What is ADHD? ADHD Treatment

ADHD is a complex brain disorder that is very common and stands for Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder. It is known as ADD but doctors use ADHD as an official term to address this mental illness.

Dr.Kailash Mantry treats all mental illness without medication and naturally by the right strategies he has developed in his 25 years career. According to Dr.Kailash, ADHD usually starts in childhood and continues to make problems in adults if not treated correctly. It is usually identified at small ages due to problems in the classroom and disturbance in school work.

The victim of ADHD is not able to focus and sit or stand-still. He/she acts quickly not giving time to the brain to think and excessive hyperactivity that doesn’t fit the situation. An individual that is going through this mental disorder losses self-control. ADHD in adults makes them difficult to manage their jobs and face problem managing their timings. 

It’s a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. This is a very common disorder and many popular personalities have it.

Thomas Edison who invented the bulb had ADHD and his behavior made him expelled from the school. Many children who develop ADHD are distracted quickly.

For example, if they are writing something, they will get bored and start playing suddenly forgetting that they were writing. Some children are hyperactive meaning they act and then think afterward.

In 2018, more than 9% of the children of the US had Attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

According to different researches and research by ADDitude magazine, ADHD is not a mental illness and not a disability to learn. It’s is not a behavioral problem. Our expert Dr. Kailash also believe that ADHD is just a brain impairment that usually targets children and can also be seen in adults. According to NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, it is not a disease nor a disorder as the victim is physically completely normal.

Types of ADHD:

There are three main types of ADHD.

Hyperactive-impulsive: An individual with ADHD can’t resist speaking all the time and cannot stay calm or still. Extreme restless behavior is seen.

Inattentive Behavior: The victim of ADHD is very inattentive and doesn’t pay attention to orders and conversation.

Combined Types: Patients of ADHD that have both the hyperactive and inattentive type.

Symptoms and signs of ADHD:

The children are normally either very hyperactive or mildest active but the ones with ADHD will remain hyperactive all the time. Their behavior can be difficult to control in school or at home and they usually can’t sit or stand still for even a little time.

Their inattention and distraction can be stress-causing.

There are many symptoms and can be categorized as below:

1. Inattentive: Carefree attitude.

-Children with ADHD are unable to focus or concentrate on particular lessons and quickly switch to other tasks not completing the previous one or forgetting the one which they were performing.

-They are disorganized and don’t usually miss the details and are careless in their work such as homework or classwork.

-They don’t listen to anyone speaking and inattentive. They are focused somewhere else in their world.

– They tend to lose things more often, like stationary at school, keys, and glasses.

 

– Teenagers may forget their tasks such as forgetting an appointment with the doctor or replying to a text message.

– Avoid tasks that require a strong effort and tend to ignore difficult tasks.

-They may daydream a lot.

2. Hyperactive: Restlessness behavior.

-Children with ADHD usually cannot sit still. Their continuous action of hands or feet is seen even in calm situations.

-Continuously movements or jumping around in areas where unsuited.

-Always talking and talking with loud noises.

-Cause disturbance when someone is speaking or disturb conversations.

-Hates waiting and cannot wait in a queue.

-Rush and always on the go and wants to do everything immediately and carelessly.

-Answers question before others finishing the questions and want to quick every time. 

3. Impulsive: Quick actions:

-ADHD symptoms in children make them impulsive and they do things without permission.

-They perform a very risky task.

-They tend to take things that are not for them.

Causes of ADHD:

Researches are still being done to find the causes of ADHD.

Some of the known causes are:

Stress during pregnancy: This is the most common cause of ADHD in the child. The bad or stressful relation of the mother with a family member during pregnancy makes the child hyperactive and a victim of ADHD.

Alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy.

Premature birth can also affect the child causing ADHD.

Brain injury to the child when playing or in school.

Low weight during birth.

There are many other causes such as watching too much television, eating foods high in sugar, and poor parenting or scolding the child for small reasons that may worsen the condition of ADHD but are not the root cause of the development of ADHD.

Diagnose:

No test can be done to diagnose Attentive deficient hyperactive active. However, the psychiatrist will take detailed information about the patient to see if the victim has ADHD.

The therapist uses guidelines provided in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. A list of symptoms is written to check if the victim falls into those categories and similar symptoms are seen. Physical examination and different sessions of interviews are conducted with the child and with the family or teachers to know how he/she reacts to certain situations. The child is referred further to a psychiatrist or a pediatrician.

However, for adults, there are fewer symptoms that should be considered to diagnose ADHD.

Symptoms are different in adults than in children and might be difficult to diagnose.

