NEW! . . . SUPER FOODS FOR A SUPER-HEALTHY YOU
Unleash the secret healing power of Nature's ultimate foods - & 'programme' your body to remain free of illnessmore info...
Brain & Nervous System
Safe Alternatives For Treating ADHD
Date: 21/12/11
Keywords: Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, Alternative medicine, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fish Oil, Omega 3, Ritalin
Let's say you have a three-year-old boy. His teachers and paediatrician keep telling you that he can't sit still, his mind wanders and he distracts the other children in his class. The next thing that follows is a hard push (under the guise of an insistent recommendation from you know who) to put your child on Ritalin...
To make matters worse, you suspect that this same recommendation is made to dozens of children in your son's school. The hard-sell steps in when you're told that your child will fall behind as a result of his behavioural problems... and that's how they get you. They tell you your child is going to fail. The other children will go on without him. They put that fear in you... and just the thought of it breaks your heart.
Consider this: Imagine a four-year-old having suicidal
thoughts.
That's almost impossible to conceive of. Not if you look at the results of numerous studies involving the most widely- prescribed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs, which show that four in 1,000 children may develop suicidal thoughts.
Now, new ADHD treatment guidelines, from the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), have been expanded to include children as young as four. That's right — PRE-SCHOOLERS, medicated to control their high energy and quick attention changes... I mean honestly, why not give it to toddlers so we'll have zoned out little zombies rather than playful, rambunctious children?
Just what the teacher ordered
Let's say you have a three-year-old boy. His teachers and paediatrician keep telling you that he can't sit still, his mind wanders and he distracts the other children in his class. The next thing that follows is a hard push (under the guise of an insistent recommendation from you know who) to put your child on Ritalin...
To make matters worse, you suspect that this same recommendation is made to dozens of children in your son's school. The hard-sell steps in when you're told that your child will fall behind as a result of his behavioural problems... and that's how they get you. They tell you your child is going to fail. The other children will go on without him. They put that fear in you... and just the thought of it breaks your heart.
Gotcha! Before you know it... you pass the Ritalin prescription to the pharmacist... Within a few weeks, the teachers report back saying that your little boy is much better behaved. Yet, every morning when you give him his morning pill, the guilt eats you up...
Wisening up
Luckily, there's a much safer alternative and it will not poison your child's mind... Start with giving him or her Omega-3 fish oil every morning, followed by a few dietary changes. I suspect the dietary changes will be your biggest challenge... it can be difficult enough to get children to eat their vegetables, let alone banning all foods that contain artificial food colourings and flavourings (especially if they're used to eating them). However, being persistent and not giving in to your child's demands can really pay off.
It could just save you from innocently walking into the trap where pre-school teachers and paediatricians urge you to medicate your child. See, the problem does not lie just with the horrible side effects of these drugs, but also with the type of drug you're expected to dose your child with.
The only ADHD drug with approval from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for pre-schoolers, is Dexedrine, also known as dextroamphetamine... However, this drug has also been used for the reduction of fatigue in cancer patients, as an antidepressant treatment for HIV patients with depression and debilitating fatigue, and in early stage physiotherapy for severe stroke victims... Potent stuff!!! Can you imagine what it will do to the mind of a 4-year-old?
Luckily, according to the APP, "insufficient evidence" for Dexedrine's safety in the preschool age group "does not make it possible to recommend at this time." In the UK, Dexamfetamine tablets have now been discontinued and it is currently only available generically.
On the other hand, Ritalin is not FDA approved for pre- schoolers, but the AAP says that there is "moderate evidence" that it's safe.
Is moderate evidence of safety good enough when you're talking about controlling a 4-year-old's behaviour? Keep in mind, this isn't cancer or leukaemia we're fighting here, it's temperament and mind control.
Teachers might want a calmer class room but it's not worth one child in a million, let alone four in a thousand, having suicidal thoughts or even one side effect for that matter. Especially when adding fish oil and passing on the Happy Meals goes a long way to getting the same result.
Of course, you'll learn that the fish oil and healthy diet treatment may incur an extra tantrum or two at first... but in the long-run I can assure you that the benefits far outweigh the risks...
