James_A
04-25-2002, 10:13 AM
Theres alot of talk on this bored about avoiding drugs and taking the natural method. What many of you don't understand is that true ADHD is a genetic disorder (Goldstein 1997). In a study conduct on the parents' of ADHD children, One or both of the biological parents had scored above 60% in one of the prevelant indicators of adult ADD, while parents of adopted ADHD children indicated an average of 14% on these scales.
When i say "true" ADHD, I'm refering to the fact many children may have been falsely diagnosed. In a servey of 104 teachers, less than 15% beleived that they had been provided with enough information on medicinal treatment of ADHD (Epstein, Singh, Luebke, & stout). Yet over 50% of them had been asked for a recommendation on whether a medication was neccessary. This is rather suprising considering the majority of ADD diagnosis' are almost exclusively reffered by teachers.
I'm betting the majority of successful cases of ADHD treated with natural methods, were either false diagnosis' or acute cases of ADHD. In cases where the ADHD is more severe, the worst thing you could possibly do is try and enforce a strict diet and disiplinary plan. This could cause further withdrawl from authority and worsen the symptoms. While you child may exhibit improved behavior, it will most likely be out of fear or reward re-enforcement, not because his symptoms have subsided.
ADHD can also cause chronic depression in children left intreated. In multiples studies[(Barkley, Karlsson,Strzelecki, & Murphey 1984),(Cunningham,Siegel, and Offord 1991),(Barkley 1984, 1988) children with ADHD were reported to have agressive behavior and rebelious tendencies that distanced them from their family and peers. It was found that children who weren't diagnosed until secondary school often suffered from depression and isolation. Conversly, children treated early in their childhood years exhibited a greater acceptance by there peers and an increase in positive interaction with there family.
ADHD is a neurological disorder associated with a chemical inbalance in the brain, involving substancially lower level of the Neurotransmitters, Dopamine and Norapenphrine, as well as decreased activity in the frontal lobes. A study, performed by Shaywitz, bowes, and cohen (1977), of Cerebral spinal fluid (a product of blood refination occuring at the blood-brain barrier [the stuff that your brain floats in :round: ) of ADHD children revealed that Dopamine by-product is significantly lower in children diagnosed with ADHD. The consumption or reduction of sugar intake wouldn't cause more than a small and temporay change in Dopamine levels. The effects in behavior of sugar reduction are primarly concerned with depriving you child of sugar, which your body uses to create ATP, the energy enzyme that is essential to life. Depriving your child of sugars won't aleviate his condition, it will merely deprive him of the energy needed to exhibit hyperactive tendencies, the learning disability and neurological disorder will still be present.
Too many people believe that alternative medicine is always a better route than modern science. In some cases it is, especially when doctors fail in their diagnostics. I encourage you to try them, but also keep your mind open to your doctors suggestions. For most moderate to severe cases of ADHD, medicine is the best available treatment for ADHD. By depriving your child of these "drugs" your doing them as much a dis-service as if you deprived a schizophrenic or diabetic of their "drugs". These problems are inherent in the brain chemistry of ADHD patients. A genetic or developmental flaw caused this, and the balance of "natural drugs" in there brain is offset. In most moderate to severe cases, no amount of psychiatry help or dietary restriction can change the fault in brain chemistry. This is when you have to take that leap of faith and, as bizarre as it might sound, actually trust science and its heavily studied and analytical methods. After all, alot of these people have been studying ADHD and its treatment their entire lifes and might just know a little something about it.
When i say "true" ADHD, I'm refering to the fact many children may have been falsely diagnosed. In a servey of 104 teachers, less than 15% beleived that they had been provided with enough information on medicinal treatment of ADHD (Epstein, Singh, Luebke, & stout). Yet over 50% of them had been asked for a recommendation on whether a medication was neccessary. This is rather suprising considering the majority of ADD diagnosis' are almost exclusively reffered by teachers.
I'm betting the majority of successful cases of ADHD treated with natural methods, were either false diagnosis' or acute cases of ADHD. In cases where the ADHD is more severe, the worst thing you could possibly do is try and enforce a strict diet and disiplinary plan. This could cause further withdrawl from authority and worsen the symptoms. While you child may exhibit improved behavior, it will most likely be out of fear or reward re-enforcement, not because his symptoms have subsided.
ADHD can also cause chronic depression in children left intreated. In multiples studies[(Barkley, Karlsson,Strzelecki, & Murphey 1984),(Cunningham,Siegel, and Offord 1991),(Barkley 1984, 1988) children with ADHD were reported to have agressive behavior and rebelious tendencies that distanced them from their family and peers. It was found that children who weren't diagnosed until secondary school often suffered from depression and isolation. Conversly, children treated early in their childhood years exhibited a greater acceptance by there peers and an increase in positive interaction with there family.
ADHD is a neurological disorder associated with a chemical inbalance in the brain, involving substancially lower level of the Neurotransmitters, Dopamine and Norapenphrine, as well as decreased activity in the frontal lobes. A study, performed by Shaywitz, bowes, and cohen (1977), of Cerebral spinal fluid (a product of blood refination occuring at the blood-brain barrier [the stuff that your brain floats in :round: ) of ADHD children revealed that Dopamine by-product is significantly lower in children diagnosed with ADHD. The consumption or reduction of sugar intake wouldn't cause more than a small and temporay change in Dopamine levels. The effects in behavior of sugar reduction are primarly concerned with depriving you child of sugar, which your body uses to create ATP, the energy enzyme that is essential to life. Depriving your child of sugars won't aleviate his condition, it will merely deprive him of the energy needed to exhibit hyperactive tendencies, the learning disability and neurological disorder will still be present.
