What
is ADHD?
The
American Psychiatric Association describes ADHD as a disorder
whose main features include hyperactivity, impulsiveness and an
inability to sustain attention or concentration. It is further
divided into three specific diagnostic forms. Difficult to diagnose,
it may manifest itself differently in girls, whose symptoms may
be less obvious, than in boys. Children with ADHD have difficulty
with home, school, and peer relationships. They often talk
excessively, blurt out answers before questions are completed
and have trouble making and keeping friends. Alternatively, their
inattentiveness may cause them to “tune out” the teacher and be
labeled “dreamers.” ADHD has also been shown to have long-term
adverse effects on academic performance, vocational success, and
social-emotional development. For many individuals, the impact
of ADHD continues into adulthood.
How
common is ADHD?
ADHD
is the most commonly diagnosed disorder of childhood, reaching
epidemic proportions throughout the United States. It is estimated
by The National Institutes of Mental Health to affect 3 to 5 percent
of school-age children, occurring three times more often in boys
than in girls. On average one child in every classroom in the
United States needs help for this disorder.
What
are current treatment options?
Traditional
Western medicine uses stimulant and depressive medications as
well as behavioral modifications as primary treatment modes. Non-traditional
approaches have included biofeedback, acupuncture, cranial sacral
therapy, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, and sound and vision therapy.
A 1997 study in the Journal of Pediatric Child Health found
a conclusive link between diet and ADHD behavior in some children.
A 1995 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found
that ADHD subjects had significantly lower concentrations of omega-3
and omega-6 fatty acids in their blood plasma, and a 1996 study
reported in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
found that zinc levels in ADHD patients were less than half the
levels of those in the control group. Additional studies have
linked low magnesium, iron and seratonin levels with ADHD. While
much is yet to be learned about this disorder, clearly nutritional
therapy is in many cases beneficial in taming the symptoms of
ADHD.
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