Adult ADHD and Treatment

[grundle]

Sort of an "urban survival" topic that has been bugging me.

I have pinned down that I have serious issues with concentration, staying on task, etc. etc.

I have heard tell of a condition called ADHD, and my symptoms follow its explanation to a T, but I don't like the current treatment options. I don't like the idea of taking a drug that could alter my brain chemistry.

I am curious if anyone knows of some natural ways to treat this? I always thought that if I just "try" harder I would eventually overcome it, but I haven't had any luck...

[Rick]

Grundle - ADHD is a very common disorder. But it is an ailment of the brain so dinkin' around with it isn't exactly what you want to do. Asking for and receiving a medical opinion on a forum is probably the last thing you want to do. See your doctor and discuss your concerns with him/her. Treating your symptoms with drugs may not be what you want to do but isn't that what you are seeking with "natural" ways to treat it? Get a proper diagnosis first then find out what options are available if that turns out to be the diagnosis. There could be some other underlying issue that you are not even aware of.

Finally, you would have no hesitation (I assume) in taking an antibiotic if you have a bacterial infection. There should be no stigma associated with diseases of the brain either.

Good luck!!!!

[Ken]

I get distracted as well. Maybe it's the 50 - 100 phone calls I get each day. My first one today, from a client, came at 4:59 a.m. Honest.

Here's an article on the topic. http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/...r_add_and_adhd

[doug1980]

Well according to my son's teachers he has ADHD. I fought for over a year trying to avoid medicating him to no avail. Basically I was told either do it or he will be kicked out of school. Honestly I think it is all BS. Teachers just being lazy. I think we all have symptoms of ADHD. Maybe we get distracted easily by things that do not interest us, or things we deem too easy for us. I believe it can be controlled without medication but then again maybe that is just the father in me not wanting my son all drugged up. He is not the same when he is on it. I even did a test where I kept him on it for 2 months then took him off, without telling the school, no complaints from the school at. So that tells me that nothing really changed.

[Rick]

I assume you are working with your son's doctor. Rhetorical question here....What does the doctor say? I assume he/she agreed or they would not have put him on medication. I"m not taking a side just trying to toss out some ideas.

By the by, be very cautious about taking your son off meds without your doctor knowing and approving. Some medications require a slow withdrawal from the medication. Stopping cold turkey can have some really bad side effects. Some medications, not all.

[grundle]

Rick,

Thank you for a serious reply. You bring up some good points that I would like to explore.

Grundle - ADHD is a very common disorder. But it is an ailment of the brain so dinkin' around with it isn't exactly what you want to do. Asking for and receiving a medical opinion on a forum is probably the last thing you want to do.

Yes, this is very true. Asking on a forum isn't the wisest of choice, but I am seeking more of experiential advice. Maybe someone else has gone through something similar and came out victorious.

There is also an embarrassment factor for me. My pop raised me in that this behavior is simply laziness and that I need to buck up. I often think that, even now, I am just a lazy bastard but then why can't I do something so simple as keep on task? Even as I write this message I switched over to other things several times. That is a bit too much if you ask me. Going to a doctor would be embarrassing to me.

See your doctor and discuss your concerns with him/her. Treating your symptoms with drugs may not be what you want to do but isn't that what you are seeking with "natural" ways to treat it? Get a proper diagnosis first then find out what options are available if that turns out to be the diagnosis. There could be some other underlying issue that you are not even aware of.

That is true too. There may be some other underlying issue I am not aware of. I am glad you brought it up because I didn't even think of that.

Finally, you would have no hesitation (I assume) in taking an antibiotic if you have a bacterial infection. There should be no stigma associated with diseases of the brain either.

Good luck!!!!

Actually I don't like to take antibiotic unless it is absolutely necessary. There is a resistance factor that you have to be aware of, and overuse of antibiotics can lead to enormous problems later. But then, I guess I am a prisoner to my own knowledge at times. My wife is a physician so she gives me ample fuel to scare myself with...

I will talk it over with her and then go see an unbiased professional I suppose. Also, experiential accounts are still welcome. I am having a real time today, so a little moral support is great.

[Rick]

Holly cow. You have an in house expert. Talk to your wife, then. Talking to any doctor shouldn't be embarrassing. I understand why you might feel that way but I doubt there is anything you can tell or show them they haven't heard or seen 1000 times over. It's just you this time. And there is a HUGE difference between being lazy and having some chronic condition that you need help with.

So my example with the antibiotic still stands. If it's absolutely necessary you'd take it. If it's absolutely necessary to take something for ADHD (or whatever the diagnosis is) would you then? (rhetorical).

