by Dr. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Dr. Robert Ullman
Conventional Medication for ADHD Lacks Long-Term Effectiveness
We have been treating children with ADHD and other behavioral and learning problems with homeopathic medicine for more than thirty years. L. Alan Sroufe, Ph.D, a psychologist with more than forty years of experience in treating children with focusing and learning problems, raised the question in a 2012 New York Times editorial of why we should be relying so heavily on drugs to treat these problems. Based on the results of a respected long-term study of ADHD outcomes with conventional medications, Dr. Sroufe commented, “At first this study suggested that medication, or medication plus therapy produced the best results. After three years, though, these effects had faded, and by eight years there was no evidence that medication produced any academic or behavioral benefits. Indeed, all of the treatment successes faded over time, although the study is continuing.”
Despite all the medications that have now been given to millions of children diagnosed with ADHD since the 1980s, it appears there have been no appreciable long-term benefits. Short-term benefits of stimulant medication in terms of focus and attention are undeniable, but in terms of long-term outcomes, they have failed to produce real lasting change. Considering their side effects, cost, and lack of lasting results, we call into question their use, and offer a much safer, effective alternative that we have used with thousands of children: homeopathic medicine.
Homeopathy for ADHD and Behavior and Learning Problems
How does homeopathy differ in its treatment of children with behavioral and learning problems? Conventional medicine approaches the problem by finding a chemically-based medicine that will affect the symptoms of most children who meet a common set of criteria that define the disease to be treated. In this case, inattention and hyperactivity are the most common features.
Homeopaths discover the single substance in nature that corresponds to all of the symptoms of the child, not just the attention and behavioral symptoms. Homeopathic treatment is able to treat the ADHD symptoms, but also acute and chronic health issues, and other behavior and learning problems as well.
A Homeopath Explores The Uniqueness of the Child
Children want to play and express themselves in their own unique way, and to understand their particular manner of thought, feeling and expression is the real key for finding the homeopathic medicine. Their special state of being can be elicited through watching the children play, make gestures, and move throughout the room, finding whatever interests them. An opportunity to draw, color, paint, move around freely, sing or dance can express the inner state of the child. Gentle, open-ended questioning that allows the child to express himself freely can be invaluable for helping the child go deeper into his or her inner state, and bring it out to be recognized by the homeopath.
We are looking for the most unique expression of his or her inner state of being. By continuing to explore various aspects as they come up in observation and interview, a picture begins to emerge showing where in nature to look for the homeopathic medicine that can drastically or totally change the life, functioning and health of the child, mentally, emotionally and physically.
The following are two new cases from our 3rd revised version of Ritalin Free Kids, available both print and e-book formats, as well as Kindle.
Thomas: Everything Around Him Is So Stimulating
Thomas was eight when his mom brought him to our office for the first time a year and three months ago. Most of the later appointments were done by Skype video consultation.
“Distractibility keeps him from accomplishing a lot at school. He finds everything around him so interesting and stimulating. Thomas just does not know where to focus his attention. He cannot seem to finish things or stay on task. We choose not to use medication, but the expectations are growing. Thomas has a hard time making friends because he talks about space and cars and things that most other eight-year-olds don’t even care about. He is clueless about interpreting social cues, so he only has a few friends. Thomas goes on and on about his interests and is oblivious to mundane tasks. If someone is upset with him, he has no idea how to respond.”
The child had been placed in an autism spectrum classroom because of his impaired social skills, and he had features of both ADHD and Asperger Syndrome. Thomas was already on a gluten-free and casein-free (GF/CF) diet and taking a number of nutritional supplements, yet he was chronically fatigued.
“Thomas is very active at a frantic pace, then says he is tired and has to rest. He is either full on or full off. A bad day consists of lots of meltdowns with screaming, and an inability to focus. It is worse if he stays up late, is tired, misses a meal, or if he has his mind set on something and it does not turn out the way he wants. We forgot about his concert at school. When he remembered the next day, he lost it. The same thing happened when I accidentally sucked up his feather in the vacuum. If things don’t turn out like they wants, it is very traumatic for him.”
“School is not an exciting place for Thomas. He is a bright kid, but unmotivated, and does not see the need for for repetitive tasks like writing. Science fascinates Thomas, and he can grasp complex information. Teachers love him because he is sweet, bright, and creative, but his lack of focus drives them crazy. He just needs more focus. His language skills are age- appropriate, more so than his social skills. Coordination is not his forte. He can ride a bike well not, but he lacks the feel of where is body is and does not realize if he steps on your toes or jabs you in the ribs.”
“Thomas does poorly socially. Kids find him annoying, which is starting to bother him now that he wants social interaction. He knows he is not coming across well, but he cannot figure out what to do about it. When he acts out, he is not being mean or cruel. He is simply unhappy with how things are. He also needs multiple prompts to follow through on tasks. Thomas has little interest in personal hygiene.”
