Help For AD/HD – Five Practical Things Parents Can Do Now

Is this you ? You don’t know where to turn for help for ADHD child who seems to spend most of his waking life bouncing off the walls, kicking, screaming and generally being impossible. I have even heard of some parents who were bitten by their children and had bite marks on their arms .

So, where do you turn to for help for ADHD ? Here are five practical things to do before you give yourself up to the mental health authorities !

1. There are thousands of ADHD websites where you can get help. I googled ‘ADHD blogs’ this morning and got 12,000 results. For ‘ADHD forums’ I got a mere 48,000. Help for ADHD is available twenty fours a day. Here you can find discussions which range from medications, ADHD diagnosis, ADHD diet and nutrition, just to name a few. You can also pick up some great parenting tips as well. Look out for ‘Big Pharm’ sites who will give you a biased picture — look for ADHD alternative remedies as well.

2. If you are unsure whether your child has ADHD, wait until he or she is six years old before going for a diagnosis. Very often the kindergarten teacher will have noticed some odd behavior which contrasts sharply with the other kids and she will alert you to the fact. Just because a kid rocks from side to side and spends most of his time jumping on the furniture like a cat does not necessarily mean he has ADHD. Being optimistic, you might not need help for ADHD at all.

3. Kids (and adults!) can be allergic to certain foods, smells and toxins which can be all around the house. A very practical thing is to buy a good air purifier,water purifier and get the best possible filters (Hepa filters) for your vacuum cleaner. You may not have solved your ADHD help problem but you already a cleaner, healthier environment in which you can breathe.

4. Kids need lots of green time – research has even shown that exercise in a green area is far superior than dragging a kid round the shopping mall. Organizing outdoor exercise ( you don’t have to it yourself) is a great way to burn off extra energy and if you can be there with them you get an extra bonus in bonding with your child. Hyperactive children cannot go on for ever.

5. Food colourings are out and the EU and the UK have already passed legislation so that they will be banned from food by 2010. Already Maryland is proposing a similar law as there is enough evidence to show that there is a definite link between attention and behavior disorders and these colorings. So, out with processed foods and junk food and in with organic fresh food.

Help for ADHD is readily available and maybe there is too much of it. A lot of the sites I mentioned above will be sponsored by the drugs industry who are looking after a goldmine. You are probably scared about the effects of ADHD medications and how they will impact on your child. These ADHD help sites will play down the side effects of psychostimulants but you should also know that there ARE alternative ADHD treatments which are completely safe and non-addictive. Join the thousands of wiser parents who will not be brainwashed by the drugs industry by clicking on the link below.   Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.