Here’s something that really worries me . . .
. . . it often seems that as soon as someone presents with symptoms of ADHD, they’re handed a prescription.
Now just for the record, I’m not against pharmaceutical intervention, but I’d like to see other interventions considered as well.
And ideally before a prescription is written.
So with that in mind, here’s a study to check out.
Howard Abikoff, PhD and his colleagues at the New York University Langone Medical Center wanted to find out which non-medical treatments were most effective for helping people with ADHD improve their organizational skills.
Researchers randomized 158 children ages 8-11 to a skills-based treatment group, a performance-based training group, and a waitlist control.
The skills-based training group received OST (organizational skills training) which focused on teaching the children how to use certain skills to overcome their challenges. The performance-based training group, on the other hand, received PATHKO (Parents and Teachers Helping Kids Organize) which focused on training teachers and parents to give the children goals for success.
Each group participated in one-hour long training sessions, twice a week for 10 weeks. Researchers tested the participants before the study, after the study, and one month post-study.
Outcomes were measured using the COSS-P and COSS-T tests, which measure ability to organize, plan, and manage materials. Researchers also assessed the children’s academic success, homework behaviors, behavior at home, and attitude with teachers.
So what did the study show?
Compared to the wait-list control, both groups of children (OST and PATHKO) had improvements in their organizational skills (including homework performance and attitude).
Researchers also found that children who were part of the OST group had maintained their improvement (one month after the study) more readily than the PATHKO group.
But what’s even more exciting is that a substantial amount of children in both groups (60% of each group, versus 3% of the control), were no longer classified as having organization, time management, and planning deficiencies.
Of course there are some limitations to this particular study. The post-test assessment came from the parents and teachers who were involved in treatment, which may have introduced some level of bias. And researchers didn’t follow up with the children to see if they were satisfied with the treatment.
This study presents promising evidence for the use of non-medical methods of treating ADHD. And either of these programs, or even some combination of the two, could open doors for many children living with attention deficit disorders.
You can read more about this study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
And for more strategies for improving organization, attention, and dealing with ADHD, just click here.
What are some techniques you’ve given people you work with for strengthening their brain and improving their focus? Please let us know in the comment section below.
after a sec 1 or 2 you will not have any adhd
after a sec 1 or 2 you will not have any adha
wrong one
Management and treatment of hyperactivity and ADHD, without drugs.
Hyperactive syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, from the perspective of the holistic method of Maria Summer, Rankweil/Austria.
Applied Speech therapy (Angewandte Logopaedie)
Hyperactive syndrome includes the following: intense myokinetic activity, attention disorders, irritability, impulsiveness, communication deficit, of children.
These children are constantly changing their mental mood. Sometimes, they exhibit behavioral disorders, even aggression.
Helmut Remschmidt, in his book “Kinder und Jugend Psychiatrie”, reports that this disorder is associated with disturbances in the developmental stages.
This hyperactivity can be due to organic brain lesions, or be a consequence of neglecting the child.
Child hyperactivity leads it to chaos, because it moves in space without purpose.
The great educator Maria Montessori in her book “The receptive mind” (1978), refers extensively in motion with educational purposes.
She writes that movement promotes the child’s spiritual growth and personality development.
“In nature, chaos would reign if every movement stopped, but the same would happen if the movement of beings lacked purpose.” Maria Montessori
Hyperactivity is characterized by high kinetic activity of the child, but this is without purpose, with children going from one task to another.
It’s a mental mess, and this leads to lack of concentration-attention, as observed in children and adults with increased impulsivity and irritability.
This child is not receptive; it is not able to accept the commands of a parent, a teacher, or a speech therapist.
Since it is not paying attention, the child can neither be positively affected, nor proceed to knowledge. His/her perception suffers, negatively affecting behavior.
Children with hyperactivity, when they were infants, had shown some predisposition, being restless and irritable.
As toddlers, no one could employ them in a game for a long time.
At 6-10 years of age, they still do not know how to play.
Playing is very important for spiritual growth and personality formation for a child.
These children leave unnecessarily their position in the classroom, disturbing others, creating discipline problems.
“Without movement with purpose, there is no perception, learning or knowledge.” Maria Summer (1984)
In hyperactivity, we should bring the child to movement with purpose. For this to happen, and for the child to learn to observe, they must first come into harmony with their breathing, experience tranquility and relaxation.
