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Jaren's
Story
Working with ADD and ADHD
by J. Wayne Erickson
In 1990 and 1991, while
working as a safety engineer in Prudhoe Bay on the coast of the Arctic
Ocean, two notable events occurred in my life. The American Society of
Safety Engineers selected me as one of the first ten men to be honored
in the “Who’s Who of Safety Engineers from Alaska.” The second
event occurred two months later when my employers blackballed me from
ever working there again.
While serving as a safety engineer, it had been my responsibility
to identify the safety and health hazards facing all employees. State
and federal law requires that when hazards are recognized, the safety
engineer must do everything he can do to eliminate the risk. If it can
not be eliminated, steps must be taken to reduce the exposure and the
risk itself.
Along with others, I became extremely ill after eating most every
meal at Prudhoe Bay. Acute gas, diarrhea, headaches and a heartbeat
gone wild were some of the symptoms I endured. Through a process of
exclusion and with the help of Dr. Schwartz’s book In Bad Taste, I
was able to determine that MSG and aspartame were causing my problems.
What I did not know was that the companies responsible for the foods
the employees ate had gone through an MSG crisis just months before my
arrival.
These events occurred while the Arctic oil industry was coping with
political and legal fallout from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The last
thing they wanted to have happen from a Public Relations’ viewpoint
was to be hit by litigation accusing them of knowingly feeding their
own people toxin-laden foods. Instead, they chose to go along with the
glutamate industry’s assurance that MSG was safe and recognized by
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
I had insisted that Marriott, Arco and British Petroleum set up an
education program regarding MSG and aspartame. I knew that the
problems were most severe when I drank or ate a diet food that
contained both MSG and aspartame (NutraSweet). When in a dry state,
aspartame is stable but as soon as it is ingested, it begins to break
down into a variety of toxic chemicals. One of these chemicals is
methanol (wood alcohol), which in turn becomes formaldehyde (used in
the oil fields to kill bacteria and also in the preservation of dead
bodies). The major danger of formaldehyde ingestion is death, but it
also causes blackouts and seizures as well as many of the symptoms of
MSG poisoning. I proposed that an education program begin with those
who prepared the foods, providing them knowledge so as to not use MSG,
Accent or other contaminated foods improperly labeled with vague terms
such as “natural flavor” or simply “flavoring.”
Although officials instructed the cooks not to use pure MSG, it was
left in the kitchen. Nothing was done to reduce the exposure of either
MSG (Accent) or aspartame (NutraSweet) in food and drink.
Then a fortuitous set of circumstances arose and my 4-year-old
grandson, Michael, was left in my care while my son and his wife made
a 1000-mile snowmobile trip to Nome. As we lived close to Michael’s
school, I would drive Michael to school in the morning and meet him at
the school bus stop in the afternoon. One of his close friends, Jaren,
lived only a few houses away from the bus stop. If Michael and I did
not make connections at the bus stop, we arranged to meet at Jaren’s
home where his charming grandmother, Ruby, would be there babysitting.
On one occasion, I noted a pamphlet about ADD and ADHD (Attention
Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Ruby
told me that Jaren was having some problems with ADD, and that his
parents had gone through several doctors and tried as many cures,
including the drug Ritalin. I told her of my effort researching MSG
and aspartame since my toxin-induced stroke. Because of that, I was
also familiar with ADD and ADHD. I told Ruby how renowned scientists
had evidence that these disorders were often precipitated by
overexposure to MSG and aspartame.
Ruby was surprised, for she knew that none of the doctors consulted
had ever mentioned that as a possibility. She asked for more
information and I shared a series of articles I had written and
published in Alaska Wellness magazine.
Two days later, I met Jaren’s mother, Tonya. She had read the
literature and wanted more answers. I told her about the 30-minute
presentation I had worked up over the past year to summarize my
seven-year research effort. I also told her how others had been
relieved of ADD and ADHD symptoms when MSG and aspartame had been
eliminated from their diet.
