ADHD in Teens and Neurofeedback
We feel strongly that Neurofeedback is a great treatment for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). As we start the school year and look at sending our kids back to the regulated discipline of the school day, ADHD in teens tends to become a more prominent issue.
ADHD is the most frequently diagnosed pediatric disorder with 11% of American school-aged children being diagnosed. The number grows to nearly 20% of teenage boys being diagnosed with ADHD; that is 1 in 5 teenage boys. The vast majority of these are prescribed stimulant medication to the tune of 70% (Schwarz, 2013). Stimulant medication like Adderall and Concerta come with many side effects including insomnia and appetite suppression.
A study heavily funded by pharmaceutical companies in 1999 suggested that medication alone was the best treatment course for ADHD (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/205525 ). While the results of the study actually concluded that a combination of medication and behavior therapy was the recorded choice of treatment, the narrative that was given was that medication was better than behavior therapy in treating ADHD. This ushered in the age of drugging our kids to handle ADHD in teens and became the majority of treatment plans implemented.
Over the last five years there has been a bit of a backlash over this course of treatment. Carrying the study forward has revealed that medication alone does not have lasting affects in the long run. Recent studies in Neurofeedback have suggested that it is a much better option than using stimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD in teens and children and does not included the added side effects of stimulant medication (http://www.helpforadd.com/2014/april.htm). Neurofeedback also tends to have lasting affects.If your teen is struggling with ADHD and needs some help with focus and attention, give us a call at (813)-434-3639.
Neurofeedback may be the safe solution you are looking for when dealing with ADHD in teens.Schwarz, A. (2013, December 29). A.D.H.D. experts re-evaluate study’s zeal for drugs. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/30/health/adhdexperts-re-evaluate-studys-zeal-for-drugs.html?_r=0
