Although the effects of food additives, allergies and sensitivities on some ADHD symptoms are documented, they are limited in most cases. The benefits of diets such as the Feingold diet without artificial colours or salicylates on attention, hyperactivity or behaviour are controversial. So, it is not surprising that dietary changes are the most common alternative methods of reducing ADHD symptoms or even eliminating the need for drugs. Others believe that a lack of vitamins or other nutrients could lead to the same results. Many parents have rightly or wrongly suspected that certain foods interfere with their children's behaviour. In 2019, 48 health experts, including 45 pediatricians, published an open letter about the overuse of drugs to treat ADHD at the expense of other critical components of treatment, such as psychosocial interventions and support for parents and teachers. This data worries many parents, who are not the only ones alarmed. For those aged 6 to 17, statistics show that more than 10% use a drug to treat ADHD. Īccording to the Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux du Québec (INESS), 6% of Quebecers aged 1 to 25 received a prescription for an ADHD medication between 20, which is 2.7 times higher than in other Canadian provinces. About 25% of them were doing so for psychological problems, including ADHD, and more than 50% were doing so without their physicians' knowledge! Fear of the side effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) or amphetamines used to treat ADHD is likely behind this. In an article published in 2007, David Jean and Claude Cyr of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) reported that more than half of the children attending their pediatric outpatient clinic were using one or more types of alternative medicine. But are they effective? And can they replace medication? In this overview of the main drug-free approaches, find out which ones have worked best.
Chamomile tea, melatonin and hypnotherapy are just a few examples of alternative medicine and therapies that many adults and parents of children with ADHD use as treatments.
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