ADHD Tips

Statistics about ADHD paint a pretty bleak picture. It has been generally accepted that diagnosis of ADHD has increased drastically in recent years. When you take a look at the actual numbers, that increase becomes clearer and with it the need for alternatives to traditional treatment, since the drawbacks of using certain medications has become known.

The Centers for Disease Control conducted a range of studies in the early 2000’s and the results show the growing number of cases of ADHD among children. Specifically, ADHD stats indicate that 4.5 million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD and boys are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed as girls.

The increase in diagnosis reflected in statistics about ADHD highlights the need for alternative forms of treatment, especially given the fact that ADHD is significantly more prevalent among poor children. Lack of access to prescription drugs and their lack of effectiveness at treating the condition leave many parents seeking other forms of treatment. The potentially serious side effects of Ritalin and other stimulant based meds prescribed for ADHD only add to the uncertainty about their use.

Fortunately, concerned parents now have several avenues which they can consider for treatment. As ADHD stats reflect the growing number of diagnosis, finding ways to control symptoms and bring relief to affected children becomes more urgent. Among the alternatives to traditional treatment are behavioral therapy, dietary adjustments and natural remedies.

Natural remedies represent a particularly hopeful advance as they target not just surface symptoms but their underlying cause as well. With statistics about ADHD showing cases cropping up across various regions and income levels, anything that can be used to achieve positive results without exposing children to side effects or costing an exorbitant amount of money is encouraging.

Made from herbs including Hyoscyamus, Tuberculinum and Arsen iod, natural remedies help to soothe agitation and balance neurotransmitter levels, improving brain function. Unlike traditional medications, this provides long term results which can help kids and adults to live life normally and counteract the growing statistics about ADHD by opening the door to healing and change.

Using behavioral therapy to recognize and change automatic responses to various situations can also be extremely helpful to children and adults with ADHD. The ability to take some control over their own behavior can be empowering to ADHD patients. Dietary adjustments can also help as statistics about ADHD also indicate that the condition can be directly tied to improper nutrition. By getting a balanced diet, patients can see a marked improvement in symptoms as their brain function improves.

The numbers are pretty clear when it comes to ADHD stats, but with the increase in diagnosis comes an increased awareness of the symptoms and their cause. This has led to improvements in treatment, including the use of natural remedies. So if ADHD is a part of your life, don’t let the numbers get you down. You can stop being a statistic and get back into living your life by making the natural choice for ADHD treatment.

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Parents faced with the problem of a child suffering from ADHD may take the easy ADHD treatment option, that is conventional medication, using drugs which are also known as psychostimulants, recommended by their doctor or pediatrician. Here are some myths to bear in mind when deciding which is the best way of treating ADHD before going down the ‘drug path’.

First Myth. ADHD can be cured and you only have to take the medicine! This is entirely false as there is as yet, no permanent cure for treating ADHD. There are many ways of treating this condition but all or any of them will only help to keep the symptoms under control and interfere less dramatically with your child’s development. The drugs can help to keep the child calmer and help him/her to focus better so that can learn like normal children. The alternative treatments can range from talking therapy (psychotherapy) to behaviour therapy and social skills training. Sometimes these are used in conjunction with taking conventional medication.

Second Myth. ADHD only affects children! Entirely false as many adults – about 1.5 million of them- suffer from ADHD and it severely compromises their productivity at work. It has been proved now that there seems to be a hereditary link and many ADHD children (maybe as much as a third) have parents who are suffering from this condition or certainly suffered from it in their childhood.

Third Myth. Side effects from conventional medication using psychostimulant drugs are very minor and have been wildly exaggerated! This again is completely false because while the drugs are an effective aid, there have been so many health warnings that the FDA has been compelled to recommend that children should be checked for heart problems. Other drugs like Adderall have been banned in Canada.

