Medication Vs Natural Remedies for treating ADD & ADHD

Millions of adults, teenagers and children around the world are affected by the symptoms of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). There is some controversy within the mental-health community whether these disorders should be defined as learning difficulties or mental health problems – but recently there has been a trend for them to be identified as a learning difficulty.

As with most types of learning difficulty, the experience and symptoms of the condition varies enormously from individual to individual – which will additionally impact upon how the disorder is treated. For some children, the effects can be so minor that they may be undetected or attributed to something else. Some children can also grow out of the condition, whilst others can experience it throughout their adulthood.

Whilst some people may believe the disorders can be cured by medical intervention, there is presently no known cure available that can achieve this, and many drugs that are prescribed for ADD and ADHD can have potentially harmful side-effects that hinder rather than help those affected. Prescription drugs can help reduce symptoms, but they cannot completely eradicate them.

This has led to many parents trying to find natural methods of treating the condition – resulting in a vast difference of opinion relating to which approach is most suitable. Despite the limitations in their effectiveness, pharmaceutical companies will always maintain that conventional medication are more effective than herbal alternatives, whilst parents, fearful of the impact of side-effects on their children will assert that natural remedies offer the best approach.

Of course, as in many cases, natural remedies have the advantage of not introducing harmful toxins and alien bodies to the body’s systems, to the extent conventional medications do, and are often thought to be the best option for parents.