ADD and natural ritalin alternatives????

[wisdom mind]

some people are diagnosed with attention defecit disorder...and are prescribed a methamphetamine, ritalin many times in error.

are there any herbal alternatives that people can use to try to achieve the same effect as ritalin without harming themselves internaly in the long run? in conjunction wiht meditaion and a good diet of course.


serious posters only, the wikked will burn

[Braden]

Is it an adult or child diagnosis?

[wisdom mind]

this would be a situation where the child took ritalin on and off from 3rd grade.....adult re-tested and diagnosed as having it harder than 90% of those WITH ADD. meaning this person must strive to pay attention near 100 times harder than persons with ADD. adult in the 23-33 range, working professionally in a weekly deadline environment

thoughts?

[Kymus]

There is an Herbal tea that works like ritalin. I have ADD. My Pai Lum Sifu recomended it too me. I totally forget what it was. you can try to ask him yourself. I forget the url, but the school is called Dragon Moon Martial Arts Assoc. You can find it in the pailum links. I think <A HREF="http://www.pailum.com" TARGET="_blank">www.pailum.com</A> is it... not sure, it's been a while

-Kymus

[Qiman]

Try WebMD roundtable. I will try and post the link but often screw it up. :p


<A HREF="http://my.webmd.com/roundtable-topic/84" TARGET="_blank">http://my.webmd.com/roundtable-topic/84</A>

[HuangKaiVun]

I was diagnosed with ADHD recently myself, and I'm 26.

Before I knew anything about it, I was a wreck. Though I FOUGHT my way through medical school, I couldn't keep up with the coursework despite my aptitude tests scoring high (e.g. SAT 1430).

I was always a talented enough student that I could get by in school despite my inability to stay awake for more than 15 minutes in class, sometimes sleeping in the front row to the chagrin of the teachers.

I had no business being in medical school - a place that I had no business being in but was forced to do by my overbearing Taiwanese parents.

The smartest thing I ever did in life was quit medical school, and the dumbest thing I ever did in life was NOT QUIT SOONER.


Nowadays, I turn ADHD to my advantage by doing things that suit that hyperactive mode.

In kung fu, my hyperactivity allows me to train long and hard without really fatiguing. Though my concentration span is extremely short, it's extremely productive. My inner restlessness causes me to pace and prance - thus giving me more opportunity to train my techniques.

ADHDers recognize each other - Bruce Lee had it too.

In violin, I'm a Juilliard-trained violinist who's unmatcheable from a speed and agility perspective. Nor can anyone match my extremes of expression due to my physical and mental extremes - Heifetz doesn't even come close.

I'm now doing some computer programming, and it's great. I sit still for hours because the restlessness is focused on the project. When faced with a project, I bite in and don't let go until it's DONE.

This week, I played in 5 concerts (2 on Tuesday), did two 2-hour rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday, worked 'round the clock for my final exam in computers, set up a 55 gallon fish tank, and STILL managed to get on the Internet and post stuff among my friends (you guys).


Ritalin puts me to SLEEP. So does caffeine.

But I don't take either because I NEED my impulsivity and hyperactivity to be consistently successful at the activities I have carefully chosen for myself.

[ninja turtle]

caffeine is the only thing i've heard of as a substitute for prescription. ginseng may work.

i personally believe that ADD and ADHD are pure bull****- it's just your body and mind responding to an unnatural setting- your subconcious knows that what someone is forcing you to do is a pointless waste of time- thus your attention hops to something(idea/object/speech) more interesting or potentially useful.

how do animals act when they are taken from their natural environment, and placed in a cage? like that.

[Qiman]

These are very real disorders that when properly diagnosed are treatable. As a Mental Health Professional with over 10 years experience working with adults and children. I have seen remarkable results with Ritalin and Cylert. A fairly new software test called the IVA can identify these disorders with a high level of reliability. Ritalin is not Methamphetamine although it is a stimulant. It is very safe when used appropiratly.

[JerryLove]

Not to doubt your diagnosis (love it when people say things like 100 times) but I would think someone with 1% the concentration capacity of a typical ADD child would have been unable to learn speach or walk through doors. I mean, that would give maximum focus times of 2-3 seconds. That's not even enough to listen to a question.

[Braden]

ADD and ADHD are real, they're just EXTREMELY over-diagnosed. The last study I read suggested that 86% of child ADD diagnoses were flase positives. That's alot.

[jimbob]

I tend to see a lot of "ADD/ADHD" cases in my naturopathic practice. It's an area I'm very interested in from a therapeutic perspective. A "natural" alternative to ritalin may not be the best course of treatment. As some of the guys here have said, ADD is an incredibly overdiagnosed condition. Of all the kids who have been brought to me, I'd honestly say maybe 10% if that are legitimate sufferers. It's very sad to see ordinary kids doped up to the eyeballs when they needn't be.

Having said that, look at the diet first and try and keep in check the level of salicylates that the person is ingesting. They are heavily implicated and are often the first thing I'll look at. Omega 3 oils work well in many cases also but must be taken in conjunction with zinc to be effective (sardines and other cold water fish are good). And if you really want to take a prescriptive approach, supplementing with DL Phenylalanine has worked consistently well for me in the past.

Good luck

James

[GeneChing]

Short Attention Span? READ Martial arts as an Alternative Treatment Method for ADHD by Xueyuan Yangchen

[bawang]

anything that causes increased neuroplasticity. the most effective is currently CBD and cranial electrode box. Thats how they treat PTSD, rewire the neurons. Its a hardware issue not a behavioral issue.