According to the National Institute of Mental Health two to three percent of children have ADHD. This means that in a typical classroom at least one child is ADHD. The NIMH estimates that about 2 million children in the United States have ADHD.
A neurologist by the name Dr. Fred Baughman estimated that 500,000 children were diagnosed with ADHD in 1985 and he estimates that there are now 5 to 7 million children with this diagnosis. This is contrary to what the NIMH states and on Dr. Baughman’s website he does not state his source for this statistic. Dr. Baughman’s main point seems to be that ADHD is misdiagnosed and overly medicated.
Russell Barkley, PhD has done extensive research on ADHD and ADD. Below please find a summary of some of his findings:
• Boys are most likely to be diagnosed ADHD.
• 75% of boys with ADD are also hyperactive while 60% of girls with ADD are also hyperactive.
• 40 % of children with ADHD have a parent with ADHD.
• 50% of children with ADHD also have trouble sleeping.
• Children with ADHD develop 30% slower than non ADHD children.
• 65 % of children with ADHD have discipline problems.
• 25% of children with ADHD have a serious learning disability.
• One half of ADHD children have poor listening comprehension.
• Parents of a child with ADHD are three times as likely to divorce.
• Teens with ADHD have four times as many car accidents and have seven times as many second accidents.
1.Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), affects approximately 6% of the population, while less than 2% receive treatment. The rates of ADHD are no higher in the U.S. than in other countries. For example, in China 8.9% of the population is reported to have ADHD. Puerto Rico reports a rate of 9.5%, Japan reports a rate of 7.7%, Germany reports a rate of 8.7%, and India reports a rate of 29%.
2. Out of 100 people with ADHD:
- 35 won’t finish high school.
- 25 will repeat at least one grade.
- 52 are abusing drugs or alcohol.
- 40 have tried alcohol and tobacco at an early age.
- 19 are smoking cigarettes (compared to 10% of the general population).
- 75 have interpersonal problems.
- 20 have set fires.
- 30 have engaged in theft.
- 25 will be expelled from high school for misconduct
3. Numerous studies show that approximately 50% of inmates have been found to have ADHD.
4. People with ADHD have a higher percentage of motor vehicle accidents, speeding tickets, citations for driving without a license, suspended or revoked licenses, medical visits, and emergency room visits.
5. Parents of ADHD children divorce three times more often than the general population.
6. Teenagers with ADHD are seven times more likely to engage in activities that result in suspension from school, six times more likely to have adversarial contacts with the law and five times more likely to spend time in a juvenile justice facility.
7. Teens with ADHD are four times more likely to have a serious auto accident and three times more likely to be cited for speeding.
8. It is estimated that between 40% and 59% of the children diagnosed with ADHD will eventually develop behaviors that meet the criteria for a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder.
9. Studies have found that nearly 40% of all cocaine and opiate abusers meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
Sources:
Amen, Daniel G. Healing ADD. New York: Penguin Putnam.
Dendy, Chris A. Zeigler. Teaching Teens with ADD and ADHD. Bethesda: Woodbine House.
Goldstein, Sam. “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: implications for the criminal justice system.” The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. June 1997.
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History of ADHD/ADD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD/ADD is considered to be a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to concentrate on tasks, avoid distractions, to sit still, and to think about the consequences before they act. ADHD is the most common behavioral disorder in school-aged children. Approximately 3% to 7% of school-aged children have ADHD. The number of boys having ADHD is much higher than the number of girls. The ratio is 9 boys to 1 girl.
Years ago ADHD/ADD went untreated and undiagnosed. Up until 1994, the inattentive symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) wasn’t noticed as a portion of ADHD. In 1980 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD was named ADD and had only two subtypes, one with hyperactivity and one without. Today there are three subtypes; Hyperactive-Impulsive, Inattentive, and a Combined type. Later, when researchers closely studied children that didn’t have hyperactivity, they saw that they were not as impulsive, not as hyperactive, and less aggressive. They were likely to be shy, withdrawn socially, and inactive.
The names for ADHD have been changed over the years.
These are examples:
Hyperkinesis
Brain Damaged Syndrome
Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD)
Hyperkinetic Impulsive Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Food allergies or additives
Starting in 1975, Benjamin Feingold proposed that artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives might lead to hyperactivity in some children. Since his initial theory, researchers and child behavior experts have hotly debated this issue. A recent study showed that some food coloring and one preservative did increase hyperactivity in some children. However, effects varied according to age and additive
Based on this and other recent studies, the American Academy of Pediatrics now agrees that eliminating preservatives and food colorings from the diet is a reasonable option for children with ADHD. Amen recommends that anyone with ADHD avoid these substances:
- Artificial colors, especially red and yellow
- Food additives such as aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), and nitrites
ADHD Medication Information.
One of the first – and sometimes ardently promoted – treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder is stimulant ADHD medications. The ADHD medications most commonly prescribed are Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta.
ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta are found to have a short-term effectiveness of 60 to 80 percent in reducing the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder ADD ADHD in school-age children.
For these people, ADHD medications reduce their hyperactivity and improve their ability to focus, work, and learn. The ADHD medications may also improve physical coordination, such as handwriting and ability in sports.
However, there are downsides and side effects to Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and other ADHD medications. Many doctors feel the side effects of ADHD medications should be carefully weighed against the benefits before prescribing ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta.
Ritalin.
Ritalin was derived from Dexedrine in the 1950?s, initially to minimize the side effects of appetite suppression and insomnia. Ritalin is now the most frequently prescribed stimulant drug for Attention Deficit Disorder ADD ADHD, and the focus of much of the controversy about stimulant drugs.