Perception is a continuous process, which is constantly changing with the addition of experience (5-6 years of age), with the ability to discriminate, with the development of abstract thinking.
So, perception is an important prerequisite for the development of cognitive processes-functions.
Vision and hearing play an important role in perception.
A hyperactive child is not growing spiritually, only physically.
It is wrong to be severe or punish hyperactive children, as this may exacerbate the problem and their disorders.
Management and treatment of hyperactivity and ADHD, without drugs.
When affecting the movement of the child, there is a problem in soul-body-breath.
In our view, hyperactive children should be treated as a whole, holistic method of treatment (ganzheitstherapie).
This method, developed and perfected by Maria Summer in Rankweil Austria, is for quick and effective treatment of disorders of speech, voice, breathing and learning, in approximately 60 sessions, without medication.
A child with hyperactivity is constantly anxious and presents respiratory tension, with characteristic high respiration (hochatmung).
The first steps in treatment are to bring peace, relaxation, harmonious breathing for the child.
In the beginning, we only try to make the child relax and pay attention, even for a second.
When we achieve this, we start reinforcing training exercises.
Later on, when we acquire attention for a longer duration, we assign some simple tasks to perform.
With relaxation and achievement of diaphragmatic breathing (i.e. low breathing), the child acquires a new boldness-presence.
Then, we can switch over to different exercises, targeting the acoustic and visual perception.
Important role in what we do with a hyperactive child plays the pause. A couple of seconds or longer breaks are necessary for the positive outcome of any treatment.
Without the break, there can be no perception, attention-concentration, or learning.
The child must learn to wait.
Movement with purpose and pace precede, and are closely related to the development of speech, perception, spiritual evolution.
Early perception is that of motion.
Myokinetic exercises invented and perfected by Maria Summer are not gymnastics, rhythmic exercise, yoga, or meditation.
Operators should experience exercises themselves before passing knowledge to others.
Furthermore, the therapist-educator or psychologist should remain calm, without any stress, with proper diaphragmatic breathing, in order to have a positive impact on the child.
Importantly, he/she should always remain lower in height, or below the height of the child.
We describe herein some exercises for hyperactive children with ADHD. Proper execution of these exercises is more important than quantity. Proper implementation is difficult to describe and must be experienced by each therapist in practical training sessions.
Position hedgehog (der IGEL) leads the child to complete relaxation, fetal position, cutting off most external stimuli, allowing it to concentrate on himself.
With chin to chest, head between legs, body curled forward, arms at sides, the child is kneeling in front of the therapist.
The therapist, at posture IGEL, is kneeling in front of the child’s head on the floor.
With his/her fingers perpendicular, remaining perfectly calm, the therapist makes vibrations along the spine of the child, just aside of the vertebrae, from the bottom up to the head, whispering a hum (summen), in various tones.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
mmmmmmmmoooooooooooooooo…
etc
The child, after a break of some seconds, repeats the hum, mimicking his therapist.
At IGEL posture, the child must slowly be rolled forward. When rising up, after completion of the exercise, the child must slowly stretch initially the lower vertebrae and finally the head.
A big break, of 2-3 minutes, follows, on the floor, on a hard surface, no cushion, chin to chest, cheek leaning down, arms close to the trunk aside of the body, palms facing upward, feet very open, relaxed.
At this posture of complete relaxation-peace, we observe the child’s breathing. We can spot the characteristic high respiration (hochatmung), by the vibrations of the back and shoulders of the child.
In this case, the expert therapist intervenes with various exercises and techniques in order to restore diaphragmatic breathing.
All this is done on the ground, on a hard orthopedic mattress, in a well-ventilated room, with the child wearing overalls and not clothes that restrict his/her movements.
All exercises for proper breathing function should not be conscious for the child, at whom we never mention the word “breathing”.
At cobra posture, the child, from the ground face down slowly lifts his head, keeping the chin attached to the chest, and focuses his gaze, for a few seconds, at a distant point.
When tired, the child returns to the posture of complete relaxation-peace on the ground.
After a few sessions, when we observe improvement, we pass to attention-concentration exercises, on a wooden table.
Therapist and child are sitting side by side on a wooden table, with legs at right angles, hands one over the other at the edge of the table, their foreheads resting on their hands.
The wooden table is a good conductor of pulsations (resonanz) to be transferred from the therapist to the child.
