18. What Are The General Guidelines For Treating Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Some parents can manage their children
entirely with behavioral methods, but, for others, medication
seems like a miracle and can provide desperate families
with a quality of life they had almost given up on. In mild
to moderate cases, behavioral techniques should usually
be tried first before resorting to medications. If the symptoms
are severe or do not respond, then medication is advisable.
A combination of a psychostimulant and behavioral therapy
is proving to the best option for many children, including
those with co-existing disorders such as oppositional defiant
disorder. Each treatment approach provides specific and
different benefits, however, and may have different effects
in different settings.
Stimulants
are the primary drugs used to treat ADHD and are effective
for both children and adults. Other drugs, including newer
antidepressants, are proving to be effective in certain
individuals. Many parents are very disturbed by the idea
of putting their children on an intensive drug regimen,
possibly for years, but they are proving to be safe and
very effective for most children. Although no studies have
yet been conducted on the risks over many years, one 1999
study reported that taking stimulants for ADHD for at least
two years was safe and effective. The negative side effects
of the drug should not become the basis for not trying them
if other methods fail, since the negative effects of the
disorder itself can be much more severe and life-long. <SEE
MORE>
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