ADHD Help

Have you been diagnosed with ADHD or has your child been diagnosed with ADHD? Maybe you know someone, whether it’s yourself, a friend, family member, child; that you worry may have ADHD.

Today, we’re going to talk about that very subject: ADHD and symptom that is associated with the most common treatment which is medication. And we’re also going to talk about alternative therapies in terms of treatment that have actually been known to cure those symptoms and ADHD itself. That means with these treatments, no medication, no long-term side effects, no symptoms of ADHD throughout their life, and this is actually curing the problem, not covering up symptoms.

Let’s first touch on some statistics because the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has skyrocketed. It is really of epidemic proportions. In fact, these are old statistics but it says a million children are taking ADHD drugs every single day and that number actually doubles every 5 to 7 years and it’s projected to continue that way. We have an exponential increase in the amount of drugs that kids are taking for diagnosis of ADHD.

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Here is something you may not be aware of. The U.S. population is 2.5% of the entire world population. Yet, we are the ones consuming 80% of the available psycho stimulant drugs. So, we have this title little population that’s consuming this massive majority of these types of drugs. I know some people like to blame genetics on ADHD and they can’t do anything about their gene pool, but why is it that America, which has the largest and most diverse gene pool and we’re still the ones consuming these ADHD drugs?

I want to talk about the side effects of these ADHD drugs because they impact every single organ in our bodies. These drugs act on our nervous system which in turn regulate our whole bodies. So they’re going to impact our heart, our lungs, our kidneys, our livers, our circulatory system, all these things are going to be impacted from these psycho-stimulant drugs.

Here are the list of some of the side effects of ADHD drugs:

• Restlessness
• Tremors
• Anxiety
• Insomnia, which is actually very common
• Diarrhea
• Allergic reactions
• High blood pressure
• Ticks
• Nausea
• Psychosis
• Hypersensitivity
• Anorexia
• And weight loss

Here’s something that really freaks me out because these drugs are not approved for pre-school age school, yet they are prescribed off-label to this age group. And these ADHD drugs significantly impact development. There’s a statistics that shows that children taking these ADH drugs we’re 20% shorter and 55% lighter for their age group. So obviously, there’s a huge impact on the growth and development of children and they take these drugs long-term, it’s going to impact their health over their lifetime.

These ADHD drugs are what are called Schedule II Narcotics. They’re in the same category as crank, methadone, speed, cocaine, morphine and opium. These are addictive drugs and we’re giving them to our children. I’m sure you’ve heard these stories: Middle school children snorting their Ritalin to get high, high-schoolers selling it illegally to their friends, college students kind of buying them on the black market so they can stay up late and study, cheerleaders taking it so they can keep their weight down, so they can stay pumped up.

There was an article out of Japan that they [medical professionals] had to clamp down on the diagnosis because drugs being sold are being abused because people are breaking into pharmacies to steal these drugs and people are lying about their symptoms so they’ll get diagnosed with the disorder or a disease so they can get these types of prescriptions. So these psycho-stimulant drugs are addictive and people are going out of their way and doing things illegally to get these drugs.

I want to talk about alternative therapies for a minute because I really think there isn’t enough attention paid to alternative treatment, versus traditional treatment for ADHD. And traditional treatment is medication. These are addictive medications with long-term side effects. I think that the majority of people, if they have a safer option [in most of the time, cheaper also] to treat hyperactivity and behavioral disorders, I think they would choose the alternative therapy. So, we’re going to talk about that.

There was recently an article out of Canada that said 5% of school age children have a disorder called Convergence Insufficiency / Deficiency or CI, which is a vision problem. And it has very similar symptoms to ADHD so it’s led to the misdiagnosis of children. They’re told they have ADHD and they don’t and they have a very simple eye problem that’s treatable. The first thing you need to do is if you think your child has ADHD, they’re exhibiting symptoms that are similar to behavior problems, you know hyperactivity, take your child for an eye examine and that could be a very simple alternative to your child taking a needed medication.