With hums (summen) in different tones and styles, vibrations are transferred to the child from the therapist.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
mmmmmmmmoooooooooooooooo…
etc
In turn, the child, having learned to wait a bit and listen, begins to repeat the hum mimicking his/her therapist.
Later on, we proceed in short-term tasks, like learning words, concepts, etc.
In some cases of hyperactivity the swing posture is appropriate. The child is hugged in our arms, in the fetal position, and slight oscillation is performed.
The therapist must remain completely calm, without breathing wrong.
In this hug, while gently shaking, the therapist murmurs hums, mainly with the letter mmmmmmmmm.
Maria Summer would return in the early stages of development when she understood that a child did not have the right experience.
Conflicts of interest
Athanasios G. Chasapis, Psychologist-Specialist speech therapist using the holistic method.
Stavros Saripanidis, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Chasapis Athanasios studied, for many years, at the speech therapist Center and Institute of breathing run by Mrs. Maria Summer, and participated in many seminars for Advanced Speech Therapy abroad.
He then transferred and extensively used these practices of the holistic method (speech-voice-breathing-attention-learning disorders-etc.) in his speech therapy Practice in Greece, from 1982 until now.
He is the author of a forthcoming book in German, which describes extensively the pioneering holistic method of Mrs. Maria Summer, who died in 2007, without leaving a textbook behind.
The researchers didn’t follow up with the children??????????????? Are you kidding me? As if the children are not all that important to the study. There’s the problem right there, and it’s a HUGE problem, not a minor one. And that mindset also has something to do with why so many kids are diagnosed ADHD. We take away recess, tell them to be quiet at lunch time, and bore the life out of kids in the classroom. Adults wouldn’t learn well under those circumstances either!
I know – I thought exactly the same. Why spend all that time, money and effort and not finish the job? It’s no wonder people are fumbling in the dark on these issues.
I reckon a symposium of lay people affected by the conditions would come up with all kinds of correlations that researchers would never think of, and also, you might discover that labelling certain traits or behaviours is ultimately futile.
Surely all something like “ADHD” is, is an agreed upon cluster of behaviours, but with unknown causes. Without some hard science to say e.g. here’s a gene that is highly correlated, or here’s an issue with the brain that’s highly correlated then surely one person’s ADHD would be another person’s lively child. What about diet? What about that some children have higher physical intelligence than others? What about that traditional classroom education doesn’t actually suit ANY child – it’s simply not natural to be sat down for long periods.
I tend to explore areas in which the patient can focus, attend, isn’t distractible and can concentrate for any length of time – generally areas in which his heart is fully absorbed. If so, this patient may not instantly require medication. Then I share psycho educational/scientific information re medication and the brain: if a substance from the outside has an effect on the brain, it means that a receptor has been activated. And if we have a receptor that can be activated than from an evolutionary point of view we should be able to activate it with our own actions and our own thoughts. Deepak Chopra, I believe, says in one of his books – the difference between activating a receptor with a drug rom the outside and our own thoughts and actions activating it is like having a machine gun aiming at a target when yes one bullet will definitely be reaching the target but so many side effects Whereas when we activate it with out own thoughts and actions, no side effects!
So glad Jenni is bringing up the value of various somatic/movement/neurosensory approaches with ADHD type symptoms. Even regular PE type activities help release/discharge excessive energy & are not always included in school curriculum. More sophisticated approaches like Hannaford’s Smart Moves, Handle Institute, brain gym, various cross-hemisphere exercises can support people to keep or regain composure so learning can occur. One 60 y/o person I know who grew up without options beyond Ritalin does great with his program of surfing & running. Sherry, MSW/ASW/trail runner
It sure is time to expose the DES medical blunder administered to millions of pregnant women between 1938 and the early 1970’s, to prevent miscarrages. The effects of Diethylstilbesterol truly trickled down to ALL OF US because it caused genetic damage and genetic damage is permanently in the gene pool.
What we are exposed to (ESPECIALLY as fetus’ IN UTERO) ALWAYS TAKES A TOLL. My original vulnerability, I now know, having examined my hospital birth records more than cursorily, is A COCKTAIL of CHEMICALS—not one ,but three doses of DES (the two pregnancies before mine), apomorphine, amytol, scopolomine (paranoia and delusions) , nitric oxide (which, because it fills the mothers air pockets with gas and causes pressure– I imagine it caused me to catapult) , methergine (which poisons mother’s milk) and seconal. Apomorphine, amytol and seconal have a literal WASH-LIST of side effects….all of which I have experienced on and off, but ongoing in my life.
