ADHD? Pass [UP] the Ritalin

Lately, it seems like kids are finding it a little bit harder to focus. What with endless links to click, eternally buzzing phones, and infinite Facebook notifications, it is becoming more and more of a challenge for all of us to channel our concentration on to one specific task. Of course, the technological theory is only one explanation for attentional deficits in children (and adults!) – there are many more. What’s important to understand, however, is that children who exhibit disruptive behavior or an inability to focus should not necessarily be diagnosed with Attention Deficit/ Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD). Above all, medication shouldn’t necessarily be the default solution, especially since children often have a difficult time localizing and articulating the core of their health related issues. Instead, they act out – and get misdiagnosed.

The unfortunate reality is that many people – and especially professionals in education – have a skewed understanding of what ADHD actually is. Indeed, the condition is marked by an inability to stay focus on a given task. And yes, pharmaceutical treatments like Ritalin and Adderall tend to mitigate some of the disruptive and distracting tendencies of students who are TRULY afflicted with ADHD. The problem is, ADHD-like symptoms could easily indicate other, much less serious conditions! As a result, an alarmingly disproportionate number of young people are misdiagnosed with ADHD, when in reality their attentional deficits are rooted in a variety of other factors. Consider the following:

Celiac disease/gluten sensitivity:

Sure, intolerance to gluten can cause major gastrointestinal distress. This seems rather intuitive. What is less commonly known, however, is that pain caused by the inability to process gluten can make it incredibly difficult to focus! Children are far less likely than adults to recognize the tell-tale signs of gluten-intolerance. Instead of articulating the localization of their pain, they cause tantrums, or act out in class. It sounds a lot like ADHD, doesn’t it? Of course, when the root cause is celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, drugs just won’t do the trick. In this case, the solution is simple. Cut the gluten. That is all. Gluten is found in the five species of grains: wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt

Stress:

Stress is always an actor to take into consideration, regardless of the problem. Stress – especially if it is chronic – has the capacity to elicit major harm to a person’s mental and physical health. Think about a time when you were stressed out: it becomes much more difficult to focus on intellectually demanding tasks while drowning in a slew of emotional distress. Again – sounds like ADHD. Looks like ADHD. Isn’t ADHD at all.

Hunger:

You know the old saying, “you are what you eat?” If your kid is eating CoCoPuffs for breakfast, it’s no wonder he or she is going coo coo in the classroom! Eating foods that are high in sugar causes blood sugar to skyrocket and then instantaneously drop, leading to intense exhaustion. These extreme fluctuations make it hard to focus and impossible to think! The key here is NUTRIITON. Kids don’t need sugar – they need protein. This bears no association to ADHD but it can look  like it.

Exercise:

Sometimes, children’s inability to focus can be attributed to a lack of exercise! Children who do not engage in sufficient physical activity need an OUTLET for their energy. It just so happens that if it isn’t on the playground, the basketball court, or the soccer field, it will be in the classroom! This translates to noise and disruption, and again- a misdiagnosis of ADHD.

It is important to understand that TRUE ADHD is marked by a deficiency of Dopamine in the brain. A variety of other conditions have the potential to mimic the symptoms of dopamine deficiency, leading to a culture of misdiagnosis and over medication! The key is to be aware that such conditions exist, and to make sure to rule them out before popping any pills.