There is no doubt that ADHD has reached epidemic proportions, especially among boys. Statistics suggest that as many as one in ten boys are on medication for symptoms of ADHD.
Homeopathy is an excellent alternative therapy for treating the symptoms of ADHD. I recently treated a large number of children as part of a pilot study on homeopathy and ADHD. The results from this study are encouraging and reinforce the effectiveness of this gentle, natural therapy for treating ADHD.
There are a number of reasons to use homeopathy to treat ADHD beyond the concern that many parents have about giving children medications that either stimulate or inhibit responses in the brain at a young age, when brains are rapidly developing.
Homeopathy treats people, not disorders. This means treating the child with ADHD, not ADHD itself. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed for the individual expression of a disorder, as opposed to symptoms that are common to the disorder.
There are thousands of homeopathic medicines and many, many versions of ADHD. It often surprises me when I see the range of behavior and learning skills that share the same diagnosis. Children who are wild and out-of-control as well as ones who are withdrawn and lacking in confidence share this diagnosis; children who are highly intelligent, creative learners as well as those with severe learning disabilities share this diagnosis; children who are aggressive and angry share this diagnosis with those who are timid and clingy. The differentials are enormous. The huge number of homeopathic remedies allows for individualized treatment for each unique expression of the disorder.
Homeopathic medicine is holistic medicine, which means that the whole person is treated – in ADHD this includes individual symptoms of ADHD as well as any other symptoms – physical, mental, or emotional. For example, a child’s difficulty in concentrating and following direction will be taken into consideration, as well as his recurring nosebleeds, history of severe coughs, and pattern of nightmares that wake him nightly.
Homeopathy is safe and non-toxic. There are no side effects to homeopathic medication. In contrast, there are potentially serious side effects to some of the commonly used pharmaceutical medications for ADHD. Conventional medication is tested for its effectiveness on a specific symptom. In fact, all medications, natural or pharmaceutical, have a wide range of action. The impact of pharmaceutical medications for ADHD extends beyond the symptoms of the disorder. We call the impact of this wider action “side effects”, but they are, in fact, the direct effect of the medication. These so-called “side effects” of the medications used for ADHD can include blood pressure changes, increased heart rate, dizziness, depression, insomnia, muscle twitching, appetite suppression, and stunting of growth, to name a few.
Homeopathic medicine will not make a child lethargic or depressed and it is not addictive. Both parents of younger children and teen patients complain that they “don’t feel like themselves” on pharmaceutical medication. The improvement on homeopathic remedies is subtle, but real, and free of any feeling of being “drugged”.
The gold standard of homeopathic cure is a gentle, permanent cure. Once effective treatment is established, homeopathic medicines can act for a long time – often many months or even years on a single dose. In comparison, doctors often recommend patients stay on pharmaceutical medications for the rest of their lives. Moreover, most people on stimulant medications need additional prescriptions to address side effects of the initial medication.
Beth Landau-Halpern is a homeopath with a special interest in treating children with ADHD and Autism. She has recently been certified as a CEASE therapist – an affective homeopathic approach to treating autism.
Photo credit: carl_c
