10 Misconceptions Your Boss Shares About Treatment For ADD

Treatment For ADHD

The main treatment options for add are medications and psychosocial therapy (psychotherapy). Medications can include stimulants like amphetamine and methylphenidate, as well as non-stimulants such as atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, and clonidine.

Patients with active substance abuse issues are not advised to take stimulant medication. However, those in stable remission can consider them. Combination treatment with antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) is also an option.

Stimulants

Stimulants increase norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the brain's synapses. This improves focus and reduces hyperactivity and impulses. Most doctors prescribe medication from the stimulant class to treat adhd in adults symptoms and treatment treatment for young adults (click here to read). They can prescribe methylphenidate (Concerta or Ritalin), or amphetamines. Both are similar drugs. The type of medication prescribed will depend on the individual's biochemistry and how well they respond to the medication. It could take anywhere from five to seven days before the full effects of the medication are evident. Improved concentration, better memory, improved sleep, and less the tendency to be impulsive are all indications that the medication is working.

Some of the side effects include decreased appetite, difficulty sleeping and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People with medical conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure shouldn't take them. Stimulants have a high potential for abuse and are closely controlled drugs. Only paediatricians, psychiatrists or neurologists, and in some circumstances general practitioners can prescribe them. They can be found in the form of tablets or pills or patches that are placed on the skin, or in liquids.

Children and adolescents who are dependent on stimulants are often afflicted by weight loss and eating disorders. They can also develop tics when the dosage is too high. In this case the doctor will decrease the dose to stop the symptoms from getting worse.

The use of stimulant medications is for around 70 to 80% of children and adults with treating adhd without medication. The majority of adolescents and children find that their symptoms improve after being treated. This is particularly the case for children who have parents, teachers, or carers who can report improvements.

The early use of stimulants may lower the risk of developing substance use disorders later in the course of. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic as well as colleagues81,82 and Biederman and colleagues83 have found that treatment with stimulants reduces the risk of developing substance use disorders during adolescence, however the protective effect diminishes by early adulthood.