Showing posts with label ADHD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ADHD. Show all posts

Sunday, April 15, 2007

How Do You Get ADHD?

There has been a lot of research done on how exactly you get ADHD, and it is now known that genetics is at least part of the reason. Currently, research shows that at least 30%-40% of individuals with ADHD have a family member that deals with the same kinds of issues. But this does not mean that the whole family will be affected by these issues. It appears through findings that only one member of a family will be affected by ADHD.

There are still many different theories as to what exactly causes ADHD. For many years, it was thought that ADHD was caused by some kind of brain damage. It is now thought that it is caused by brain chemistry. Researchers have been looking specifically at neurotransmitters as the cause of ADHD. Examples of neurotransmitters that could be affected by this disorder are dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Because people in families tend to have similar brain wirings, it makes sense that ADHD would be at least partly genetic.

Other theories that have been investigated are that ADHD could also be caused by some sort of illness or accident that caused damage to the brain. This could include complications that occur during pregnancy such as drugs used to prevent infectious diseases, overexposure to radiation or a complicated delivery. Other causes could be the use of alcohol during pregnancy.

Many have questioned whether nutritional deficiencies have any link to ADHD. While it has not been ruled out, I highly doubt that a particular deficiency would cause this disorder. While it is true that certain nutritional deficiencies will cause symptoms that are similar to ADHD, there is no proof or scientific evidence that a link exists. Research experts in autism and other behavior disorders have looked for a nutritional link as well, but none exists. There has been some evidence that the Feingold diet may help diminish symptoms of ADHD, though.

Since the diagnosis of ADHD has become so much more common in recent years, it is often that an older family member will get diagnosed while bringing their son or daughter in to get tested. This may provide some relief to individuals who weren't sure exactly why they were the way they were. Some may decide to go on medication upon diagnosis, and some may not. But often the late diagnosis does explain some part of the individual's life that did not make sense before.

If there are not members in a family that have ADHD per se, there may be other similar disorders. Although there is not a formal link between autism and ADHD, there are similarities and the two disorders tend to run together. Someone may have autism or Asperger's in your family background. Also, someone may have bipolar or OCD; these are mainly brain based disorders that have been loosely linked to ADHD and are sometimes co-morbid.

About the author :

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith's own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

Friday, April 13, 2007

What is ADHD?

In essence, people can naturally detoxify toxic substances without support. Yet, with the growing amount of toxins that are being ingested into the body through water consumption, environment, and the food that people eat, can build up.

Although primarily on acute exposure, an interesting chapter by W. Stopford, tells of a young man who was treated by daily 20-minute saunas for three years and recovered from a nearly fatal acute Hg poisoning.

So here is our easy-to-make recipe for green tea, but this one tastes so good you¡¯ll never guess how good it is for you! A great, healthy thirst- quencher for hot summer days. Technology. We live in a grand time of technological development. Computers, the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and DVDs. But the human body has not 'kept up' with technology.

Movies are after all for entertainment purposes only, and there is nothing remotely entertaining about the reality of alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Addiction can be hell on earth and life in an Alcohol rehab and Drug Rehab can be a nightmare.

What is ADHD?

It seems that the "What is ADHD" question is not very easy to answer, despite the plethora of studies, research and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity testing over the past decades. In asking the question, "What is ADHD," it is easier to answer by describing what ADHD is not. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder testing and research has not proven that ADHD is a medical condition. There is no concrete research that supports that Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a genuine disorder or a disease.

What we do know is that Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD is becoming a modern day American plague. It is the fastest growing diagnosis given to children and teens, often based on subjective Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity testing of parent ratings and doctor observations.

Doctors use a standard checklist of characteristics when Attention Deficit Hyperactivity testing to make a diagnosis and prescribe a standard course of stimulant drug therapy in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity. ADHD symptoms commonly include aggressive behavior, constant activity, easy distractibility, impulsiveness and/or the inability to concentrate. These ADHD symptoms may include fidgeting or constant movement, excessive talking and difficulty participating in "quiet" activities like reading.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder children always seem to be in motion. They dash around, wiggle, squirm, fidget and talk nonstop. They are whirlwinds that leave messes, throw tantrums, start fights and act obstinate. It's hard to miss ADHD in children but if the parent happens to miss the signs, the child's teacher certainly will make a point of clearly pointing it out to the parent.

The most prevalent, and most controversial, treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is drug therapy. The top drugs of choice being Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine and Concerta. Now here's the scary part; These commonly prescribed drugs in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder fall in the same drug category (Schedule II) as cocaine, methadone and opium.

