What Does ADHD Medication Do?

What does ADHD medication do?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD medications are effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD in the majority of children as well as adults. Medical research shows that medication is the preferred treatment for ADHD. If you are like I was when they were prescribed at first, I blindly gave them to my daughter without really understanding what they were doing for her. Fast forward to today and I am now an informed educator and coach and want to pass off some information to help you understand a little bit about the meds that are being recommended for you or your child and see what do they do and how they work.
The Impacted Areas
ADHD mainly affects the parts of the neurological system, which is the brain and nervous system, in terms of transmitting electrical signals or stimuli. The process of parts of the brain communicating with each other is known as neurotransmission.
It makes it difficult to concentrate and focus. Other major symptoms widely observed are inattentiveness, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, anxiety, depression, tics, personality disorders, bipolar disorders, OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, restlessness, and short-tempered. These are commonly treated with medications such as stimulantsalong with behavior therapy.
How Do the Medications Target Impacted Areasr
The medications widely being used for treating both children and adults suffering from symptoms of ADHD fall under the category of Stimulants. These stimulants function by boosting the levels of two main neurotransmitters in the brain, namely, Norepinephrineand Dopamine. The former is responsible for attention, attentiveness, concentration and focus whereas the latter controls attention and memory.
ADHD medication drugs increase or decrease the release of these chemicals in the brain to bring them to a normal state. When that happens, the synapse between neurons can hold an accurate amount of neurotransmitter for sending and receiving of neuro-signals. So, the metabolic activity increases in certain areas of the brain, aiding communication with elevated neurotransmitter levels and resulting in better functioning during cognitive tasks.
Different Doses, Varied Effectsr
When taken in small dosages, the body reacts to these stimulants in the same way that it does when the brain naturally produces dopamine and norepinephrine. The energy levels rise, alertness increases and so do concentration, attention, and focus. Different kinds of stimulants are available in the market. These are categorized based upon their ability to produce results within a certain frame of time. The categories are as follows:
Short-acting stimulantsr
Intermediate-acting stimulantsr
Long-acting stimulantsr
The short-acting stimulants produce short term results. They have to be taken twice or three times a day. That implies that the patient has control over the intake of medication in his or her system. However, it is often noticed that patients tend to be forgetful about their medications and doses. It is no surprise that long-acting stimulants are widely preferred for patients suffering from ADHD with the reason being only a single tablet per day and the results lasting from 8 to 12 hours are more manageable.
However, higher dosages of the stimulants can affect adversely and result in impaired attention, obsessive-compulsive disorders, heart disorders.
It is noteworthy that the stimulants, non-stimulants, antidepressants, and behavior or other therapies do not cure ADHD. They result in an enhancement in the condition by increasing or decreasing the symptoms based on the need of the patient and help make it more manageable on a day to day basis. Proper and regular doses along with cognitive behavioral therapy and coaching have been reported to help with near to normal cognitive functioning.
This is just the surface level of information. Each person has a different way their body absorbs the medication and they effective can vary. More medications are coming available to compensate for various patient needs. The best point of contact to discuss these options is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of ADHD. I believe more research is needed to better understand the effects in adults coupled with exte
al structures to help cope with the challenges ADHD brings to your life. For now, it is a trial and error testing period to see what the right combination, dosage, and exte
al structures help you manage your unique challenges. But, keep looking and reading as knowledge is power and you can find ways that other people are managing their ADHD which can spur some ideas for yourself. As one doctor said in a podcast recently, ADHD is the best disorder that you can have as it is so treatable.