Abstract
In the treatments of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), physicians should e very careful in ensuring they have properly diagnosed this condition which will help them in establishing other alterative of treatment. In the recent past alternative treatments such as nutrition, herbal medicines and proper diets have been used to treat this disorder. In the past treatments was only based on medical drugs such as the methylphenidate drug type. This paper will present the positive transformation that has taken place in the treatment of ADHD from the harmful drugs to eliminating diets which are more productive.
Introduction
Diet, in some children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been suspected to play a major role in depicting the multiple cognitive and behavioural symptoms of this condition. Research in establishing the truth of this claim has been on food in relation to the regulation of blood sugar, food intolerances and allergies, food addictives and deficiency of fatty acid, mineral and vitamins. ADHD is a construction which was established in the late 1960s in America. This construction was accepted as a definition of a range of behavioural characteristics which show medical disorder without the need to establish a biological or neurological dysfunction (Barkley, 1998).
Treating ADHD was mainly through the use of diagnosis and medical treatment during the 1990s diagnosis of this condition has since then increased not only in the United States but in Australia, European countries and other countries world wide. In 1995, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board expressed major concern on the approach and model used in treating ADHD cases. I reaching 2000, many countries including the United States went beyond the use of methylphenidate which was commonly used in Australia. Research carried out by Berbatis, Sunderland and Bulsara (2002) showed how psycho stimulants had been illicitly consumed in over ten countries from 1994 to 2000. This increased use of diagnosis according to this research was associated with the need to identify and treat the condition during the period of early childhood (Berkeley, 1998).
This increased use of diagnosis seen in the 1990s has come to be criticized mainly based on the circumstances which foster the increased number of children diagnosed with this condition. Such critics have come from psychologists like Breggin, 2001, Armstrong 1995 and Stein, 1999. The main concerns of this psychologist have been based on the efficacy and safety of using medical models to intervene on cases of behavioural disorders and learning problems (Armstrong and Breggin, 2001). INCB (2000) shows the problem of ADHD diagnosis which is only based on its focus on the spread of non medical use of drugs but also on the over diagnosis of this medical condition especially in the case of many incidences in the United States. On this claim INCB has warned on the need of psychologists and all the medical practitioners in all parts of the world to practice high most vigilance in order to prevent cases of over diagnosis of ADHD among children. The body also warned on the use of medically unjustified form of treatment by the use of stimulants such as methylphenidate (INCB, 2000, p 2).
The warnings given by INCB (1995) and other warnings which came up after wards had little impact on the uses of medications and diagnosis in treating this condition. Countries like Australia, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, France Netherlands and the United Kingdom still showed high record in the use of amphetamine drug type. For example by 2000, Australia had recorded an increase of 26% in the use of this type of drugs since 1994(Berbatis, et.al). This shows that the main type of drug used to treat ADAD is the Amphetamine drugs but there are many other drugs in treating this condition. Treating ADHD with the use of medication has over the years increased than in the earlier years. . Treating this disorder happens mainly in the early years of a child’s life normally at the age of 2 years (Berkley, 1998). The use of these drugs have not been well understood in relation to a child’s social, educational, neurological and behavioural development but it is highly likely that these drugs are damaging effects(Breggin, 2001);
The various models of treating ADHD
The United States National Institute of Medical Heath has done major efforts in investing in the research on ADHD through short term behavioural experiments when they are modified through the use of medications. These researchers have however avoided the means which can be used to assess the threats, risks and benefits associated with the drugs for treating this disorder (Breggin, 2001) one of the example is the MTA study carried out in 1999 which was expensively funded by the national institute of medical health. This study showed many flaws such as withholding the most important data, serious methodological flaws and it also reported false findings in relation to the effectiveness of interventions to check the behavioural treatment of ADHD (Breggin 2000).
The findings given by MTA Cooperative groups have widely been used to Support the use of medical treatment of MTA with the believe that this method is more effective as compeered to parent training, behavioural management, and educational intervention the use of these findings have since then been quoted with the support that medical intervention can be used in treating ADHGD in the public heath care centres , influence medical practitioners in the sense that the use of medical treatment is the best option and the most superior method of intervention (Satcher, 1999). However, despite the major influence it has had on various health practitioners and their decision making process. What still remain is that the reports on the MTA study are still controversial and its truth is questionable. The study by these groups also provides a conclusion which shows it does not support further investigation or the need for investigation on alternative behavioural treatments for ADHD.
Alternative biomedical treatments for ADHD
THE only evidence based treatments used in establishing other alternative t forms of treatment for ADHD are the behavioural therapy and the medication approved by FDA. These tow methods are used in a combined way of treating both the children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.
One of the common therapies is the cognitive –behavioural therapy which plays a part on medication treatment and management. This strategy has proved to be effective in helping patients diagnosed with the disorder. Some are however choosing to only use medication management treatment. Even those who have used the evidence-based treatments are still, struggling with the symptoms of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Functional impairment and co morbidity conditions. This has led to the proposal of alternative forms of treatment for these patients. Patients respond to the different medication and strategies used in treating the condition this makes it difficult to establish which condition is the best in establishing the various CAM treatments which suits and individual because they vary in placebo-control, double anecdotal blind or randomized trials.