If you talked to my mother she would have said she had a *natural birth*, and felt no pain. It’s true that women are in an extremely vulnerable hypnogogic state when giving birth. This was good for her, but I (the baby) arrived covered with black hair like a little animal, with AUTISM (social brain dysfunction), breath-taking head injury probably including cleft palate or caved-in palate, have elements of emotional TRANSGENDERISM, and have already had one CANCER (an anachoic cyst) in later life. These are all considered DES- related.
Needless to say I am certain that Natural Birth is extremely important if you have any hope of a healthier population. There is no real count of just how many of us are *on the Autistic Spectrum*, many more people than are aware of their deficits. Most people born in the 40’s and 50’s have no clue that this is what their challenges have been about- there was no *spectrum* then.
But most importantly, we must modify our cavalier DRUG COCKTAILs IN UTERO, plastics contacting our foods (which bind to the estrogen molecule and cause cancers), endocrine disruptors , toxic sprays, fire retardants, radiation (as in nuclear waste), over-dosing on antibiotics, using vaccines with toxic chemicals like mercury, and the list goes on and on.
If we hide our heads in the sand about the vulnerability of the fetus and newborn, we’re in for lots of perversity, mental and physical disabilities throughout life. Ask any mother who has tried to raise even one severely AUTISTIC child how heart-breaking and difficult that is.
Drugs hurt much more than they help in adults, but they are a disaster inside the WOMB.
Thank you for your post! How do I go about finding out what drugs my mom was administered during labour or while she was pregnant? Is it a matter of getting in touch with Medical Records at the hospital I was born? or?
I am finding everything on the webinar series and in the comments extremely interesting and useful. I have PTSD and a compromised immune system, and I work every day to move through and beyond the effects of the causes of this. Meditation, EFT and exercise are very important to my recovery and maintenance of health. I’ve always felt that medication for stress and emotional issues would only serve to treat the symptoms and not the causes – and that worse symptoms would be likely to erupt, seeing as the whole point of symptoms is to alert us to the fact that the causes need to be addressed.
Something that works great for ADHD is neurofeedback, anyone can try it, it’s completely non invasive and if you use neuroptimal, by Zengar, you can buy the unit and use it at home.
Wonderful research study. Most residential settings seem to be medication managed. When medication eliminates behaviors it can eliminate the need to learn skills to mediate those behaviors, creating medication dependence, often lifelong. Organizing, impulse control, self-directing/self-regulating skills are teachable. Juvenile behaviors controlled via medication relapse into problem behaviors once medication is missed. Some techniques I’ve given people to work with to build new neural networks and improve their attention to the moment:
1. I’ve assigned homework, as, what was the earliest and worst incidents and what did you do to mediate them? What would you like to have done to mediate them? Let’s brainstorm some options.
2. Let’s see how you’re doing with this next week. Note how easy or difficult it is to catch yourself. You may catch yourself post-event sometimes but your awareness will enable you to begin to catch yourself mid-event then prior event. We’ve noted physiological feelings and thoughts that precede events so notice when those feelings/thoughts arise and see if you can mediate them.
3. (This is an idea I haven’t implemented) Luminosity is boasting research on improving concentration. We can measure your concentration with Connors pre- and post-tests of a few weeks Luminosity to see if it makes a difference.
Thanks God you are talking about this. So quickly medication is prescribed as if it is the only cure. It doesn’t cure it turns people into zombies. It can be necessary as a temporary measure but there are so many other ways to heal. The more people who speak out the better.
Thank you.
Lani
I totally agree with Nellie, consultant UK.
Of course, Anxiety is nihotng more, than a mixed-up ‘fight or flight’ response, so basically it gets fixed if you pick one, when you feel a trigger.You can practice this, by writing down the situations that give you anxiety, and developing a game-plan of what to do, and how to act when it happens.At first, that will feel a little odd, also because you’re gonna push through the ‘fear of choice’, but when you do it a couple of times, you’ll start seeing the result(how you everything is a lot less scary, than your mind made you think), you have first-hand experience, that you own that situation. That’s when your body won’t trigger anxiety-attacks anymore, and when it does, you’ll have the game-plan, to guide you through, so even an energy-boost, doesn’t have to result in panic, it can function as an adrenaline rush(so you’re extra sharp, and on top of the situation for a while).So work on a game-plan, and stick to it, there’s nihotng that terrible, to justify that much anxiety, so you can beat it.
