Holistic approach to ADHD

A Holistic Approach to ADHD

By Kimberly Horg-Webb

Nicole Hodson’s son, Josh, was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in kindergarten. His doctor prescribed medication (Adderall at first and then various forms of Ritalin), but after years of watching her child routinely take his pills and suffer from side effects—ranging from mood swings to appetite loss—Nicole decided to take matters into her own hands. She went back to school to study medicine.

Now a certified nutrition educator at Hodson Holistic Health in Rancho Cordova, Nicole was surprised when she first discovered that her son was suffering from food allergies. “The only options that were talked about were prescription medications and visits with a psychologist,” she says. “After three sessions the psychologist said there was nothing further he could do to help.” In fact, his parting recommendation was to give Josh Coca-Cola, which made him even more hyper.

Like many parents, she was never told that undiagnosed allergies or food sensitivities could be the culprits behind her son's behavior. She was also never advised that alternative measures, including diet and exercise, could yield the same—or even better—results than prescription medications.

Priscilla Monroe, R.N., N.D., finds that most of her patients with ADHD have food allergies. She says that once patients change their diet, concentration increases. "The body has the ability to heal itself if you remove the obstacles to healing, and diet is the first obstacle.”

Nicole changed her son's diet to natural whole foods and weaned him off sugar and preservatives. "This is the best thing I could have done for him," she says. "I used to get calls about his behavior. Those have stopped, and he has better grades than he ever has before. There is a direct correlation between what goes in your mouth and behavior." Now 17 years old, Josh has been off medication for six years.

Nicole recommends families talk with their physicians about changes in diet or medication. She also advises other parents to be diligent, listen to their instincts and look for practitioners they trust. Nicole says she wishes she had listened to her own instincts when Josh was first diagnosed.

A tricky diagnosis

ADHD is a neurological condition identified by a combination of traits, including short attention span, impulsiveness and hyperactive behavior. The percentage of the population that actually suffers from this condition is low (just 3 percent to 7 percent of children by most estimates), but without a single conclusive lab test, health care providers have to rely on patient history and behavioral assessments.

"It takes experience and asking the right questions,” says Dr. Patrick Lau of Natomas Family Practice. Dr. Lau says that ADHD is often over-diagnosed when kids present behavioral problems. If he suspects a patient has ADHD, Dr. Lau refers the child to a psychiatrist to confirm it. He also looks at heredity (often a child with ADHD has a parent who also has it), and he checks to see if all the traits are apparent both at school and at home. If it only happens at school, then it is situational, he explains.

"If a child can watch a movie at home and sit still, then they just need to find something they are interested in," says Dr. Lau, adding that some kids simply need more creative teaching techniques, more stimulating lessons or more patience from their parents.

Many doctors don’t realize the significant benefits of diet and exercise for kids with ADD or ADHD and looking to provide a quick treatment plan, they can easily misdiagnose ADHD and will often prescribe meds or send parents to a psychologist or psychiatrist who will do the same. 

The “quick fix”

A child diagnosed with ADD and ADHD might be prescribed nonstimulant drugs, such as Straterra, stimulants, like Ritalin, or amphetamines, such as Dexedrine and Adderall. The drugs are successful with some patients but have adverse effects on others.

            Josh lost his appetite on prescription medications. He also said the pills made him “feel mean and think mean thoughts.” Once he was able to articulate that to his mother, Nicole immediately began searching for alternatives.

     “Josh’s mood and his appetite were fully restored when I took him off of the meds and changed his diet,” Nicole recalls. “He became whole again, and I got my little boy back!”

She says she still feels guilty for having put him through that, but at the time she didn’t know what else to do. His teachers were constantly complaining about his inability to pay attention and about how much he distracted other students.       

“There’s nothing worse than a parent getting a call from a school saying their child is a nuisance. It makes you feel inferior and as if you are a bad parent,” she says. She thinks many parents panic and look for the quickest fix possible. Holistic health care providers point out that what works fast doesn’t always work best.

Results, naturally

Nicole Hodson attributes most of her son’s success to his diet and the supplements he takes. Josh eats mostly organic, seasonal whole foods, and takes supplements which support brain function and calm his system. Each child has unique issues and nutritional needs, but she generally recommends her patients start with "a good-quality, liquid, food-based multivitamin" and flaxseed oil, which is high in omega-3's, those essential fatty acids that tend to be lacking in the modern American diet.

"Fatty acids have an impact on brain chemistry," says Pamela Spencer, natural health practitioner for Dr. Jeffrey Kauffman in Sacramento. "I haven't had a case where ADHD couldn't be managed through a proper diet," she says.

For Josh, exercise has also been an important outlet. A track and cross-country runner, he was the first athlete at his school to ever make it to the California State Championship for Cross Country last fall. 

Any activity which sparks a child’s interest can be beneficial, says Nicole, even if it doesn’t involve physical exercise. In addition to making the Honor Roll his last two semesters in high school, Josh received the Music Department Award for Best Baritone in two choirs. 

Last summer, he enrolled at American River College. He plans on earning his Associate of Arts degree in Business then transferring to Sacramento State, where he wants to major in Recreational Studies and minor in Business.

For parents still struggling to help their children, Nicole says she likes to remind them, “Having a child with ADD/ADHD does not make you a bad parent… Many times parents with challenged kids feel like they’re responsible or have done something wrong. This is not the case!”

Kimberly Horg-Webb is a freelance writer and the mother of a 2 year old. Kimberly has had hundreds of articles published throughout the country. To check out more of her work, visit KimberlyHorg-Webb.com.