The Pill Predicament: Should we medicate our kids to change their behavior?
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ANTIDEPRESSANTS Common brands: Wellbutrin, Effexor; tricyclic antidepressants: Pamelor, Tofranil How they work: Change levels of brain chemicals; depending on the drugs, regulate mood, relieve tension or anxiety. What to know: Antidepressants are often used for children who have both ADHD and depression. Side effects may include weight loss, dizziness. The FDA has asked manufacturers to include warning labels alerting healthcare providers to an increased risk of suicidal thinking in children and adolescents being treated with these agents.

Can ADHD Be Treated Holistically? While many medical professionals offer prescription drugs as a first choice to address ADHD symptoms, other alternatives exist:

HERBAL REMEDIES These supplements are not approved by the government, but some parents, like Dan Johnson, swear by them. He is a firm believer in Focus Attention, which contains the herbs ginkgo biloba and DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol, a compound in fish). Johnson's son, Christian, still has regular sessions with his psychiatrist, Karen TayIor-Crawford, M.D., director of the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Clinic at the University of Illinois Department of Psychiatry, focusing on behavior therapy. (Be sure to get a doctor's approval before giving children supplements.)

IMPROVED DIET Beverly Nicholson, Ph.D., an herbalist who runs the Herbal Connection Holistic Health Spa in Chicago, suggests that parents eliminate sugar and dairy from diets, consistently use multivitamins and herbal supplements, and think of medication as a last resort. The natural approach takes dedication and commitment, she warns: "Parents need to reassess their own lifestyle. You can't change your child's habits without changing your own."

Where to Go for Help The following resources can help you understand your child's needs:

BOOKS
Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life With Attention Deficit Disorder (Ballantine) by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., and John J. Ratey, M.D. Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids (Guilford Press) by Timothy E. Wilens, M.D.

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