Should We Drug Hyperactive Children?
Do we need to drug hyperactive children in order to create a calm child, or should we allow these children to find their own way in life and learn at the way their minds are set to function? Many parents today who have received a diagnosis of ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are faced with the decision of whether or not they should drug their child so that he or she can conform to society. In the past, parents often took the advice of doctors and child psychologists and gave their children Ritalin and other drugs that may have serious side effects.
Today, however, more is known about ADHD and less attempt is being made to drug hyperactive children. We are now aware of not only the harmful medical side effects of the medicines that are used to treat hyperactive children, but also the psychological side effects as well. After all, a hyperactive child with ADHD is one who is most likely highly creative. The impulsiveness that accompanies ADHD often lends to the creative instinct. When you give a child drugs to get a calm child, chances are that you are also robbing the child of their creativity. You have just created a child who is almost like a robot - they go along with life but are not really part of it.
There are many ways to deal with a hyperactive child without drugs. This includes therapy and unique approaches to the condition that allows the child to retain their own sense of self worth and be as creative as he or she wants to be.
Therapy has advanced when it comes to dealing with ADHD. The secret to working with a child with ADHD is to get them to learn through the process that makes sense to them, not force them to conform to a process that may be difficult for them. Hyperactive children often have a hard time sitting still, waiting their turn or concentrating. They can often disrupt a traditional classroom setting. For this reason, hyperactive children today are often labeled with ADHD and sent to special education where they are further outcast from their peers.
If you are a parent of hyperactive children or a child, it can get stressful. You may be tempted to try to fix the "problem" of the hyperactive child without looking at how it will affect the child in the long run. You can decide to forgo drug therapy in place of therapy and strategies that work with the child. Allowing hyperactive children to get their thought process and ideas out is often one of the first steps in dealing with a child with ADHD. Drugging hyperactive children is not necessary.
Ray Subs is a consultant and author. To learn more about ADD and ADHD in children, visit http://www.adhd-survival-guide.com/