10 Misconceptions Your Boss Holds About Treatment For ADD
Treatment For ADHD
The main treatments for add are medication and psychosocial therapy (psychotherapy). Medications can include stimulants like amphetamine and methylphenidate, as well as nonstimulants like atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, and clonidine.
Patients with active substance abuse issues are not advised to take stimulant medication. However, those in stable remission can take them into consideration. Combination therapy using antidepressants especially SSRIs, is a different option.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels between the brain's synapses. This improves concentration and reduces hyperactivity as well as impulsivity. Most doctors prescribe medication from the stimulant class to treat ADHD. They may recommend methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) or amphetamines, which are similar medications. The type prescribed will depend on a individual's biochemistry and how well they respond to the medication. It may take up to seven days for the full effects of a medication to become apparent. The medicine will work for you if you notice improvement in memory, concentration sleep, impulsivity, and sleep.
These medications can have side effects, including decreased appetite and trouble sleeping, and may raise blood pressure and heart rate. People suffering from medical conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure should not take them. They are highly prone for abuse and are tightly controlled drugs. Only psychiatrists or pediatricians or in certain cases general practitioners, may prescribe stimulants. You can find them in the form or pills, tablets patches, or patches that are applied to the skin or in liquids.
Children and adolescents who consume stimulants are often afflicted with appetite issues and weight loss. They can also develop disorders when the dose is too high. If this happens, the doctor may reduce the dosage to avoid the drug from causing a worsening of symptoms.
About 70% to 80% children and adults with untreated adhd in female adults are treated with stimulant medication. The majority of adolescents and children find that their symptoms improve when treated. This is especially relevant for children who have parents, teachers or carers who report improvement.
The early use of stimulants can reduce the risk for substance use disorders in later life. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic and colleagues81,82 and Biederman et al83 found that non pharmacological treatment for adhd with stimulants decreases the risk of developing substance abuse disorders in adolescence, but that this protective effect wanes in the early years of adulthood.