ADHD in children - a balance between pharmacutical and psychological theropy - Essay Example

This causes adults with ADHD to develop coping mechanisms, and this further illustrates the need for a psychological intervention as well as a pharmacological one (Gentile, 2004). Treatment of ADHD usually involves an array of different treatments, including medications, behavioral modifications, counseling and changes in lifestyle ("Clinical Practice Guideline", 2001). The primary use today tends to be of the pharmacological type, as doctors give ADHD children ones to calm down their hyperactivity, impulsiveness, inattention, etc.

However, the medications used are commonly stimulants (amphetamines), which also have detrimental effects on the children, as they cause sleep disturbances, reduced appetite, weight loss, suppressed growth, and mood disorders. These tend to be persistent, and have an incredibly negative effect on childrens lives. This is why ADHD children are also medicated with other drugs that combat the side-effects of the original ones. This basically means that ADHD children are somewhat over-medicated, and perhaps the most astounding aspect of it all is that most of the drugs given to them have not been approved by the FDA!

Clearly, this is a most dire need to rely not only on medications, but also on alternative and supplementary ways of dealing with the disorder. As much as medications can alleviate negative biological symptoms and grant the children the potential or ability to stay still, become more focused and attentive, one mustnt forget the psychological aspect of the disorder. Though it originated as a neurobehavioral disorder, it is also a developmental one, and the development does not only pertain to the biological perspective and the body, but also to the psychological one and to the psyche.

It is crucial to have an understanding of what it feels like to not be able to pay attention to one thing for long, be hyperactive. It is bound to frustrate children, tire them (one might also