Adults and the ADD Emotional Rollercoaster
If you have ADD/ADHD, or you love someone who has it, then you are familiar firsthand how the emotions can be all over the place. While you may never be bored with your ever-changing emotional landscape, it also creates a tremendous amount of stress.
By nature, people with Add are born with a temperament that is often intense and very emotional. We react strongly to our environment, and often, we overreact. On the other hand, when the emotions become so overwhelming that we can’t handle them, we may stuff them down. That doesn’t work either because eventually, that stuff comes out, and it usually isn’t pretty! Continue reading “Adults and the ADD Emotional Rollercoaster”
3 Steps NOT Anti ADD ADHD Drug but Pro-Natural
[spoiler] Hi, Jon Bennett here with 3 Steps to Conquering ADD‑ADHD. And often I get the question, why are you against ADD drugs? And, some people would get upset because we teach natural methods and they feel like that we’re anti‑ADD drug. Well, it’s not necessarily that simple. Number one, we don’t condemn anybody that takes ADD drugs, that’s their choice.
In my case, when I was growing up, when I was younger, my brother was diagnosed with ADD. My parents didn’t have a choice, really. There was no, nobody out there talking about how ADD could be eliminated with natural methods.
For 10 years now, I’ve been teaching people how to do just that. And it’s not stuff that I made up, this is scientific evidence out there that I just collected. It’s been extremely effective.
So, there’s a lot of negative consequences of taking ADD drugs, and I experienced that personally. That’s why I feel so strongly about this, is that, there are side effects, serious side effects, not only physically, but emotionally. And, that just go along with the ADD drugs.
Pressures from peers to sell them the drugs, there’s abuse that goes with them. Physical side effects, just, I mean, there’s a litany of reasons why I feel, bottom line is that we’re not against it, but we want people to understand that there really is another way.
There’s some other things you can try before you just jump in with both feet into ADD drugs. And what’s sad is that, when you go to the doctor, if you don’t do much research on your own, if you’re just the type to kind of go to the doctor, and just assume, you’re going to find yourself taking ADD drugs right away, because that is the only way that our medical community knows how to deal with this condition.
And what’s interesting, too, is that it’s a self‑fulfilling prophecy, because it’s a very vague diagnosis, it’s all based on characteristics. And it’s typically a test that you take that, they ask you some questions. And on any given day, every single person in America could be considered ADD‑ADHD if you look at the criteria.
So, that’s really the reason why our kids these days are being over medicated, in terms of this condition.
And what we teach at 3 Steps to Conquering ADD is that there’s scientific evidence showing that a lot of the reason why we cannot focus at times is because we lack good nutrition. And there’s a lot of reasons why we lack good nutrition, it goes into our modern diets, and how we get our foods these days. And I go into great detail into all of these things I’m talking about in my book, “3 Steps to Conquering ADD.”
But, bottom line of it is really this that we tend to lack certain vitamins and nutrients, everybody does. And, because of this lack of vitamins and nutrients, it makes it difficult for us to focus at times.
In my book, “The 17 Secret ADD Vitamins” I go through 17 different vitamins that, and minerals and nutrients that have been proven to help you focus. And that, if you lack them, it makes it very difficult to focus.
So, basically, I wanted to address this issue that, you know, why are you so anti‑drug? It’s not anti‑drug, if you decide that you want and need to take the ADD drugs, that’s fine. But, what we’re here to do is to show people, “Hey, that’s not your only choice. That’s not your only choice. There’s other things you can do.” It doesn’t make you a bad person if you’re taking ADD drugs, I don’t think that. I have friends that are on ADD drugs. It’s not like that at all.
But what it is, is “Hey, you know, let’s not put a bandaid on the real problem here.” There is underlying causes of this state. You can address it, it may take a little bit of effort, but when you’re talking about getting these vitamins and nutrients, they’re supplementation. I mean, take you two minutes a day to take a high quality absorbable vitamin and cover your bases. And then making some smart healthy choices in terms of what you eat will go a long way.
And it’s very simple, it’s very common sense, but it’s not very common common sense, because you’re not going to hear it unless you go looking for it. And, you know, it’s, we’ve been working very hard over the past 10 years to build this awareness about natural ADD solutions. And, it’s still hard to find.
Other countries are catching on much more quickly. If you look at Australia, they’ve even put laws into place against medication of ADD, ADHD.
But I hope this has addressed that question, why are you so anti‑ADD drug, and I’m not. There’s just a lot that goes with it, that the person that doesn’t do their full researches is not understanding, so buyer beware.
And, hope this was helpful, I’ve got a ton of free resources on our website at 3stepsadd.com. Hope you check it out, and I’ll see you around. Thank you. [/spoiler]
ADHD Shocking Truths
Hi guys, Jon Bennett here.
