ADHD Doesn't Go Away

and you check how much sugar intake they have and hey presto.......

The only thing that has paralleled the increase in 'mental illness' over the years (since 1955 to be precise) has been the rise of psychiatric medications. Maybe there's a connection there?

Many of the drugs prescribed for the treatment of ADHD are considered addictive and can lead to withdrawal symptoms. The discontinuation of drugs prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can lead to depression, extreme fatigue and weakness for those who stop taking them too quickly. There have also been reports of psychosis and suicidal thoughts in those who withdraw from ADHD drugs too rapidly. Withdrawal symptoms can even happen during treatment if the drug is not administered in a timely manner. It is important to decrease dosages very gradually and under the supervision of a physician. Monitoring the patient for symptoms of withdrawal from ADHD drugs is recommended during treatment and after discontinuation. Read more: What Are the Withdrawl Symptoms of ADHD Drugs? | eHow.com www.ehow.com...

reply to post by christina-66


Link

I don't know what medication the child is taking so you may be correct.

reply to post by smyleegrl


a great way to treat adhd is meditation.

in the east the mind is often compared to a monkey, can you guess why?

because its damn hard to catch and even harder to hold still, but it can be tamed and meditation seems to work quite well in this respect.

certain activities which bring our minds and our bodies together are forms of meditation and also help. i like to play the guitar and do physical things as well (not at the same time!) like skateboarding, surfing, running, lifting weights, etc

hope this helps someone

reply to post by nomnom


ADHD is very real. My husband has broken his arms total of 7 times as a child, he's stuck a screwdriver in his eye (now blind), has blown both eyes out of their sockets by staring down a car hose Iunder the roof - YES, twice), and now has an injury caused cataract in his only good eye. He has torn the right tendon from his elbow. He is constantly jamming tools into his body, dropping things, slamming his head into cupboard doors, pipes, he has fallen three times this winter. He is a walking disaster. He cannot keep a job because he can't contain his behavior/mouth. He has no friends. His family distances themselves from him. He was in the "dummy" class in elementary school (he is 49 now). Our marriage has been hell and he is currently unemployed and I don't ever seeing him being employable. He tests as a grade 3 level education but qualifies as a genius on the IQ scale. He is the smartest man I know. His brain is on fire all the time. He does not talk to me or his family (well he is getting better with me but often our conversations consist of our texting each other. I have found ways to work with his issues. I am not perfect either but I have learned that I can work with his needs and help direct him to ways that help him relate to the world and find his place in it). He instead tells people about HIS interests. He is an extreme narcissist. However he has a good, good heart and he tries so hard. He fought going on medication but when I insisted on a divorce we went to counselling and he finally tried Dexedrine. It has absolutely changed his life. It has saved our marriage. It has saved his relationship with our child. He now says he is focused, he can think, he can think BEFORE he acts. He says when not on the meds it is like he is at a party with everyone talking at once, the radio is on, the tv is one and something is going on outside but he's focusing on the fly on the wall and taking in its every movement. He is not perfect but it is an unbelievable difference. Until one has walked in another's shoes they have no right to say what they do. You may as well say you having no legs is fake too. Yes some people abuse drugs but then again some people abuse tv time. There is a time and place for drugs. Adhd is as real as it gets and it is ugly and it destroys not only the life of the person dealing with it but the lives of those who share their lives. If one lets it. ADHD people are extremely bright and that energy just needs to be tamed and helped to focus. And yes our daughter is ADHD too. This is a genetic issue in his family. HIs older son (by another mohter) has it, his father has an extreme case of it. His nephew has it. It sucks the soul of both the sufferer and the people involved with them. If you let it. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this. One other thing: ADHD people thrive on stimulation. Even if it's not good stimulation. They want the wow moment in their brain. Children with ADHD often will push and push their parents to the breaking point. They want that reaction at any cost. If you spank your kid then they will laugh and continue their behavior. You spank them more. They are feeling the pain but they are getting the reaction they want and so it escalates. That is why often one can't control their adhd child. I bring this up because I found for us removing a prized privilege was the deciding factor for our child. We had to find out what worked: not time outs, not the chair, not spanking, not missing out on outside activities. It was something so mild in our minds but vital to her entire being. It is so easy now. So there is hope, such hope for parents out there.