My son, in sixth grade at the time, and a few of his friends were struggling with organizing their work, meeting deadlines, keeping track of papers and forgetting to turn assignments in to the teachers. I didn’t want to medicate my son, so I explained to the teachers and administration how frustrating this was for my son and the other kids. The boys had ADHD diagnoses, some more acute than others. The school began offering a “Study Skills” class as an elective this year. It has made a huge difference in his life. The teacher checks the kids’ agendas and notebooks, goes over assignments, teaches organizational skills, and maybe most importantly, gets them to work on long-term assignments ahead of time by breaking the work down in manageable subgroups.
I realize this isn’t a cure for ADHD, but many of these kids need this sort of extra help for a few years in order to master organization. My son will be staying in the class all year long and will continue in it for eighth grade, possibly even high school.
Some children really need medication and for them and their families it is a blessing. They are the minority. Most children respond well to OST, neurofeedback, breathing techniques, meditation and psychotherapy. It is a shame that medication is offered so quickly because it is then so much easier for the child to think “pill” instead of making the effort to learn the other skills. I was the director of Costa Rica’s National Institute for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and many of the addicts I have treated identify the ADD medication as their introduction to the use of substances.
I have done neurofeedback training with a wide variety of problems, including ADHD, for 20 years. I have found that it works exceptionally well and I would not want to be without it. It does what meds cannot do because it seems to help the brain to normalize function in many other ways. Hence many symptoms are addressed and greatly improve.
I’m not quite sure how to say this; you made it exlemrety easy for me!
Dear Ruth
Mention of ADHD reminds me of several children that I have “healed” from ADHD, Dispraxia, Bed-Wetting and general “rebellioness”. The one-session “cures” came about in a rather mysterious (at the time) way: with the child lying face up and spine relaxed (with the knees up) and me gently holding the child’s head with my finger tips splayed under the occipital ridge; I observed a certain unevenness in the rising and falling of the skin above the solar plexus which I was able to abate, through focussed attention and calm talking. I have also observed this phenomenon in young adults, and have eventually concluded that it is some sort of vagal syndrome after I had listened to Dr Steven Porges and you (!) in discussion, and having read his book “The Polyvagal Theory”, and also some research papers re vagal tone, as it corresponds to the interaction of the vagus nerve bundle and the rise and fall of the diaphragm (see also Pranic Yoga and Qigong). I have also corresponded in this context with clinicians who are interested in the theories about displacement of the Atlas joint. My gentle splayed finger “healing modality” (see above) incidentally can often induce a slight extension of the neck which may, I believe, allow for re-alignment of the Atlas joint … Incidentally these observations often correspond to the child or young adult having a slight scoliosis and having, it is later confirmed, had a difficult birth experience … I should remind you that I am NOT a doctor but originally an aircraft, space- and nuclear experimental engineer. Sincerely, yours Tom Lucas
Tom, there is nothing at all mysterious between the association between birth trauma to the upper cervical spine and ADHD.
Malalignments of the atlas cause very significant mismatch of proprioceptive information coming from the left and right side of the body- and when they occur often cause a significant issue with balance and sensory integration, and a continuous stress response. The sensory integration issues usually generalise to other issues of sensory defensiveness such as hypersensitivity and intolerance to noise or some textures, tastes or touch. the loss of sensory integration is compounded by secondary neuromotor responses and the individual experiencing these problems suffers a serious overload of his working memory. this adds to the stress response- and it is probably the stress response that is so deranging to attention and to prosocial behaviour (as per Porges Polyvagal theory).
The vagus nerve is probably only involved on standing up- as these individuals lead with their chin– and on standing up often have postural hypotension. ( I suspect Vagus nerve compression).
This is all very well outlined in the book Manual Therapy in Children (Ed Heiner Biedermann- an orthopedic surgeon, and co-written by a team of neurologists, psychiatriatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, rehabilitation specialists, orthodontists, anatomy professors, an obstetrician, and a general practitioner.