Tonya shared the emotional hell she and her husband were going
through trying to find something that would help Jaren. He had trouble
in school academically and personally, with both teachers and fellow
classmates. Jaren would sometimes go on wild emotional swings and
become mentally, emotionally and physically uncontrollable. I had
noted that with his shirt off, his young body looked as if he was
suffering from severe malnutrition - a condition some doctors
attribute to overexposure to Ritalin.
Tonya noted that with Ritalin Jaren would calm down. However,
Ritalin created other problems as bad or worse than the ADHD. Though
sedate, Jaren sometimes became overly withdrawn from his environment.
In addition, other health problems arose. Tonya was near tears,
confiding that she and her husband had begun to fear for Jaren’s
life. She said the doctors now had him on a variety of different
pills, including antibiotics and antidepressants. None of these seemed
to help and they had almost given up hope for a cure.
When I later met Jaren’s father, David, I sensed I already knew
him though I could not recall where we had met. I later learned that
he had been working as a chef in the same complex where I had lived
while working on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. We had been there at
the same time, and David had been one of the chefs who never learned
about the dangers of aspartame and MSG. It is ironic that if David had
received the training information I had fought for, his son might not
be having the problems he now faced.
As I presented my information to David and Tonya, I explained the
physical as well as the political and economic problems associated
with the use of these toxins. I also explained that there is but one
way to determine if they were indeed Jaren’s problems. A plan would
have to be set up to avoid any more exposure. If they could do that,
they might see definite progress within five to ten days.
Tonya and David agreed, and immediately started the process of
going through everything in the house that Jaren might eat, drink or
otherwise come in contact with, including toothpaste, shampoo and
chewing gum. They removed anything that had aspartame, NutraSweet or
Equal in it. Then they worked on locating all products containing MSG
or its 40-some other names, which is much more difficult. The pile of
toxic food and drinks became very impressive, but not much different
from what I had found in many homes. These were the products, which
would be off limits to Jaren.
I called David and Tonya daily for the first five days. To their
surprise and delight, they saw definite positive effects within three
days and expressed joy at the emotional and mental progress made. By
the tenth day, they told me that they considered the results near
miraculous. Jaren seemed much more stable, appeared to be gaining
weight and had, on his own initiative, taken to shoveling snow off the
driveway.
Tonya and David began reducing the amount of Ritalin they gave to
Jaren. They based this decision on the fact that the reason he was
originally given it no longer existed. Some of their doctors refused
to recognize MSG and aspartame as the villains, while others said
Jaren’s body was dependent upon the use of Ritalin and that he
needed to be committed to its use for an undefined period of time. All
seemed to agree, however, that Ritalin is a drug and, like alcohol or
cocaine, Jaren might suffer withdrawal symptoms if reduction was too
abrupt.
I then introduced Tonya and David to what the Indians in Wyoming
have used as a cure-all for decades. They called it “The Healing
Mud.” It is now known as Pascalite, after Emile Pascal, the 1930’s
prospector who rediscovered it.
When I first read about Pascalite, I found substantial anecdotal
data that this healing mud not only draws toxic material out of the
body if taken internally, but also reduces pain and infection in open
wounds on both humans and animals. I ordered some. As had been my
policy when evaluating conflicting reports on the harmful affects of
MSG and aspartame, I followed a doctor friend’s advice: “Use your
own body for the ultimate testing ground as to the truth of the
arguments. Your body will tell you the truth if you listen to it.”
The Mayo Clinic calls this “The Golden Test” and considers it the
only true test for food sensitivity.
Anecdotal data on MSG and aspartame toxicity indicates that one of
the sensitivity symptoms can be the swelling of cartilage and tendons,
causing extreme pain in joints and muscles, especially the feet and
legs. Although I had done everything I could to avoid MSG for eight
years, I had not always been completely successful for false labeling
would sometimes catch me by surprise. As the pain in my legs was ever
increasing, I began using Pascalite while maintaining my vigil to
avoid further exposure to the toxins. Within three days, the pain in
my feet and legs had appreciably decreased. By the fifth day, the pain
was gone. I can now walk freely with no pain or support.
