How to Best Manage ADHD? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has always been a controversial topic, mainly due to the lack of a definitive medical test, but also due to the fact that ADHD is primarily diagnosed by family physicians rather than specialists, and that children are the main diagnosed patients [1]. ADHD is best and most commonly identified through behavioural deviations from normal social behaviours and because ‘normal’ is highly subjective and is largely affected by societal standards, strong arguments can and have been made against pharmacological interventions to treat these ‘deviated’ behavioural problems. However, as studies have been able to prove [2], ADHD children who are left untreated will often find themselves to be performing worse in school or the society as a whole, and this can severely impair the children’s ability to successfully …show more content…
In interest of better understanding the disease, and to allow more precise and effective treatments,, along with these comorbidity studies, various etiological studies have been able to show that neurotransmitter dysfunction is the primary cause in ADHD symptoms [3]. This understanding allowed specific targeting of the disorder through stimulant agents and its high efficacy led to it being the primary pharmacotherapy for ADHD. However, just like all drugs, stimulants are known to have side effects. Furthermore, stimulants are highly abusable. It is therefore extremely important to understand not only the safety and efficacy of ADHD pharmacotherapy but also other available treatments that can be used in place or in addition to pharmacotherapy to allow the best and most