adhd its real

Family, Education, Health and Pets
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I have been around around ADHD for about 30 years and have worked with ADHD type people especially children for about 15 years. I enjoyed working with these type of people tremendously but had problems with the parents. The parents wanted me to fix the children and when I suggested that the parents learn how to respond to and accept these children they would leave. They wanted to blame the children for all of the issues.

I also dislike using the term ADHD or ADD because the word disorder is indicating that they are broken or diseased. In my opinion is that with many of the ADHD people is that their brains function differently. I believe we would not be advanced in this world if it were not for these type of people.

There are many causes for a lack of attention and the many symptoms of ADHD. It can be caused by food, allergies, a small bump on the head, trauma etc

I found that my job in working with the ADHD person was about helping these people to learn how to cope in a conforming society.

Currently I do an assessment called brain mapping or QEEG(quantitative electroencephalograph) It is a wonderful tool that I believe is a necessary tool to confirm a diagnosis. It can also be used to titrate medication. It maps how the brain functions which helps me to develop a protocol that might help to chnage how the brain functions.

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are you seeing patients in Zurich?

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Yes, I see clients in Zurich. You can come by for a brain mapping which takes about an hour and a verbal assessment for 1 hour. So 2 hours.

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cool, good to know... at the moment, it would be very challenging to make appointments in Zurich.

I was evaluated at the Waldhaus in Chur, and diagnosed with ADHS with a medium to severe affliction.

I could have sworn I posted about it on this exact thread, but at the moment I don't see my earlier posts, tho I am getting updates to this thread which makes me think they should be here. EDIT::: just found the thread: Looking for doctor who might prescribe adderall:::

not sure why I got a notification on this thread but I'm happy I did. :-)

I'm not a fan of the severe dry mouth and depression, and some other side effects and the zombie detachment of my surroundings... so a stronger scientific approach like what you have mentioned to titrate meds, is sounding hopeful... the russian roulette style of keep trying (pulling the trigger) different meds till I find one that works is feeling dangerous to me, without 24 hr suicide watch.

I'm a fan of amino acids, no sugar in diet and exercise... lots of water.

I'm thinking I may have some foods that are suspect with aggravated symptoms... In August I go for blood allergy testing.

I do wish for the easy button so I could study german and retain it easier

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We have explored so many therapists and treatments, food, diet, suppliments and alternative therapies and diagnosis, I dont know where to begin, needless to say we are very reluctant about medication and are using this as a temporary last resort. He displays all of the symptoms (which we can live with) and has now got to the state where he is beyond disipline, will not listen, is violent and a danger to himself and others. It really is tearing the family apart but worst of all his younger brother is the focus of his anger and frustration, a bit of biffo between brothers is normal but trying to inflict maximum damage and pain is not. Worse is that his younger brother idolises him and is now repeating this behavior, we are scared to leave them alone together.

We have, can and do discuss this incidents with him and he is full of remorse but he refuses to accept resposability for his actions, "Leon made me do it" and when pressed on this "my head does not work". He is now falling behind a lot of his classmates in school and sport (not a big problem in itself) but this frustrates him even more that he is starting to give up on trying, which is tough for a parent to watch knowing you have very little control over it.

Medication is the option of last resort for us, we are hoping while he is on it he can find his confidence again and concentrate enough to learn some techniques skills that will help him manage his life so he does not need medication.

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Hi

Sorry to read about your situation and I can understand your frustration and pain.

In some instances the development of anger can be the result of a hit on the head. Many of these kids, because they do not pay attention hit their heads.

Many of these type of children are impulsive. They do not have the ability to inhibit their responses. Anger is one of these. A lack of inhibition affects the ability to make good decisions. research has shown that emotion often overtakes the ability to inhibit.

I would recommend a brain map. It is not painful and it is non invasive.

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Hi

Yes, amino acids can be very effective. No food coloring, msg, carbs and gluten free and dairy free. Try going off of the carbs for a couple of weeks and then eat at the end. Same with the dairy.If you have a reaction then...

I can recommend a great guy in Chur who does brain mapping. Contact me private if you want to know.

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I was diagnosed with add as an adult. I've tried both Ritalin and concerta. Concerta made me even more anxious because it was too long acting, dose was too high. I'd try the lowest dose of Ritalin - maybe even half or a quarter of 10mg. see how he feels. If the Ritalin works, he might be relaxed. I'm not a clinician though. But you asked and that's what I'd try. Always start with the lowest dose and nothing that's long acting.

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He actually said "my head does not work"? I think I said that too. Reading that made my heart twitch a bit. Decades later I think I figured out what this actually means.