One theory regarding the benefits of Pascalite is that its broad
base of minerals serves as an excellent mineral supplement.
Technically, Pascalite is a calcium-based bentonite. Pascalite is
believed to not only remove toxins from the body but also to build up
the immune system. It is thus possible - perhaps even probable - that
this combination may reduce the body’s sensitivity to toxins.
Jaren’s parents are continuing to eliminate any exposure to MSG
and aspartame. They are also beginning to give him some Pascalite, but
have decided not to attempt to withdraw him from Ritalin and other
medications until school is out for the year. They want to monitor the
effects of these changes closely. I have suggested to them that they
find a doctor they can work with under this program, as well as the
professional help of a psychiatrist and a pediatrician. I and most
laymen do not know what the residual effects will be when Jaren is
withdrawn from the broad assortment of toxic chemical and drugs he has
been exposed to.
It is my belief that a young body, such as Jaren’s, can fight the
proven toxins of MSG, aspartame and Ritalin. This fight can be
dangerous and difficult. It is nearly impossible for even the most
competent of doctors to determine what, if any, other physical
problems exist as long as the proven toxins MSG and aspartame remain
in the equation. I believe this is true for the four and half million
children now on prescription Ritalin, as well as the near equal number
of teenagers and adults.
For the moment, Jaren’s family basks in the joy of having finally
won their first major victory. We do not know that Pascalite will be
an aid to all children or for any specific ailment. All I can assure
anyone is that it has worked for me. There are no adverse health
problems known to arise from its use.
If permanent change and a cure for the majority of ADD and ADHD
victims is to happen, we must look to the political and economic
forces which allowed such things as MSG and aspartame to be even
introduced to the public. Is the FDA, a budgeted billion dollar a year
government agency, living up to the mission statement upon which it
was founded - to “enforce the laws which assures the people of this
nation honesty in labeling of the food and drink used - and - that
there shall be no deleterious substances used in them.”
As Jaren’s true story illustrates, there are millions of children
and parents who face a living hell from ADD and/or ADHD. They
represent a major political force in a nation that is beginning to
stagger from the economic load created by the unnecessarily ill
effects caused by MSG, aspartame and Ritalin.
It is necessary, for all of our health, that all variations of MSG
are honestly labeled and people such as Jaren’s family can use their
freedom of choice to avoid use. Furthermore, why not ban MSG,
aspartame and Ritalin from our food, drink, cosmetics, vaccines and
medicines forever? They are not needed. Safe alternatives are
available.
I can only hope that “Jaren’s Story” will help a few of the
other Jaren’s of the world. Together, we can bring about change.
J. Wayne Erickson is noted as a “Professional Safety
Engineer” in the American Society of Safety Engineers with extensive
experience in the mining, construction and petroleum industries. He is
the author of several articles on aspartame and MSG poisoning. Readers
may contact him at (907) 561-0977 or via e-mail at ericadv@arctic.net
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Guided
Imagery For Focus in ADHD
by Mia Eyth
He
remained in that relaxed, gently focused state throughout
naptime.
I was delighted for him and held high hopes for his future. |
Allan was a bright, energetic, engaging
four-year-old with a hilarious sense of humor. He concocted silly jokes
and ingenious names for his friends, and chattered incessantly about his
latest favorite Disney movie. His body, his thoughts, and his attention
roamed all over the classroom, lighting like a butterfly on any
colorful, interesting thing, then fluttering away to the next attractive
stimulus. Conversations with Allan were minimal – a word or two
exchanged – because there was so much that excited his attention and
drew it away from the speaker. He was constantly on the go: a sweet,
smart, popular boy alternating between bursts of sparkling generosity
and thunderclouds of impulsive hurtfulness.
Allan struggled in the preschool classroom, off-task more often than
on-task, and we – family, teachers, classmates, friends – all
worried, trying to help him focus and use his obvious talents. This was
more than a decade ago, as we were just beginning to learn about
attention disorders, but long before we thought they were possible in
such young children who, developmentally, were supposed to lack
attentional control.