Ritalin is available in both a short and long acting form. The short acting form generally begins working about 30 minutes after it is administered, peaks at two hours and is gone at four hours. It must be taken several times daily. Ritalin sustained release tablets last about eight hours.
Ritalin affects children in the same way that related stimulants like Cocaine affects adults. It sharpens the short-term attention span when the drug kicks in and produces equally predictable valleys when Ritalin wears off.
Common Ritalin side effects are headaches, abdominal pain, nervousness, insomnia, dizziness, cardiac arrhythmia and weight loss. Long-term use has also been linked to abnormalities in brain development similar to those found with Cocaine. Safety and effectiveness has not been established in children under 6 years of age.
Adderall
Adderall was approved for unrestricted use for the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder ADD ADHD by the FDA in 1996 and is quickly becoming one of the more widely prescribed ADHD medications. Though Adderall is a fairly new drug in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder ADD ADHD, Adderall was first developed about 20 years ago under the name “Obetrol” and was marketed for weight loss and diet control.
Adderall is a “cocktail” drug that combines four drugs from the amphetamine family to provide a broad spectrum of coverage. The effects of Adderall can be felt after only a few doses but often takes additional time to achieve the full effect.
Adderall last about six hours per dose, which alleviates the need for children to take doses during the school day. Doctors and people using this ADHD medication report that Adderall can be less “harsh” than Ritalin, with less peaks and valleys.
The most common side effects of Adderall are restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, headache, dryness of the mouth, and weight loss. Adderall has a high potential for abuse and addiction, especially among people who do not have ADHD.
Concerta
Concerta is one the newest of ADHD medications to appear on the market and is the longest acting. The FDA approved the 12-hour Concerta, a reformulation of Ritalin, in 2000.
Concerta contains methylphenidate, the same medication found in Ritalin, though the medical community has not yet determined the long-term effects of having methylphenidate in the bloodstream for prolonged hours every day.
The time released Concerta tablet has an outer coat of medication that dissolves quickly and then two small compartments of medication inside that release gradually.
Concerta, like Adderall, provide longer, more even action than Ritalin.
The benefit of Concerta, and Adderall, is that children do not need to receive an extra dose during the school hours. The downside to Concerta is that, because of the drug-release system, you cannot cut the Concerta pill to decrease the dosage or chew the Concerta tablet because that will destroy the release mechanism. Adderall tablets are scored to allow decreased dosages.
Also, Concerta tablets are not completely digested and remnants of the Concerta tablet can often be seen in stools. Concerta isn’t recommended for children with gastrointestinal narrowing and digestive problems. Concerta is not recommended for children under the age of six.
The most common Concerta side effects are headache, upper respiratory tract infection, stomach ache, vomiting, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, increased cough, sore throat, sinusitis, and dizziness. Other side effects are reduced stature, tics, moodiness and psychosis.
Concerta is not recommended for people with marked anxiety or agitation, glaucoma, or tics. It is also contraindicated during any treatment with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
ADHD Medication facts
About six million children, roughly one in eight children, will take Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta or other ADHD medications.
Since 1991, prescriptions for ADHD medications quintupled.
In that same time period, Ritalin use for the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder ADD ADHD increased 700 percent.
Five lawsuits over the past three years charge Novartis, the makers of Ritalin, with using unethical marketing methods to increase demand.
ADHD medications prescriptions for children ages 2 to 4 increased almost 300% between 1991 and 1995.
Alternative Treatment for ADD and ADHD
Dr. Eric Herman, owner of Liberty Chiropractic and Holistic Center in Allentown and Bethlehem, PA is a participating member in the BioVeda Health and Wellness Center network of alternative and holistic healthcare clinics. BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers feature the BAX 3000 by BioVeda Technologies, which offers the only patented, FDA cleared and fully automated biofeedback based system for substance specific neurological stress reduction therapy, also referred to as NSRTSM.
NSRT is achieved using a proprietary LASERSM or Light And Sound Energy Relaxation technique.
Why is this revolutionary? Because, neurological stress is the cause or exacerbating factor in more than 80% of all human illness according to the AMA or American Medical Association. Reducing stress generally is the most effective way of obtaining the highest degree of health and wellness. While most people think of stress as being psychological, there is a very strong physiological component that exerts stress on each and every one of us.
Everyday our bodies are bombarded by environmental substances that we eat, touch or inhale. Each person reacts differently to these substances, which might include milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, pollen, dust and animal dander just to name a few. In the vast majority of people, these substances are completely harmless and may even be part of a balanced diet. For others however, contact with these substances triggers a nervous system stress response that leads to sneezing, itching, skin irritations, indigestion, lethargy, headache pain, irritability and restlessness which are all methods your body uses to expel what it believes is a toxin. When these common symptoms become chronic, we label them as Allergies, Asthma, Migraines, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Eczema, Rosacea, and even childhood neurological disorders such as ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism.
BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers have trained professionals that for the first time can assess up to 100,000 substances in mere minutes helping to determine which specific substances cause your stress. Once we identify these substances, our clinics can provide neurological stress reduction therapy positively conditioning your body to respond normally or neutrally during real world exposure. That means the reduction or elimination of symptoms and a dramatic improvement in your overall health and wellness.
We invite you to read and view testimonials from current and former patients across the country hearing first hand results. Please feel free to explore the world of BioVeda Health and Wellness to determine if this therapy is right for you or someone you love.
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