Fourth Myth. It is the fault of negligent parents and too much TV! Again this is just not true. Parents cannot be blamed but they CAN be involved in behaviour therapy whereby the child is rewarded for small gains, eg, being able to sit at the table for the whole meal. Also, parents can play a vital role in staying with the children by playing with them and making sure they do not become couch potatoes. They can take them into the open air for exercise. A University of Illinois study showed that being in a green area (as opposed to walking through a shopping mall) lessened hyperactivity. The children were then given some tests and they did much better at attention and impulse control than the children who had walked through the mall ! This was a very small study (only 17 kids) so more research needs to be done.

Fifth Myth. ADHD is caused by too much sugar in kids’ food. Only partly false in that if children are not nourished with a well balanced diet, this may cause them to eat too much junk food which is not only full of sugar but also colourings and additives as well. This type of diet has been shown to cause hyperactivity in kids and the British Food Agency did an extensive study on this.

If you need more advice about how to treat ADHD , take a look at the site below which sets out very clearly what the best ADHD treatment may be for your child. It also explains a natural treatment for ADHD.

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When my son was first diagnosed with ADHD and started medication, I was so caught up in the ADHD diagnosis and the treatment that I forgot to talk to him about what was going on. I started giving him medicine, and my precious, 7-year-old ADHD son said, “Is something really bad wrong with me?” We sat down right there on the edge of the tub and had The Talk.

The “You Have ADHD And It’s An Illness and Not Something You Can Help” talk.

Here are some things to focus on during the talk.

1. Do a Lot of Kids Have ADHD?

On average, about 5% of kids, or 5 out of 100, have ADHD. That means, for instance, out of my son’s fifth grade year at school, probably 5 kids have ADHD.

Boys usually have ADHD more than girls–boys are two to three times more likely to have ADHD than girls, but doctors have no real idea why.

2. Did I Get ADHD From One of My Parents?

It’s possible. ADHD does tend to run in families, and if Mom or Dad has it, at least one kid is likely to have it. But the fact is, no one knows what causes ADHD and no one knows how to cure it.

3. Does ADHD Have Symptoms, Like a Cold?

Yes. Symptoms of ADHD include having trouble paying attention, getting distracted easily, not being able to sit still, and doing things like interrupting people when they’re talking. ADHD kids lose things and forget things.

4. If I Have ADHD, What Will We Do About It?

The first step is a visit to the doctor to find out if you really have ADHD and make sure nothing else is wrong. From there, we’ll talk with the doctor about treatment plans and medication and therapy.

These are some basic questions you can start with for “The Talk.” Of course, you’ll need to adapt the questions and answers to your particular situation, but hopefully this will help you get started.

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Have you ever wondered if there was a correlation between ADHD and bedwetting? Even though there seems to be a tendency for ADHD and bedwetting to occur together in the same children, Dr. Joseph Biederman, a pediatric psychopharmacologist from Harvard University says that no definitive link between the two has been found. So then why do the two so often occur together?

One thought says that children with ADHD are often so distracted that they don’t pay attention to the body’s signals to void. There is also a school of thought that says there might be an environmental link or a genetic predisposition that causes both ADHD and bedwetting.

Traditional medicine tends to treat ADHD and bedwetting separately, but alternative therapies tend to be based on the theory that ADHD and bedwetting are often both symptoms of another underlying cause.

Some believe that chemicals in food or food allergies can cause both ADHD type of symptoms and bedwetting. By changing a child’s diet and eliminating the foods to which the child is sensitive, it is often found that ADHD symptoms and bedwetting are often much improved or eliminated altogether. Parents interested in this type of treatment should contact the Feingold Association, which supports a dietary approach developed by the chief of allergy medicine at Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, California.

Another alternative therapy claims a deep sleep disorder is the primary cause of ADHD-like symptoms and bedwetting in some people. According to Shelly Morris, director of the Enuresis Treatment Center, “The inherited deep sleep disorder that causes bedwetting also causes people to spend most, if not all of their nights in stage 4 of sleep.” “Stage 4 is the deepest stage in the sleep cycle. It is the stage where the whole body slows down and rests. It is when the cells rejuvenate, the pulse slows down and the oxygen levels are low. When one spends the whole night not getting enough oxygen, the symptoms are going to be identical to ADD/ADHD … lack of focus, staring out in space, easily distracted, etc.”

