Q My child was diagnosed with ADHD and also has back-to-school syndrome. Does having ADHD make back-to-school syndrome more severe?
A Children with ADHD are more sensitive to environmental change and sensory stimuli and have weaker self-regulation, so back-to-school syndrome tends to appear more strongly in a new class environment. Combining ADHD treatment with a Korean medicine approach that addresses digestion and liver energy offers complementary benefits.
Detailed Answer
Children with ADHD have weaker executive functions (planning, switching, inhibition) and spend more energy adapting to sudden environmental change. A new term's new rules, seats, and teacher act as excessive cognitive load, so anxiety and physical symptoms can appear more strongly than in other children. In addition, ADHD medications (such as methylphenidate) have an appetite-suppressing side effect, which can worsen an already reduced appetite from back-to-school syndrome.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, when ADHD and back-to-school syndrome coexist, we first consider prescriptions that ease the digestive side effects caused by ADHD medication. Prescriptions that tonify the digestive system and free up liver energy also help with concentration and emotional regulation, so they can partly complement the ADHD symptoms themselves. We proceed while sharing the treatment details with the physician in charge of the ADHD care.
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