Speaking with Thomas provided the clues we needed to supplement the information provided by his mother, so that we could choose the right medicine to help him.
“I like things that do work. My favorite subject is computer math games and I like to play with Legos.” What interested him most in our conversation was his curiosity about our computer. Thomas shared with us that he had an itchy nose, liked to cool off in the heat, and loved chicken with the skin on.
The youngster’s mom added a bit more at the end of the interview: “ My son is a very curious young man. He asks many questions and notices little things, like the ladybug key ring with exoskeleton wing covers.”
Thomas’ Remedy
Thomas attraction to structure, predilection for computer math and Legos, and the attention to and curiosity about detail, such as the key ring, despite his inability to focus at other times, suggested a mineral. His untidiness, clumsiness and social awkwardness, lack of initiative, itching, warm-blooded nature, and love of greasy chicken all pointed to Sulphur (sulfur), the most common of all homeopathic medicines.
These youngsters are very bright, mechanically-oriented, and fascinated by how things work. These children love science fact and science fiction. Daydreamers and procrastinators, they are on the lazy side, and may be oblivious to tasks at hand. Hygiene and tidiness are not at the top of their list and they need many frequent reminders to bathe and brush their teeth. Those needing this medicine can appear to be know-it-alls, trying to convince others of their superior intelligence.
Thomas’ Response to Homeopathy
Six Weeks
Thomas’ mom commented that even the bus driver noticed the change in her son. He was accomplishing more in school, receiving better reports from his teacher, and he had taught himself to ride his bike on sandbags without becoming frustrated or angry in the process. She was happy to say that Thomas was less distractible, more capable of staying on task and completing what was asked of him. He could now respond appropriately instead of interrupting. Thomas had even had some normal social exchanges, which was quite encouraging.
Thomas was exposed to Lysol cleanser a few weeks later, and his symptoms relapsed, so we sent another dose of the Sulphur. At the three-month follow-up appointment, we were told that he was doing a better job of meeting and greeting, and initiating many more activities independently. His eye contact had improved, as well as his ability to express tenderness. Thomas was going on and on much less about his interests, focusing better, and not as self-absorbed. For the first time, he had begun to remind his younger sister when she was misbehaving, which he had not appeared to notice previously.
His mother had taken him rock climbing, with gear and all, and they had completed a successful hike around Mt. Baker. She commented, at the end of the appointment, that anything NASA-related (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) fascinated Thomas.
Four and a Half Months
Thomas had just entered third grade. His reading skills had improved, as had his memorization of math facts. Thomasʼ mother considered it the best start to a school year yet. “He has a homeroom for autism spectrum children, but is spending the rest of the day in a normal classroom. His eye contact is so much better and is much more thoughtful than he used to be.” From Thomas: “I think like a computer. Sometimes I have a question in my brain and I forget what I was thinking. I don’t understand subtraction so well.”
At this point, we gave Thomas a higher potency of the Sulphur, since the medicine was working, but we felt there was still some room for improvement. Two months later, seven months after his first visit, Thomasʼ mother shared that he was relating to others much more easily, to the point of wanting to invite kids over to play, which was a major breakthrough. Thomas was showing increasingly more self-initiative and independence, and was continuing to be more tender. His parents had enrolled him in a marital arts class with a teacher who formerly struggled with ADHD, which we considered an excellent choice. Thomas had even been able to handle attending a holiday gathering with a hundred people.
Nine months
Thomasʼ mother told us that the two of them had figured out together that an onset of flu-like symptoms was an indication that it was time for another dose of the Sulphur. Thomas would remark to his mother that his back ached, he would take another dose of the medicine, and all would come back into balance for him. It was impressive that he was the one who would be the first to recognize the need for another dose. Thomas was interacting much better with other kids, and had actually made four friends. He continued to have an IEP (individualized education plan) since age four, but he started to act more independently. Thomas was more able to say, “I love you” and to help others without being asked.
Eleven Months
The school year ended quite successfully. Thomas commented to us, “What gravity does is keep your feet on the ground. When I eat lactose, I feel sleepy, like a car engine without fuel.” The young man was still a mineral, without a doubt! Thomas continues to benefit consistently from Sulphur, given every two to three months. It has been only sixteen months since we began working with Thomas, and we have every reason to believe that his progress will continue, even more impressively, over the coming months and years.
Moshe: “Just Kidding. Tricked Ya!”
Mosheʼs mother had been a strong supporter of homeopathy for some time and was eager for us to find a medicine that could help him. He also suffered from Von Willebrand disease, a hemophilia-like condition due to a genetic platelet abnormality. She called from Brooklyn for us to treat him and we have only seen him in person one time in the past seven years. He was ten at the time of the first appointment.
