If Medication is the Most Effective Treatment for ADHD, Why Isn’t Everyone Saying So?

Written By Cynthia Hammer, MSW
 

Is the ADHD World getting turned upside down? In the past month, I heard two prominent psychologists stress the importance of medicine to treat ADHD, and I viewed a psychiatrist’s website that promotes treating ADHD without medication. What is wrong with this picture—psychologists promoting medicine while a psychiatrist denigrates it.

Psychologists who are unable to prescribe medicine are proclaiming, loudly and clearly, ADHD is a brain chemistry problem that requires medication. In fact, they say it is the most effective treatment for ADHD. Russell Barkley, Ph.D., for example, is upset with doctors who easily prescribe medication for depression or anxiety, but withhold prescribing medicines for ADHD. It particularly galls him because medicine for ADHD is proven three times more effective than the medicines for depression or anxiety.

But, I ask myself, why would a psychiatrist promote treatments for ADHD that don’t include medicine? I can only surmise it is to attract more patients. So buyer beware of anyone selling you a “treatment” or “cure” for ADHD. Research demonstrates that the best treatment we have it medication, and that the medications we have for ADHD are highly effective.

Because of scare tactics about medicines for ADHD, many adults and parents of children over age 6 balk at the mention of medication. This harms all of us because it makes many people not believe ADHD is a proven medical condition. It addition, families and adults who pursue these unproven “treatments” waste valuable time in improving their lives.

Bravo to the helping professionals who based their information on science and research. Thumbs down on any and all who denigrate medications as a treatment for ADHD. Get reputable information about ADHD at www.adhdevidence.org

Cynthia Hammer, MSW

Cynthia Hammer, MSW, was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in 1992 when she was 49 years old. The following year she created the non-profit organization, ADD Resources, with a mission to educate adults and helping professionals about ADHD in adults. She ran the organization for 15 years before retiring.

During the Covid isolation she wrote a book about her life with inattentive ADHD which should be published by the end of this year. In writing the book, she was dismayed to learn that children with inattentive ADHD continue to be under-diagnosed and adults with inattentive ADHD often are incorrectly diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

She created a new non-profit in 2021, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition (www.iadhd.org), to create more awareness about inattentive ADHD and the need for early diagnosis and treatment.

https://www.iadhd.org
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