I am doing a research paper on Attention Deficit Disorder and ran across an article suggesting homeopathy as an alternative treatment. Do you have any suggestions?

You should also be researching the paralells of Dyslexia ,Dyspraxia
and the effects of Aluminium on children
never mind food allergies

I know plenty of hyperactive kids who even licked Aluminium Window frames ........no wonder they had problems

Homeopathy can work wonders but you need to ensure other interferences by food contamination and pesticides etc are eliminated first

Another general, good book would be Ritalin Free Kids. I've used homeopathy for the past 1 1/2 years for my ADHD son,with good results, relative to conventional meds. As mentioned, "ADD/ADHD" can/is caused by a multitude of things. One needs to research these causative factors rather than lump them together as "ADD" (so easy to label) to work at the root cause. Saying a kid is cannot focus on the task at hand is easy, why is not. Good luck. -K

Gizmo, has some of your post been deleted, because I don't understand the replies you have received so far...??

A.D.D. is the allopathic label for such children. In homeopathy we throw this and all labels aside, and then focus on each child's full symptom picture, including physical/emotional/mental/behavioral/etc.

I have prescribed homeopathic remedies for such children for my entire practice of 25 years, and my mother before me. Yes, it can work, IF (BIG "if") the child's simillimum (best remedy) is chosen.

When you do a homeopathic evaluation, you find that although all of these children have been labed "A.D.D.", each child has his or her very unique traits. For this reason, you certainly can find that all of many homeopathic polycrests can be considered. The key is finding which remedy is best for a particular child.

If you want to read an example on this message board of such a situation in progress, go to Gail-K's thread. It is almost complete. The key word here is "almost". I have been working on it for some weeks now, but Gail, the parent, says she doesn't have the time to complete the questions. Very frustrating, and I feel much compassion for her son who has serious challenges and would likely greatly benefit from homeopathy. In any event, do read through the thread to see an example of how a homeopathic evaluation of an allopathically-labeled "A.D.D." child would progress.

My brother-in-law is a pediatrician, and for a few years he has asked for my assistance with these children. The allopathic medications have little or no benefit, certainly no healing. Homeopathy offers healing, not symptoms suppression. Big difference!!

You may also note that often it is the parents who limit the opportunity for these children, because the parents are "too busy" and they want a quick fix. Homeopathy requires that the parents closely and honestly observe the child, and answer more questions than any allopath is ever likely to ask!! Here on this message board homeopaths such as I offer educational evaluations/analysis for free, even though some of us have our own career practices. Yet, many parents won't give their time, even though we homeopaths are giving freely of our time. I see this "busy" attitude in my private practice, too, but there they are paying for the services of evaluation and will, even if grudgingly, give the required time. However, there is always the "quick fix" mentality that allopathic medicine engenders, so it is somewhat of a battle always with the parents who just are "too busy" for their children. It is sad, because with homeopathy, the more time the homeopath and parents devote to the analysis of the child, the better and better become the chances for true healing.

I hope this answers some of your inquiry, as well as tells you something about the difficulties we homeopaths must deal with when we are treating children who are, by reason of their age, dependent on their parents' whims and business schedules. Let me know if you have more questions!!


P.S. In homeopathy the focus is NOT (repeat: NOT) on the "causes" of A.D.D. That search for "causes" is allopathic medicine!! In homeopathy we look at ALL the various physical/emotional/mental symptoms a person is exhibiting. From an analysis of this detailed information, we select a unique remedy for each person.


[This message has been edited by kevin seymour (edited 12 November 1999).]

If my memory serves me correct, I believe there were one or two cases of allopathically diagnosed "ADD" children featured in articles in The Society of Homoeopaths, UK, magazine, or the British Homoeopathic Society's magazine. I'm sorry I can't remember which and I don't have the opportunity to search through them. You might find them on-line somewhere though.

To Kevin Seymour

The issue of ADD/ADHD is extremely interesting. Without the label in the past the kids were called free spirited, rowdy etc. Now with the label and a therapy (ritilin) kids with the condition has increased exponentially. It really is a case for Medical Sociology.

My question to you is; In your expereince have children that have been given the ADD label had a form of sress in thier lives or at home? I mean have family situations ie, seperations, divorce, both parents working and are away more than they are home, early enrollment into preschool, pressure at school been a common factor in the children's backgrounds?

