Stimulant medications are not the only drugs used to treat ADHD in children.  Over the last several years, doctors have been turning to antidepressant medications like Desipramine and Imipramine for various reasons. Sometimes, these drugs are prescribed because of a co-morbid mood disorder like depression or anxiety.  In other cases, anti-depressants are given when stimulants fail to yield positive results.  Many believe that the increase in the use of anti-depressants for ADHD is a response to popular media’s criticism of stimulant medications and its harmful side effects. But are anti-depressants necessarily more effective and safe than stimulant medications? Can mood disorders and behavioral problems be treated naturally?

The lowdown on anti-depressants

The type of anti-depressants used on children with ADHD is called serotonin reuptake inihibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs promote the circulation of serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter, by preventing certain nerve cells from re-absorbing (reuptake) this chemical.   By increasing the level of serotonin in the brain, moods and emotions become more stable. However, because some of the neurotransmitters are contained in neural pathways in other parts of the nervous system, antidepressants can have side effects.  Antidepressants can also interfere with other functions like sleep and appetite.

Research shows that in between 1995 and 1999, the use of Ritalin for children under 7 increased by 23% and the use of SSRIs went up by 580% – even though these drugs were not approved for anyone younger than 18.  Like stimulant drugs, SSRIs contain a lot of harmful side effects.  According to Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, author of the book Prozac: Panacea or Pandora, SSRIs can do more damage than good. The high levels of serotonin caused by these drugs can produce an “initial euphoria, psychosis, mania, aggression, organic brain disease – especially mental retardation at a greater rate in children.”  Ely Lily, the manufacturer of the SSRI Prozac and a number of pharmaceutical drugs, also reports that ADHD patients who take Prozac are twelve times more likely to commit suicide than ADHD patients who are not taking it.  It doesn’t get better when the child stops taking this drug; the withdrawal symptoms of SSRIs usually cause violent side effects.

Drug-free alternatives to SSRIs

Knowing that SSRIs aren’t good is just half the battle. The tricky part is to come up with effective drug-free solutions to the depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems experienced by children with ADHD. The good news is that there are a lot of options – it’s all a matter of finding one that will work best on an individual child.

Children and adults with ADHD have been able to overcome depressive symptoms and mood problems with the right diet. Allergic reactions to certain foods often manifest themselves as bad behavior and mood swings. In fact, you can see this at work through Dr. Doris Rapp’s videos, where she shows how the wrong foods can make a dramatic change in a child’s personality.

The herb St. John’s Wort has not been found to be of any help in treating ADHD symptoms, but studies show that it can alleviate co-morbid depression in individuals from ADHD. Ask your doctor for advice on the right dosage.

Other options that might help include cognitive-behavioral therapy, sports, play therapy, and chiropractic care.