I'm sure your wife can and would be happy to help you find a qualified physician you could be comfortable with and one you and she can trust. Talk with her and see what she says.

We talk about survival all the time and how it's important to be mentally prepared. Now is the time.

And keep us posted.

[lucznik]

I can't even keep track of how often we have people walk into our clinic having already self-diagnosed what horrible disease(s) they are sure they have because they read about it (them) on the internet and their symptoms fit. They are almost universally wrong. The biggest problem is then our physicians not only have to diagnose what their real problem is, they also have to convince these people of how their self-diagnosis is wrong. It is doubly time-consuming.

When my son was having a lot of difficulty breathing we took him to a trusted physician who diagnosed him with asthma. That diagnosis, coupled with the doctor's instructions and the knowledge we were able to later gain through research on the internet has made us all more comfortable with his condition and has improved his ability to enjoy life immensely.

You are just going about it backwards. Get a diagnosis from a trusted physician first. Then research your problem(s) to enhance both your understanding and your ability to manage your symptoms.

Knowledge is good. The internet is great for spreading knowledge. But, knowledge untempered with education, experience, and wisdom, and understanding is dangerous.

[lucznik]

Well according to my son's teachers he has ADHD. I fought for over a year trying to avoid medicating him to no avail. Basically I was told either do it or he will be kicked out of school. Honestly I think it is all BS. Teachers just being lazy. I think we all have symptoms of ADHD. Maybe we get distracted easily by things that do not interest us, or things we deem too easy for us. I believe it can be controlled without medication but then again maybe that is just the father in me not wanting my son all drugged up. He is not the same when he is on it.

Certainly what you say is possible. It is well documented that too many children are taking ADHD drugs like ritilin.

However, most of the time this is as much (if not more) the fault of the parents than the teachers. Teachers cannot instill discipline that is not also taught and enforced at home. I don't know your kid and I'm not judging him. I'm just explaining part of the overall problem.

You also need to consider the point of view of the teacher. My wife taught for 11 years in a Jr. High School. During that time she averaged 31 students per class period. In a few of her classes she had over 40 kids. They didn't even have enough desks for the kids to sit at. Students literally had to sit in the windowsill or on the floor. In such circumstances, teachers just can't be saddled with a kid who is disruptive because he just "not interested" or thinks "the content is too easy for him."

Such kids need one of three things:
1. To have their parents enforce appropriate standards of behavior irrespective of how the child or the parent feels about the class or the teacher so that they don't disrupt every other student's opportunity to learn.
2. To be kicked out of the school so that they don't disrupt every other student's opportunity to learn.
3. To be placed on behavior-controlling drugs so that they don't disrupt every other student's opportunity to learn.

I even did a test where I kept him on it for 2 months then took him off, without telling the school, no complaints from the school at. So that tells me that nothing really changed.

Or perhaps they just decided that it wasn't worth the fight they knew you would give them. It's almost always the parents that are the worst trouble of all.


Sorry, I don't mean to come of so strong or to seem like I'm attacking you personally. I just have pretty strong opinion on the topic of acceptable student behavior and who holds the primary responsibility to control it developed from my having had so many teachers (current and former) in my family. My mom, my brother, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my wife, and I are/were all teachers at one point.

[Ole WV Coot]

I can only say that Rick & Remy have given advice that if I was in your situation I would honestly take. I commend both of them for their direct approach and advice which I would follow. When I was younger anything thing effecting the brain was treated by uninformed people as a social stigma. unfortunately it still is. People are being more open today, for which I am thankful. Good Luck

[doug1980]

He was an Adderall 5mg at the time. The doctor didn't even do any testing or anything. I told him what the teachers said and he said "yup it's ADHD" In some cases I do agree that the parents are at fault. I however don't believe my son has ADHD. He will sit and play for hours he concentrates on his homework and seldom gets distracted and as far as discipline I give that out well. It would be hard to describe on here all the petty things the school said he had done. But I assure you it sounded like he was being a kid. Not to mention he was 1 of only 4 boys in that class and every boy's parents were told that their son's had ADHD. So all 4 boys in that class had ADHD. Sounds fishy to me. But sadly I no longer have custody of my son since the judge decided I was unfit to raise him because I was in the Military and deployed 3 times. So me having him from the time he was 9 months old to 9 years old didn't matter to him. Effed up system in "podunk" Indiana.

[Ken]

Gotta' love them judges.

I was in court last week and watched a battle over custody and visitation of a boy, about 9 years old if I remember correctly. His parents were about 20 years apart in age. Mom worked and dad was retired.