This type of treatment therapy focuses on biofeedback and conditioning to adjust sleep patterns. Successful treatment eliminates bedwetting problems and either eliminates or reduces ADHD symptoms. According to Morris, even children who have both ADHD and the sleep disorder usually see marked improvement in their ADHD symptoms.

Although there are no clear cut answers, there are some things a parent can do to help.

First, find out if there is an underlying issue, such as a bladder infection or stress. Then try eliminating drinks an hour before bedtime. Try waking your child to go to the bathroom before you turn in for the night. While working on the bedwetting issue, you can put a plastic liner underneath the child’s bedsheets – something like an old shower curtain – so the mattress won’t be ruined. Whatever you do, don’t yell, be patient. The child needs to learn to feel.

So there you have it. There is no definite correlation between ADHD and bedwetting, only different schools of thought, a variety of treatment alternatives, and some useful tips for parents that can make this time more bearable.

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Did you know that the most popular ADHD drug Ritalin has been on the market for over forty years? Naturally, on reading that you might be a little reassured that there has been some research on ADHD and the long term effects of this drug. Well, there hasn’t been any research like that and even if there had been, the drug companies are keeping it well hidden! Basically we have not moved forward at all and medication is now restricted to amphetamines like Ritalin, anti-depressants and some new non-stimulant drugs like Strattera. Research on ADHD and its causes has not made much progress either and only about two of the genes responsible have been discovered. The sad thing is that very few neurologists and pediatricians will come forward to condemn the mass drugging of America’s children.

On a more optimistic note, we have prestigious bodies in America who now tell worried parents that some behavioural interventions will be necessary in any ADHD treatment regime. That observation has come after other research about ADHD has revealed that ADHD meds are just not nearly sufficient in treating this mental disorder.

Let us take a look at some of the behavior of kids in the UK to-day which is usually modelled on the TV reality shows like EastEnders and Big Brother. Defiant aggressive behaviour accompanied by swearing is the absolute norm. A survey of 800 teachers showed that answering back and insubordination are considered normal behaviour. Add to that an aggressive child who is suffering from ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder) and or ADHD and the problem becomes really serious if parents cannot intervene with suitable behaviour therapy techniques. The sad truth is that kids are unable to differentiate between reality and reality TV ! No ADHD drugs will solve these problems no matter what research on ADHD is done.

But with ADHD behavioural therapy, parents can take back control and save their families from a sort of self destruction. How do you as a parent learn simple effective consequences for kids or teenagers who are refusing to go to bed, verbally abusing you and their siblings, swearing and refusing to do homework? Learn how to impose consequences even with kids who choose to ignore you. Research on ADHD has shown at least that with behaviour therapy kids will learn coping mechanisms if they are inattentive and learn how to control themselves. All this without possibly harmful psychostimulants. The sites below will take you to sites which will help you to get back on track with your kid and restore serenity and happiness in your family.

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1. What is ADD?

ADHD is a neurobiological disorder located in the prefrontal cortex, and it is also a type of brain wiring different than the general population. It can be considered a disorder and a gift, and it affects all areas of functioning to a degree. But the main area of life it will affect is your executive function, or the area of the brain that organizes, plans and executes goals.

What is generally focused on with ADHD is a short attention span, or the inability to focus for long periods of time. People with ADD have minds that tend to wander, drift and get distracted by other things. What is very interesting about ADD is that sufferers can pay attention very well to things that are new, very stimulating, interesting or upsetting. These events provide enough stimulation in and of themselves that they activate the part of the brain that enables concentration. This is because people with ADD do not have enough adrenaline and need this in order to focus.

People with ADD have trouble paying attention to daily, routine activities that do not provide high stimulation such as chores, homework, and paperwork. Unfortunately, these activities are everywhere and are needed in order to function in society.

