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What is ADD/ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) are puzzling disorders that affects 5 - 10% of school-aged children. ADD/ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder of children where boys are 10 times more likely to have ADD/ADHD than girls.

Symptoms

Children with ADD/ADHD are anxious, unable to communicate effectively, have poor attention spans, have poor organizational skills are are easily distracted. ADHD children are always moving or fidgeting with their hands. Twenty percent of children with ADD have learning disabilities and ninety percent have social and behavioral problems and can be a challenge to parent. By adolescence, forty percent of these children show signs of depression.

Cause

The cause of ADD/ADHD remains unknown but there is some understanding that it may be the result of chemical imbalances or deficiency of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. The disorders appear to have genetic tendencies.

Theories that it may result from an injury to the nervous system, a difficult pregnancy or delivery, lack of oxygen at birth, ear infections causing a rise in body temperature, allergies, head trauma, or accumulation of toxic metal have been not yet been proven.

Much more research is needed on ADD/ADHD to determine what contributes to optimal attention, and the treatment successes needs to be much more widely shared.

The Best Combination

The best treatment for ADD/ADHD has been the best of both conventional medicine and complementary medicine. We strongly recommend that you do not abandon conventional medicine in favor of an unproven complementary or alternative health practice.

CAM Therapies That May Be Helpful for ADD/ADHD

nutrition herbal therapy homeopathy biofeedback brain gym cranial sacral therapy osteopathy sound therapy art therapy NAET naturopathy

Disclaimer: The resources and links provided are for information purposes only and one should discuss treatment options with their physician.

Important: Whatever CAM treatment you opt for, it is important that you share the information with your physician. It is important that we begin to start talking about the many therapies available and begin to determine which practices are the most helpful.

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