Studies have been done to establish the best guiding principles for establishing the most suitable form of intervention to an adolescent, adult or child suffering from ADHD. These guiding aspects are supposed to be used by health care reactionaries which they can us to treat ADHD. Two of the proposed alternatives have been tested which are the essential fatty acid supplement and the RDA/RDI multivitamin supplements. The RDA/RDA multivitamin supplementation is one strategy which has been used in evaluating the best treatment of ADHD children. These supplements have shown to improve concentration, and sustain concentration. The supplements also decrease excessive motor movement. No research has however been done to establish the effects of the supplements on adults suffering from this disorder.
Multivitamin supplements
Through the use of multivitamin supplements it may be possible that children and adults diagnosed with ADHD condition may be suffering from vitamin deficiency risks and also the possibility of metabolizing or absorbing certain forms of food nutrients. Such scenarios occur mainly due to certain atomoxetine and stimulants which suppress appetite. Without such risks but only when the person condition is a genetic disorder, the RDA/RDI multivitamin supplements can greatly be of positive help to for patients suffering from ADHD and its symptoms.
Essential fatty acid supplement
The second tested strategy of treatment is the essential fatty acid supplement. The use of essential fatty acids supplements in the treatment of ADHD has been studied much more comprehensively than the previous one on multivitamin supplements. This is because the studies have been done through three open trails but still were not tested on adults. The study was carried out using a total of sixteen trials which 12 of them have showed recorded benefits in addressing the ADHD symptoms assessment method. These are neuropsychological test on attention and teacher and parent ratings.
The combination of EFA which seems to be more promising is the eicosapentaenoic acid, the gamma-linolenic acid and the docosahexaenoic acid which have found positive results. Despite these studies having challenges such as the use of a no-diagnosed groups and fallout, the tests have proved to be of greater benefits in the general health as well as brain development and cardiovascular functioning. Other psychiatric comorbidites such as stress and depression have also benefit fro the uses of EFA supplements. Considering the use of these supplements should be among the top option in the treatment ADHD patients even when they do not decrease the condition’s symptoms.
The administrating of EFA supplements is the best for those patients who do not consume oily wild fish at least three times in a day. Those who do cannot necessarily have to be provided with the supplements. Even when taking the medical fatty acids supplements. Patients are often cautioned from taking the EFA’s which have mercury written in the seal or label. Other recommended treatments for patients with ADHD are elimination diet and mineral supplements.
Mineral deficiencies
In relation to the diagnosis of ADHD, it has become unclear as whether nutrients deficits are one of the causes. Studies have however shown a close relationship between the levels of ADHD symptoms and the levels of nutrients. Other trades are however against this claim. Research has proved that there are improved ADHD symptoms with the supplementation of minerals to children diagnosed with ADHD. The same also applies to people who live in the endemic areas which are deficient of certain minerals (Bilici, Yildrim, and Kendil et.al 2004, pp 181-190). The applications of these findings to adults have also not been studied but it is highly likely that it will still prove beneficial. Such a treatment by THE use of supplementary minerals has been recommended for those patients who have been tested and have proved that they are deficient of these essential mineral.
Elimination diets
Studies by DR. Feingold during the 1970s indicated that children health is highly sensitive to artificial colouring and are also sensitive to the silicates in diets, preservatives and flavours. He suggested that parents and teachers and all adults responsible in the caring of children should eliminate these elements in order to tackle behavioural and learning problems among children. Such problems include the ADHD condition. This shows that dieting alone is not the solution in treating hyperkinetic syndrome
Children diagnosed with ADHD have been tested based n their syndrome after the elimination of food colouring, preservatives and additives. the research by Feingold did not however show the size of the studied population and how the sample differed from the general population of the ADHD sufferers in terms of morbidities, symptom presentations and functional impairment ( Stevens, Kuczek and Burgaass J, 2010).
This method of treatments is appropriate for patients with recorded history of being reactive to artificial preservatives, colouring and flavours in various foods. Patients who also suffer from ADHD can be provided with this form of elimination diets but the outcomes will be visible after a longer period of time. This method of treatments requires that varieties of foods be integrated in a systematic manner one at a time. Food elimination should also not lat for more than two weeks because necessary food nutrients may lack. One should be careful in ensuring that only the food type to be eliminated is that which triggers a symptom of ADHD and individuals should be careful in determining which food variety highly nutritional. This therefore means that elimination diets calls for high organizational level in order to ensure the highly essential food nutrients are not eliminated from the consumed food in a child’s diet.
A child’s diets should be that which improves the general immunity. A good diet for children with ADHD hold have all the elements off Omega -3 fatty acid s, micronutrients such as Zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B. parents should ensure that they provide their children with foods which are free from preservatives, artificial colouring and unnecessary artificial component.
Conclusion
This paper has presented the historical forms of treating ADHD such as methylphenidate types of drugs to the more recent alternatives such as the use of multivitamin supplements, mineral supplements, fatty acids supplements and controlled diets. These newer forms of treatments are more beneficial than the medical drugs which are associated with various side effects. It is important that future research deal with establishing the benefits of this newer form on adults because the only research existing are only dealing with the benefits in relation to children only.
Reference
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On April 17TH 2011
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