Sources:
"ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents" Subcommittee on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Steering Committee on Quality Improvement and Management, Pediatrics, Published online 10/16/11, pediatrics.aappublications.org
"Should Preschoolers be Given ADHA Meds? Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 10/17/11, pharmalot.com
"Allergies may help in fighting brain tumors" Brown University press release, 10/17/11, news.brown.edu
Bear in mind we are not addressing anyone's personal situation and you should rely on this for informational purposes only. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.
Back to topThat's almost impossible to conceive of. Not if you look at the results of numerous studies involving the most widely- prescribed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs, which show that four in 1,000 children may develop suicidal thoughts.
Now, new ADHD treatment guidelines, from the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), have been expanded to include children as young as four. That's right — PRE-SCHOOLERS, medicated to control their high energy and quick attention changes... I mean honestly, why not give it to toddlers so we'll have zoned out little zombies rather than playful, rambunctious children?
Just what the teacher ordered
Let's say you have a three-year-old boy. His teachers and paediatrician keep telling you that he can't sit still, his mind wanders and he distracts the other children in his class. The next thing that follows is a hard push (under the guise of an insistent recommendation from you know who) to put your child on Ritalin...
To make matters worse, you suspect that this same recommendation is made to dozens of children in your son's school. The hard-sell steps in when you're told that your child will fall behind as a result of his behavioural problems... and that's how they get you. They tell you your child is going to fail. The other children will go on without him. They put that fear in you... and just the thought of it breaks your heart.
Gotcha! Before you know it... you pass the Ritalin prescription to the pharmacist... Within a few weeks, the teachers report back saying that your little boy is much better behaved. Yet, every morning when you give him his morning pill, the guilt eats you up...
Wisening up
Luckily, there's a much safer alternative and it will not poison your child's mind... Start with giving him or her Omega-3 fish oil every morning, followed by a few dietary changes. I suspect the dietary changes will be your biggest challenge... it can be difficult enough to get children to eat their vegetables, let alone banning all foods that contain artificial food colourings and flavourings (especially if they're used to eating them). However, being persistent and not giving in to your child's demands can really pay off.
It could just save you from innocently walking into the trap where pre-school teachers and paediatricians urge you to medicate your child. See, the problem does not lie just with the horrible side effects of these drugs, but also with the type of drug you're expected to dose your child with.
The only ADHD drug with approval from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for pre-schoolers, is Dexedrine, also known as dextroamphetamine... However, this drug has also been used for the reduction of fatigue in cancer patients, as an antidepressant treatment for HIV patients with depression and debilitating fatigue, and in early stage physiotherapy for severe stroke victims... Potent stuff!!! Can you imagine what it will do to the mind of a 4-year-old?
Luckily, according to the APP, "insufficient evidence" for Dexedrine's safety in the preschool age group "does not make it possible to recommend at this time." In the UK, Dexamfetamine tablets have now been discontinued and it is currently only available generically.
On the other hand, Ritalin is not FDA approved for pre- schoolers, but the AAP says that there is "moderate evidence" that it's safe.
Is moderate evidence of safety good enough when you're talking about controlling a 4-year-old's behaviour? Keep in mind, this isn't cancer or leukaemia we're fighting here, it's temperament and mind control.
Teachers might want a calmer class room but it's not worth one child in a million, let alone four in a thousand, having suicidal thoughts or even one side effect for that matter. Especially when adding fish oil and passing on the Happy Meals goes a long way to getting the same result.
Of course, you'll learn that the fish oil and healthy diet treatment may incur an extra tantrum or two at first... but in the long-run I can assure you that the benefits far outweigh the risks...
Sources:
"ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents" Subcommittee on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Steering Committee on Quality Improvement and Management, Pediatrics, Published online 10/16/11, pediatrics.aappublications.org
"Should Preschoolers be Given ADHA Meds? Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 10/17/11, pharmalot.com
"Allergies may help in fighting brain tumors" Brown University press release, 10/17/11, news.brown.edu
Bear in mind we are not addressing anyone's personal situation and you should rely on this for informational purposes only. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.
Click here to send to a friendShare thisPrinter friendly version
