Mental Health Learning

I am an ADHD expert…to ONLY myself, to only my particular disorder, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.  So as I write, I would like to share with you the ADHD alternative treatment methods I have learned about along the forty-year journey of living with this disorder.

First, know that while street meth is not a legitimate ADHD alternative treatment, it is what one MD says clever of you to try.  That is, many intelligent, proactive individuals who have ADHD but have not been diagnosed and are at their wits’ end trying to make themselves feel normal by what is known as self-medicating.  So don’t be ashamed or overly obsessed with the esteem issues that come with street drug use.  More importantly, get to a doctor or psychiatrist for diagnosis and understanding of the disorder.

Then, weigh the options available to you by reading whatever you can: read magazines, books, research papers, on- and offline articles.  Find the works devoted strictly to ADHD and written by experts and professionals in the field, including the following (listed here in no particular order): David Sudderth, Joseph Kandel, Thom Hartmann, Sari Solden, Thomas Whiteman, Michelle Novotni, Kate Kelly, and Peggy Ramundo.

At this point you will have come across the “traditional” or most common treatments, such as psychotherapy and drug therapy combined, and will have found some ADHD alternative treatments, as well.  These include such alternatives as the following:

HOMEOPATHIC/NONTRADITIONAL MEDICINES

Some turn away from western medicine to such alternatives as acupressure—a healing technique that has been successfully applied for smoking habits, weight problems, anxiety disorders, fertility issues, and even HDHD symptoms.  As of 1997, the Lincoln Hospital Recovery Center in Bronx, New York, for example, administers acupressure treatments to those with ADHD.  They have had remarkable results: kids have been positively impacted in regards to their sleep and hyperactivity patterns, blood pressure and depression problems, studying and participating, working, and just sitting…calmly and without the “mind spinning” so familiar to those with ADHD.

ENERGY HEALING

Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, for instance, are energy healing approaches that work on the premise that the human being is a dynamic being, connected by physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional components.  Energy healing methods seek to balance these components, so in the person with ADHD, the symmetry that results is said to be calming—slowing the activity down so the person can focus, is less anxious, and is less intrusive and defiant.
DIETARY CHANGES

A close investigation of foods that are or contain allergens and irritants to the nervous system has revealed the possibility of ADDers being especially negatively impacted.  ADD treatments in this area include eliminating or curbing intake of white flour, sugar, and/or additives/preservatives.  But the controversy still roars on this one, and FDA and other regulatory bodies have not acknowledged the veracity of gross dietary changes…yet.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Much attention has been paid to holistic treatment, other ADHD alternative treatment, and vitamin therapies.  And many vitamin sources claim to help alleviate such symptoms as inability to focus, edginess, and sleep problems.  But as with any ingesting therapies, inappropriate application can lead to damaging results on other parts of the body and brain.  So what most specialists will acknowledge as important is nutritional balance, antioxidant vitamin supplements (A, E, for example), and/or a multi-vitamin…though as with many alternatives they will not attest to any remarkable cures or absolute recovery, which has yet to be proved, documented, and announced…for now, anyway.