ADHD: We Have Not Properly Diagnosed This Condition

TND Guest Contributor:  Dr. Eldon Dahl |

In 2012 The Toronto Star published an article titled ADHD Drugs Suspected Of Hurting Canadian Kids. Recently, CBC Health News released an article titled ADHD Drugs To Add Suicide Risk Warnings. Dr. Eldon Dahl, ND responded to the contents of both of these articles in an essay which he wrote titled “ADHD: We Have Not Properly Diagnosed This Condition.”

When medical treatment for ADHD involves added side effects such as: strokes; convulsions; hallucinations; depression; and suicide, you have the wrong medication. These are very serious side effects for treating a not-so-serious health condition.

Taken from the Toronto Star report, “The regulator says the benefits of the drugs, when properly prescribed and used, outweigh the risks.” But what if the condition of ADHD is wrongly diagnosed and grouped as a mental disorder? Like drawing fish in a net, they become part of the catch. Children as young as 6 are being drugged for ADHD. The article goes on to say, “All side effects doctors aren’t required to report.” Parents are left in the dark, for they don’t know all the risks.

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 children have a mental disorder in the USA; potentially, that is 6.6 million children needing prescription drugs, which is big business and normally for the extension of their lives.

When we think of ADHD, we associate the condition and victims as being erratic in behavior and hard to control due to their overactive minds. Children that are diagnosed as having ADHD disrupt the norm; in classrooms, they need added attention, which takes the teachers’ attention away from fellow students. Home life is also disrupted as they constantly move like rabbits. In other words, they are much more work than non-ADHD children.

Society needs these children controlled and the only means they have at their disposal is pharmaceutical drugs. Clarification must be given: ADHD children are not stupid or retarded in development. In actuality, their intelligence is above normal in most cases. The diagnosis is wrong. Physicians group ADHD behavior but don’t check if the patients have any other underlying medical conditions such as dietary triggers. Instead, they are grouped as mentally unstable.

The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry conducted a study involving 7-year-old Swedish students. The Comorbidity of ADHD in the General Population of Swedish School-age Children. The study concluded that pure ADHD is rare, even in a general population sample. Thus, studies reporting on ADHD cases without comorbidity probably refer to highly atypical samples. By and large, such studies cannot inform rational clinical decisions.

Medical comorbidity–more specifically, psychiatric comorbidities–occur alongside eating disorders. Understanding that comorbid conditions are intertwined with an eating disorder, and treating both the eating disorder and co-occurring illness (in this case, ADHD) are critical in dealing with the issue for recovery. When comorbidities or the underlying issues are present, the main objective of treatment is psychiatric and medical stabilization. The core issue, the diet, must be addressed first before patients can be treated therapeutically for ADHD.

The western diet is the main cause of ADHD; hidden refined sugar is one of the main culprits. The clinical Raine Study followed 2,868 live births, and 14-year follow-up. Two major dietary patterns were identified: “Western” and “Healthy.” A higher score for the Western dietary pattern was associated with ADHD diagnosis (odds ratio = 2.21, 95% confidence interval = 1.18, 4.13) after adjusting for known confounding factors from pregnancy to 14 years. ADHD diagnosis was not associated with the “Healthy” dietary pattern.

Conclusion: A Western-style diet may be associated with ADHD.
Before we begin medicating our children for ADHD, the first step needs to examine the diet, and once the diet becomes “healthy” the condition may no longer exist.

After dietary factors are addressed, treatment can begin. I would recommend L-Tryptophan (fermented) with P5P to enable the Tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to reach the cell membranes. Clinical studies suggest 800 to 1,000 mg per day.

L-Tyrosine (fermented) is useful, especially in cases where adrenaline and dopamine metabolism problems exist. Therapeutic range is between 6,000 to 10,000 mg per dosage. This is not to be used by individuals who are unable to synthesize L-Tyrosine from L-Phenylalanine (i.e. individuals with phenylketonuria).

GABA has demonstrated an amazing potential for treating ADHD–mainly as a calming agent that helps to relax the brain, which is essential for ADHD. Positive results have been reported with doses between 1000-1500 mg/day, 2 to 3 times per day.

Dr. Eldon Dahl, ND is the Founder and CEO of Life Choice TM nutraceutical product line www.lifechoice.net.

This article was published at PreventDisease.com and is reprinted with permission.

Source: http://thenewsdoctors.com/adhd-we-have-not-properly-diagnosed-this-condition/