Too many people believe that alternative medicine is always a better route than modern science. In some cases it is, especially when doctors fail in their diagnostics. I encourage you to try them, but also keep your mind open to your doctors suggestions. For most moderate to severe cases of ADHD, medicine is the best available treatment for ADHD. By depriving your child of these "drugs" your doing them as much a dis-service as if you deprived a schizophrenic or diabetic of their "drugs". These problems are inherent in the brain chemistry of ADHD patients. A genetic or developmental flaw caused this, and the balance of "natural drugs" in there brain is offset. In most moderate to severe cases, no amount of psychiatry help or dietary restriction can change the fault in brain chemistry. This is when you have to take that leap of faith and, as bizarre as it might sound, actually trust science and its heavily studied and analytical methods. After all, alot of these people have been studying ADHD and its treatment their entire lifes and might just know a little something about it.
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help
05-20-2002, 12:28 AM
Well said.....
:)
:)
bernarma
06-10-2002, 07:33 PM
There has been a study done on cats and the relationship between diet and genetic predispositions. They discovered that the fourth generation of cats not geting a "normal cat doet" were unable to land on their feet. There are a lot of things that end up beign genetic due to lack of proper nutrition. I can not say the name of this cat study at the moment...starts with a "P" but is very interesitng adn makes so much sense.
If you think about it... 40 years ago, when we grew all of our fruits and veggies in good soil without herbicides and pesticides.... there weren't tone of women going to infertilzation clinics... there weren't sooo many women aborting... but there has been an overall increase in this. There were not juvenile diagnosis of tons of adult (elderly) disease process's.
What is different??? Increase (significant) in fast foods and preservatives and a significant decrease in whole foods..especially raw fresh fruits and veggies.
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If you think about it... 40 years ago, when we grew all of our fruits and veggies in good soil without herbicides and pesticides.... there weren't tone of women going to infertilzation clinics... there weren't sooo many women aborting... but there has been an overall increase in this. There were not juvenile diagnosis of tons of adult (elderly) disease process's.
What is different??? Increase (significant) in fast foods and preservatives and a significant decrease in whole foods..especially raw fresh fruits and veggies.
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Markie Mark
06-11-2002, 12:50 PM
Yes, it is important to check with the doctors and take some meds. But, some of the alternative ways can reduce the amount of meds one needs. I am a good example. When I as first tested at age 38 the doctor that tested me said I had the highest score she had ever tested. So I have a major case of ADD. We have figured out that my father and my mothers father both had ADD, so it came to me down both family trees. I still take my meds every DAY! But with fish oil over the last year I have been able to reduce my meds by 70%. So there is a place for both Drugs and alternative ways.
[This message has been edited by Markie Mark (edited 06-11-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Markie Mark (edited 06-11-2002).]
Charmed
06-11-2002, 05:16 PM
I agree that sometimes drugs may be necessary, but not always and not for everyone. If natural supplements work, that's great. Natural supplements are things that should already been in our body's system, so I prefer to go all natural whenever possible. I'm going through menopause and instead of taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) I am using Soy. My GYN is in agreement with that and I'm doing great. No more hotflashes or night sweats. I mention this only to prove that natural supplements can and do work.
drs
06-12-2002, 09:26 AM
I agree that there are cases with severe ADD/ADHD where only the med. has worked. My son did not have a severe case but he was checked by both a phyciatric (sp?) doctor who observerd him many times in school, and also tested by the doc. that specialized in ADD in our town. And the med. seemed to make him very depressed and with drawn after a while on it. He was tried on two diff. kinds and both kinds eventually did this. So yes I was looking for diff. alternatives, which I tried over the summer months, and found that he did respond very well to a good B-complex vit. 3 times a day. He is very glad I did this. And so am I, but I do agree that in some cases, only the med. will work. Some kids have it alot worse than my son did.
Just thought I'd voice my opinion too. Diana
Just thought I'd voice my opinion too. Diana
red hot riding hood
06-12-2002, 01:53 PM
Wow, I have a strong tendency to disagree, possibly it seems genetic, but there are other factors to take into consideration. I have studied neuropathy and homeopathy for many years, having an auto immune gene which passes down. My mother having shogriens, my only sibling diabetic, my narcolepsy, ext. I see many children with add or adhd passed from thier parents, but seems more likely from living in the safe physical enviorment. For example, saliva testing which MD.s now are more willing to exept, shows high contents of lead, arsenic and alluminum in the brain, bodies, of children with add or adhd. We are all exposed to these enviormental toxins to some degree but some more than others, and young children cannot fight it off as well as adults, therefore children are more commonly diagnosed. I have found having 2 children previously diagnosed with add, and choosing no drug options, that products such as new light and plumbum, which do not mask the symptoms but actually help your body remove these toxins, made my former, ( everyday at the principle,I'm talking every-day) , now 6 years old, to a straight A, or 1's in kindergarten, student. My daughter 4, with a daily drawing of blood biting habit, after taking these for a week or so, does not bite her brother! Raising three children including an infant, myself, I find this miraculous! And when they start to feel bad again they notice, and will ask for the (helping) herbs, (it contains other natural resources), but taken for a month makes them feel better for months upon months. If anyone is interested about these I do no sell them, but can give you the information where to purchase them. (Hannah) has an excellant line of products, umong others.. If anyone tries this let me know your results, I would love to hear them
bernarma
06-12-2002, 03:01 PM
Soy.... is so very beneficial in relationship to hormeones, fighting hear disease,etc. Plant based is where it's at!
MAB
[This message has been edited by bernarma (edited 06-12-2002).]
MAB
[This message has been edited by bernarma (edited 06-12-2002).]