Actually, the most important part of the treatment is to inform the family and the child about this disorder. Information about the clinical manifestations of ADHD is available from many places. However, the confusion of families about treatment is unfortunately still quite common. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about the misinformation and prejudices about ADHD first. Necessary clarifications should be made about the symptoms, course and treatment of the disorder in a way that the family and their child can understand.
ADHD is a neuropsychiatric disorder and the behavioral problems caused by this disorder are related to brain chemistry and structure. It should be mentioned clearly about brain studies and it should be explained well that the structural and chemical state of the brain is created, and it should be stated that this situation is not caused by parental attitudes. Of course, wrong parental attitudes increase the severity of symptoms, and in this case, education of the family about the disorder is very important.
On the subject of treatment, education for changing the child’s behavior, education of parents, attitudinal changes, family therapy, necessary social skills and academic training, taking into account the individual characteristics of the child according to the areas of disability, individual psychotherapy with the child, controlling inappropriate and aimless movements Interventions such as physical activities aimed at However, none of these alone is effective in improving the core symptoms of ADHD. The effect of drug therapy for core clinical symptoms is undeniably high.
Stimulant drug therapies are currently the first in the treatment of ADHD in the world. There have been serious scientific studies on the effectiveness and side effects of these drugs for many years, and they still continue. However, there is no clear data such as the first choice drug in drug selection. The decision on this issue depends on the experience of the specialist physician who makes the clinical evaluation. If clinical benefit is not obtained from a stimulant, the second choice should be another stimulant. Because approximately 25% of individuals with ADHD do not respond to one stimulant, but very positive results can be obtained from the other. And it has been shown many times that these stimulant drugs are effective in a short time. Recent studies show its therapeutic effects, especially when used in appropriate doses and times. In follow-up studies, it was determined that it does not have addictive properties.
In prospective studies, it has been determined that approximately 75-80% of children diagnosed with ADHD continue to have symptoms during adolescence. Especially in children who have not received treatment, behavioral disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, cognitive and academic problems, early attempts in sexual activities, susceptibility to addictive substances, and getting into trouble with the law are more common during adolescence. In other words, treatments with stimulants do not increase the susceptibility to substance addiction, on the contrary, they control the susceptibility to addictive substances.
ADHD is a common disorder with other psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders. For example, a child with a Specific Learning Disorder or Mental Retardation cannot be treated with medication alone. According to these areas of inadequacy, individual academic support is absolutely essential. If the child has any additional psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, tic disorder, necessary psychiatric approaches, play therapy, impulse control studies, individual supports and additional drug treatments for these conditions should be added to the treatment. If other conditions such as epilepsy and speech disorder are accompanied, it should be directed to the relevant specialist areas and necessary treatments should be provided.
Since ADHD is a disorder with clear hereditary features, ADHD symptoms may also be present in mothers, fathers, siblings, etc. Such situations may adversely affect their approach to the child and joint work for his/her situation. For this reason, if there are other individuals with ADHD at home, it is very important to support them in their treatment.
As can be seen, ADHD is a disorder with treatment. The golden period to start treatment is the preschool and school start years. Because the longer the treatment process takes, the more severe the child or young person’s behavioral problems, academic retardation, social adjustment problems will increase. And this situation will lead to deterioration in self-perception as the child or young person constantly receives negative reactions from the environment. When this is the case, the person will have to grapple with negative emotions such as anger, tense, or introverted feelings of inadequacy. Obviously, being late in treatment is a fundamental condition that plays a role in the individual’s exposure to secondary psychiatric conditions. As such, the individual’s future work life, family life and social life will also be adversely affected.
Success in the treatment of ADHD does not depend only on the physician and the drug. Families and teachers also play an important role in the positive results of the treatment. The main goal of treatment is to improve the child’s quality of life. And in this regard, of course, drug treatments alone will not be enough. Collaboration with the individuals, their families and teachers, who are decided to take medication after the necessary evaluations, is considered within the golden rules.