Biedermann emphasizes that if this injury is acquired at birth it affects the whole course of neuromotor development. While 2/3 of the cases presenting to his team in school age settle with 1-2 treatments to the neck that further treatment of their ADHD symptoms is unnecessary, about 1/3 do not. Biedermann suspects that some of these may be due to genetic dopamine issues- but I would add that if the neck injury is present, some children will have had terrible attachment experiences (Infants can be colicky, restless and inconsolable- a nightmare to parent).
As well as ADD/ADHD symptoms these children are usually physically clumsy, have a fear of heights, eye tracking problems and while superficially their balance is OK, doing a “tandem gait”/heel toe walk with eyes closed will demonstrate serious issues with balance that are usually being managed by relying more on vision than proprioception.
There is usually a slight kyphoscoliosis and these kids can never sit up straight without being reminded.
They will have shoulders and hips uneven – usually the hip is low on the side the shoulder is high and one shoulder is rotated forwards. The head will not be orthogonal to the neck.
I personally could not meditate prior to having this problem treated- due to dullness and physical instability- but now meditate well with stable, alert attention.
Adults who have this problem treated have greater difficulty getting full results, as we have years of disordered neuromotor patterning to correct. In this context it is well worth remembering that much input to the basal ganglia (important in learning and retaining complex movement patterns) is dopaminergic. Stimulants do offer a real benefit– and they allow the sort of stable attention that improves learning and neuroplasticity.To my way of thinking the opportunity that they present should be directed towards, movement repatterning, and mindfulness exercises. Qi Gong is a great example of a suitable adjunctive treatment– as are the functional neurological approaches practiced by some chiropractors.
I am highly interested since I have been diagnosed 4 different times with ADHD. I have struggled with the information, so I have sought different opinions. I am in agreement that using prescriptions is far too often used and should be the extreme exception.
I have struggled in my new field of mental health from law enforcement due to the type of work.
In my own studies I have found some success in DBT and CBT, yet still deal with much of the nuances that show up.
I hope my schedule is open to learn more on how to manage my own and teach others.
THANK YOU for what you bring to those of us who are interested in other means than TAU.
I am about to engage in a one person case study using non-directive play therapy with an adult with ADHD who loves the idea of playing. I would be interested to employ the two assessment tests you mention – or something similar which can be adminstered by a therapist without extra training in assessments. Is there such a test?
I’m rather cynical about any pharmaceutical intervention as it comes across as only to benefit the pharma company, not the “patients”. Also, drugs do not cure depression or anxiety etc and very often make it worse, plus then you have a drug addiction to deal with. Some of the stories of people put on layers upon layers of drugs – each one designed to compensate for the side effects of the previous one – are utterly horrific.
Many people with “mental health issues” do not, in my opinion have a “disease”. They are actually suffering from distress of one kind or another, and are exhibiting a natural response to the circumstances they found themselves in.
For one thing, we live in a society with a very unhealthy psychology and attitudes – just look at all the advertising that tells you you’re flawed or deficient in some way if you don’t buy their product. Too much emphasis on “dog eat dog”, competition and hoarding wealth at someone else’s expense. That, alone, is enough to make pretty much everyone somewhat dysfunctional and neurotic.
Add to that traumatic childhood experiences and you have the beginnings of anxiety, depression, “personality disorders” and probably half of what’s in the DSM. If I went to a psychiatrist they would probably give me some grim diagnosis of Borderline personality disorder co-morbid with generalised anxiety, narcissism and low-grade depression with occasional suicidal ideation and self-harm. I would then be prescribed a truck load of drugs and sent for some talking therapy with no proven efficacy. In extreme circumstances they can even lock you up just for acting out your distress.
I, on the other hand, have diagnosed myself with complex PTSD, hypervigilance, self-medicating addictions and a head full of negative beliefs about myself and the world that has kept me from discovering who I really am and caused me to do behaviours that are counter-productive.
There could also be an inherent neurological “weakness” – I have misophonia and have done tests that show I’m a “sensitive”. “Sensitives”, when brought up in a nurturing environment, can actually be well adjusted and excel at whatever they choose to do, but will wither and shrink in a hostile environment. We are the golden retrievers of the human world.
One time I went to my doctor because I was having a panic attack and didn’t know what was going on. She instantly prescribed anti-depressants.
For me, the diagnosis has come from some counselling to understand my issues and to be validated that I was in fact abused as a child. But the cure has come from practices such as the sedona method, EFT and meditation. Still not there yet, but a totally different person to 20 years ago. Another important part of the cure has been finding a scene where I fit in and developing friendships and a good social life.
