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These
problems can affect nearly every aspect of life. Children and
adults with ADHD often struggle with low self-esteem, troubled
personal relationships and poor performance in school or at work. 
At
various times ADHD has been called attention-deficit disorder
(ADD), hyperactivity and even minimal brain dysfunction. But today
ADHD is the preferred term because it more accurately describes
all aspects of the condition. Yet changing the name hasn't made
ADHD less controversial.
For some time, experts disagreed on how ADHD should be diagnosed -
and even on whether it was a real disorder. But in 1998 the
National Institute of Mental Health agreed that ADHD is a
legitimate condition. In addition, most doctors believe that a
child shouldn't receive a diagnosis of ADHD unless the core
symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention have
created significant problems at home and at school for at least 6
months. Even so, it often can be hard to distinguish the behavior
of a child with ADHD from that of normal, active children.
Experts agree that without any treatment some children with ADHD
will likely continue to have poor learning skills and low
self-esteem. They may also have social difficulties that last into
adulthood. The good news is that when children receive appropriate
treatment for ADHD, their confidence, social skills and even
academic performance may improve dramatically.
Signs
and Symptoms
The
symptoms of ADHD are grouped into two broad categories:
inattention and hyperactivity-impulsive behavior. In general,
children are said to have ADHD if they show six or more symptoms
from each category for at least 6 months. These symptoms must
significantly affect a child's ability to function in at least two
social settings - typically at home and at school. This helps
ensure that the problem isn't with a particular teacher or only
with parents. Children who have problems in school but get along
well at home are not considered to have ADHD. In most children,
symptoms appear between 4 and 6 years of age, although they
sometimes may occur even earlier.
The signs and symptoms of ADHD include the following:
Inattention
-
Often
fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless
mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
-
Often
has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play
-
Often
doesn't seem to listen when spoken to directly
-
Often
doesn't follow through on instructions and fails to finish
schoolwork, chores or other tasks
-
Often
has difficulty organizing tasks or activities
-
Often
avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort,
such as schoolwork or homework
-
Often
loses things needed for tasks or activities, such as books,
pencils, toys or tools
-
Is
often easily distracted
-
Is
often forgetful
-
Hyperactivity-impulsivity
-
Often
fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
-
Often
leaves seat in the classroom or in other situations where
remaining seated is expected.
-
Often
runs or climbs excessively when it's not appropriate.
Adolescents or adults may not literally run or climb but may
constantly feel restless.
-
Often
has difficulty playing quietly.
-
Is
often "on the go" or acts as if "driven by a
motor."
-
Often
talks excessively.
-
Often
blurts out the answers before questions have been completely
asked.
-
Often
has difficulty waiting his or her turn.
-
Often
interrupts or intrudes on others by butting into conversations
or games.
Most
healthy children exhibit many of these behaviors at one time or
another. For instance, parents may worry that a 3-year-old who
can't listen to a story from beginning to end or finish a drawing
may have ADHD. But preschoolers normally have a short attention
span and aren't able to stick with one activity for long. This
doesn't mean they're inattentive - it simply means they're normal
preschoolers.
Even in older children and adolescents, attention span often
depends on the level of interest in a particular activity. Most
teenagers can listen to music or talk to their friends for hours
but may be a lot less focused about homework.
The same is true of hyperactivity. Young children are naturally
energetic - they often wear their parents out long before they're
worn out themselves. And they may become even more active when
they're tired, hungry, anxious or in a new environment. In
addition, some children just naturally have a higher activity
level than others.
When children have ADHD, however, they tend to be especially
sensitive to stimuli such as sights, sounds and touch. When over
stimulated, they can quickly get out of control, becoming giddy
and sometimes aggressive or even physically or verbally abusive.
Children with the inattentive form of ADHD may seem to drift away
into their own thoughts or lose track of what's going on around
them.
Most children with ADHD don't have all the signs and symptoms of
the disorder. Furthermore, symptoms may be different in boys and
girls. Boys are more likely to be hyperactive, and girls tend to
be inattentive. In addition, girls who have trouble paying
attention often daydream, but inattentive boys are more likely to
play or fiddle aimlessly. Boys also tend to be less compliant with
teachers and other adults, so their behavior is often more
conspicuous.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults
ADHD always begins in childhood, but it may last into adult life.
The core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive
behavior are the same for adults as for children. Most adults have
just one or two of the symptoms, not all three.