reply to post by nomnom


My daughter is on a very mild dose of med. Not all adhd meds are speed. There are a multitude of drugs one can try. We decided to put our daughter on drugs with the mindset that we could try and see what happened and then take her off if we don't see improvement/causes any harm. It caused no side effects (seriously) and within a week the teacher was giving us wonderful reports. It allowed our daughter to focus in school and her marks started improving. It also helped her make friends. We experienced the same scenario with her half brother. All of a sudden he had friends and was ENJOYING life and taking part. Unfortunately for these kids who are lacking self confidence for always being in trouble, breaking things, acting out of turn (but not knowing why) their marks go downhill because some are also struggling with learning disorders. The thing is one MUST educate themselves about brain health, important fats for the brain, having a balanced diet, no sugars, watch overstimulation. Make sure blood sugars are level during the day. Help them learn how to handle their tempers and find ways to express themselves instead of turning off. The parent must become the advocate for their child within school and within their world. Encourage friendships and help them learn social cues. I say all this because we have experienced the school's way of helping: "We'll put her in the group for challenged/kids who are a bit behind" and you know what happens in those classes? They play math bingo and other useless things and suddenly your child is 3 grades behind and struggling more than ever before. We finally hired a tutor and she came up three grade levels in one year (with the help of a low dosage med). So some kids need more one on one (if you can afford it). Classes move so fast these days and if you miss one lesson you struggle. I have requested teachers to prepare their notes so that all they have to do is slap the notes on the overhead or smart board at the start of the class, or to hand out the sheets so that not only my child but all the kids will be able to concentrate on the lesson and they never followed through. My child was so busy trying to copy the notes from the board (which one teacher stubbornly insisted on handwriting instead of printing) and she would have missed the entire lesson due to her trying to write down all the notes. WHY does a child have to write down the notes?? In this day and age? Our daughter has taught herself to spell by using the Dragonspeaking on her ipad. Teacher refused to let her bring it to school. So my child is so bright that she is getting there when all other kids take it for granted and "get it" but it would not be happening without the med to help her keep focused and to grasp the information traveling to her brain. There are nutritional supplements but they don't all taste great. Natural factors is great, omega 3 oils (fish oils) are awesome, keeping blood sugars balanced are huge. Unfortunately a lot of these kids in school are hungry or NOW teachers are telling them what they aren't allowed to eat in class because it's too messy or takes too long to eat. Recess times are sometimes non existent/too short. Kids are expected to learn exactly the same. Unfortunately that's the type of world we live in. I believe every kid learns in their own way (visually/audibly/hands on) and at their own scale. But the school system doesn't operate that way. We have noticed a HUGE difference by giving her magnesium. Lots of positive criticism and hugs are huge, huge, huge. They have to be told constantly that they are loved. And again they are so smart that they become master manipulators. So all in all yes I have pushed healthy diet/lifestyle/love but sometimes that little extra med is necessary. And we are a family that is extremely involved and take the responsibility for our child. Not all families do. It is a constant challenge. I am grateful for medicines but I keep a sharp eye on the effect they have on my child. Meds don't raise my child or grow my child, it is the input you put into your child and how you guide them with the resources out there. Diet is massively important but sometimes it's just not enough.

I disagree. ADD/ADHD has clear patterns of abnormal activity in the brain that neurofeedback has shown to be 90% efficient at treating, with results being maintained at 2 year follow-up studies.

www.alertfocus.com...

I just googled for that article, haven't even read the webpage and am so confident that it supports the claim above, that there's no reason for me to read it.

Skimming through for the conclusion....

6) FMRI results showed no difference in patterns of brain activation between treated and control children at time 1. At time 2, however, treated children showed a different pattern of brain activation during the interference trials, i.e., those that required more complex cognitive processing. The brain regions that were now activated were those believed to play important roles in selective attention and the suppression of inappropriate responses.

reply to post by ccseagull


What is your daughter on?

reply to post by Nuke2013


Ha, ha - that made me laugh, "look a squirrel".
Take care and all the best.

reply to post by Evil_Santa


I know biofeedback has great success. However it doesn't work for kids. Wish it did but until we do know more one has to do the best they can.

My daughter is on Concerta. My husband is on Dexedrine.
She takes a low dosage once a day. It is long lasting in her body. The world knows within half an hour when my husband's med has worn off. He takes a dosage in the morning and again at 2. And if he misses a dose holy moley the world turns ugly and upside down.