The second alternative I want to talk about is Omega Fatty Acid, specifically the Omega 3 fatty acids. These are found in Salmon, Halibut, Trout, and Flax seed. Just to name a few sources. There was a study out of Britain that took children and gave them 700 milligrams of Omega 3s on a daily basis and the results were dramatic from the scientists. The scientists said the children’s learning improved, their concentration improved, their behavior problems were significantly reduced. That’s just evidence right there that supplementing the child’s diet with Omega 3 Fatty acids, especially if they’re not getting any in their diet whatsoever, it can have a significant impact on how they’re learning and their behavior.

The next alternative treatment is to make sure your child’s iron levels are normal and that they have enough iron in their diet. Their was a study out of the Pediatric and Adolescent Journal and it talks about 84% of the children diagnosed with ADHD in the study have low blood iron levels. The way that iron impacts ADHD is that it—low iron creates an abnormal dopamine reaction which leads to the ADHD symptoms. Something as simple as supplementing your kid with enough iron, making sure they’re getting food sources of iron can prevent them from taking long-term medication.

The number 4 alternative treatment method is to make sure your kids are not eating a toxic diet. By that, I mean you’re minimizing their exposure to artificial ingredients such as artificial food colorings, flavors, chemicals, and excessive amounts of sugar. Dr. Alexandra Richardson is the Oxford University Scientist and she said in an article, “That kids are what they eat.” And I firmly believe that, especially if the kids are eating large amounts of sugar and things we’re not used to eating in the early 1900s—we weren’t eating all these chemicals and additives and things that aren’t even approved and have extensive testing.

I did make another video and it’s called, “ADHD Warning.” It talks more in-depth about the risks of artificial food colorings and ADHD symptoms.

Number 5 alternative treatment for ADHD is exercise. ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity and kids are meant to be active, so if they’re living a sedentary lifestyle, especially in our day and age when they’re sent to school to sit down in a desk for eight hours, you know their bodies aren’t meant to be that sedentary. So, if they don’t have an outlet to be active, they’re going to express hyperactivity sometime. It’s important to make sure they’re part of an exercise regiment on a daily basis. It doesn’t have to be that they’re going to the gym but they’re involved in sports or they’re playing outside. Something besides staring at the television when they’re going home from school and playing video games. That’s not a good an outlet for them.

Number 6 alternative therapy for ADHD is general nutrition, a balanced diet and that really is a no-brainer. If kids are eating junk food all day long and they’re not getting enough fruits and vegetables, they’re not getting the nutrients they need and if that’s the case their body is not working properly so they are more susceptible to exhibiting symptoms like behavioral problems and lack of concentration; problems are sometimes similar to conditions and disorders out there. So just the simple act of providing a balanced diet to your child can make such a difference.

There are several factors that can influence hyperactivity and the lack of concentration and one of them is not the lack of Ritalin in the brain. These psychostimulant drugs are not cures, they don’t address the real cause of the problem. They just cover up symptoms.

Now one alternative therapy may not work for you. It may be a combination of several. It may be one specific one that addresses the cause and if you find a therapy that addresses the cause, you’re not going to have symptoms and you won’t have to deal with the side effects.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. On the one hand, you can take psycho-stimulant drugs that are highly addictive, that have very bad side effects, including stunted growth and development. On the other hand, you can seek out alternative solutions to your symptoms, not have side effects and not only will it address the symptoms of ADHD, it’s going to improve your overall health.

Thanks for watching. Leave your comments, rate the video and take care of yourself.

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Insight
Hyperactivity: Hyperactivity can be described as a physical state in which a person is abnormally and easily excitable or exuberant. Strong emotional reactions and a short span of attention are also typical for a hyperactive person. Some individuals may show these characteristics naturally, as personality differs from person to person. Nonetheless, when hyperactivity starts to become a problem for the person or others, it may be classified as a medical disorder. The slang term "hyper" is used to describe someone who is in a hyperactive state.

Hyperactivity is often associated with other conditions, including organic disorders such as ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and autism spectrum disorders, as well as non-organic disorders such as caffeinism. Hyperactivity or ADHD may co-occur with other conditions.

