include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Sign of Attention Deficit Disorder - Inattention
Most children don’t have long attention spans - that’s normal. A child with attention deficit disorder, however, will display a short attention span even when compared to peers of the same age. For instance, many young children being read to will grow restless and inattentive if the story lasts for more than half an hour; however, the child with attention deficit disorder will probably become inattentive after only five or ten minutes.
Other signs of inattention in attention deficit disorder include being easily distracted, moving rapidly from one activity to another without completing any of them, failing to listen to or follow directions in class and at home, making more careless mistakes than one would expect from a child of that age, and consistently forgetting necessary items or supplies (e.g., forgetting to bring lunch to school, forgetting to bring home a permission slip for a field trip, etc.).
Sign of Attention Deficit Disorder - Hyperactivity
Again, it is not uncommon for young children to have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. The child with attention deficit disorder shows extreme restlessness when compared to peers of the same age. Signs of hyperactivity in attention deficit disorder may include being restless or fidgety, constantly moving hands and feet even when sitting down, having trouble staying in an assigned seat, getting up and moving around inappropriately, being constantly on the go, etc.
Sign of Attention Deficit Disorder - Impulsivity
Impulsivity may manifest itself in many ways. Again, since most children are impulsive to a certain extent, this symptom is measured against what is normal for a child of the age in question. The afflicted child may have trouble waiting his or her turn in games, or may shout out the answers in class before called upon. The child may also have trouble reading social cues and may try to force him or herself into the middle of conversations or games where he or she is not wanted.
Although there is no permanent cure for attention deficit disorder, several treatments have proven effective. If you suspect your child suffers from attention deficit disorder, ask the school for a referral to a professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist that specializes in diagnosing and treating childhood disorders.