It turns out that when I younger I did not realize and understand how my brain worked. There were many things that I found difficult...primarily Algebra for example. I was one of the worst math students in my class and ended up graduating high school with 9th grade level skills in math. Finally as a senior in high school I took geometry. Guess what...I aced it.

What is the difference between geometry and algebra? Algebra deals more in abstraction and guessing. Geometry functions in terms of absolutes. If you recall...there are rules for EVERYTHING in geometry. It turns out that my brain desired these rules. They had order. They were not abstract. They were black and white. There was no room for assumption or straggling thoughts. Geometry, in a sense, calibrated my brain to understand that logic and linear thoughts was what I needed to handle the ADHD 'symptoms'. Treating matters of discipline with something that can be observed as an arbitrary reaction (ie., doing action X and responding with "go to your room") can be confusing since the cause and effect of the two actions are not directly related in the mind that may require absolutes.

Of course a younger child may not have the type of logical exposure for many years to come. But, it could be worth a few extra moments of observation to see if you see the things I came to realize.

I am curious about the following questions:

Are legos or other structured toys preferred over cars/dolls/fantasy? Are there thoughts or questions expressed that make absolutely zero sense? Are these questions if, assessed logically, actually brilliant? Are things like aquariums and open fires calming? What does provide calming?

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Hi

Nice to see that you can make unemotional non judgemental observations of yourself. In regard to what I do this is what I like about the the brain mapping. It focuses on how the brain functions. We do not think about good or bad.I often tell people, I do not know anyone who is perfect; anyone who does not have some issue or another. We think about enhancement rather than fixing the broken.

There are people who have difficulty dealing with the irrational. These people like computers because they are rational. Irrational people can be overwhelming. Emotional people can be overwhelming.

But these same people have great skills and abilities. SAPof Germany have training courses for people with autism.

Oh yes, many people prefer legos and trains over the sualy toys.

Oh yes, there are some people who can not see what others can see because of the way the brain maybe functioning. Many people with too much high(beta) are narrowly focused and therefore can not see other opportunities and possibilities.

In my opinion, fires, rain drops, showers, trains, etc are calming to the brain because of focus. Our focus goes on these things and stops us thinking about too many other things. There are many true stories of many great discovers made while in the shower.

Yes, understanding how the brain functions can be helpful. But learning how to change how our brain functions is great.

We have recently started a clinic in Zurich that will look at these issues and research these issues. Our mission is enhancement and self sustainability.

If you are interested you can send me a private mail

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Diet........ you would be amazed by what changing you diet does to help this

anyone suffering from ADHD should give the Paleo diet a chance for at least 3 months, it has done wonders for me.

although it doesn't cure ADHD - its done enough that my family and friends have noticed a large change in my behavior.

just think - a highly energic person/body doesnt really need all the extra fuel from processed sugars, high carb count or caffeine.

dont knock it until you try it!

lets face it the research to push pharmaceutical company drugs is always going to be more prominent than the research of how a few diet changes can also provide help. Theres not as much money to be made from pushing bananas and apples!!!

happy to give tips if anyone wants to inbox m - i have been doing the paleo diet for a year now!

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Hi,

I feel for all of your suffering with this disorder. You don't hear much about how these problems can affect people long-term. My good friend just put her son on Concerta, and it has been a godsend for him.

But I wonder about one thing: How much do you think the system is to blame? Are we expecting kids to sit still for too long? Are we expected to fit into a mold that just doesn't fit everyone? I homeschooled my daughter last year because I was concerned about her having to fit into a structure that would bend who she naturally is.

I'm a bit bothered that, due to larger class sizes, teachers are expecting kids to sit still and quiet down for longer than is possible for some kids. Like teaching in a "one size fits all" way.

I'm actually beginning my study of medicine that might lead me to become a psychiatrist; but I'd like to look at these issues with a better understanding of all the factors involved.

Just wanted to put these ideas out there,

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One of the positive benefits of ADHD: the ability to observe without judgment.

It does not make sense to observe an issue from an emotional perspective. This fact is something that the adult with ADHD must be aware of. To most it would seem that we are unemotional, distant, or detached. The reality is that, for me anyway, I am collecting and cataloging what my eyes see and storing that into small bins which are cataloged with other experiences which are further sorted and connected to other experiences. Everything is an over-thought and each thought has at least 10 accessory tangents to consider.

My point, there is a lot going on up there. As a child it was IMPOSSIBLE to convey these feelings because they are assumed to be normal (because they are). I'm sure many people think a lot about most things in their lives. But...if you asked a person who truly has ADHD "What do you think of the weather in Ticino?" you should not be surprised if you got an answer like "How the end of Minoan civilization came to pass is still a mystery...and I prefer grapes over almonds".

