My Child Has ADHD - Will It Subside?

As a parent, you'll find yourself desperately hoping that your child, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, will grow out of this disorder. Sad to say, there's not a clear answer to the question of whether or not ADHD ever goes away completely. However, there is some promising research that suggests ADHD can be managed by medication and/or natural means.

There is even research to suggest that ADHD does, in fact, "go away" if causal factors may be recognized and eradicated. There are numerous thoughts about the causal factors and treatments of ADHD, and, with respect to the approach and results, experts come to different conclusions about ADHD's permanence.

The Role of Food in ADHD

A fascinating study came out earlier this year (2011) regarding the role of diet in ADHD. This study advised that adjustments to a child's diet could reduce or remove ADHD symptoms. Admittedly, the study said, dietary changes don't work in all cases of ADHD, but they made a change in the majority of test cases (64%, based on the research). For those 64%, their ADHD did certainly appear to "go away."

So you could think of this as a hopeful chance for your child; maybe he or she is one of the ones whose ADHD symptoms are food-related. The doctors in the above study said that trying to find a causal factor first - when ADHD symptoms are first observed and diagnosed - is vital to managing each case based on its unique patient. Talk to the health care provider(s) of your choice about the dietary route if you think that may be the culprit.

Medication and Therapy

Lots of ADHD sufferers, families of sufferers, and doctors don't think that ADHD ever truly disappears. Rather, they feel it can be managed through medication and therapy. Instead of ADHD "getting better," this camp maintains that the brain can be re-trained and symptoms managed so that the ADHD generally seems to go away - but actually, the patient has just learned how to control and live with it.

Because research shows that the brains of ADHD-diagnosed individuals in fact work differently than normal brains, parents and doctors alike often focus on those cognitive symptoms and seek to stabilize them. Typically, the cause of these abnormal brain patterns isn't sought out by those who take this approach; the fact that the abnormalities exist is enough to guarantee treatment of the abnormalities themselves.

Symptom Management

No matter which view you hold with regard to ADHD, there's a general consensus that symptoms could be managed. A diagnosis of ADHD does not always mean a life-long struggle with the same ADHD symptoms. As you work with various health care providers (and don't forget to "shop around" until you choose one whose views you can help), you will preferably come to a point where you are confident with your treatment approach.

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