How Do You Know if Your Child Has ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, seems to be the diagnosis of choice for many doctors and pediatricians these days. And the typical treatment for children said to be afflicted with ADHD is the prescribing of stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin.

These stimulants have significant side-effects that affect your child, like loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, and even irritability and nervous “tics.”

Then there are also non-stimulants and anti-depressants prescribed to some children, like Strattera and Wellbutrin. Which have many of the same side-effects, in addition to much more serious side-effects like headaches, stomach upset, dizziness, anxiety… and even a risk of seizures, heart arrhythmia and suicidal thoughts.

The problem with all of these heavy drugs, and the serious side-effects that come with them, is the fact that ADHD seems to be a label put on most kids who have trouble staying focused, and sitting still.

The fact is, kids are not focused by nature. And they certainly don’t want to sit still. They are full of energy, and want to run and play and have fun like all kids do.

So, how do you really know if your child is afflicted with ADHD, or is just a normal little kid?

And how do you know that having them take these strong drugs will help them, or are even good for them?

Well as you can imagine, a child taking strong drugs for any length of time cannot be good for them. Just as taking strong drugs for a length of time is not good for adults, either. Especially with the laundry list of side-effects you hear about every time you see an advertisement on TV for another new “wonder drug.”

And as far as your child’s symptoms showing you if they are indeed ADHD or not… it’s hard to tell if they are really something to be concerned about, or if they are really affecting the life of your child.

That’s why behavioral therapy is commonly administered along with drugs, to help children operate better in social situations. Like taking turns talking in school, or at the family dinner table. Like sharing with others, instead of always saying “it’s MINE!”

Then there are signs of how they get things done, or not. Like doing their chores when they are supposed to. Like doing their homework, not only sitting down and working on it, but actually finishing it.

Some doctors believe that these child-like symptoms can actually build into more troublesome behaviors when they become a teen and an adult. Especially when it comes to relationships, decision-making and planning for the future.

Since there really is no formal test to see if a child does have ADHD, the general rule is to observe the child over the course of six to twelve months. Making note of behaviors and problems that seem to recur, which affect the child’s life in a negative manner. Or that affect those around them, like at school or when with family.

Unfortunately, when most doctors determine that your child is affected by ADHD, the next steps are always the strong drugs we discussed earlier. In addition to the behavioral therapy that has still not proven to be an effective means of making the child well.

As with all standardized medicine, there are always alternatives which seem more promising than what pediatricians prescribe every day.

Exciting discoveries have been made into how the body and mind work together. And how if one part of the body’s system is out of tune, other seemingly unrelated conditions can appear.

Once alternative, now becoming mainstream, the chiropractic world is now on the forefront of applying century-old tactics to reestablish the critical connection between body and mind. Which has created hope for desperate mothers worldwide, that there may be a way to have their children live happy, healthy lives, without strong drugs.

Through these discoveries, which any parent doing their research should look into, we all hope to make spectrum disorders like ADHD a thing of the past.