Treatment for Attentive Deficit Hyperactive Disorder:

There are treatments other than medicinal treatments that are very effective in treating ADHD in children. Dr.Kailash treated many patients with his natural therapies and his patients confirms that this disorder is 100% curable by the right attention and right attitude towards the child.

1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies:

Cognitive-behavioral therapies have been used for a very long time due to their effectiveness. It is a psychotherapy that improves negative thoughts and negative behavior and helps modify the behavior making it positive. It is a therapy in which a conversation is set up between the child to help manage the symptoms and set goals accordingly. It’s like brain training.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, CBT treatment should be the priority when treating children with ADHD. The American Academy of Pediatrics sets 3 basic ways to help ADHD in children.

1. Setting goals: Making your child focused on a goal is very important. It helps with the child’s inattentive behavior.

2. Give your child rewards. Treat your child with rewards if he completes his homework or punishes him if he doesn’t. The punishment doesn’t need to be hard. This will help the child work better to get positive rewards.

3. Keep following the second strategy for a longer period: This gradually changes your child’s behavior into a positive one as he will get used to it.

CBT is being used now because of its amazing results. It helps by changing the way patients think and behave in a certain situation and helps to tackle the symptoms of ADHD. It helps the brain learn and perform better functions. Behavioral modifications help your child in practical situations. It can either be given individually or in groups.

According to a study, the effectiveness of CBT therapy can be as effective as a medicine called methylphenidate.

 As ADHD is a problem in the neurotransmitters in the brain, this study shows CBTR helps in improve the neural activity in cerebellar circuits study.

Treating with CBT takes time. Usually, parents are very impatient as they want quick results. However, giving some time to the child and helping your child behave better and get used to the behavior takes time.

Similar therapies can be given to elder patients as well. As they have quick learning abilities, it takes time to change certain behaviors compared to children. CBT therapies have wide uses, there are CBT therapies that are specialized for ADHD.

2. Parenting education:

As much as behavioral treatments work for children it works wonders if parental training is done the right way. Some therapists available are certified in parental education. The efforts that parents can do because of having a close relationship with their child and understanding their child better than anyone else can help work magic for the child.

As parents are trained by the therapist, the child recovers faster. Parents are taught how to react to children and handle different situations with their children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than eight sessions are set up with either a group of parents or an individual family. The number of the session depends on the level of treatment. The sessions are kept between parents and the child to practice and train the parents. Different strategies are made to see what is working for the child. The parent’s behavior is changed to handle the child and full support by the therapist is given. Small children only listen to their parents and being familiar with parents takes time. Treating a child can be easy with the parent’s support. Surely, parenting education can make a huge difference.

All in all, the therapist will first teach strategies to manage the child to have only positive effects on the child wiping all the negativity that might cause problems in treating ADHD.

Secondly, parents are taught how to communicate with the child and practicing different activities according to the strategy that is set. Daily visits are set with the therapist to observe if there is any change that can be done to speed up the process.

However, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) provide tips for parents that can be helpful if followed.

1. Listening to your child: Giving the child the right amount of time and giving value whenever they talk or discuss something with you can have a positive effect on ADHD symptoms. Discussing their plans and stressful condition and then making them tackle the easy way can ignore the stress the child is going through.

2. Setting up a good routine: Setting up a perfect routine for every day with healthy eating and some playing is the cherry on the top.

3. Manage your child: Treating your child the way what is working for him. Making them learn the way they want and not compromising discipline at all. Try to remove noise if your child feels disturbed in that surrounding.

4. Praise your child: Be a motivation for your child instead of taunting and scolding the child for every step he/she takes. Being a good friend with your child helps them grow and show their talents. 

5. Help your child socializing: Be your child’s strength. Help them and give them the confidence to talk to people.

3. Treating ADHD in school: 

Children spend most of their time in school. ADHD treatments in the classroom by the teacher can help the student learn quickly in case if parental guidance is not working. However, parental guidance with ADHD in the classroom can work tremendously for better results.

Teachers can guide the child in academic as well as positive behavior of the teachers can make the child an organized individual.

Teachers can give attention to the child and follow IEP. Individual Educational program IEP is a program that sets up certain goals in a written format that can help teachers deal with the child more positively. If the child has disabilities including Attentive Deficit Hyperactive disorder or any other disability and it is affecting his career, IEP is implemented. It is a special program for the children and is applicable in school and outside. To check if the child is eligible to be given IEP, a specialist observes your child. The academic level is observed. Then an IEP program is written according to the child’s behavior in the presence of a school representative, in which a list of accommodation and modifications are elaborated. The future goals are written and a detailed review is done in every step to check the child’s improvement. The progress of the child is shared with the parents in different intervals.

