Six Drug Free Treatment Options for ADD/ADHD
“Maybe if you found a doctor who’d put him on medication, he will behave better.” How often have you heard that the only effective way to treat attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) is to medicate the child?
We teach our children to say “No” to drugs. Yet, some children are given pills every morning, and at midday these same children line up at school to take another pill. The message is, “Just take this pill and everything will be better.”
America’s youth are the future of our country. The question is: Although we give lip service to the “drugs destroy dreams” message, are we actually creating a drug-dependent society? According to Webster, the definition of ADD/ADHD is a “neurobiological disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development.” Question: Who defines more frequent and severe? If children are being drugged as young as 2 years old, do they ever have a chance to “develop” naturally?
ADD/ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed “disorder” among school-aged children. On average, it take less than 30 minutes for a doctor to write a prescription for Ritalin, Adderal or one of the many other drugs available.
One study, titled “Capturing America’s Attention,” revealed that being diagnosed or labeled with this disorder creates stigmas that affect the person’s educational abilities, self-image, professional achievements and interpersonal relationships. According to Stephen V. Faraone, Ph.D, of the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, “By determining how people’s lives are impacted by labeling – starting from childhood – we can begin to help people take control and reduce the potential for life-long impairment.”
Drug-free options do exist to help those who’ve been diagnosed with these disorders. In 1995, the National Institute of Health reported that meditation and other relaxation techniques are often a better treatment for a variety of illnesses than allopathic medicine. The following are six drug-free options:
Nutrition Analysis: In order for our bodies and brains to function properly, they must be fed nutritious, whole foods. Chemical alternations to our foods, in the form of food colorings, artificial flavorings, genetically-modified fruits, vegetables, grains and fish, strip or alter the nutrients within the food and rob our bodies and brains of the vitamins and minerals they need to operate in optimum health. There are heavy metals in the fish and little to no nutrient levels left in the fields of large corporate farms, toxic pesticides and herbicides are found both on and in the fruits and vegetables sold in our stores, the medicines given to treat the symptoms of disease come with a laundry list of dangerous side effects and there is no truth behind the labeling that reports that ultra-processed food products are “natural”. Many communities support local farmers’ markets and some state food programs offer extra incentives if fresh, local food is purchased with the benefits. Do you know what’s in the foods you are eating and, even more important, what’s in the foods you are feeding your family?
Hypnosis and guided imagery: Every experience back to the moment of conception is stored in our unconscious/subconscious mind. Hypnotherapy and guided imagery are two similar and equally powerful techniques to aid in accessing that information. Building on that information, you can literally reconnect the left and right sides of the brain. This removes age-old negative thought patterns and empowers each person to reprogram his or her brain with positive, confidence-building thought patterns.
Applied Kinesiology: This process uses muscle testing to identify the root cause of the problem or issue in order for healing to take place. Kinesiology allows a person to uncover information held on a subconscious level. It is a gentle and safe diagnostic tool that can help address physical, mental, emotional and behavioral issues.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): EFT returns the mind, body and feelings to a state of balance. EFT has its roots in acupuncture, kinesiology and psychology. The only tools necessary are a general knowledge of the body’s meridian system and the ability to tap with your fingertips.
Music/Auditory therapy: Music has the power to transform people’s lives. It can enhance a person’s health, educational abilities and overall well-being. Numerous surveys have shown how studying music or learning to play an instrument creates a significant improvement in classroom performance among school-age children. The Mozart Effect, by Don Campbell, utilizes an innovative and experimental use of music and sound to treat listening disorders, dyslexia, ADD, autism and other mental and physical disorders. Clinical studies using Integrated Listening Systems (iLs), a multi-sensory listening program that trains the brain to process sensory information which, in turn, improves emotional regulation improving the individual’s ability to focus, think and engage in a positive manner in social situations.
Natural Therapies: There are a number of natural therapies available for use in place of the pharmaceutical drugs being prescribed to these young people. The use of herbal remedies, preferably made with the whole plant and not the “standardized” version available at most big box stores, has been shown to restore the body to a healthy balance. Many children find the use of aromatherapy blends very helpful during times of stress or distraction. The essential oils used in these blends are powerful agents of change, only taking 15 seconds to elicit a response in the brain. Flower essence therapies work deep within the body on an emotional level. For children who demonstrate emotional outbursts, express fears or phobias, have experienced a trauma or are under ongoing stressful situations, flower essence remedies have shown to aid in the ability to control these situational responses. If you choose these therapies, make sure you are choosing products made with organic ingredients to avoid the same toxic chemicals found in many whole foods.
These are just a handful of the available drug-free treatment options. The successful use of natural therapies requires an educational background for the best possible outcome. There are many qualified practitioners that are willing to present educational programs to parent’s groups or PTA’s. Many of these modalities can easily be adapted for use in the classroom. Both general and special education teachers can be educated about how these methods can be applied to everyday learning. Parents can develop many of these skills as well. Using these modalities empowers and motivates any individual with the desire to achieve their personal best.
Feel free to answer any of the above questions, or pose new ones, in the comments section below or email me, at mary@marymernsberger.com, for a more personal response. Check out my website at http://www.marymernsberger.com. I look forward to continuing this conversation.
