In the treatment of children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in the West, the drug “Ritalin” is actively used. In its pharmacological action and composition, it resembles amphetamine. This is a kind of doping that raises mood, increases self-confidence, attention, and, surprisingly, invigorates. Although, it would seem, why should a hyperactive child be even more cheerful, because it is already difficult for him to sit still. But this is where the scientific paradox lies, which I will discuss below!
Ritalin helps patients in 75% of cases and in a relatively short period of time. But in Russia, this drug is prohibited, because equates to narcotic drugs and can be addictive. With the abuse of “Ritalin”, in addition to drug addiction, a person begins to damage brain cells, liver, lungs and kidneys.
In Russia, ADHD, like mental retardation, is usually treated with nootropics. The term “nootropics” appeared in 1972, this word consists of two Greek “noos” – mind and “tropos” – I change. It turns out that nootropics are designed to change the human mind by acting on the central nervous system with the help of biochemistry. After taking nootropics, there are practically no negative effects, they are not addictive. But they also do not have an instantaneous effect of psychostimulants. To feel the result of taking nootropics, they need to be used for a long time. Psychiatrists do not recommend taking the same nootropic on a regular basis and advise you to constantly change them. The most frequently prescribed nootropics in our country are Cortexin, Phenibut, Pantogam, Encephabol and others. But they do not have a pronounced sedative effect.
Often parents come to a psychiatrist with complaints that the child is very active, cannot concentrate on completing a task in a kindergarten or at school, does not obey generally accepted rules, is a bully, throws tantrums from scratch, and ask for something calming. In this case, the psychiatrist can follow the parents’ lead and prescribe the so-called “behavior correctors” to the child – these are antipsychotics. They reduce the rate of transmission of brain impulses, inhibit the entry of the dopamine hormone into the brain. Dopamine is also called the hormone of pleasure and joy. In large quantities, it is produced in a person in the process of receiving pleasant emotions, sensations (during sex, eating delicious food, encouraging and even using drugs). A sufficient amount of dopamine affects a person’s motivation, including cognitive. When we with the help of antipsychotics inhibit the flow of dopamine into the brain cells, we get a loss of motivation, a depressed state, slow reactions to external stimuli, a decrease in mental activity and many side effects. Bottom line: by calming the child, we slow down his intellectual, mental development.
Therefore, in order for the child’s brain to develop more actively, he needs to ensure that a large amount of dopamine is supplied to the brain. For this, you do not need to resort to psychostimulants. It is only necessary to stimulate the child’s motor activity, to exert more influence on his sensory analyzers, to consume products that are responsible for the activation of the brain. That is why active sports activities that exclude head injuries (for example, tennis, skiing, badminton, and others) are very useful for children with ADHD.