ADHD – Are We Drugging Our Children in Canada?

There is nothing new about the controversy over how we are treating our children who suffer from ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and the debate isn’t likely to end any time in the near future. As long as the large pharmaceutical companies are allowed to continue manufacturing psychostimulants and doctors are diagnosing our children with this disorder, we will continue to ‘discuss’ the pros and cons of medicating our youth. For parents concerned over the potentially dangerous treatments for ADHD, here is a bit of information that may be enlightening.

Commonly Prescribed Pharmaceuticals for ADHD Treatment

One of the most common complaints amongst parents is that doctors ‘routinely’ prescribe stimulant pharmaceuticals for the treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD. However, the controversy surrounding this issue has several facets. The first complaint is that too many diagnoses are being made without adequate testing to determine if the behaviours exhibited are truly attention deficit in nature. Secondly, are there alternatives to drugs that could be employed? And finally, parents want to know exactly what those medications currently prescribed in Canada for ADHD can do to their children both now and in the future.

What We Know about Some of Those Drugs

Just ten years ago in 2005 Canada ordered Adderall off the market, citing the death of 20 patients and those deaths directly linked to the use of this psychostimulant pharmaceutical. As a result, neighbours to the south in the United States convened a panel to investigate the labelling of boxes to include stronger warnings. Here it is important to note that the FDA didn’t investigate also taking Adderall off the market, they simply sought to determine if parents should be ‘warned.’ Since that time, Adderall has re-entered the market in Canada, begging the question, are we drugging our children with known harmful psychostimulant substances?

Are There Safer Pharmaceuticals?

Since it appears that doctors are going to continue to prescribe medications to children for the treatment of ADHD, many parents are asking whether or not there are safer alternatives. One of the non-stimulant pharmaceuticals being looked at by medical professionals and parents alike is a product called Modvigil. It is not a dangerous stimulant and has proven its efficacy in improving cognition, focus and other processes within the brain. It is not currently prescribed for use in youth but you would think that if you could buy Modvigil Online, Canada would be one country that would laud the efforts to treat our children without the use of dangerous stimulant pharmaceuticals.

In the end, it is up to the parent to decide whether or not they want to treat their child with medication or would like to seek natural or at least with safer alternatives. If you are the parent of a child recently diagnosed with ADHD, you can always get a second (and third if necessary!) opinion and/or seek alternative treatments. The decision is yours to make and you know your child better than anyone. Just be aware that there really are alternatives you can look at so do the research before making your decision.