Around 14 per cent of American children and adolescents are taking ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall. The drugs are stimulants that have a paradoxical calming effect on hyperactive children—but they are also being abused or misused by the children or other children in the home.

Deliberate abuse accounted for half of all the cases among teenagers that were reported to poison centres, and medication errors—including overdose or taking the drugs too frequently—were responsible for most of the cases in children up to the age of 12.

The powerful stimulant methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, is the standard treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a behavioral disorder that affects some 5 percent of children worldwide. But it comes with questionable long-term benefits and a long list of side-effects, including insomnia, anorexia, irritability and supressed height.1 It's no wonder that many parents seek alternative solutions.

The good news is that there are several natural methods proving to ease ADHD symptoms—which include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity—especially nutritional approaches. But bear in mind that you may have to do some detective work, and it could take several months to notice any results.

Profound changes to the brain were seen within four months of taking ADHD medication—and researchers who made the discovery have urged doctors to prescribe the drugs only when it is absolutely necessary.