Allan’s friends and classmates had an intuitive sense of his good
nature because, even at that age, they tried to accommodate him and help
him focus, while controlling their own flinching, tears, and desires to
flee when his frustrations got the best of him. His teachers felt
increasingly overwhelmed and at a loss of what to do when their usually
effective interventions didn’t help. Further, as Allan’s body grew
larger, the rest of his skills did not grow similarly, leading to
increasing potential for harm from his increasingly frustrated
outbursts. Although his classmates and teachers loved him dearly, they
were a little bit afraid of and for him.
Allan’s birth date was such that his school district suggested an
extra year in preschool might give him time to develop the skills
necessary for kindergarten, without any age-related stigma attached. So,
he remained in preschool with us for another year as we attempted to
bring his coping skills on par with his active intellect. At the time, I
was one of Allan’s teachers, a new Reiki practitioner, and a caring
individual who could identify with his fluctuating attention and the
frustrations of the mismatch of attention skills with intellectual and
creative skills.
I had begun learning about Reiki as a way to talk about the colors I
was sensing and the ways of knowing I had that seemed uncommon in our
culture. I had learned some basic guided imagery in my training, and, in
a gifted insight, I thought to try it with Allan one day at naptime when
his classmates were exhausted and tearful, but he – quite expectedly
– was still running in fifth gear.
Allan had been trying to play quietly in a small playhouse we had
built from refrigerator boxes. The imagery I used evolved from that
context, and I felt blessed and grateful as ideas flowed into me. As I
sat outside the box and watched him through the window, I invited Allan
to lie down on his back on the “kitchen floor” inside the box and
imagine himself as an Allan-shaped pat of butter warming in a just-right
sized frying pan. The pan was just warm enough for him to grow all soft
and melty, and very comfortable.
Still using the butter image, we moved into a progressive relaxation
technique. And then, as his breathing naturally slowed, we moved into a
simple breath awareness technique. I offered him simple, age-appropriate
suggestions affirming his ability to remember and use these techniques
any time he needed to relax. He remained in that relaxed, gently-focused
state throughout naptime. I was delighted for him and held high hopes
for his future.
Because the adult culture of that time and place was not open to
guided imagery or relaxation techniques for adults, let alone for young
children, I only very gradually introduced the concepts to my
colleagues, tolerating the skeptical looks and mistrust. In a program
redesign, Allan and I were moved to different classrooms before we could
really explore the use of guided imagery for attention disorders in
young children. Eventually, Allan’s family was asked to enroll him in
a program more suited to his needs, and I moved on to more receptive
venues.
Since then, the human services field and our culture in general has
evolved into a more accepting heart space, where guided imagery, energy
work, and other methods of focusing intention and attention are more
widely-accepted. The treatment of attention disorders and stress in
children frequently involves relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and
energy work. ADD-ADHD web sites often carry articles on these
techniques, and treatment programs regularly use them to great benefit.
I also use these techniques in my holistic counseling practice to help
adults relax and regain focus and intentionality. When they bring the
techniques into their daily lives, they skillfully model peacefulness
and centeredness in a wondrous ripple effect.
Mia Eyth is a
holistic counselor and Reiki Master offering a strengths-based,
hope-full, creative practice supporting individuals in making effective,
mindful, long-lasting changes in both daily coping and
self-actualization. Call 457-1130.
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Medication
& Non-Drug Approaches to Attention Deficit Disorder
Al
Collins
Lucy
had been on Ritalin for three of her eleven years but was
still not able to focus in school or remember to do her
chores at home. She had trouble falling asleep and
complained of lying in bed worrying about other children not
liking her. Power struggles with her parents made life with
Lucy less than fun for everybody in the family.
In
talking with her parents about other approaches to treating
Lucy's ADD, I told them that even the best drug treatment,
carefully monitored by experts, is not fully effective. The
largest and best-designed research project ever done on
drugs for ADD found that the treatment given by family
physicians and pediatricians is significantly less effective
than that provided by university research psychiatrists.
Even that provided only partial control of the
inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Other
studies have found that medication often does not work at
all and can even make symptoms worse.