If a child is not eligible for IEP, a plan called 504 is given which is not very formal. It includes support from the teacher or leniency for the child to overcome the problems he is facing. It is just basic accommodation only in the school. 

For any of the plans from IEP and 504 plan, teachers are bound to do as written in the document once a document is written. Nobody, even the school management cannot oppose or challenge any point in the document. According to the University of Washington, both plans should be updated yearly to assure correct and effective accommodation.

Moreover, the teacher can have a close connection with the child with ADHD to calm the child, listen to want he wants and how he wants. What are his struggles and how he wants to tackle them? How to treat his relation with other children and what makes him happy.

ADHD in school can have a more positive effect on the child as the teacher can help your child succeed in academics and support him to bring out the best in your child.

 

4. DIET MANAGEMENT:

A healthy diet includes proteins that are high and sugar levels that are low. An example of a normal individual eats a healthy diet and can see very improvements in mood and behavior. Having a balanced diet can help calm the symptoms of ADHD and can be beneficial in treating Attentive deficit hyperactive disorder.

According to a study, children who consumed food high in sugar levels and more fried and fast food instead of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and olive oil were seen to have negative effects on the behavior leading to poor learning abilities.

Dr. Vincent Monastra, head of ADHD clinic in New York said that out of 500 patients of ADHD that he treats every year, less than 5% are eating the right amount of protein required by the brain to function better.

Proteins are present in food in fish, meat, eggs, and much other food. It is very beneficial for the brain and it helps with the symptoms of ADHD. Proteins help in making neurotransmitters that are helpful to overcome brain problems. Scientist believes the lower levels of dopamine in people with ADHD is due to low levels of protein. Dopamine helps the brain in better functioning and controlling movement. Thus, increasing protein levels in the body can be helpful.

5. Improving sleeping patterns:

Victims of ADHD usually have problems with their sleeping patterns and can be very challenging to treat. The sleep problems are different for a different type of Attentive Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Because the victim is usually hyperactive as a symptom of ADHD, they tend to have problems maintaining their sleep. They are either sleeping all the time or they have problems with incomplete sleep time. 

Where adults complain about insomnia, nightmares in children with ADHD are also common according to research.

Sleep disorders that occur in people ADHD according to Sleep Foundation:

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): It is the urge to move legs due to the presence of sensation. It is seen in more than 40% of people with ADHD and is usually because of iron deficiencies.

Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB): It is also called sleep apnea. It includes disturbing breathing patterns. If you still feel tired after a long sleep, you are more likely to have SDB.

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder: It is a disorder in which the victim usually an adult observes problems in falling asleep or waking up. They are more active in the evening than in the morning. Adjusting a good sleeping pattern can improve the rhythm. Hypnotics and light therapy can also be used.

A healthy sleeping routine includes good temperatures, no noise, and dim lighting. Although the studies related to sleeping and ADHD are controversial, healthy habits can help. 

Maintaining a healthy sleeping pattern:

1. Go to your bed at the same time every day and try to wake up at the same time making it your routine helping brain and body work well.

2. Make sure you create a calm dark environment for your child and yourself.

3. Remove all the distractions that might disturb sleep.

4. Avoid screen time few hours before bed. To the victims of ADHD, sleeping well is very important and they cannot compromise on sleep. Screen time can ruin your sleeping pattern and ruin your total sleep time according to research. 

6. Supplement helping ADHD:

There are many cases when just supplements can work wonders in treating Attentive deficit hyperactive disorder. A deficiency of certain vitamins or minerals can cause the development of ADHD in children which further makes it prominent in adults.

-Iron: This is known as the magic supplement by the different sources.

The statistic shows around 84% of the children with ADHD were found deficit in iron level.

According to a study, a supplement of iron can help with ADHD in patients. Restless Leg Syndrome can also be due to lower iron levels as it provokes a tingling sensation. Supplementing the body with iron can also help RLS helping ADHD. The dosage levels according to a study shows 80 mg/day have been known to improve ADHD symptoms in children who are deficient in iron.

-Zinc: Zinc studies are not very deep but there is research that supplying zinc to children can help children with zinc deficiencies as zinc metabolizes the neurotransmitters in the brain. It improves the working of the dopamine thereby helping the brain function better in treating ADHD. The dosage at which the studies were done was 55gm/day of zinc sulfate showing beneficial effects on children with Attentive deficit hyperactive disorder.

-Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids help the brain to stay healthy. Study shows that omega 3 supplement showed improvement in hyperactivity and attentiveness in children with ADHD.

Source  kailashmantry