Challenges in ADHD Treatment
About ADHD and Treatment
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, ADHD is a mental illness distinguished by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in young people and it affects 9 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17. However, it also diagnosed in adults, as an estimated 2 to 4 percent of adults are diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD can make it extremely difficult for a person to concentrate on one thing, and it will cause a person to feel a great deal of energy that they constantly need to let out, hence the hyperactivity portion of the name. This is extremely problematic in young children who are trying to get an education at school, because ADHD will make it extremely difficult for a child to be able to sit down and focus on what their teacher is saying to them.
Although ADHD is difficult to live with, it is treatable. There are various medications associated with treating ADHD, and medication mixed with therapy can significantly improve the symptoms of ADHD.
Challenges with ADHD Treatment
There are several medications that treat ADHD, but finding the right one for you may take a few tries.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the best way to treat ADHD is by taking a ‘multimodal’ approach, which means utilizing multiple methods for treatment including educational, medical, behavioral and psychological.
Both medication and therapy is commonly needed in order for a person to be successful at managing their disorder. Studies have shown that treatment of ADHD that includes both medication and behavioral therapies are more effective than ones that only include one of the treatments. However, even when the proper medication and treatment is provided, a person will still have challenges when receiving treatment for ADHD.
The first challenge a person will have to overcome is finding a good therapist. A person suffering from ADHD will have to be evaluated by a therapist, and then they will have to continue to see their therapist. Some people do not feel comfortable talking with another person about their problems, and in order for treatment to be the most successful, it is important for a person to feel comfortable with their therapist.
The next challenge will be finding the right medication. Many times, a person will have to be prescribed different medications two or three times before they find one that works for them. This is mostly due to the medications making them feel sick, or not helping them.
The last challenge that a person may go through in ADHD treatment is continuing to take their medications and going to therapy sessions. It is easy to miss medication doses, and stop going to therapy, but ADHD is a continuing disorder, which means that a person suffering from the disorder will need to stay on top of their treatment or the symptoms will come back.