2. What is the difference between ADD and ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder is a very complex, and often times misunderstood, disorder. Its basis is physiological, but it can have a host of ramifications that come along with it. That aside, what are the differences between ADD and ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, with the main symptoms being visible hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. These are the symptoms that stand out to the objective observer. ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder with the main symptoms being inattention. Now many other things can come along with both of these subtypes of ADHD, but those are the distinguishing features of both.

For many years, the typical picture of Attention Deficit Disorder has been the little boy that is bouncing off the walls and driving his teachers and parents crazy. ADHD is by far the most diagnosed of the two subtypes because it is so much more visible than ADD. Since hyperactivity creates a lot more distraction and problems for classrooms, it gets the most attention and will be picked up on a lot faster. Unfortunately, even though ADD is less invisible, the results of the disorder can just as destructive.

With inattentive attention deficit disorder, or ADD, the person suffering from it will seem spacey and disorganized. Most often, sufferers with this type will be staring out the window during classes and will appear as if they are never quite present. It is much more difficult to diagnose and many people with this form of ADD go years without even knowing they have it. But the results of the wandering mind can be just as destructive.

3. What about Adult ADD?

For many years, ADHD was thought to be a child disorder, and more specifically a disorder only found in young boys. But with medical technology and research evolving, it has been found that many children with ADD do not grow out of it when they become adults. Although some of the hyperactivity tends to decrease, the core symptoms of the disorder do not disappear. Hyperactivity can turn into impulsivity in adulthood, which can potentially be very destructive.

92 percent of adults diagnosed with ADHD who were treated after age 18 wish they had been diagnosed sooner, according to research done by Harris Interactive surveys. Research also indicated that 90 percent of teachers felt that late diagnosis affected both academic and social development in students.

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There are a lot of theories about ADHD, and a few of them are actually based in fact. I recently ran across some information from the National Institutes of Mental Health that I found really interesting.

First off, brain imaging using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) actually shows differences between the brains of kids with ADHD and kids without ADHD.

There also does seem to be a sugar link in ADHD, but not what many people suspect. In adults with ADHD, the areas of the brain that control attention use less glucose and appear less active than the brains of people without ADHD.

Research also shows a genetic link in ADHD, though it’s still not clear exactly what causes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

What is clear is that children who have ADHD usually have at least one close relative with ADHD. At least one-third of fathers with ADHD have an ADHD child.

What’s even more convincing is that it seems to run in twin pairs–if one identical twin has ADHD, the other usually does, too. In fact, I know a pair of identical twins with ADHD. Their mother has her hands full, I can tell you!

The final interesting point I found in the ADHD research from NIMH was that studies of young children (ages 7 to 9) show that ADHD medication is more effective than behavioral therapies alone in controlling the “core symptoms” of ADHD– inattention, hyperactivity/impulsiveness, and agression. When it came to ADHD-related anxiety, school performance and social skills, the combination of ADHD medications and behavioral therapy was more effective than either alone.

It should be noted that behavioral therapy for ADHD was successful, just that it was more successful when combined with medication, according to these studies.

You can read the ADHD research summary I’m referring to on the National Institutes of Mental Health web site.

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The Total Approach?
What is the best attention deficit disorder treatment? Thank goodness for acronyms- great invention ! So, the best way of treating ADHD? That is the question parents see all the time on the countless blogs and forum posts on the Web. There seems to be general agreement that ADHD medication is just not sufficient on its own and that a 360 degree approach is much more effective and that includes a combination of psychostimulants, diet, parent and teacher support, behavioural therapy and exercise. This is sometimes called the ‘total approach’.

