Natural Treatments for ADHD
What is ADHD?
ADHD is in a nutshell, different brain wiring. Children and adults with the disorder suffer from chronic inattention and impulsivity which impedes their ability to effectively conduct school and work activities. People with ADHD usually have trouble paying attention to instructions, lose important things needed to complete tasks such as paperwork, are impatient and sometimes impulsively conduct social no-no’s such as interrupting people who are having a conversation.
Traditional Medicine
Traditional medicine for ADHD is usually stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall. Some doctors even prescribe Desoxyn, which is pharmaceutical methamphetamine, to help ADHD. While many patients who truly have problems can take the stimulants without issue, there are many possible side effects and other implications. People without ADHD have sought to abuse prescription stimulants and stolen drugs from individuals and pharmacies. Even when used properly, some medications like Adderall can cause sudden death in people with undiagnosed heart abnormalities. The advantages of stimulant drugs to treat ADHD is that it “wakes up” the part of the brain not functioning normally in a patient, allowing them to increase their ability to concentrate on daily tasks. Some doctors prescribe non-stimulant drugs like the antidepressant Wellbutrin, but this also has a side effect profile that can on rare occasions also be fatal. Wellbutrin may increase the risk of suicide in patients younger than the age of 24, according to the government website MedlinePlus.
Nature
One ADHD natural treatment, recommended by University of Illinois researcher Frances Kuo, Ph.D. is to simply get out in nature more often. Kuo notes that people who spend more time in parks and other natural surroundings can naturally concentrate more, whether or not they have chronic problems with inattention. In a study Kuo helped conduct, parents of children with ADHD noted that their kids did a lot better with their symptoms after outdoor playtime rather than indoor activities.
Fish Oil
Fish oil, or omega 3 fatty acids, is another recommended ADHD natural treatment. In 2005, University of Oxford researchers published a study that claims a lack of polyunsaturated fatty acids may contribute to ADHD and other learning-related disabilities like dyslexia. A daily fish oil capsule and/or eating more protein-rich fish helped those in the study reduce their ADHD symptoms, and researchers suggest it may be able to help countless others.
References
“Bupropion: MedlinePlus”
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a695033.html
“How Fish Oil Can Help Your ADHD Symptoms”
https://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1684.html
“Natural Remedies as Alternative ADHD Treatments”
https://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1537.html
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