I feel a thread dicussing the social construct and family accountability of ADD would be benificial.

Such a thread would have its critics for not being homeopathic, for building theories. However, Hahnemann does mention the need to remove morbific stimuli when present.

To C:

The topic you raise is, in some ways, similar to an issue that is often discussed around the dinner table in our family that consists of two practicing homeopaths and one pediatrician!! In other words, I am most interested in the issues you raise, but perhaps not quite in the "causation" style you suggest.

You present the idea that certain circumstances of "emotional"/family-breakdown stresses may account for a seeming increase in numbers of children who are being given the allopathic label "A.D.D." today. Yes, this is a sociological discussion, but we homeopaths may have much to contribute!!

I believe that there are many ramifications to the break down of the family, including negative stresses on the children. Also, we must ask, are there any positive results from such things as divorce, babies going into daycare, etc etc.

I tend to look at the issue more, though, from the reverse side...NOT cause/reaction, but, rather, how can homeopathy assist us in figuring out what is going on; that is, what are the HEALTH ramifications of the break-down in the family.

In my work I analyze what constitutional type any given child is, then I look at that child's home environment, the type of people his or her parents are... and draw my COMPLETE advice for that child from ALL the information. I give the homeopathic simillimum, as well as any additional advice I believe will benefit the health (including the "emotional" wellbeing) of the child.

So, to answer your question, no, not all the "ADD" children I have seen come from families having these so-called "modern" stresses of the break-down of the family. There is quite a variety seen in practice. Some of these ADD children come from quite loving relatively stress-free homes.

The interesting thing about homeopathy is that, through the process of questioning, and given our training as homeopaths, we see a lot. I am always looking to see if there are any stresses in any child's life that can be removed. These stresses may indeed be that of a divorce as much as they may be infection, or eating habits that suit the parents but not the child, etc etc. But, we homeopaths DO indeed look at what is going on in the home and how it is affecting the child. I think we homeopaths have a wealth of information that can assist the medical sociologists in understanding what is happening in our society.

You know, in homeopathy, we do NOT separate the physical from the mental/emotional (only for convenience of communication do we speak of them as separate, but, really, all is "physical"...the entire physical human organism functioning in the whole and in society). Any stress on the human organism has the capacity to cause disruption in health. Such events as divorce or a baby being put into daycare at 6 months surely can overstress children. Will these stresses cause a faltering in any particular child's health (such as the various "ADD" symptoms of hyperactivity or lack of concentration etc etc)?? Well, it depends entirely on which child we are talking about, and how the "stressful" event is unfolding, being handled, etc etc. There are so many factors!!

I have seen children with these symptoms of so-called "ADD" for my entire practice, and so did my mother before me. Humanity doesn't really alter so quickly. New terms and labels occur, as you pointed out in your post, but the essentials pretty much stay constant.

I am just rambling on and on here, giving you my thoughts, but I guess, in summary, I FIRST tend to use my knowledge of homeopathic constitutions to understand what is going on with any particular "ADD-labeled" child. SECOND, after I know the child's simillimum, I try and gain as much knowledge as possible about that child's environment and family to see if there is any mismatch between the child and his or her home/school environments. During this analysis, I ask "Is this child getting what his/her nature requires s/he get?"

My practical experience certainly shows that these family disruptions can be "causative" stresses, but I have seen different children react so very differently to what appears to be the same stress!! Therefore, for now I must say that in practice the correlation between family disruption and "A.D.D." does NOT seem as strong as some people like to conclude it is!! Certainly it is a factor, but the correlation is NOT one-to-one.

Kevin

I have noticed int he old literature, Kent, Boericke, Borland et. al. there are symptoms listed that can be construed as "ADD" My curiosity about this condition really is a social and public health interest. One could argue that the stressors on children have increased in our time, however, as you pointed out there has not been a strong correlation. But keep in mind the parents that bring their children to you are making great efforts and show empowerment. However, there are those who would place the kid on ritilin because they can't be bothered. I have read those who seek homeopathy and other forms of alternative medicine are intellegent, empowered and frustrated.

Kevin may I ask you about another correlation? Is there a relationship between immunization (primarily Prutussis) and ADD?

Everyone is forgetting the VERY POWERFUL effect of Food Allergies and Sensitivities to metals which can affect the behavoiur of kids never mind adults