If I had gone down the psych/pharma route, I would probably now be addicted to antidepressants and valium, with no progress on healing the underlying causes of the issues. This is where my aunt is – years and years of expensive therapy and popping pills every 5 minutes and still as wound up as a coiled spring.
Thanks for posing the question and allowing me the opportunity to think this through. It’s time we stopped treating distress as disease, and abnormalities as opportunities to get entire generations spaced out on drugs.
You know, sensitives are exactly the group most at risk of ADHD and PTSD (the two are very closely linked).
However- in ADHD the disruption of attention can be so severe that no useful therapy or interventions of any kind can be attended to well enough to take without stimulants.
Having used dexamphetamine myself intermittently for 5 years now, I can honestly say that “spacing you out” is the last thing it does.
Well used, stimulants can bring immense benefits through the focus they produce. I find that as my meditation practice progresses (and I had failed many times over a 20 year period before starting medication)- the medications become less necessary.
With time and training the sensitivity becomes an advantage- not a disadvantage.
I myself believe I have this problem. I’ve learned that self talk helps. For example: when I’m on task and I get distracted by something else that needs my attention, I simply say finish what you are doing. I also make sure I’m doing the most important thing first. This makes finishing my present project doable. I also control my thoughts by remaining in the moment and taking good care of my health needs, clean diet, daily exercise, nurture interest, spirituality, and remain socially connected to name a few.
I have been doing reading about celiac dx and there are mentions the sometimes ADHD improved by going on a gluten free diet. What are your thoughts about that?
Thanks
I’ve noticed that food allergens interfere with my organizational abilities. I lose ability to prioritize, think clearly, or be productive when exposed to allergens. Wheat appears to be an insidious allergen. I’ve observed allergens having dramatic effects on children, with whom I formally worked exclusively. I understand wheat, like corn, is a GMO product.
EFT or Tapping, along with Matrix Re-imprinting are wonderful ways to heal just about any problem. Try it you might be surprised.
Ten years ago, my son was eight and every day was a struggle. He was oppositional, defiant, and unable to cope with school. We went to a SAD doctor, received two diagnosis, ODD and ADHD, and two scripts, an anti-psychotic and Ritalin. We reluctantly began medicating our child for everyone’s sake. And for a couple of weeks I was so happy to see my family at peace. Then I noticed the weight gain an the lack of activity and the sparkle dimming. My once highly inter-active, althletic, intense child was dull, lethargic, and confused about everything. Where he had been decisive and observant, his lack of interest in all things began to look a lot like depression. The transformation was heartbreaking. We stopped the meds. And began searching for a better way that respected everyone without exception. It wasn’t easy and required a great deal of effort and persistence. We looked everywhere and asked everyone we knew, and some we didn’t, what had helped. And we improved our parenting skills, taking classes and goin to therapists. It all helped, but one thing above all was the one best tool. BodyTalk Access. Energy work that we trained in over a weekend. It was affordable and instantly effective. It is a simple method that can be shared and used by parents to help their own children. Once we began using this with all our children and ourselves, everything improved. Our son began “tapping out” for himself and become more self aware and open to learning and using tools to refocus and calm himself. He is now attending college an living independently with a confidence that was nearly lost because of the vey SAD approach to “fix” someone who wasn’t broken. I will forever be grateful for the lessons this experience has taught me, and knowing I am open to the unique life I live with open eyes.
I am wondering why a study was not provideed that compares the differences between medication and neurofeedback. There is quite a body of research building that indicates the efficacy of neurofeedback meets criteria of medication but without the side effects and with lasting benefits.
Hi Laura,
Thanks so much for the suggestion. We will look into those studies for follow-up blog posts.
Thanks!
Katelin
NICABM Staff
I have had experience in facilitating Creative Movement / Dance & Relaxation sessions with children & have found a few techniques that have helped settle children who were highly strung & prone to ADHD. Use of touch on the child’s limbs with the child’s permission has worked particularly well. On one occasion I observed a boy during relaxation unable to lie still, (there were 2 other adults present, so I was appropriately supervised) I assisted him by providing firm touch on his legs & arms, he softened & was still, it’s like the touch creates a boundary or body awareness that enabled the child to settle into himself. This chilld commenced the movement session very reluctantly & was very disruptive after this body work he was fully engaged & didn’t want to leave once the session was complete.