Parent Teacher Support
Let us look at parent- teacher support. As a parent with a ADHD child, you need to ally yourself very firmly with your child’s teacher. Simple arrangements such as making sure your child is at the front of the class can help. Clear guidelines are laid down about which inappropriate behaviour is not allowed. The teacher needs to take a relaxed view in that some irregular behaviour is allowed provided it is not going to turn into disruptive behaviour. You can help the child too at home by focusing on praising good behaviour and ignoring erratic behaviour. Help him or her achieve tasks by setting reasonable goals so he or she is not so easily distracted. When the child is old enough, daily checklists can be used and can be posted on the fridge door. I knew a teacher who had four kids with ADHD in a class of fourteen ! But she coped because she allowed certain irregular behaviour which included allowing the children to lie down if they wanted to. I know some teachers who allow kids to have headsets so that they can listen to music while doing some activities.

Overdiagnosis ADHD?
There is lots of debate about overdiagnosing ADHD and many people say that parents and teachers no longer have the will, energy or time to cope with energetic (hyperactive?) children. It is true though that to-day’s society makes incredible demands on children and this may be part of the explanation. It is when people start talking about the need to test a two year old baby for ADHD, that alarm bells should start ringing!

ADHD Diet?
The sugar debate. Now that sugar has been more or less found ‘NOT Guilty’ in the ADHD trial, there is still the need to reduce sugar consumption in kids’ diets and let us not forget the salts and the fats! Smoothies are a great way of combining healthy ingredients and you do not have to tell your kids what exactly is in the smoothie – you can secretly add in honey, veggies and avocado and nobody will ever know!

What Is The Safest ADHD Treatment?
There is still the question of which attention deficit disorder treatment is safest and I am referring here to ADHD medication and more specially to psychostimulants (Vyvanse, Adderall and Strattera) which are more and more widely prescribed while the pharmaceutical companies are laughing all the way to the bank. The side effects are alarming to say the least and irritability and depression may only aggravate an already difficult situation. Treating attention deficit disorder can be done in a much safer, gentler and cheaper way. There are a lot of things to consider and you may be curious to find out more. The link below takes you to a site of a reputable company which provides great support and a total guarantee.

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It is now a sad fact of life that the pharmaceutical companies are using social networking sites such as Facebook in a manipulative way to gain credibility in promoting their drugs. They are also pretending to offer practical and credible information about ADHD in children. Many mothers are not aware that the so-called credible information is biased. It is also an invasion of parents’ comfort zones. One of the companies has over 8,000 fans which just goes to show how many people are prepared to believe and take part in this charade.

Smart parents will realize that information about ADHD in children can be had from a variety of sources on the Net. That includes forums and blogs. Again, one has to be wary of who is running these sites. The idea for the smart parent is to get as many views as possible on all the options available. Information about ADHD in children will mean getting wised up on the medications, their risks and side effects. What is the role of diet in nutrition? How can you deal with the school and your child’s teacher. There is also the whole area of alternative ADHD treatments and you should look at these too, just as critically as all the rest. It is only when you have a bird’s eye view of the information on ADHD and ADD that you can reach a decision which is right for your child.

One of the best sources of information on ADHD and ADD is to take part in a support group for parents in your area. It means you get to know people with similar problems and reduces your dependency on the Net. It is also important for moral support an lessens feelings of isolation. Obviously it is a great source of information. It is also unlikely that it will be run by a pharmaceutical company!

Now that ADHD behavior therapy is beginning to be accepted as an integral part of any ADHD treatment plan, it is important to ensure that parents know what that involves and the commitment needed or the whole family. When that matches in some way behavior charts and plans at school, then you have a greater chance of success. Looking at homeopathic remedies for ADHD you will want to know how and where they are manufactured. You can check to see if the company follows the GMP which is the Good Manufacturing Practice. The site below will answer some of the questions you may have on information about ADHD.

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newid. Net Get the details about ATTEND for ADHD, natural homeopathic treatment for attention problems, impulsiveness and hyperactivity in children, adolescents and adults. Participating is a counter remedy, that is useful with or without other drugs. newid. net ADD ADHD Information Library unique perspective on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for parents. Learn more about ADHD, tips, interventions, alternative treatments

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