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ADD/ADHD: A Look at Alternative Therapies

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We hear so much these days about the epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Parents sometimes read about the dangers of Ritalin and other medicines used to treat these disorders. Subsequently, we read some defensive responses from upset parents, often desperate for anything that will help balance their children and their home lives. But rarely do we have access to information about alternative therapies for ADD and ADHD. Certainly, some people do require pharmaceutical intervention, however many others can find remedy and relief from these ailments, disorders and maladies safely through alternative therapies.

Let’s face it, we’ve become a drug-dependent society. And even though alternative therapies are available, safe and effective, most people don’t know about them. Because of this lack of knowledge, there is an underlying mistrust of “natural” remedies. We tell our children not only to say no to drugs, but they hear of the evils of drinking alcohol and gambling. Then we drive down the street of mixed messages and see signs offering drugs, liquor, lotto! Even the first over-the-counter children’s pain reliever was named after a saint. We are all taught at an early age to run to the doctor anytime we don’t feel well, and we get a pill. And if there is a side effect to that pill, we take another pill to try to fix the first one, rarely considering what the combination may be doing to our systems. It’s bewildering and unhealthy. Rather than pointing accusatory fingers, let’s look together in an alternative direction. The side effects of judgementalism can be as insidious and harmful as the drugs themselves.

ADD/ADHD are disorders that can cause a variety of learning and behavioral problems, often making it difficult not only for the child, but for the entire family. And although primarily thought of as a childhood disorder, ADD/ADHD can be found in adults as well. Experts estimate that millions of adults may be affected, and not even realize it. Factors that have been linked to the development of ADD/ADHD include heredity, anxiety, allergies, smoking during pregnancy, hyperinsulinemia, oxygen deprivation at birth, environmental stress or pollutants, artificial food additives, injury, infection, lead poisoning, and prenatal trauma. Recent research suggests that watching too much television, with its fast-paced visual images, may permanently rewire the developing brain and cause ADD/ADHD-like symptoms. This is particularly true in the first two or three years of life. Although hotly debated, more emphasis has been placed on the role of diet in ADD/ADHD, as many people with these conditions react to certain reservatives, dyes, salicylates, and additives in foods. These things can throw off the balance in brain chemistry, producing behavioral problems.

At the end of this article, there are two resources to help parents understand the underlying causes of ADD/ADHD. These resources include extensive information on ways to intervene and put kids back on a healthy track. They help teach parents how to modify the internal and external environment, remove toxicity, cleanse the digestive system, detoxify the liver, and rebuild the immune system. These resources emphasize the importance of properly feeding the brain by improving the diet, including essential fatty acids, amino acids and minerals. These same remedies can also help adults with depression, chronic fatigue, and a host of many other common ailments of our time.

The list of ways to help includes things like craniosacral therapy, chiropractic, hypnotherapy, massage, acupuncture and acupressure, food therapy and herbs, trace minerals and enzymes, DMG (dimethylglycine) grape seed extract, pycnogenol, flower remedies, aromatherapy (particularly lavender, orange and peppermint), foot reflexology, yoga, guided imagery and martial arts. Remember, never stop a medication suddenly, but rather, a gradual period of withdrawal is always recommended. Always consult your doctor, and if your doctor doesn’t want to consider anything but a pharmaceutical drug — but you want to — then find a doctor who will.

Beyond Ritalin by Garber, Marian & Stephen, Random House, 1996

How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, by Robert Mendelson, M.D., Ballantine, 1984