This is particularly true for children who are
inattentive but do not show symptoms of hyperactivity.
The
majority of children with ADD have at least one other
psychological problem, most often anxiety or oppositional
and defiant behavior, but
also frequently depression or a learning disability—and
often more than one of these. The stimulant medications
usually given for ADD don't help with these other
conditions. Lucy clearly had an anxiety disorder as well as
symptoms of oppositional and defiant behavior. And, she
still had symptoms of ADD even though she was on medication!
So, where would our treatment begin?
As
I usually do, I started with a two-pronged approach.
First, because the parent-child relationship had been
damaged, I worked with the parents to begin a behavioral
program designed to increase positive interactions with Lucy
and reduce arguing and power struggles. Lucy’s parents
were taught to ignore behaviors that they disapproved of but
that weren't major problems. Short-term loss of privileges
(for example, one day without computer privileges) was used
as a consequence of oppositional or defiant behavior.
Once a week, we began a "special time" when
each parent spent an hour one-on-one with Lucy, doing
something of her choice.
In
individual counseling sessions with Lucy, I taught her
simple techniques for reducing anxiety and susceptibility to
stress: slow breathing from the heart and biofeedback to
raise her finger temperature.
Lucy learned these rapidly and began to practice them
daily at home and school.
I then taught her "mindfulness," a
technique taken from Buddhism that many psychologists have
adopted. Lucy learned to take note of her distractibility,
anxiety, and oppositional behavior, give them
"labels," and choose to do something healthier for
herself.
When
Lucy had begun to get good at her mindfulness, hand warming,
and slow breathing, I began to teach her to focus her
attention using neurofeedback, or what is also
called neurotherapy or EEG biofeedback. This involved
putting a sort of antenna on her head and measuring her
brain waves. (Nothing is put into the child's brain; it is
purely a matter of registering electrical activity that is
already present.) Slower brain waves go with
inattentiveness, faster ones with paying attention. I
explained to Lucy's parents that a number of studies have
found neurofeedback to be as effective as medication for
children with ADD. In
some cases, a combination of medication and neurofeedback
may be better then either of them alone.
In
the fall of this year, three new studies from two continents
reported finding neurofeedback to be successful in treating
ADD. The process is something like playing a video game with
no hands. Lucy
sat in front of a computer monitor and watched data on the
screen that reflected her brain wave activity. A graphic
image, along with music or a simple sound, turned on when
Lucy's brain waves showed that her attention had improved
for a short time. The picture stopped moving, and music was
suspended, when her brain waves showed that Lucy was getting
distracted.
After
thirty sessions of neurofeedback, and continuing practice of
her mindfulness and relaxation exercises, Lucy was much
improved. I
informed her pediatrician, who reduced Lucy's medication.
A few more sessions and she was finished, doing
better than ever at school and home, and on less than half
the medication she had previously been taking.
Her relationship with her parents was dramatically
improved and Lucy felt much better about herself.
Another success for multimodal treatment of ADD!
Al
Collins, Ph.D., QEEG-T, is a clinical psychologist in
Anchorage. Besides
EEG neurofeedback and biofeedback, he practices individual
and family therapy. Al
shares an office with his wife Elaine Molchanov, a Jungian
Analyst. See www.BrainDance.us.
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A
Rational Approach to the Treatment of ADD/ADHD
by
David Newirth
[Author’s Note: For the
sake of brevity, this article will focus on the treatment of ADD/ADHD.
However, it is important to realize that this approach is also
applicable to the treatment of depression, anxiety, insomnia and
autism.]
The
terms ADD (attention deficit
disorder) and ADHD (attention
deficit-hyperactivity disorder) are used somewhat interchangeably to
describe a neurological condition that is characterized by three types
of behaviors: hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity. ADD and
ADHD are seemingly joined at the hip, in that many children are labeled
as ADD/ADHD. The term “ADD” was renamed “ADHD” in the DSM-III-R,
the manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose this disorder. Under the
name of ADHD, the condition is broken down into three sub categories:
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Inattentive
~ can’t seem to get focused or stay focused on a task or
activity.
