Questions and Answers on ADD and ADHD

By Karima Burns, MH, ND

01/03/2001

You are welcome to submit your questions regarding natural health. However, we receive many questions each week and we are only able to publish a few.

All questions will be answered within a "general advice" format in the column only. As health problems require the personal advice of a health care professional, we are unable to answer questions personally.

Karima Burns, MH, ND has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Masters in Herbal Healing. She has studied natural healing for 12 years, published a natural healing newsletter for 4 years, and writes extensively on natural healing and herbs. Sister Karima became interested in natural healing after ending her personal lifelong struggle with asthma, allergies, chronic ear infections, depression, hypoglycemia, fatigue and panic attacks with herbs and natural therapies.

Karima offers natural healing consultations, aromatherapy and reflexology treatments, iridology readings, and nutritional and herbal programs from her home in Saudi Arabia. She believes that healing occurs more rapidly when her clients can work on the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of their illnesses.

Dear Health Editor,

My child has been recently diagnosed with ADD. I was really surprised with the diagnosis. They called me into the school one day for a meeting and I walked into a room with four people - my child's teacher, the principal, the assistant principal and a nurse. They basically told me that I need to drug my child (Ritalin) or they will not be very understanding. Aren't there any natural things I can do? Do you know anyone who has fought this before? I don't want to drug my child, but I don't want to have them fail him either. J.Y.

Dear J.Y.,

First of all, I want to recommend a book to you by Peter R. Breggin, MD, a psychiatrist who has been practicing for over thirty years and has written over twenty books. He has two books called Talking Back to Ritalin and Reclaiming Our Children. The world-renowned psychologist, David Keirsey, also speaks up against the diagnosis of ADD in many of his books and on his website at keirsey.com. Both these books and the website contain a multitude of information on why the diagnosis of ADD is largely bogus and on alternative treatments.

There are also important statistics regarding Ritalin that you may not have heard. Here are some quotes from Dr. Breggin:

"Put simply, we know that SOME of the drugs given to children are killing their brain cells and it's reasonable to fear that others may do the same thing. Whether or not they help on occasion is a moot point: psychoactive drugs should never be given to children. Their dangers are too great... even when they seem to work, they are actually harming the child..."

"As a medical expert, I have testified several times that Prozac and Prozac-like drugs such as Zoloft have caused or contributed to violence committed by teenagers with no prior history of violence."

"Ritalin is really a chemical called methylphenidate."

"The International Narcotics Board has continued to express very strong concern about the widespread prescription of stimulants in America. In February 1999, it warned that treatment with stimulants in some of America's schools are as high as 30 to 40 percent of the class, and that children as young as one year of age are treated with Ritalin."

"Even a youngster who is relatively free of severe emotional problems can be driven into withdrawal, depression, indifference, irritability, and anger or psychosis by almost any psychoactive agent; even drugs that are commonly used such as marijuana, Prozac and Ritalin."

"Drugs obtained illegally (by children at school or on the street) are often identical to the ones prescribed in the doctor's office."

"The Department of Defense has a policy that EXCLUDES all people from military service of any kind (Air Force, Army or Navy) if they have been on Ritalin, Dexedrine or other drugs as children over the age 12 (or even before age 12). So, in giving your child Ritalin or other drugs, you are also making a decision that they will never be allowed into military service. Eric Harris (of the Littleton School shooting [in Colorado in 1999]) was given the news that he was rejected from the military on these grounds (that he had been on Ritalin for years). He was given this news three days before the school shootings."

"Research on Ritalin is relatively sparse and inconclusive. Meanwhile, there are other sources of evidence for the probability that Ritalin causes permanent brain damage, including brain shrinkage measured by brain scans of adults who took Ritalin as children. Further research shows that use of Ritalin as a child predisposes them to use of Cocaine as an adult. Drug companies have admitted (under oath in court) they have never tested drugs for the long term effects on the brain."

From people who come to my clinic, to documents in books, to friends and acquaintances, I find that the most disturbing thing about the diagnosis of ADD and ADHD is that it largely falls on one "type" of child. In the Waldorf tradition (a type of schooling) and in Islamic medicine, children are recognized to fall into four different "types." Waldorf teachers are trained to deal with each type differently and to direct their classrooms in a symphony, according to the types of children and their needs. Waldorf parents are encouraged to type their children and are given instructions for various discipline methods, activities and even foods that are best for their type of child.

In his book, Children are From Heaven, John Gray (also author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) types children into four types (similar to that of the Waldorf and Islamic medicine temperaments), and encourages parents and educators to recognize these different types (Note: Next week in the Health and Science section, I will list some of the benefits and aspects of "temperament typing," and explore various ways of dealing with each temperament.)

In mainstream school systems, however, teaching methods (and discipline methods at home) are usually aimed towards ONE type of child, perhaps two. The other two or three types either suffer in their attempts to fit in or become labeled as "oppositional defiant" because they refuse to fit in, or as "stupid, slow or hyperactive" because they are unable to. In some cases, children are even labeled as ADD and given drugs. In his book Reclaiming Our Children, Breggin quotes that in the average school, 25 to 40 percent of the children are drugged for ADD. This makes sense as most of them are actually drugging a type of child rather than an actual disorder.

Below is a description of the sanguine child; the entire category is often unfairly given the label ADD or ADHD.

Sanguine children often lack inner motivation and are more motivated by what is going on around them. They have difficulty concentrating on one thing for long and new events easily distract them. Their restless changeability can be an annoyance for teachers and parents.