“Weʼve been seeing a psychologist for the past six months. Moshe is a clowny kind of character. Silly at inappropriate times. He likes to trick people. Make funny noises. Animal noises. Weʼll be in the car and I tell him t o buckle up. H e pretends that his seat belt is not fastened, then he tells me, “ Just kidding. Tricked ya!” Or he takes her shoe from his sister and hides it. Then he looks at me and smiles. Heʼs an expert at pushing me to my limits. Letʼs pull the wool over m momʼs eyes. Or heʼll pretend to be pumping up his head, then falls to the ground. If heʼ s tired, heʼ ll whack his younger brother or call him a name. A lot of the behavior is an attempt to get attention. Let off steam . Or make noises. He loves comic books because they are funny and easy to read. Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, Garfield. And watching watch cartoons.”
“Moshe loves to build and invent. In fact, he wants to be an inventor when he grows up. His gross motors skills are not great. It took him a long time to learn to ride a bike and heʼs not very good at baseball. Moshe is definitely not a risk-oriented kid. I couldnʼt see him climbing a tree. Heʼll play on jungle gyms and bars, but I have to twist his arm to get him on his bike or skates. Moshe is quite talented at figuring out how things work.”
“Hebrew school is challenging. Academically Moshe is falling behind in everything. Struggling. If I try to sit down and show him how to do something, he says he already knows it, but he doesnʼt. Then he tells me he canʼt do it and, by the time we get to the next problem, heʼs forgotten the one before. I have to go through all the steps again and he fights me every step of the way. ʻIʼm gonna do what I want and you canʼt make me.ʼ Moshe is obstinate with his teacher. Heʼll keep it up until she puts her foot down.”
“Moshe can be quite oblivious. He is oblivious to bad smells. When the television is on, the house could come crashing down around him and he wouldnʼt notice. Once, when he was three, he bolted and I lost him. Moshe could not have cared less. I donʼt even think he was scared. Heʼs prone to throwing temper tantrums when he doesnʼt get his way. He can be angry, obstinate, and defiant. We have had to drag him out of restaurants because he refused to stop playing a video game. He insists on doing what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Moshe is so strong-willed that when he was being doled out punishment in the principalʼs office, he laughed and smiled. If he is told ʻno,ʼ he will continue to find a new solution to get what he wants. When we insist that he give something back to his brother, he throws it at him. Or heʼ ll walk around with a book in his hand and whomp someone on the head with it. From the age of three, I felt that I had lost control of his being compliant. He does great with chess because itʼs a strategy game… right up his alley. A perfect game for him because he can always figure out a way to get around things. But he has a super sweet and caring side. Physically, Moshe still needs to wear pull-ups at night because of accidents.”
Moshe’s Response to Homeopathy
The First 18 Months
During this time, we gave Moshe Aranea ixobola (cross spider) due to his tendency to trick people at every opportunity. He responded quite well, overall 80-90%. But, after a year and half the medicine no longer produced the desired improvement and we needed to reevaluate the prescription. His mother summarized, “A very silly kid. Silly antics. He got a little duck puppet that makes a noise. He does it obsessively, regardless of who is around, and shows no embarrassment. We were in Trader Joeʼs today and he announced loudly that if he didnʼt go to the bathroom immediately, he would pee in his pants. He thinks nothing of making a fool of himself just to get a reaction. Moshe used to say “poopy” a lot. He went through a potty mouth phase.”
Prescribing a Different Remedy
At this point we changed Moshe’s prescription to Hyoscyamus (henbane), a classic remedy for this type of foolish, immodest, silly, shameless behavior. The five-week follow-up indicated initial changes like a decrease in pinching, grabbing, humming, and making noises. Moshe became softer and more affectionate. Five weeks later his mother described the general improvement as fifty to sixty percent. The positive trend continued over time and the potency of the medicine was increased. Eleven months after the change to Hyoscyamus, his mother was happy to say that Moshe had done “amazingly well with his Bar Mitzvah. Poised, no fidgeting, self-confident, and he gave a very engaging, exciting speech.” That was four years ago.
The Hyosycamus helped consistently and significantly. Moshe became happier, much less angry, and less irritating as far as demanding attention. He began to play the saxophone. When he needed the remedy, his mom noticed that Moshe started to whistle, hum, , make off-the-wall noises and tell funny jokes incessantly. He would be silly, goofy, clowning, and belly laugh hysterically. All of these improved once the Hyoscyamus was given.
Moshe continue to perform well academically, enjoyed school, and had lots of friends. In addition to the saxophone, he asked to learn piano and the xylophone. The bed wetting stopped. Moshe had the best school year ever and earned all A’s and B’s, which his mother called “a remarkable improvement.” Moshe continued to receive a dose of the Hyoscyamus every few months. We heard from Mosheʼs mom just before writing us his case: “Now he is a senior in high school, pulling mostly As, has friends, and is a really happy, sweet kid. I couldnʼt be happier with using homeopathy as an alternative to drugs for ADD.”
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