The poor father wanted his son for "visitation" during the day for the school summer vacation period. The judge denied the father's request, and essentially decided that the father was too old to provide the "social interaction" the child should have with other kids during the summer months. Instead, the child has to be enrolled in day care from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. five days each week. This judge was appointed for "life" - retirement age is 70. He still has about two decades left during which he can continue to make such brilliant decisions.

[doug1980]

Yeah it's great. Expecially since my ex was in the rears on her CS to me for $17K not to mention she has 3 kids and was found unfit to have any of them, until then any way. She still does not work, she is on food stamps and all that plus I pay her $400/month. Yes by my logic it makes perfect sense to allow her to have my son. She won't even let me talk to him on the phone. Stupid B----.

[doug1980]

Guess I shoulda got a lawyer...but I don't trust them either. lol sorry Ken I had to

[Ken]

Most of the trial court judges are good - few are exceptional - but many are grossly incompetent.

The minority does so much damage that I'm convinced that trial court judges should have term limits. One 7 year stint on the bench only. Then back to private practice or off to some other public trough. I should say, back to some other public trough. Most have never had to manage a law office and many have never even tried a serious case - just another political hack or politician being rewarded with a job for life.

[mountain mama]

grundle,
I am the posterchild for adult ADHD. There have been studies suggesting that fish oil may help. I tried it with my 6-year-old son and didn't see a marked improvement. He had to go on Adderall to be able to focus in school. Most doctors would have you fill out a Conner's form to determine if you are ADHD or not.

[mountain mama]

He was an Adderall 5mg at the time. The doctor didn't even do any testing or anything. I told him what the teachers said and he said "yup it's ADHD" In some cases I do agree that the parents are at fault. I however don't believe my son has ADHD. He will sit and play for hours he concentrates on his homework and seldom gets distracted and as far as discipline I give that out well. It would be hard to describe on here all the petty things the school said he had done. But I assure you it sounded like he was being a kid. Not to mention he was 1 of only 4 boys in that class and every boy's parents were told that their son's had ADHD. So all 4 boys in that class had ADHD. Sounds fishy to me. But sadly I no longer have custody of my son since the judge decided I was unfit to raise him because I was in the Military and deployed 3 times. So me having him from the time he was 9 months old to 9 years old didn't matter to him. Effed up system in "podunk" Indiana.

Doug,
When I was teaching, we were told specifically to NEVER mention ADHD, because if we did, the school district would be liable for providing medical treatment for the condition. A Conner's scale rating requires at least 2 people to fill out the forms, usually a parent and the teacher. The results are based on both. Any doctor making a diagnosis without sufficient information could possibly be considered to be negligent in his practice.

[crashdive123]

I would certainly follow the advice of Remy and Rick in seeking a professional opinion (you haven't po'd your wife lately have you?) I have often heard that a discipline like martial arts is helpful, but if there is a real medical problem that needs to be diagnosed first.

[bulrush]

Grundle,
There are other diseases which might have concentration issues, perhaps bipolar or schizophrenia. Perhaps depression. You should not be ashamed to have a brain disease. If you have high blood pressure, you take meds for it. If you have a heart problem, you take meds for it. It's just something you do.

I agree that a FEW people and doctors are using meds and being lazy. I think that many ADHD cases in SCHOOLS are simply cases of bad parenting, or bad nutrition (too much sugar in a kid does bad things). But there really are ADHD cases out there, along with depression, bipolar, and other diseases.

The best thing to do is try some meds. You will have side effects, most meds do. But try to focus on the benefits. Ask yourself, "Am I getting a net benefit from this medication?" If you are, stick with it. If not, ask your doctor and try another med.

BTW, anti-depressants do NOT make you feel happy, they make you feel normal. And if you've been depressed for 20 years, you are ecstatic to feel normal again. I'm just sayin.
1 or 2 of the older anti-depressants might make you feel cotton-brained, or "floaty", but most have lesser side effects.

Though people don't talk about it, there are lots of people on meds. What's worse, someone who is on meds, or someone who isn't, but should be?

[grundle]

Thanks for the wonderful responses. I agree that Rick and Remy both gave the best advice.

The supplemental offerings were also valuable to me.

One of you mentioned the Connor's test. I took something like that yesterday out of curiosity. When Remy mentioned that self-diagnosis is a big no-no I agree with him whole heartedly. That is the stupidest thing you could do, and one step away from being a hypochondriac.

The test mentioned that if you score 20 question in the range they defined you might be a candidate for ADHD. My score was close to 40, which to me was a bit alarming. It was alarming enough for me to want to go see a doctor and ask some questions.

If I go to a doctor, I probably won't mention ADHD, but rather say I have difficulty staying on task, paying attention, and I get distracted easily. I am strongly against self-diagnosis as well so I am glad someone brought that up.