These children are often rhythmical and light-footed, but also light-headed and light hearted. The interest they show in things makes them popular, or at least well known, members of their classrooms/families. They love parties or 'events' and do not like being alone for too long; they will often seek out social situations even if other children don't want to 'socialize' at that time. They might laugh too loudly at jokes or react in anger too loudly as they are often motivated by their passion for life. They need to learn how to re-direct this passion in appropriate and healthy ways.

The faces of these children are expressive and constantly changing. They cannot bear antipathy from adults, and seem themselves only when they are loved. In extreme forms, they can appear superficial or unable to concentrate on games or amuse themselves for very long. It is good to encourage these children to stick to particular tasks.

They may have the tendency to express their imbalance in extroverted ways (by hitting or yelling) rather than introverted ways (such as withdrawing into themselves or becoming silent, both of which are more socially acceptable in most circles).

Temperament methodology is actually very easy to learn and has provided me with invaluable resources to use in my own household. We reduced fighting and conflicts by more than a quarter when I started using its methods. Initially, it takes some effort but, over time, it becomes second nature and is well worth the initial investment.

Now that you know there is nothing wrong with your child, you are probably thinking, "Yes, but that does me little good; I need to fix her so they don't drug her at school." Actually, there are some things you can do to balance this type of person that are often more effective than any drug without the side effects.

Sanguine children need structure and form, and need to be warned ahead of time about what will be happening. They are happiest in school when they have teachers who are well structured and organized so that they can expect what will happen and in what order throughout the school day. Work with your child's teacher to find out what the schedule will be each day, and communicate this to your child. If a teacher does not have a weekly lesson plan each week, it should be reported to the school administration.

Sanguine children also need physical activities to be interspersed with sitting activities in the classroom; all classes should take this type of student into consideration by adding physical work into the curriculum. Dancing to the 'math rap' or singing a song or creating a play about a topic of study are ideas that can help them use their excess creative energy. If your child's school refuses to make efforts to incorporate such suggestions, you may want to make sure your child is involved in physical activity every morning and every day after school.

However, although these children need activity and socialization, they also need to be alone at times. When a sanguine child acts up in class or at home, the teacher or parent needs to ask themselves, "Has this child been sitting for too long? Perhaps, it is time for a physical activity," or "Has this child been socializing too long? Perhaps, they need to engage in a more private and individual activity like reading a book or listening to a cassette tape."

Before the label of ADD came about, these types were often labeled as "dreamers" or "artist types." In fact, many ADD kids are highly creative and work quite happily on a project when they are left to their own creative devices. These children are more likely to succeed if you give them homework or projects around the home in the form of a "final outcome" and allow them to arrive at the outcome that they determine.

Ask a sanguine child to mow the lawn and he may choose to do it in a fun zigzag pattern, but he will get it done. Ask a sanguine child to make the bed and she may fold the sheets into something resembling a Japanese paper folding figure, but the bed will get made. Send a sanguine student home to "learn her math tables" and she will probably show up the next day with a colorful table drawn with a calligraphy pen.

Take the pressure off these children to conform and emphasize, instead, the importance of learning. As a mother, you can support your child by modifying homework assignments to fit their needs. Ask your child's teacher for permission to do this. If the teacher says no, you can respond by saying that the important thing is that they actually learn the material, and if that requirement is met, there should be no problem. If they are not agreeable to this idea at all, you may want to consider finding a different teacher or school.

There will be times, however, when you cannot change your child's environment and your child will have to deal with endless sitting, waiting or rote work. You can make this more bearable by following as many of the above suggestions as possible so that when your child does encounter a less than ideal situation, they will have more reserves to draw from. In these cases, you need to teach your child how to maintain focus and satisfy their creative and physical urges in an acceptable way.

You can teach a child to re-focus by telling them that when they start to feel too scattered or when the teacher disciplines them, they should stop everything they are doing and think or do only ONE thing. Use a code word to help them learn to do this like "focus" and teach your child to stop on this word. A "time out" for thinking is another way to do this. However, time outs should never be used as "punishments," but rather, as a time for a child to reflect and think. Parents should also take "time outs" of this nature.

To fulfill their creative needs, sanguine children can be taught to do rote work and add creative touches, like drawing a picture at the top of their math homework, or writing the homework with a calligraphy pen, or making a pretty report cover. To fulfill their physical urges, they can be given a ring or a necklace that they can quietly "play with" at their desk, or a fun pencil that has moving parts, or even a pen that can be taken apart and put back together. They can be taught that, in an "emergency," they may ask to go to the bathroom or sharpen a pencil so that they can walk around; also, untying and re-tying their shoelaces is often a useful break from the routine of sitting.

Sanguine children are especially susceptible to processed foods and sugar; therefore, what they have for breakfast and lunch are of utmost importance to their school performance and behavior. Start moving this child towards a more whole foods diet including whole-wheat pasta and breads, brown rice, vegetables, fruits and other natural grains. Try waking them up a bit earlier in the morning to give them a chance to hunger and then consume a hearty breakfast of eggs and whole wheat breads or pancakes, or sausages and homemade whole grain muffins (without sugar), fava beans and whole-wheat pita bread with some falafel, or oatmeal and an omelet with cheese. If these children do not eat well in the morning, they will typically get hungry about 10 a.m., and their behavior will start to deteriorate if lunch is still two hours away.

Many parents are amazed at the change this one thing makes in their child's life. So many kids could probably get off of Ritalin in they would just eat a "real" breakfast instead of processed cereals and sugar-laden cereals.

Please visit the website: keirsey.com, and take a look at his article "The Great ADD Hoax." It is fantastic. Also, please check out the "Class Action Suit Against Ritalin" and his other articles.