I found this video on the web that I thought you might find it interesting.
Please leave your comments below!
Transcript:
Dr. Lyon: I believe that attention deficit disorder should be treated like a lot of other conditions that the doctors treat. For instance if you have high cholesterol, what are doctors supposed to do. We are admonished in every textbook, every authority, we are told that if you diagnosed high cholesterol for a patient, you should work with that patient through nutritional counseling and dietary advice and lifestyle counseling for several months or say six months before you even consider medication. Continue reading “ADHD Shocking Truths”
Truly Happy Holidays (Even with ADD/ADHD) – Part 2
You will recall that last week’s article focused on some of the reasons why the holiday period can sometimes be very frustrating for people dealing with ADD/ADHD (either in themselves or their children). It obviously goes without saying that most people would prefer not to have their experience of what is supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year ‘challenged’ in this way. With this week’s article I would therefore like to move beyond simply describing the problem towards pointing out some ways in which it can be effectively addressed. So here, without further ado, are the top ways of conquering ADD/ADHD throughout the holidays:
Provide a food ‘safe haven’ at home: Christmastime is often seen as a time of excess as we move from one party and event (with food at the center) to the other. This is made worse, from the perspective of a person dealing with ADD/ADHD) by the fact that many of the foods served at these events are almost guaranteed to aggravate the condition. One response would be to make sure that you avoid all Christmas parties and similar ‘end of year’ events but this is obviously not a very realistic, or even desirable, goal. I would therefore like to suggest that you make an extra effort to ensure that your breakfast nook and/or dining room table at home serve as a ‘safe haven’ from all the food excess swirling around you. Your efforts in this regard will probably not completely offset wrong food choices arising from holiday excess but it will at least act as something of a counterweight.
Make sure that there are alternatives available: If you will be doing a lot of entertaining at home it would be a great idea to take a long hard look at your menus for the festivities. Do you plan to serve lots of food that are high in calories and/or score very high on the GI scale? If so, I strongly recommend that you make sure that there are alternatives available so that those dealing with ADD/ADHD will not be forced to make choices that can harm their chances of having truly happy holidays. Providing healthier alternatives will obviously lead to more work but the payoffs could more than make up for the extra effort that will be required.
Forewarned is forearmed: If you are dealing with ADD/ADHD yourself you are probably well aware of the way in which the holidays can have a negative effect on people with the condition; especially since you probably experienced some of these effects on a first hand basis. But what about kids who see the holiday season only in terms of fun and goodies!? If the child in question has ADD/ADHD it might be a great idea to have a bit of an age appropriate chat beforehand (without turning into the Grinch of course!). Focus on why the holidays can become rather unpleasant if certain ground rules are not adhered to. Some kids may indeed regard you as the Grinch reincarnate, but who knows, maybe some of your parental advice will hit the mark!
Have a few quiet words with ‘key players’: Christmas is the time of the year when a variety of significant people in the lives of your children feel that they are entitled to do a little (or a lot!) of spoiling. This is, of course, a natural (some would say noble!) impulse but as the parent of a child with ADD/ADHD you will need to make sure that it gets channeled in the right directions. Having a few quiet words with the people wanting to do the spoiling (read ‘grandparents’ in most cases!) to remind them that does not necessarily have to equate with lots of sugar, chemicals, colorants and artificial flavors. You will obviously have to be careful in how you approach this conversation since you most probably a) do not want to hurt the feelings of the ‘spoilees’ and b) certainly do not want to label your kids in their eyes. It is, however, in many cases a conversation that will have to take place if you value a peaceful family-building Christmas.
What all of these tips have in common is that they remind us that when it comes to ADD/ADHD and nutrition it is never a good idea to simply ‘go with the flow’. As I have pointed out repeatedly: Making informed and proactive choices is half the game in dealing with the condition. This is especially true during the holidays when we are almost actively encouraged to go the other way. This problem extends beyond the area of nutrition, the next article will focus on some general (non-nutrition related) tips for how to survive and thrive through the holidays with ADD/ADHD.
Powering up the Nerve Centre: Nutrition and the Brain
In past articles we have been looking at the way in which a Low GI diet can counteract some of the effects of ADD-ADHD by releasing energy into the bloodstream in a controlled and consistent way. With this week’s article we are going to take a step back in order to emphasize why doing your best to ‘power up your brain’ in the most effective way is so vitally important. In a nutshell this comes down to the fact that nutrition has a direct effect on brain function. Simply put: What you eat plays a key role in how well you think!
