Many people have been contacting me over the past few months about providing a solution for their children who have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. The stories and case histories I'm reading are shocking as much as they are saddening.
ADD and ADHD cannot just be explained away as natural, biological disorders. They are conditions created by improper diet and unnatural ways of living. People often find solace in the allopathic perspective of these conditions, as it excuses them from poor lifestyle practices and provides a quick-fix solution that pacifies their kids for the short-term. They then unwittingly perpetuate behaviors and consume foods that compound the problem, resulting in further disorders that require stronger doses and that lead to drug dependency and serious, serious side effects. The cycle is indeed vicious.
To address this alarming problem, Dr. Chauhan and I have teamed up to create a natural solution that that draws from Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedic discipline. We're running a pilot right now that appears very promising. It includes holistic lifestyle practices, balancing diets, breathing exercises, meditation, and therapies such as oil massage. Not only will this help parents achieve results naturally, it will save them huge amounts of money. A year's supply of Ritalin for one child can cost $2400 per year!
It's an exciting new program, and I'll keep you up to date on the developments.
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Alex Doman, of Advanced Brain Technologies, believes something similar. He has developed auditory tools for focusing these kids through things like music and listening CDs. You should meet him; he's not an allopath, and ABT is very well-regarded.
Thanks for the pointer to Alex and ABT. I'll definitely get in touch.
Hi Steve, I thought you might be interested to know that along with the other Ayurvedic treatments and recommendations you mentioned, Aromatherapy is also a very useful treatment for ADD/ ADHD. Pure essential oils contain small chemical molecules which can cross the blood-brain barrier and directly influence the part of the brain which deals with the emotions. This makes essential oils a powerful means to treat brain disorders and emotional problems. There has been some research in this area and in one study lavender, vetiver and cedarwood were used. Interestingly vetiver was most effective in observations and brain wave scans showing improvements in 100% of the subjects. Vetiver is often known as oil of tranquility and is obtained from the roots of Khus- Khus grass which is native to India and Asia. As it is obtained from the roots, it has amazing grounding properties, the scent is unusual, like smoky, sweet earth and blends very well with lavender. Essential oils can be vaporised, or can be diluted in to a base oil and massaged in to the skin, or added to the bath. Massaging this blend into the head, neck and shoulders can be very useful. It deepens the breathe has a calming and clearing effect on the mind, and also helps one to focus. When I'm working I use vetiver to help cleanse and protect my aura. I also massage it anti-clockwise into the solar plexus of my patients. It's like unwinding the hands of a clock, and allows them unwind literally, if that makes sense. It is useful for both children and adults. If you would like more info about the other oils used in this trial let me know, good luck. All the best Tanya B
Tanya,
thx for this valuable info on aroma therapy. It is a powerful supplement to the process of helping kids stay balanced.
We have included aroma therapy in our recommendation to parents, and I will keep posting about our experiences and results. Always interested to know more.
Best,
Steve
Why is everyone so obsessed with treating ADHD. I have had it my whole life, and the only time I treated it I ended up depressed. It's not something that needs to be treated, butr something that needs to be harnessed. I am no good at things I am not interested it, but give me something I enjoy and I focus much more then any regular person.
I get sick of people viewing adhd as a disorder that makes kids unattentative, you just need to realize not all kids have the same intrests, and with ADHD childern you just have to feed the intrest.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your comment. I respect your perspective.
I'll start by saying America is obsessed with labeling health issues and then trying to create magic pills to fix those problems. They create the hype surrounding this issue, and most MDs follow suit in trying to label anyone with any type and degree of attention-related concern as ADHD. The AMA and pharma companies should be the first targets on the list for a reprimand.
Hundreds of people each month contact Jiva seeking a solution for "problems" they have with their kids, many of which are explained as "attention or concentration problems". First, we are VERY careful not to lump everyone together and label them ADHD, as there are numerous reasons why children can have attention issues. We spend time with the parents to identify the causes, which can include anything from lack of parental attention to abuse to noisy households.
Second, I do my best to ensure the parents don't put their kids on dangerous allopathic drugs to dull their minds. I then do everything in my path to get the parents to *engage their children in more meaningful activities.* There are many parents out there who don't know how to create environments that foster skills of self-discipline and _learner-directed_ learning. So I deliver workshops on these topics, and have put years into creating innovative and dynamic learning activities that challenge the humdrum content that kids (especially in India) have to contend with.
My next step is to ensure that the children are getting diets according to their Ayurvedic body type, and to ensure that the foods they eat don't create conditions within their bodies that create many types of imbalances, and specifically ones that reduce their ability to concentrate. According to Ayurveda, there are different body types that can be affected negatively by foods with specific qualities. (I'm not sure if you know about the three dosha concept in Ayurveda-- vata, pitta, kapha, but here's a page with more details:
http://jiva.com/ayurveda/ayurveda/body-type.asp?nm2=Body%20Type )
This dietary advice is valuable for all people across the spectrum--not just individuals diagnosed with ADHD.
So I don't wear glasses with ADHD tinted filters, seeking to classify whoever comes into my view. I take a bottom up view that treats each child as an individual--that aims to teach the parents and children to understand the basis of the child's nature and what lifestyle practices would be best for him or her. In fact, in most cases, I "undiagnose" children, so parents can look at their kids and parenting practices more effectively and comprehensively and get beyond the labels and quick-fix mentality.
Best,
Steve
I trust this program and I'm sure 100% this will work! ativan
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