And yes, I agree - too many cases are over diagnosed and too many parents/teachers want to tranquilize their kids. When pregnant I used to fantasize about the perfect child I would have, we'd cuddle, have play time, quiet time and what I ended up with was a surprise. I now say, "We get WHO we get," it's a surprise. And you know what? - I'd rather have my unique and exciting and adventuresome child than little mushrooms that just sit and wait for permission to open their mouths and experience life. That sounds harsh but it's just to say I appreciate and love my spectactular and original child.

reply to post by smyleegrl


If you have ADD or ADHD look to your mother. Did she drink or use drugs during pregnancy. Drinking during pregnancy is apparently high on the list of causes as ADD and ADHD go hand in hand with Fetal Alcohal Syndrome. I am really surprised no one mentioned this as it has been common knowledge for at least the last 30 years. It is a real disease in the form of a genetic mutation that occurs in-situ caused by the ethanol changing the DNA, you get errors in replication. It cannot be cured, it can only be managed. FAS/FAE children are very hard to teach, disruptive, violent at times and have low attention spans. In many cases they do not understand the consiquences of their actions and can be easily lead, sic, they fall easily to peer pressure. By the time they are 12 or 13 (onset of puberty) in many cases boys become involved in minor crimes, girls in prostitution. They have to managed 24/7/365 and the best thing you can do is find one obsesive non-violent interest they have and inunndate them it it, like music, dance, etc. and help develop their skills, even if you have to learn what they need to learn yourself.

The FAS/FAE/ADD/ADHD never goes away, it's almost a curse. As some children turn into adults they learn to deal with the genetic anomally, some even manage it without medication, but it is a very difficult process. Drugs like ritalin as far as I am concerned are extremely dangerous. You can chose to think I don't know what I am talking about but my wife and I adopted an FAS/ADD girl 30 years ago and from a management perspective I have lived the nightmare. She was very hard to manage and the only thing that got her through school and kept her out of trouble was CONSTANTLY monitoring what she did, teaching her music, taking her to dance lessons, driving her back and forth to school every day, talking to her teachers, monitoring her friends, teaching her how to use the computer, playing games that increased mental co-ordination, etc. It was a full time job and for anyone without their own business, I am quite sure it would bankrupt them.

I feel sympathy for anyone who has FAS/FAE and its effects like ADD and ADHD, but I pity their parents, unless you have an absolute handle on what your child is doing, things can go south really fast as I have heard over and over again from FAS/FAE parent therapy groups.

Cheers - Dave

It is hard to believe ADHD is real when everyone that I know who is on medication for it did so only for the pills. It is so ridiculously easy to get diagnosed for this it is crazy.

I do not believe in it, no. OP already summed up my stance, though. That it is just a money making scheme by Big P. And honestly, since it does not 'go away' (why would it) when you age it only adds fuel to that argument... a 'disease' that requires a lifelong prescription is money in the bank.

I would love to think that Big P is beyond that, but my eyes are open. Of all sectors, Big P ranks #1 in lobbying. By a long shot. Why would they need to do that? Health is a primary concern for almost all households. Shouldn't that be enough to guide legislation?

I am not saying that these symptoms do not exist in varying degrees from person to person. It used to be called a personality. Some people are just not meant to live the life they live. It is easier for everyone involved to just medicate that person so they resemble 'normal' than it is for the individual to change their environment. Your work got you down all the time...have a prozac. You get panic attacks when confronted by your boss...take a klonopin. You have a hard time focusing on a project...take an adderol. The psychotropic drugs can indeed give people a more comfortable life, but that is because it is addressing the symptoms. Big P has zero interest in fixing the underlying problem.

So the fact that it does not go away when you age is anything but surprising. What would be surprising is if ANYTHING was cured.

I have ADHD. My brother has ADHD. I am older, he is younger. Mom put him on it, but not me.

I am the same, he is not. I miss him.

Originally posted by ccseagull
reply to post by Evil_Santa

 

I know biofeedback has great success. However it doesn't work for kids. Wish it did but until we do know more one has to do the best they can.

My daughter is on Concerta. My husband is on Dexedrine.
She takes a low dosage once a day. It is long lasting in her body. The world knows within half an hour when my husband's med has worn off. He takes a dosage in the morning and again at 2. And if he misses a dose holy moley the world turns ugly and upside down.