There has always been anecdotal and pre-scientific evidence of the role that nutrition plays in keeping our thought processes up and running. People of all generations knew that you feel contented and ‘at peace’ after a good meal and frazzled and irritable when you are hungry. Exploration of the human brain over the past few decades meant that we can now begin to understand exactly why this is the case.
The first thing that is very important to note is that the brain is by far the most energy dependant part of the human body. It accounts for just 2% of average body mass but it is typically responsible for about 20% of all energy use. This means that the changes or deficiencies in nutrition are bound to affect the brain, as the prime energy user of the body, in some way. However the link between the brain and nutrition not only revolves around quantity (although getting enough energy to the brain is of vital importance) but also around quality. The energy and nutritional substances that eventually reach the brain should ideally correspond with the brain’s very specific needs. This is especially important when it comes to the role of neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals whose primary function is to transmit, strengthen and control the transmission of signals (also known as impulses) between neurons (nerve cells). This means that neurotransmitters play their primary role within the brain itself, since they represent the core component of both the brain and the spinal cord. As such their proper functioning (or not) can influence things as diverse as mood, sleeping patterns and cognitive processes.
Since neurotransmitters are made up out of complex chemicals the body needs the right chemical ‘building blocks’ (e.g. vitamins and minerals) to construct them with. The amount of food we eat, and what it contains, is therefore of prime importance. Consider the following:
- Deficiencies in certain basic nutritional building blocks (through an unbalanced diet or through not eating enough) can cause the body to make use of substandard neurotransmitters. Leading eventually to sub optimal brain function.
- Excess amounts of certain chemicals (e.g. through the presence of toxins derived from pesticides) can severely interfere with the production and functioning of certain neurotransmitters.
The bottom line is that it is possible for our diets to have a significant impact on the way our nervous systems operate. This even to the point where deficiencies and/or excesses of certain chemical and vitamins can lead to nerve damage, loss of memory, limiting of cognitive function and problem solving capabilities, and impairment of the brain’s behavior control centers. When you consider this fact next to the obvious needs of the brain for a reliable and consistent energy supply it becomes clear why proper nutrition is of such vital importance in addressing the effects of ADD-ADHD.
Many of the symptoms of the ADD-ADHD can be traced back directly to impaired brain function. It makes perfect sense therefore to try to get to the bottom of why the brain is not functioning as it should in a person with ADD-ADHD. There could obviously be serious neurological reasons for this but this should perhaps not be the first place where we need to go looking. It would instead be prudent to first ask whether the impulsive behavior and lack of focus so often associated with ADD-ADHD cannot perhaps be traced back to the neurons inside the brain not getting everything they need to fire properly (both in terms of quantity and quality).
Over the next few weeks we will delve a little deeper into the link between nutrition and proper brain function. Attention will also continually be called to the implications of what is being discussed for dealing with ADD-ADHD. Some of the specific things that we will be looking at are: the effects of different food types on brain function, the sources of the best ‘brain foods’, and (returning to the overall Low GI theme) how understanding the Glycemic Index can help you to ‘do the best for your brain’!
ADD and Becoming Productive – Part 5
You have collected info, processed what to do about it, organized, and reviewed. Now we are ready to turn to the last step in mastering your workflow – Doing! Since you have done the proper pre-planning in the first four steps, you are now ready to take care of things efficiently and quickly. Continue reading “ADD and Becoming Productive – Part 5”
Avoid Bad Gas For Your Tank [ADD Brain]
One of the first mistakes people make with ADD-ADHD is to assume that it is a disease or a condition like diabetes.
This leads you down a very scary path.
Before you make this assumption consider this.There at least 50 other conditions that mimic ADD-ADHD symptoms.
You may be displaying ADD-ADHD symptoms because of something you lack in your diet.
OR
More likely you may be displaying ADD-ADHD symptoms because you are not getting enough of a certain vitamin or mineral.
What if you tend to burn off more of the needed vitamin/mineral than the average person?
Think of yourself as a Sport Utility Vehicle…. a Yellow Hummer
Now imagine that most other people are blue ford sedans.
Do you require more gas to go the same distance as the ford sedan?
Of course you do!!!
Does this make you inferior?
Absolutely NOT!
Imagine now that you require high grade gas to run optimally.
What if you put the cheaper 87 grade gas in your tank?
That’s right you will sputter and jerk around, but you will still run.
With “3 Steps To Conquering ADD-ADHD” you can at least rest easy knowing that you are giving your body the right building blocks to function optimally.
If you give your brain and body the right “stuff” your ADD-ADHD symptoms will likely just “go away”
This has worked for thousands of people all over the world.
I am sure it can work for you too.
Jon Bennett
Author, “3 Steps To Conquering ADD-ADHD”
http://3StepsADD.com
ps- ADD drugs only mask the true problem. they are a destructive band-aid that should be avoided at all costs and used
ONLY after all other techniques have been exhausted.