Back to my point, I think the ability to observe is a keen indicator of the condition. One could be so busy observing that nothing else seems to matter, not even food and sleep. The "H" part of the equation may too often be associated with actual hyperactivity. It is my opinion that if one is actually engaged with people and active and seemingly frantic...they may not really have ADHD. It those whose minds are so busy that they can not function 'normally' are the ones that really need help. Calling it "Attention Deficit" is, to me, a joke in that its the state of hyper-attention which is actually the causing of most of the issues.

Help/relief can come in many forms. For some performing routine/repetitive tasks helps. Exercising to the point of exhaustion works. I'm sure there are other means for others too. Once the brain can get a break from itself, things improve.

I could go on an on about the subject for hours. But I will say this...avoid the medications. This would even require that the parents themselves reality check themselves to ensure that they themselves are in the proper frame of mind to make this decision. At the time, my parents were going though an ugly divorce and effective/nurturing parenting was not a top priority. That in itself causes many stresses to form over time. Between joint custody and having essentially two identities (one for each parent) the child is the one left holding the bags. Behaviors change and obvious introspection is a result since the child becomes dependent on themselves when they should not be. I think its this introspection early on that leads to increased hyper-attention...which further leads to a head full of thoughts and other issues.

This is all my personal theory on the matter of course. I could be wrong and I am certain that clinicians and therapists will disagree with me. But as they say...walk a mile in my shoes. Having been a fully diagnosed and medicated child for years, taming the 'brain noise' with meds did me no favors at all. A good does of genuine love, logical discipline and routines will work wonders.

Sorry for the long post again.

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Please look into "histamine intolerance" before making any decisions.

Histamine is a neurotransmitter and all anti-anxiety medication are also histamine blockers.

Histamine also involved in the allertic reactions as we all know from the term anti-histamine.

When certain foods degrade, they have higher histamine content which some people cannot deal with as easily as others. By avoiding certain foods, one can easily deal with the issue.

Histamine intolerance is as big an issue in Germany as lactose intolerance is, and may be implicated in ADHD

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Hey, thanks for this. Your observations are important.

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Some useful addresses.

www.elpos.ch www.adhs20plus.ch

RTN:- Are all three docs specialists on adhd or just have experience in the field? You need to have the very best expertise for your child.

Once you have that do your homework. Learn everything you can. There is no one size fits all cure. The more you know the better you are able to make informed judgements about his treatment. You and your wife are the experts when it comes to your child and you have to be in the position to speak for your child.

I speak from the perspective of someone diagnosed at age 50. My treatment has been a long and hard path and I can speak and think for myself. Your son can't you have to do this for him.

Education is a big part of learning to live with adhd and after four years I can now say I "get" most of it and am in a much better place now.

My doc is highly qualified and has much experience treating adhd. Even with all his credentials it still wasn't easy as there is no "one size fits all" treatment. We "adders" are so individual when it comes to the symptoms. One factor remains the same education, education and education. You can't get enough of it. The more you understand the better placed you are to help your son.

Lots of love and strength for your path. Please keep us posted.

Dopey

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A bump on this to get some advice from adults who suffer from this.

Our oldest son who is 8 has ADHD and is taking medication (Medikinet 15mg/day) which helps a bit when the medication is active during the day, outside of these times it is not so good. He lacks impulse control, screaming and running around ect, trying to discipline or redirect his actions has little effect.

My question is to adult sufferers, what could/can parents do to reduce or stop this behaviour? In other words, growing up with this being undiagnosed probably led to some harsh discipline at times, what approach do you think now would have helped you as a child?

Has anyone any experience on neurofeedback or brain mapping for their child?

I started a separate post about the negative effects this is having on our family. see below

We have a family crisis our two boys aged 5 and 8 can not be in the same room without annoying each other which ends in a fight and one of them getting hurt. No amount of discussion, disciplinary action (yes we have tried - naughty chair, time out, go to your room, taking away toys/privileges and finally a smack on the butt) or punishment makes any difference in the immediate or long term. It is destroying our family and our relationship. Short of sending one son to live with his grandparents in Australia we are at our wits end as to what to do.

Some background.

The older one has ADHD and is taking medicine which helps at school but mornings and evenings are a nightmare when it wears off, the fact that the effects of this medication wears off about 5 or 6 in the evening suggests the dosage (15Mg) is correct. Any more and he can not sleep and his appetite is gone which leads to a lack of energy and associated problems. He also resents having a brother and blames him for all the problems he creates, he has always been and is violent towards his smaller brother. He also has problems with fine motoric skills which is being treated as well as seeing a psychologist from time to time.

