Did you know that there are 16 essential minerals that are absolutely vital for our bodies and minds? Just as these are essential for healthy growth of muscles and bones, they are also vital for the correct functioning of our brain transmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine. If these are not working properly or if we have some nutrient deficiencies in our diet, then the brain just will not work at maximum capacity.

Let us take ADHD where those neurotransmitters are not working very well. They have sometimes been compared to a rather weak phone signal. You know those awful conversations where the line keeps going and we have to fill in the gaps. It is most irritating and in a way a child who is suffering from ADHD just cannot fill in the gaps at all. His distractability, motivation to stay on task and lack of attention and impulsivity are all a direct result of those transmitters just failing to make the right connections.

Let us take calcium as one of the essential minerals. We have to have the correct amount not only to make great bones but we desperately need the 1% that goes to feed our brains. If children do not get enough, they tend to be irritable be inattentive and also have tingling arms and legs.

About 12% of American schoolchildren are not getting enough iron. This deficiency is even higher in children with ADHD. I read with great interest about some studies done in Israel which actually showed that ADHD children after just a month of iron supplements as part of a program of minerals and vitamins for ADHD, were showing improvement of some of their symptoms. The main improvement that parents noted was that they were much less hyperactive and restless. They felt that this was an enormous achievement.

These are just two examples of how important balanced regime or diet plan with minerals and vitamins for ADHD can really help. It needs to be implemented with a comprehensive program which include child behavior modification and also green time with plenty of physical activities.

As for medication, lots of parents are turning with great interest to ADHD homeopathic remedies which is why I decided to build a website page for you to explain it all and how it can fit in so well with the above type of treatment regime. As you will see it is not just about mineral products for ADHD kids but an awful lot more. Hope it helps!

Overview:

Inattentive ADHD is one of the three subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Inattentive ADHD is sometimes referred to as ADD which is short for Attention Deficit Disorder. This subtype of ADHD is also called ADHD predominantly inattentive (ADHD-I, ADHD-PI).

Symptoms:

ADD differs from the other two subtypes in several ways. The characteristic symptoms of the inattentive subtype are inattention, easy distractibility, disorganization, procrastination and forgetfulness.

About a third of people with the Inattentive subtype also have coexisting lethargy and fatigue and people with this variant of ADD are said to have Sluggish Cognitive Tempo or SCT.

People with ADD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo have fewer or no symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsiveness and they are less likely to have a co-existing diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder or Conduct disorder. Hyperactivity and Impulsiveness are symptoms that are the hallmark of the other two subtypes of ADHD, the Combined type of ADHD referred to as ADHD-C and the Hyperactive/Impulsive subtype of ADHD which is referred to as ADHD-HI.

People with this condition have been shown in studies to perform more poorly in school than people with the other subtypes of ADHD but they are less likely to suffer the adverse life outcomes, such as substance abuse disorder or law enforcement problems, seen more commonly in people with the other two subtypes of ADHD.

Causes:

The cause of ADHD-PI is unknown but genetic influences are thought to play a major role. It is estimated that up to 70% of people with ADD have a relative with Inattentive ADD. Other factors that may play a causative roll in ADD and SCT include:

Dietary allergies-It is possible that certain people may have increased ADHD-PI symptoms after consuming certain foods or food dyes.

Environmental Factors and Toxins – pesticides and lead have both been implicated in causing increased symptoms.

Prematurity and Traumatic head injuries- may be related to an increased risk of symptoms.

Social Influences- maternal separation and other social factors are being studied to determine their role in causing this condition.

Testing:

ADHD questionnaires are standardly administered to diagnose this condition. These questionnaires consist of a series of symptoms questions where parents and teachers rate the severity of symptom sand the perceived degree of disability caused by each symptom.

Other diagnostic methods include computerized programs that measure attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. The computerized test can give a more objective view of symptoms which is important because parent and teacher questionnaires responses can vary greatly and often do not agree on the severity of disabling characteristic of the ADHD symptom.

Treatment:

The appropriate dose of medication, which may be lower in the case of treating ADD than it is for the other subgroups of ADHD.

The following is a list of medications used to treat Inattention:

Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine,Vyvanse) – most commonly used stimulant treatment (along with methylphenidate) for all subtypes of this condition.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana,Metadate) – some people may have a genetic basis for NOT responding to methylphenidate.

Atomexitine (Strattera) – non-stimulant therapy.

Alpha-2A-Adrenoceptor Agonist (Intuniv, Clonidine) – especially useful for combined ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome

Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac) – useful for the treatment of associated depression or as a second line treatment for ADHD-PI when stimulants fail.

Try-cyclic Antidepressants (Norparmine,Tofranil) – also used for treating co-existing depression but the try-cyclics can have unpleasant side effects and must be used with extreme caution in children.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) – Wellbutrin is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and is another second line treatment for the inattentive subtype.

Behavioral therapy is useful sometimes alone and sometimes combined with medication to better treat issues related to motivation, persistence, academic issues and social skill problems. Behavioral therapy may be more useful for ADHD-PI than it is for the other subtypes.

Lifestyle skills treatment generally addresses lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise and stress reduction.

Classroom treatment methods include: Classroom management, parent support training and classroom accommodation.

Additional useful treatment methods include:

Vitamin supplementation – to address potential deficiencies in Omega-3 fatty acids, iron or zinc.

Behavioral therapy and Coaching.