Adults who have problems with inattention may daydream during
lectures or presentations at work and have trouble finishing
tasks. Hyperactive adults aren't likely to be as physically active
as hyperactive children, but they may find it hard to sit through
movies or concerts or frequently shift positions or tap their
fingers or feet. Impulsive adults often have trouble waiting in
line and driving in heavy traffic, and they may be tempted to take
unnecessary risks.
Adults with ADHD also may have mood swings, a quick temper, a low
tolerance for stress and problems with relationships.
Top
ADHD
& Homeopathy.
With
the new school year approaching, the thoughts of dealing with
irate teachers and the dreaded phone calls to parents regarding
the disruption of classes by their dear child is enough to drive
most parents to distraction. Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder is a behavioural label which should be treated as such, a
behavioural problem. Each child manifests the restless behaviour
in a slightly different way, which is as it should be, considering
we are all individuals. For those parents who are reluctant to
heavily medicate their children, there are other alternatives for
treatment. Homeopathic medicine, by definition, treats all people
as the individuals they are with differing manifestations of
disease. One child may be violent and aggressive, another just
incredibly restless but sensitive and easily moved to tears, while
another may be displaying inattention at school as a result of
stress in the home. Labels such as ADHD, while convenient for
categorizing children with behavioural problems from the viewpoint
of psychology, are a bit misleading in the sense of problem
sources.
Holistic healthcare professionals have recognised a connection
between artificial foods, dyes and stimulants such as colas, and
are seeing these as being particularly harmful to children with
the tendency to be hyperactive. With diet controls and vitamin and
mineral requirements being met, many children show improvement.
Enrolling the child in an exercise program or sport such as Judo
or Cricket will help with the venting of excess energy. Let us not
forget that some of these hyperactive children, given the support
educationally and socially, will grow up to be the successful,
spicy professionals who seem to have a fire under them. Certainly
the education system could benefit from improvements in one-on-one
attention which so many children require. In this day of busy
households with both parents working, parenting disciplinary
skills may be left at bay due to exhaustion and desire for peace
in the home. These are complex issues. However, if the child is
showing deeper manifestations of problems such as bedwetting,
frequent nightmares, skin conditions, self-injury, depression, or
other signs of disorder, much can be done from a Homeopathic point
of view.
Homeopathic medicine is excellent for children with high energy,
because they are quick to respond to treatment. Minimal numbers of
doses are required and these are prepared from natural sources.
The homeopathic case-taking procedure is lengthy, with inquiries
as to diet, childhood illnesses, stresses, shocks, vaccination
reactions if any, state of the mother during pregnancy, home
situation, foods craved, sleep habits etc. The goal is to find
just the right medicine for the individual child. There are over
2000 medicines to choose from in the Homeopathic repertoire. The
Homeopath's job is to identify just the right medicine for the
unique child in front of them - not the one with ADHD as a label.
Treatment is based on symptomatology on all levels of the body,
including mental, emotional and physical. It is very pain-staking
work on the part of the Homeopath to research each case as if it
is the only one of its kind. Treatment is for the person with
certain behavioural manifestations, but for the person above all.
To give an example of a homeopathic medicine which treats
manifestations in children which look much like ADHD, I will
portray the picture necessary to warrant the prescribing of the
homeopathic medicine, Stramonium. The Stramonium child is
hyperactive, hurried and worried. His concentration span is very
short, and he cannot keep still for long and roams from one object
to another, picking it up, putting it down and going on to the
next. There is ceaseless talking, laughing, shouting, and singing.
He is inclined to babble on about all sorts of unrelated things,
which drives people away. He is oblivious to conversation between
two people, interrupting whenever he likes. At school, he
distracts other children. He is prone to bouts of tantrums,
strikes and tear things, throws himself on the floor, grinds his
teeth, bangs his head into the pillow. There is fear of darkness,
of water, sleep is disturbed and he awakens frightened. Often
there are stammering, jerky movements and stumbling. He is worse
when alone in the dark and better in bright light and company.
These are just some of the sorts of things one would see in a
child needing Stramonium. Depending on the vitality of the child,
the Homeopath would decide the best dosage and repetition of the
medicine. It is given only as prescribed and then there is a
waiting period to see the results. The first to improve usually
are the unconscious behaviours such as sleep, nightmares etc.
Often bedwetting improves and over time (it varies with each
child), a happier, calmer child emerges. This is still lively
Joey, but different, happier, more likely to listen.
Homeopathy is deep-acting medicine and should never be viewed as
something to dabble with. It is not a quick fix, and parents need
patience to wait out the required span of time needed for the body
to respond in its own way, in its own time. Over time, other
medicines may be selected depending on what surfaces. Each child
is different. Seek out a professional help in your area.. Above
all, don't despair.
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