Is A Naturalistic Approach To Treating ADHD Realistic?
An old Disney animation illustrated how the brain functions showing a plant foreman in someone's head proficiently routing all his messages and organizing all his assembly line processes. A good way to explain Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD would be to see that same plant foreman not able to keep all the messages coordinated properly because in the brain of a person with ADHD, the "executive functioning," or foreman, just can't keep everything straight. Prescription medication happens to be the traditional ADHD treatment, though recently, many physicians and psychiatrists are trying out holistic remedies to help minimize, hopefully at some point eliminate the reliance on drugs in both children and adults.
ADHD is the label we give to a neurobiological disorder. A final and definitive answer as to its underlying cause or causes is yet to be agreed upon, but it is often inherited; is more common in boys than girls and affected individuals present some or many of these actions:
• Poor attention span
• Extreme distractibility
• Hyper-activity
• Procrastination
• Poor organizational skills
• Forgetfulness
• Inability to complete tasks
• Poor social skills (thought to be due to a lack of awareness of how others are reacting)
It is estimated that 7% - 9% of our school kids have this disorder, and 4.7% of adults. Adolescents who are no treated are more likely to indulge in substance abuse as a form of self-medication. Adult ADHD victims have higher rates of drug use as well, and very likely were not clinically diagnosed or treated earlier. By their adult years, the habit of self-medicating with drugs is more developed.
Despite the fact that boys are twice as likely to have ADHD, girls are more inclined to become substance abusers. Somewhat surprisingly, their substance of choice is carbohydrates, which briefly elevates their Serotonin levels. This creates a comforting effect and is more socially acceptable than street drugs. However, excessive carb consumption can lead to excessive weight.
It is not unusual for those diagnosed with ADHD to have poor self-esteem and suffer with clinical depression. As well, low blood sugar and allergies can affect as many as 75% of all afflicted children. When put on food elimination diets (eliminating trigger foods, including refined food, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, oranges and eggs and then adding them back one-by-one to help determine what helps or hinders symptoms), 62% of the research subjects demonstrated a reduction of symptoms.
Treating individuals with substance abuse or eating disorders who also have ADHD is hard for the very same reason school or work is difficult - poor concentration. Getting to an AA meeting or therapy session presents challenges, as does attempting to sit still for long intervals.
Because the long term effects of the powerful stimulants and anti-depressants used in ADHD treatment are to date not known, more natural treatment solutions are being put into practice. Along with elimination diets, vegetable-based dietary supplements are being used to help regulate neurotransmitters important to executive functioning, such as dopamine and norepinephrene, which also boost blood circulation to the brain. More protein in the diet is thought to energize alertness inducing neurotransmitters. Physical exercise appears to have a calming effect on children with ADHD particularly. This should not be entirely unexpected, since bottled up energy does create hyperactivity, fidgeting, inability to concentrate, etc, even in full grown adults without any other symptoms of ADHD. There's nothing like a few laps around a track to relax hyper-fidgety children and adults.
It is hoped that more naturopathic remedies will be found to be helpful to reduce the symptoms. Making sure that these children and adults get the proper nutrition, avoiding foods that prove to be allergens, and proper exercise seems to be working out with some positive results. It seems naturopathic trends in ADHD treatment really do provide food for thought!
About the Author
Author Stephen Daniels highly recommends Vatsal Thakkar, M.D., of http://www.solsticenyc.com to those in the NYC area seeking psychiatric assistance. He specializes in ADHD and is devoted to helping all his ADHD patients, children and adults alike, lead as normal a life as possible. His methods include both conventional and naturalistic treatment methods for all manner of psychiatric illnesses.
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