The Matthew Smith Story
I have know the story of Matthew Smith for over 5 years
now, and every time I hear the story I am motivated
to continue to do my best to help ADD ADHD families.
There are too many people blindly following the advice
their well-intentioned Doctors and taking these
dangerous medications.
If you are taking medication for ADD ADHD like Adderall,
Ritalin, Concerta, Strattera, or the new Vyvanse, please
reconsider and explore your options.
It has been scientifically proven that natural methods not
only work, they are more effective and actually treat the
cause of the ADD-ADHD.
Drugs only act as a band-aid to the true problem.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jon Bennett
ps – Mr. Smith metioned the product neu-be-calm. More
information can be found @ http://neu-be-calm.com
ADD ADHD Drugs and the Placebo Effect
Shocking New Research
We are all familiar with the so-called ‘placebo effect’. This is where someone begins to feel significantly better after receiving ‘fake’ medication (usually a sugar pill or a tablet with no active pharmacological ingredients). The existence of the placebo effect amply demonstrates that the belief that a condition is being treated can sometimes be as powerful as the treatment itself.
Significant new research (published in the Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics) points to the widespread occurrence of the placebo effect when it comes to ADD/ADHD medication.
This should perhaps be expected as the effect has been shown to occur with just about any kind of medication imaginable. What makes the findings surprising however is that the placebo effect did not occur in the ADD/ADHD patients themselves but in their caregivers!
In other words, the belief that a child is being medicated was sometimes enough for parents or teachers to significantly modify their attitudes to, and expectations of, that child.
The study was conducted by pediatric psychologists from the University of Buffalo and found that, when caregivers believed that children were receiving ADD/ADHD medication (e.g. Ritalin and Adderall) they would view them more favorably and treat them more positively – whether medication was actually involved or not!
The lead author of the review Dr. Daniel A Waschbusch summarized their rather alarming findings as follows: “”The act of administering medication, or thinking a child has received medication, may induce positive expectancies in parents and teachers about the effects of that medication, which may, in turn, influence how parents and teachers evaluate and behave toward children with ADHD.
We speculate that the perception that a child is receiving ADHD medication may bring about a shift in attitude in a teacher or caregiver.
They may have a more positive view of the child, which could create a better relationship. They may praise the child more, which may induce better behavior.”
The findings of this research project is a damning indictment of the well documented ‘rush to medicate’ whenever there is the slightest suspicion that ADD/ADHD might be involved.
The pressure to do so often comes from teachers who explicitly and implicitly signal that little Johnny will have a much tougher time in class if Ritalin is not added to the mix as soon as possible. Parents are often so intimidated by this stance that they meekly accept the ‘recommendation’ to go and see a medical professional that can be relied on to supply the ‘correct’ diagnosis and treatment. This is the exact path that thousands of young people take every year: A path that leads to unnecessary exposure to very dangerous chemicals and an accompanying label classifying the child as ‘difficult’.
The suggestion, implicit in the research quoted above, that positive outcomes can be achieved by some focused attention and high expectations is a rare and welcome nod in the direction of plain old fashioned common sense.
As a society we need to be reminded that it is a fallacy to believe that every problem can be solved by medicating it away.
It is my belief that parents should educate and equip themselves to deal with the pressure to ‘diagnose and medicate’ that they will perhaps have to deal with. This preparation should focus at being ready with answers and arguments on both the side effects and the effectiveness of ADD/ADHD medication.
Side Effects: The evidence that ADD/ADHD medication can have some pretty nasty unintended consequences is mounting by the day. Medicines like Ritalin, Strattera and Adderall have been implicated in everything from suicidal thoughts to increased susceptibility to addiction.
The fact is that you are dealing with powerful mind-altering chemicals: A fact that should not be obscured by comforting advertising copy and the glib reassurances of those who benefit financially (or otherwise) from their distribution.
Effectiveness: The research quoted above is another nail in the coffin of the ‘defense’ that the perceived dangers of the products are obscured by the fact that they are so effective in improving attention. This is a very difficult assertion to prove when it comes to long term use of products like Ritalin.
Could it, further, be the case that all that is really needed are some lifestyle modifications (as suggested in the ‘3 Steps ADD’ Program) and a more positive engagement with the child?
If the answer to this question is ‘yes’ (as I believe it is) it would perhaps leave pharmaceutical companies with radically reduced profit margins.
This is, however, a negligible price to pay for giving our kids back the privilege of living their lives without unnecessary ‘chemical crutches’!
- The full article, entitled, Are There Placebo Effects in the Medication Treatment of Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Can be found on the website of the Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics
- A shorter discussion of be accessed on Science Daily.