Alternative Treatments For ADHD

By S. Wagner

Before the term ADHD was first coined, the disease was simply referred to as hyperactivity. Thirty some odd years ago when children were climbing up on desks and running around classrooms, as this author himself did, the consensus was that they just had a little too much sugar in their diet and were hyperactive.

Today, it's a whole different story, though sugar certainly doesn't help matters any. While we have a better understanding of what ADHD is, we still believe the best way to treat it is with dangerous medications that have some horrible side effects. In this article we'll briefly go over what ADHD is, what causes it and some alternative treatments for this disease.

ADHD is a learning disorder that is characterized by extreme hyperactivity. Children cannot sit still for very long, if at all, and at times can be manic.

The cause is basically an imbalance in the chemicals in the brain, similar to the same kind of imbalances one would find in cases of depression. But the underlying causes all come down to nutrition. Almost all children who exhibit signs of ADHD have diets that are high in sugar.

 But sugar isn't the only cause. Some children experience this problem because of allergies to wheat, chocolate and many food additives such as preservatives. In some cases, children who were oxygen deprived during childbirth, suffer from this problem. In most cases though, it comes down to nutrition and lack of discipline in the home.

While there are medications that can help control ADHD symptoms, these drugs are dangerous and produce horrible side effects. In spite of what the medical profession wants us to believe, there are natural treatments for ADHD that do not involve the taking of harmful drugs.

The main thing is to make sure your child eats a nutritious diet. Refined sugar, which is a killer to begin with, should be eliminated at all costs. Even some fruits with natural sugars should be eliminated at first until the child is more under control.

All refined and junk foods must be eliminated. This means all soft drinks, potato chips, pretzels cupcakes or anything of that nature. Also, any foods that upset the child's stomach must also be removed from the diet.

The easiest way to make this transition for the child, since he or she may resent having to eat differently than everyone else in the family, is to change the whole family diet. If you make this a way of life, the child is more apt to accept it.

By simply making changes to your child's diet, you don't have to give the child harmful medications to treat his ADHD.