Psychotherapy – to treat the problems that can co-exist with Inattentive ADHD such as anxiety, depression and social phobias.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – to address common areas of cognitive weaknesses.

Social skills training methods – to address the problems that result socially from the inattentive symptoms of ADHD-PI.

The symptoms and treatment for Inattentive ADHD are different from the symptoms and treatment of the other subtypes of ADHD. People with Inattentive ADHD and parents of children with ADHD must assure that an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD is made in order that this subtype of ADHD be appropriately managed.

As well as the negative effects of stunted growth, there are a whole range of side effects which can range from sleep loss, drowsiness, headaches, and also loss of appetite. These effects involve a sizable minority, about 30%. In fact, many of these children are forced to stop talking these medications, because of these effects.

So, what ADHD alternative therapy is available and is it safe and effective? The safest and most effective of all the options out there is of course, ADHD behavior therapy or child behavior modification techniques.

The British government has allocated funds for parents of ADHD children to follow such courses so that they know exactly how to deal with outbursts, violent and defiant behavior and also how to set limits. There are lots of studies that show that this is really the only way to go because once these strategies are in place, then the chances of a child coping with ADHD and being successful are much greater.

In the UK, many local education authorities have initiated ‘ADHD Care Pathways’ which is aimed at professionals liaising with children with ADHD and their families. It seeks to coordinate the professionals working in the social and justice areas so that the outcomes for those suffering from ADHD and their families can be much improved.

The best ADHD alternative therapy is on which use homeopathic remedies in combination with behavior therapy or child modification techniques, in my view.

If you have never considered homeopathy as a valid alternative, what is stopping you from looking into it now? It has several stunning advantages over conventional medications for ADHD. You will never have to worry about side effects nor on what effect it might have on your child’s heart in the long term.

Who becomes a bully?

The stereotyped image of a bully is an overweight boy who torments younger, skinnier boys. However, bullies come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. While girls aren’t as aggressive and violent as boys, they can use gossip, online bullying, and ostracism to bully other girls. According to the United States National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, bullies tend to be:
Confident with high self-esteem
Easily angered, physically aggressive, and displaying impulsive tendencies
Easily frustrated and impatient
Experiencing academic difficulties, disliking school, and getting into more trouble than their peers
Some bullies shy away from others, but many also have friends who also engage in bullying behaviors and violence

ADHD and bullying

A recent study by Swedish researchers discovered a link between ADHD, bullies, and bully victims. The researchers followed 557 fourth-grade children from a municipality outside Stockholm for a year. Through interviews with parents, teachers, and the children themselves, they determined which ones had ADHD symptoms. These children were then taken to a neurologist for diagnosis. According to the findings, kids with ADHD are four times more likely than others to become bullies, and ten times more likely to be bully victims, even before they develop their symptoms. The researchers believe that the bullying might be an expression of ADHD, or the attention problems they experience might be caused by the stress of being bullied.

Before the Swedish study was published, a paper in the Ambulatory Pediatrics journal showed that kids diagnosed with ADHD and autism are more likely to become bullies than their peers.

Preventing bullying

Bullying is still a common problem in many schools, and it seems like children with ADHD face some limitations that make them targets for bullies or bullies themselves. While taking medication does not seem to minimize bullying behaviors, there are some steps parents and teachers can take to prevent bullying.
Bullying usually occurs when there are no adults around. Tell your child to sit near others during lunch or stay in crowded places in the hall. If a bully approaches, leave the scene and go towards a crowd, a teacher, or older kids.
Talk to a teacher who can help your child. The teacher must take the problem seriously, watch out for your child, and remain confidential about the role as protector.
Teach your child confident body language. Research shows that children are less likely to be bullied if they appear confident and assertive. Standing tall, developing a poker face, and responding to bullies using a strong firm voice may reduce the instances of bullying

When you are diagnosed with ADHD, you should take it as a great wake up call. When you find out that you have ADHD it is about time that you seek help and not neglect the effects of ADHD in you. The earlier you start the treatment for the symptoms of ADHD, the better. If you are able to seek help and educate yourself about your condition, you will be able to find ways in managing ADHD successfully.

It takes a lot of work to be able to become successful in managing ADHD. You have to keep in mind that it takes a lot of hard work, persistence, and time in being able to find the right treatments that you could use of. Managing ADHD would not be that hard though as long as you bear in mind that you need to educate yourself about ADHD as much as you can, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and get plenty of support. You also have to have a positive outlook and life and believe that:

1. ADHD is a condition that is certainly treatable. Though you already know that ADHD does not have a known cure, you must not lose hope. A lot of researches have been done to come up with the proper treatment which could help people who are suffering from ADHD.

2. It is definitely you responsibility to have yourself treated. If you really want to conquer the challenges you are facing, the answer is all up to you. Everything is possible as long as you have the will and the determination to make your life better through successfully managing ADHD symptoms. It is true that there are health professionals whom you can seek help from but administering treatment still is all up to you.

3. The key to successfully managing ADHD is through educating yourself with as much information about ADHD as possible. If you educate yourself well, you will be able to understand what you are going through as well as what you need to do in controlling and managing ADHD symptoms and dealing with the condition as a whole. You will be able to know your strengths and weaknesses and learn how you can use them in becoming successful later in life.

4. Getting support is still one of the best forms of inspiration and motivation. People who support you will help you get through and be more positive about life.