ADD Child Symptoms,
Ritalin Long Term Effects, Homeopathy Alternatives
Healing With Homeopathy
Attention Deficit
(ADD) and Hyperactivity (ADHD)
December, The Province newspaper's 4-part
investigative report "Drugging Our Children" concluded that "children are a
booming market for psychiatric medications such as stimulants,
anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs."
Stimulant drugs such as Ritalin or
Dexedrine, sedatives like Imipramine, and anti-depressant drugs including
Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, are prescribed for toddlers, young children, and
teens, to treat attention and hyperactivity problems, depression, anxiety,
anger and aggression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, bed-wetting,
and insomnia. According to the report, "babies still young enough to be in
diapers are being prescribed powerful adult tranquilizers." Meanwhile, there
is widespread debate about whether these drugs cause long-term side-effects,
especially when used by young children. Clinical experience has found that
neurological disorders such as facial and body tics may occur after the use
of these drugs, and cardiac problems resulting in death have been associated
with the use of sedatives in young children.
In B.C. in 1999 approximately 12,000 children
aged six to fifteen were prescribed the stimulant drugs Ritalin (a chemical
cousin of cocaine), or Dexedrine (an amphetamine formerly used as an adult
diet drug) for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These
drugs are intended to help children sit still and pay attention in class.
Dexedrine or Ritalin were prescribed to 56 children under age three,
although neither of these stimulant drugs is recommended for use in children
under six.
The study also found that doctors are
prescribing both uppers and downers to thousands of children and teens. If a
stimulant such as Ritalin is used during the day, children may have trouble
falling asleep, or may experience symptoms such as depression, crying, and
moodiness, and anti-depressants are often used to counteract these
side-effects.
To homeopathic practitioners, these
statistics are frightening. Once children begin taking stimulants, they
often need to continue the medication for five to ten years, sometimes for
life. This sets up a habit of taking drugs, perhaps fostering addictive
tendencies later in life. A recently identified drawback of Ritalin is its
popularity as an illicit stimulant drug. The annual survey "Monitoring the
Future", by the University of Michigan, warns of a trend concerning Ritalin
abuse. From 1993 to 1994 in the United States, 350,000 high school seniors
admitted to having abused Ritalin. The side-effects of Ritalin addiction
include strokes, hypothermia, hypertension and seizures. Thousands of
emergency room admissions and several deaths have been attributed to Ritalin
abuse in teens. Drug addiction in North America is a huge problem, and the
growing trend to abuse a drug, which is being legally prescribed for nearly
two million children, is of great concern.
How effective is Ritalin in young
children diagnosed with ADHD? Many children respond positively with varying
degrees of success, but over 25% experience no significant improvements.
Like many conventional drugs, Ritalin only suppresses the symptoms without
changing the underlying condition. Some parents report side-effects
including headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, increased heart rate or blood
pressure, drowsiness, insomnia, nail-biting, appetite loss, social
withdrawal, anxiety, irritability, moodiness, tics and other involuntary
movements or sounds.
Homeopathy is safe and effective natural
medicine with a high success rate in treating emotional and behavioral
disorders in children and teens - including attention deficit,
hyperactivity, depression, apathy, anxiety, anger, aggression, defiance, and
obsessive-compulsive disorders. Rather than suppressing symptoms, homeopathy
seeks to create deep, long-term behavioral changes. Homeopathic medicines
are made from natural substances, and are so highly diluted that they do not
produce side-effects when prescribed by a qualified homeopath.
Homeopathy recognizes that behavioral
and learning problems vary from child to child, and no single remedy is
suitable for all children. The homeopathic practitioner sees each child as
an individual with unique gifts and problems rather than part of a
stereotypical syndrome, and he or she will choose the most appropriate
remedy for each child's combination of symptoms.
These may
include:
restlessness
difficulty paying attention and following directions
poor grades
difficulty with reading and writing
sleeplessness
emotional intensity
impulsivity
recklessness
a need for constant stimulation and attention
annoying or disruptive behavior
defiance and tantrums
jealousy
violence and/or destructiveness
difficulty in getting along with other children.
Quoting from Edward H. Chapman, M.D., Dht,
President of the American Institute of Homeopathy, and Clinical Instructor
at the Harvard University School of Medicine: "For those who need support in
their struggle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder … they can be
assured from two hundred years experience using homeopathic medicines that
they are safe. Your conventional doctor may be skeptical if you choose to
use homeopathy. Don't let that stop you. Seek assistance from well-trained
homeopathic providers who are willing to work with you and your doctors."
Sources:
The Province, December 18, 19, 20, 21, 2000.
Ritalin-Free Kids, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman, Prima
Publishing, 1996.
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