As we have seen in the preceding weeks, ADHD is a diagnosis surrounded by controversy so that the one who, more and more experts, including one of the doctors who defined it, considers that it is, possibly, overdiagnosed and that it is not addressed in an integral way. We are going to review others today Visions and treatment alternative to medication for children considered to have ADHD.
Actually, the diagnosis of ADHD cannot be made, scientifically demonstrably, because there are no tests that determine an altered functioning of the brain or that can be explained without depending on the opinions external to the patient.
A child who does not concentrate in school or is very moved does not have an ADHD, starting from this, it can be investigated, before seeking a diagnosis or a pharmacological treatment, what situations are in their environment that may be triggering dangerous or annoying behaviors for the child himself or others.
The diet
Maybe the first thing we can do is check the child's diet and find out if you can have an intolerance to any food or an allergy. Children with celiac disease sometimes exhibit symptoms of behaviors that could get confused with ADHD and that they decrease when their diet prevents them from feeling bad and in pain or discomfort. The same happens with other intolerances.
AdvertisingAlso, let's not forget that some additives have come to be related to concentration and hyperactivity problems. The same happens with sugar. Therefore, controlling these compounds and eliminating them or keeping them in low doses in their diet can have an effect. There are young children who, surely you will have observed, drinking candy alters them a lot.
A healthy diet, based on whole carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and quality proteins, using unprocessed foods, would be the first thing we could change to try to rule out that there is another problem.
The environment and daily life
As much as parents want there will always be things that raise and educate our children that we can improve. Let's review your surroundings and your daily life, let's check if the norms, limits, expectations and routines that we indicate to our children are respectful of them and their natural needs.
Not all children are equal. For some it is absolutely essential to have free time, lots of play and unregulated exercise to "burn excess energy." If our child is a very physical and moved child, our obligation is to offer these opportunities for development in nature and free space.
Today's children can hardly be children. From small they are surrounded by walls, little parks and high chairs that prevent them from moving freely. Some suffer greatly if they must separate from their mothers before being prepared for it.
When our child starts presenting symptoms of lack of concentration or hyperactivity really worrisome, not natural in a child (in children it is natural to be very active) or, above all, behaviors in which I am not aware of the danger by putting myself in risk situations that I should already know, my advice would be to seek advice from a respectful psychologist if we, the parents, do not know how to understand what is happening.
Stress, unassimilated emotions, traumas in pregnancy, childbirth or early childhood, or situations that have not told us (abuse or abuse of other people) can worry them and let that tension out as a secondary symptom that can confuse us from the real trouble. We are not afraid to do an exercise in self-criticism and research. Hyperactivity or concentration problems that are diagnosed as ADHD may be a symptom, but not the underlying problem.
Normally there will be nothing that is serious, but surely seeking how to improve family dynamics will always help us if the relationship with our children or their experience is not satisfactory.
Early schooling, if carried out in a very authoritarian educational environment, deprives them of the freedom of play and physical activity they need so much to develop their internal development program.
All this we should review and change before starting to worry about a possible hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit. Tomorrow I will talk to you in more detail about the complicated educational issue and how much it influences, in my opinion, the increase in diagnoses.