And yes, I agree - too many cases are over diagnosed and too many parents/teachers want to tranquilize their kids. When pregnant I used to fantasize about the perfect child I would have, we'd cuddle, have play time, quiet time and what I ended up with was a surprise. I now say, "We get WHO we get," it's a surprise. And you know what? - I'd rather have my unique and exciting and adventuresome child than little mushrooms that just sit and wait for permission to open their mouths and experience life. That sounds harsh but it's just to say I appreciate and love my spectactular and original child.

Neurofeedback totally works on children. Look at the link i posted - it listed numerous studies done on individuals ages 8 - 16.

Also, concerta is a stimulant. I've taken it for ADHD before, and it feel like coc aine. The same goes for dexadrine. Hell the chemical name for dexadrine is dextroamphetamine

reply to post by Evil_Santa


Evil Santa - I will for sure read the article, thank you. I was so busy giving a response I didn't even notice. Oops. Thank you for the tip, I am very interested.

Cheers!

What if....... these and most, if not all psychiatric disorders are due to poor nutrition?

Lots of money to be made with all of these fancy smancy drugs that kill. Suicide much?

There is a huge connection on vitamin C, B12, D and magnesium deficiency, for all of these disorders, seek and you will find.

Total crap to make you continue taking meds.. Switch to Chinese medicine, holistic cures, herbs... get off the fluoride and packaged foods...

How could you be on ATS for so long and still be oblivious..

Read Matrix I - V ... Valerian....

Alright people here's the lowdown.

I see 3 pages of personal experience and that is all.

For those who do not suffer from the symptoms associated with ADHD, you honestly do not understand, and you consequently can never and will never be able to relate.
Stop trying.
The continual comments about speed freaks and made up disorders are sanctimonious and self-serving.
Proper nutrition can help in just about every single area of life.

Yes... It can, but I find great relief in medication and cognitive restructuring with a therapist.
That does not make me wrong or a dupe, but what it makes me is a man who is willing to take control of my life despite the continual barrage by ill-informed naysayers who gain, at the absolute most, a self-righteous adrenaline rush by typing keyboard commando style about a situation that, by their own admission, they neither suffer from nor understand.

Obviously you folks do suffer from some type of mental disorder however.
The kind where you only find relief by casting judgement upon others.
Hey... Good for you.
You have a forum here at ATS that will allow you to get your fix.

Good day to all.
For all of us who receive a great benefit from taking meds and engaging in therapy, keep it up.
And maybe we should improve our diets as well.

Now, If it were only possible for a proper diet to cure monumental narcissism accompanying sanctimonious self-righteousness.
One can dream...

Ciao.

I'm glad - as a psychology major, I noticed that psychiatrists tended to think that ADHD decreases as one gets older. Also, I hate stigmas in general - a stigma is basically an incorrect assessment of a situation, and it not only hurts the person being judged, but limits the person judging from reaching their full potential (since they have an incorrect view of reality).

To my knowledge, as I understand it, ADD/ADHD is due to a lack of full synapse connectivity in the brain. The brain is not fully developed "connection" wise. This could be from food/diet, or even a mother innocently moving the baby in ways that it's brain does not know yet how to do. Assisting the baby/child does not encourage normal brain synapse connectivity, so the brain doesn't make the right connections.

To cure this, doctors prescribe meth, also know as adderall / ritalin. This helps connect the myelin sheaths between the synapses, bridging any gap. The problem with these drugs is that they destroy the sheath in the process, effectively "frying" the brain -- leading for the person to take higher doses of meth to keep the connections.

There are exercises that can be done to help create these brain synapse connections and get off the drugs. This involves trying to make both sides of the brain "communicate" with each other. Usually these exercises are involving both hands working together to make the brain work together.

One simple exercise is to hold a pen/pencil with two hands, next to each other, with at least one finger interlocked. On a blank piece of paper start to draw a large figure 8 on the entire sheet of paper. Continue tracing over that figure 8 at least 50 times.

There are many more exercises to help connect the brain better. As a disclaimer I am no doctor, but I went to a doctor 15+ years ago to try and fix this naturally. I think it worked, I don't take any pills =) (And being old information I am probably wrong on the brain info, I am trying to remember what I was told)

ETA: I remembered more. Television is a killer for a childs mind. All the fast moving images are not good, nor natural, for normal brain development.