Only a decade ago, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder testing and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was virtually unheard of. The 1987 edition of the Webster's Dictionary, touting 50,000 entries and modern definitions, does not even include the word "Hyperactive" or "Hyperactivity." The American Psychiatric Association did not name Attention Deficit as a disorder until 1990.

Young boys, by nature have higher levels of energy than their female counterparts. Boys are diagnoses at a rate three times higher than girls.

When did active, high-spirited, strong-willed and oft times uncooperative kids move from kids being kids to children having a mental disorder? If using ADHD medication sales as a marker, this shift began right about the time the American Psychiatric Association named this set of characteristics as a disorder. Since 1990, prescriptions for ADHD medications quintupled.

As Attention Deficit Hyperactivity testing and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder reach all-time highs and continue to climb in this country, other countries around the world seem relatively unaffected by this "disorder." This is America's plague.

This country uses 500% more Ritalin than all the rest of the world combined. Cancer rates and cardiovascular disease in the United States alone are among the highest in the world as a result of technology interfering with our food supply and living environments.

Do I believe in detox? Well, most of it is plain simple commonsense - proper diet, judicious supplementation, adequate rest, exercise, stress- relieving techniques.

It is also important to understand that detoxification do not work in isolation. It requires careful understanding of the different substances that will help the body recuperate and fight back diseases.

Metal toxicity can cause health issues that range from headaches and aching bones to memory loss and discoloration of the skin and nails.

On the other hand, drug dependence often begins with the misuse of legal drugs like prescription drugs and inhalants. Inhalants are legal substances that becomes illegal when use in a manner that causes a person to get high. It is rare to find an Asian child undergoing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder testing, much less receiving treatment. European children are diagnosed at a rate of about 10 percent of their American counterparts.

Either the United States has some pretty hyped up kids or American doctors are over-diagnosing Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Some people argue that Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are not disorders at all, but simply personality types. Some people can sit still, pay attention, concentrate on specific tasks and exhibit proficient social skills. Others get fidgety, jump from project to project or just do not fit in the societal "norm." The argument is that ADHD people are not "sick" and in need of dangerous drug therapy but simply have a different way of dealing with the conventional world.

Sure these high-energy and on-the-go kids can be incredibly irritating to teachers, energy draining to parents and general all-around hassles in the grocery store but they are also unique, creative, expressive and full of life. And boy, are they full of life!

Maybe we, as a society, should encourage some of these freethinking traits instead of expecting these children to sit quietly.

After all, had Albert Einstein, Lugwig Van Beethoven, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and Henry David Thoreau grown up in today's society, they likely would have been slapped with the Attention Deficit label and placed on medications to make them conform to societal standards. Should we stifle the natural enthusiasm and fervor of hyperactive people with drug medications? Would we have the genius of these incredibly unique minds if stifled by altering drugs?

You have to wonder...

In the conventional treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the goal is short-term, as are the effects. The goal is to make the child more compliant (usually so they can sit quietly in school) and ADHD medications do work effectively for the majority of children.

However, the price paid for compliant children can be detrimental to the child's mental and physical well being is high. You want your child to be able to focus, sustain attention and behave calmly and appropriately on his own instead of relying on a pharmaceutical drug to do that for him. We do not want a generation of children to grow up automatically thinking that drugs are the answer.

Treatment should address the root of the problem instead of temporarily masking the symptoms and it should produce lasting changes instead of "fixing" the problem for a couple hours. A large body of research indicates that environmental factors - nutritionally deficient diets, lead poisoning, food allergies and such - cause ADHD symptoms.

By ruling out environmental toxins, food allergies and other possibly causes and by increasing the body's strength and wellness through sound diet and nutritional supplementation, Attention Deficit problems can be gently and effectively addressed without the use of dangerous medications.

We also believe that ADHD should stand for "Absolutely Delightful, Hardy and Daring" young children that will one day grow into fine adults if raised in an accepting, loving and stable environment.

So what is ADHD? Nothing to be feared, nothing to dreaded, nothing other than a label placed on the societal wild children that need a little extra love and a whole lot of patience.

There are a variety of ways that drug and alcohol rehab work to help a person stop abusing a controlled substance. One way is commonly referred to as ¡®cold turkey¡¯.

When we found this tasty recipe for a warming, detoxifying ginger- turmeric tea, we were thrilled: after the holiday season, we figured we could use some detoxing and healing!

The abundance of possible problems coupled with the severity of heavy metal toxicity has led to the creation of Heavy Metal Detox. Research has shown that addiction is treatable. Drug Detox today and pass your drug test!

Of course certain herbs and supplements may help someone with intestinal problems like dyspepsia, indigestion, wind and irritable bowel syndrome. More on drug detox at ttp://www.detoxs.info

About the author:

By Erin Smith How can you pass your drug test? Find out at http://www.detoxs.info