Nutrients:A substance present in food and used by the body to promote normal growth, maintenance, and repair. The major nutrients needed to maintain health are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. Roughage (fibre), although not assimilated into the body and therefore not a nutrient, is also regarded as an essential component of a balanced diet.

Psycho-stimulant Drug: A drug having antidepressant or mood-elevating properties.

ADHD: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.

ADHD, also known as hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) outside of the United States, is estimated to affect 3-9% of children, and afflicts boys more often than girls. Although difficult to assess in infancy and toddlerhood, signs of ADHD may begin to appear as early as age two or three, but the symptom picture changes as adolescence approaches. Many symptoms, particularly hyperactivity, diminish in early adulthood, but impulsivity and inattention problems remain with up to 50% of ADHD individuals throughout their adult life.

Children with ADHD have short attention spans, becoming easily bored and/or frustrated with tasks. Although they may be quite intelligent, their lack of focus frequently results in poor grades and difficulties in school. ADHD children act impulsively, taking action first and thinking later. They are constantly moving, running, climbing, squirming, and fidgeting, but often have trouble with gross and fine motor skills and, as a result, may be physically clumsy and awkward. Their clumsiness may extend to the social arena, where they are sometimes shunned due to their impulsive and intrusive behavior.

— Paula Anne Ford-Martin

Nervous System: The system of cells, tissues, and organs that regulates the body's responses to internal and external stimuli. In vertebrates it consists of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia, and parts of the receptor and effector organs.

Central Nervous System:The central nervous system (CNS) is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The brain receives sensory information from the nerves that pass through the spinal cord, as well as other nerves such as those from sensory organs involved in sight and smell. Once received, the brain processes the sensory signals and initiates responses. The spinal cord is the principle route for the passage of sensory information to and from the brain.

Information flows to the central nervous system from the peripheral nervous system, which senses signals from the environment outside the body (sensory-somatic nervous system) and from the internal environment (autonomic nervous system). The brain's responses to incoming information flow through the spinal cord nerve network to the various effector organs and tissue regions where the target responsive action will take place.

Off-label Prescription:Of or relating to a drug prescribed to treat a condition for which it has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Crank: Crank is the strongest form of amphetamine, a stimulant that has been around for a long time. Milder forms of amphetamine (benzedrine and dexedrine) have been known over the years by such names as "whites", "diet pills", "cross-tops", "bennies," etc. Crank itself (methedrine of meth-amphetamine) was sometimes called "crystal" or "crystal meth" back in the 1960’s. These names have resurfaced some places.

All forms of amphetamine have sometimes been known as "speed". Crank is much stronger than the other kinds of amphetamine. Its usual form is a white power which can be eaten, mixed with liquid and drunk, snorted up the nose, injected with a needle ("slamming"), or smoked.
Snorting, injection and smoking are the most popular ways of using crank. Smoking and Injection give (by far) the most powerful effects.

Methadone:Methadone is a powerful narcotic drug in the same class as heroin. This class is known as the opioids.

A typical adult dosage for methadone is 5-20 mg as an oral solution, 2.5-10 mg as an oral tablet or injection, every four to eight hours as necessary for pain. When used for detoxification, methadone is initially given in a dose of 15-100 mg per day as an oral solution. This dose is then decreased until the patient no longer requires the medication. The injection form of methadone is only used for detoxification in patients who are unable to take the medication by mouth.

Morphine:A bitter crystalline alkaloid, C17H19NO3•H2O, extracted from opium, the soluble salts of which are used in medicine as an analgesic, a light anesthetic, or a sedative. Also called morphia.

Opium:A bitter, yellowish-brown, strongly addictive narcotic drug prepared from the dried juice of unripe pods of the opium poppy and containing alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, and papaverine.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid:Any of several polyunsaturated fatty acids found in leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils, and fish such as salmon and mackerel, capable of reducing serum cholesterol levels and having anticoagulant properties.

Pediatric:Of or relating to the medical care of children.