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Hyperactive-impulsive
~ very active and often acts without thinking.
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Combined
~ inattentive, impulsive, and very active.
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Despite
the American Psychiatric Association’s attempt to do away with the
term “ADD,” it is still used by many to describe the predominantly
inattentive form of ADHD. The use of “ADHD” usually implies the
predominantly hyperactive-impulsive form of the condition. Even though
patients may be diagnosed as ADD/ADHD or one of its sub-types, the
psychotropic drugs used to treat these conditions are the same.
Unfortunately, this one-size-fits-all approach does not always deliver
positive outcomes. One study reported that 10-30% of individuals with
ADHD either do not respond to or cannot tolerate treatment with
stimulants, the class of drug most commonly prescribed to ADD/ADHD
patients.
Urinary
neurotransmitter testing
Practitioners
looking to achieve the best outcomes for their patients can benefit
greatly by making the distinction between ADD and ADHD. Urinary
neurotransmitter testing is a useful tool for doctors making this
distinction. The scientific literature has demonstrated definite links
between the roles of neurotransmitters and ADHD. While there is no
single neurotransmitter responsible for the condition, trends in urinary
neurotransmitter data have been documented that draw a concise and
distinct line between ADD and ADHD.
The
Biochemistry of ADD/ADHD
The
ability to focus is dependent upon a number of neurochemical effects.
Some of the more significant determinants include the excitatory
neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine, and phenylethylamine
(PEA). Optimal levels of these transmitters are necessary to maintain
focus. When one or more of these chemicals become either too high or too
low, the ability to focus can be impaired. Additionally, epinephrine and
norepinephrine play a role in hyperkinesis and overexcitation of nerve
cells. Significantly elevated levels of these transmitters can
contribute to hyperactivity.
Generally,
one can classify neurotransmitters as excitatory, in the sense that they
rev-up various physiologic functions, or inhibitory, in that they put
the brake on the excitatory stimuli. The primary excitatory
neurotransmitters are: glutamate, aspartate, epinephrine, norepinephrine,
and phenylethylamine (PEA). The key inhibitory neurotransmitters are
gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine and serotonin.
Targeted
Amino Acid Therapy (TAAT)
The
goal of targeted amino acid therapy is to individualize the treatment
regimen to the patient based on the testing results, so as to create a
dynamic balance of all the neurotransmitters by addressing the
underlying deficiencies. This is coupled with assessing and correcting
dietary deficiencies and promoting exercise, sleep, hygiene and stress
management. TAAT is designed to supply the precursor substances for the
body to increase neurotransmitter levels that are currently deficient.
Being able to individually assay and target neurotransmitter
deficiencies provides a decidedly more positive outcome to the patient
struggling with issues such as ADD or ADHD.
Conventional
Medical Approach
Most
often, the medications prescribed for people with ADHD are stimulants.
Ritalin (methylphenidate), Cylert and Adderall (amphetamines) and
Strattera (non-amphetamine) are the most commonly prescribed
medications. While these drugs may seem contradictory to prescribe as a
stimulant for a hyperactive child, the theory is that they stimulate the
behavior control center in the brain, resulting in increased focus.
These drugs appear to work by elevating synaptic levels of epinephrine,
dopamine and/or PEA. In patients that are experiencing lack of focus due
to low levels of excitatory neurotransmitters, these drugs tend to work
well. However, these drugs may exacerbate symptoms in patients who
already have elevated levels of excitatory transmitters, and they would
respond more positively to therapeutic regimens designed to counteract
the effects of the excitatory transmitters.
In
summary, stimulants are not the treatment answer for every person
diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. If you are interested in pursuing a natural
alternative for treatment of these conditions, please contact the
author/clinic to schedule an appointment for evaluation and testing. An
individualized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these
conditions offers a more positive outcome for the client, rather than
the one-size-fits-all approach.
Dr. David Newirth
practices naturopathic medicine at the
Alaska
Family
Wellness
Center
in
Anchorage
and can be reached at 561-9444 or through the website at www.alaskafamilywellnesscenter.com.
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