This week I came across yet another child recently prescribed with Ritalin for an apparent Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Whilst our incidence of ADHD and use of the drug Ritalin may not be as great as in the U.S., where pharmacists distribute five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined, my observation is that this situation is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK.
But I have a number of questions about this issue... Is ADHD really as prevalent as it appears? Is a powerful drug like Ritalin the answer? What are the alternatives?
The Potent Side Effects of Ritalin
Research indicates that Ritalin has the same pharmacological profile as cocaine, yet brain imaging demonstartes that its effects are even more potent.
Ritalin stimulates your central nervous system, leading to many potential side effects, such as:
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Increased body temperature
• Increased alertness
• Suppressed appetite
An additional concern is that Ritalin is often taken for over a period of year, when the drug may cause even more severe health problems such as cancer. A small University of Texas study conducted in 2005 showed damage to the chromosomes of 12 children who had taken Ritalin for just three months.
The potential of Ritalin to cause cancer has long been known, as back in 1993 The National Toxicology Program released results that showed feeding mice Ritalin at levels close to those routinely prescribed to children induced liver tumors, including rare and highly malignant cancers.
Researchers used to believe that Ritalin was a short-acting drug, but studies have shown it has the potential for causing long-lasting changes in brain cell structure and function and may lead to stunted growth.
Ritalin is the drug prescribed most often to kids with ADHD, but there are others, with equally disturbing risks. ADHD drugs other than Ritalin have been linked to hallucinations, heart attack, stroke, increased aggressive behavior, suicide, and even sudden death!
Helping Kids Does Not Mean Giving Them Mind-Altering Drugs
Sadly, it seems that Ritalin and other drugs are the go-to treatment for behavioral issues like ADHD because it’s easy. Popping a pill takes just a few seconds a day, whereas the other treatments to help kids with symptoms of ADHD -- things like inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity -- take many weeks or months, since they address the underlying causes, not alter the child chemically.
Behavioral interventions using positive reinforcement are one of the best options for helping children with ADHD, especially if they're used alongside nutritional changes.
One study found that such interventions, which included individualized programs that emphasized positive support to reinforce behavior at home and school, were highly effective, even in young children aged 3 to 5. Specifically, children who received the intervention techniques had:
• A 17-percent decrease in aggression and a 21-percent improvement in social skills at home
• A 28-percent improvement in both categories at school
• Improvements in early literacy skills of up to three times over their baseline status
Natural Lifestyle Changes
This condition can often improve dramatically with some natural lifestyle changes.
1) Increase your intake of omega-3 fat from krill oil. Dr Joseph Mercola believes this to be the single most important nutrient for ADHD children and adults.
2) Drink only water. Take care to avoid fruit juices, soda, and pasteurized milk.
3) Restrict or eliminate all processed foods, sugars and most grains from your diet.
4) Avoid processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, which may aggravate or cause ADHD symptoms.
5) Spend more time in nature.
6) Consult a Chiropractor to determine if the child has nerve dysfunction (particularly in the neck region) resulting form spinal misalignments.
7) Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) may also be effective. This is a form of psychological acupressure that you can perform anywhere (it involves only tapping with your fingertips and repeating some positive phrases), and would make an excellent addition to any type of behavioral therapy your child is receiving.
Dr Mercola states that many cases of ADHD can resolve naturally when you strictly follow these recommendations. So rather than relying on a dangerous quick-fix like Ritalin, teach your child that they can excel in life, and overcome their symptoms, by taking control of their health.
"To repeat what others have said requires education; to challenge it requires brains" Mary Pettibone
Many thanks to www.mercola.com for source material
The data re Ritalin and chromnasome damage is outdated and has been disproven. While all medications do have side effects, so do many non medication interventions, including chiropractic. Responsible management of any condition involves a holistic oconsideration of all the available options- medication and non medication, and appropraite tailoring of medication to account for response and side effects. Stimulant medication can be of enormous benefit, and many children and adults feel immediately better and start to improve as soon as medication is added to the treatment plan. I should know- I have been through it myself.( I might add that I did also get great benefit from a treatment on my neck given by another type of physical therapist. I am all for whatever works.)
ReplyDeleteYou will note that I am challenging- not repeating here, I suspect that shows brains too.
As a further comment- one should also take great care to exclude hostile teachers and other sources of emotional agitation from your ADHD childs life. That will be the most potent intervention of all.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments.
I agree that a holistic considered approach is the only sensible option to dealing with any health expression. Unfortunately this is very rarely undertaken. The primary reason for this is a lack of understanding and knowledge.
I believe that one of the most important factors in gaining full health expression is sel-responsibility. The aim of this article is to outline some of the risks of using this medication, which unfortunaetly is used far more prevelently than should be and in many very minor cases were less invasive intervention would be far more appropriate, and which most parents are unaware of.
The intention was also to outline some natural options that can be used either adjunctively or instead of pharmaceuticals. Yes all intervention has an associated negative risk but clearly the risks associated with this (and indeed all) medication is fair greater than any of the natural interventions listed.
Unfortunately statistics suggest that iatrogenesis (medical intervention induced sickness) is now the third largest cause of death amongst adults and the largest in children in some societies. An understanding of possible alternatives (not replacements) to this has to be beneficial.
As a final comment, I would be interested to see the study which disproves the chromosome data. Is this one study or numerous? Does one study with contradictory results to one other quantify disproving or just two varied results?