The younger one adores his brother regardless of the beatings he gets from him and will not at times give his older brother any peace or space. In growing up with an older brother like this he mimics the behaviour thinking it is normal, which is our main concern. Again seeing his brother ignoring or not responding to our requests (e.g sit at the table for dinner now please) on the first or second time he thinks it is okay for him to do so as well.

After a bad episode when things quiet down they appear remorseful and apologise normally without prompting. When they are visiting their friends homes we always get good reports that they are polite and well mannered.

We have little or no family support here, their grandparents can only manage one at a time which means we get no breaks or time together alone. By the time they are in bed (7.30/8.00) we are both exhausted and on edge before we get to sit and discuss the day.

Anyone here have any suggestions on how to stop this sibling rivalry when one child has a disability and the other one is jealous of the supposed extra attention needed to manage this?

Has anyone experience of some sort of family intervention (thinking super nanny) which has helped?

Any other alternate treatments or actions (from Feng Shui to brain mapping) you have tried personally which have had a positive effect? We have nearly exhausted every normal medical and psychological approach known to man.

And for others, we almost never go to restaurants as they are too feral so when you see kids out of control spare a thought for the parents who need to live with them.

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I know you know that we know exactly how you are feeling (lots of knows in that sentence! ).

One thing that has helped us enormously over the last couple years is a respite carer for our youngest. He goes to her once, sometimes twice a week, and of course she is there to help in emergencies (when I was sick for 3 weeks last year) and has even done an overnight stay when we reached frazzled point.

We got the carer through pro infirmis - they work with the Red Cross and actually train the carers and offer practical ongoing support. Pro infirmis handle all employment and billing etc. All we do is sign her timesheet at the end of the month. The first 50 hours are subsidised, thereafter it is means tested up to a maximum of 25chf per hour.

It's literally been a lifesaver. I use the time mostly to be with our eldest. The carer has even been a couple of times recently in the evening meaning we can go out for a meal - although I am sad to report that when we are on our own, we spend most of our time talking about ...you guessed it ... The boys.

Email or text me if you want more info. Hang in there. This won't be for ever.

Edit: just saw your question about dealing with siblings when the disabled one is getting all the attention ... We got this respite carer exactly because our eldest (not disabled) was, how shall I put it, "losing his way" a little - sometimes aggressive and a lot of opposition to the biggest or smallest thing. It was suggested to us that we should make more one on one time, so the respite care gives us this one window during the week and at weekends, we more often than not separate and go our different ways, each taking one child. Its not ideal - and can't be done all the time, but the peace of one on one time with each child outweighs our sadness at not being able to automatically do stuff as "normal people" would together as a family. Its made a huge difference to the eldest's behaviour.

Edit 2: in my opinion restaurants, unless you are alone with your chérie, are vastly overrated .

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Hi I have 2 sons 9 and 7. The older one has adhd and as you said gets/ attracts a lot of attention. Younger one feels left out sometimes. You need to find interests/ activities for the younger one like football, painting, Judo whatever he likes. This will be something only for him without the older brother. It works very well with our younger son.

Also, if possible they should be in separate room so that a sense of belonging develops. They can arrange/ manage/ clean their own rooms and learn to have responsibilities.

My older son has issues with fine motor skills so I try to play games likes catching ball, hitting with tennis racket etc. with him to boost confidence.

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I went undiagnosed as a kid, just got lots of ass whoopins from my dad.

My mom would get me lots of outdoor time so I got lots of exercise.

I got diagnosed in Switzerland, hoping to try an easier route to focus as my job situation was going to be a whole different monster with the addition of trying to learn a new language, than the self employed model I had for 11 years in Seattle. I made a protective nest, no other employees making distractions etc. Here, they prescribed Ritalin and Focalin... I went into a severe depression like never before, ready to slit vertically... I was hoping for Adderall as all the blogs I read seemed to say most had great results.

It is forbidden here.

I quit the meds, and started using nicotine tabs for focus. (In Seattle,before my daughter's conception I quit using chewing tobacco for concentration, I did lots of research on herbal supplements, exercise and diet change of no sugars, and amino acids), that helped immensely... but I still made a cocoon/nest so I could be productive.

So here, the diet is maintained, no sugar, no corn, lots of water, lots of exercise, amino acid supplements of 5-htp, DMEA, L-lysine and Huperzine A.... and the nicotine tabs, Life is restored I'm productive and the language learning is going well, I just took my fishing test and it was in German, 48 out of 50 questions answered correctly.