ADHD: Is Medication Your First and Only Option?
Let’s help your child to have more success with school and life!
ADHD is one of the most common mental health conditions affecting children and adults, but it is often misunderstood. Some kids and adults have a diagnosis, but many do not meet the criteria although they struggle with the symptoms. ADHD type symptoms are the result of a dysregulated brain.
The CDC reports that most often students with ADHD have other disorders such as anxiety, depression and behavior challenges. These disorders can create long term problems, and it’s so important to treat them as soon as possible to help reduce problems at school, at home and in relationships.
Research shows that neurofeedback boosts academic performance in students with learning disabilities such as ADHD. This is because ADHD brains tend to generate an excess of low-frequency delta or theta brain waves, and a deficiency of high-frequency beta brain waves making focus, attention, and distractibility a bigger challenge. Neurofeedback teaches clients with ADHD to produce more beta waves associated with focus which leads to symptoms such as impulsivity, distractibility, and acting out to diminish.
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, all children can occasionally be inattentive, impulsive or overactive. For students with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) those behaviors are typical and often severe.
There is no single test to diagnose ADHD. Many can be misdiagnosed and given medication as a first option.
Symptoms of Inattention:
- Careless mistakes
- Difficulty maintaining attention or play activities (although some students with ADHD can have prolonged attention to something they like as in reading or video games.)
- Does not seem to listen when spoken to
- Fails to finish homework or chores and does not follow through
- Difficulty organizing tasks and activities
- Avoids, dislikes to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
- Loses necessary things
- Distracted by extraneous stimuli
- Often forgetful
Symptoms of Hyperactivity and Impulsivity:
- Often fidgets with objects, taps hands or feet, squirms in seat (sometimes the fidgeting or movement can help with concentration)
- Leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected
- Runs or climbs in situations where it is inappropriate
- Unable to play or engage in leisure activities quietly
- Often “on the go” acting as if “driven by a motor”
- Talks excessively
- Blurts out an answer before a question is completed
- Difficulty waiting his or her turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others
In the past, treatments have included medication or behavior therapy, and can be effective. The drawbacks with medication are the side effects, and that they only work when they are taken.
What if there were an option for no medication? Something with no side effects? Something that would create permanent effects to re- train the dysregulated brain?
Neurofeedback is that option! Medication is not the first and only option.
There is a growing movement for the healthier option of neurofeedback which is FDA approved, evidence based, non invasive, and involves no medication.
The best part of neurofeedback is that it is permanent! New synapses can be formed and reorganized in the brain.
As a Center For Excellence, we begin by performing a QEEG of the brain to get over 200 pages of scans, data and analysis to see areas of dysregulation which are causing unwanted symptoms. A QEEG involves sitting comfortably in a chair while a cap with sensors is placed on the head. The sensors read the brain activity so we can see the brain in action as it interacts with the software collecting the data.
The National Institute of Health website shares how neurofeedback for ADHD directly targets to decrease theta and or increase beta power in central and frontal locations of the brain. This protocol targets important electrophysiological characteristics such as high theta/beta wave rations, high theta power, and/or low beta power commonly observed in those with ADHD.
The National Institute of Health also states that all neurofeedback is NOT equal. At Bhakti Brain Health Clinic, we use the best technology and software available. We use 19 channel neurofeedback and other treatments during each session to get the maximum effects.
We like to call neurofeedback “brain training”. Unlike behavioral therapies, we bypass the MIND to work directly with the BRAIN. We RE- TRAIN the dysregulation in the brain so it can DO the work of therapy, school and life.
Neurofeedback happens in the clinic, but we also have some at home/at school devices called AVE (Audio Visual Entrainer) that are a valuable tool for help with focus, memory, mood regulation and mental health challenges.
We are passionate about helping you or your child have a more successful and fulfilling year. Please click here for a free 30 minute online consultation with one of our providers from the comfort of your home or car to learn if this is a right fit.
If you work in a school and would like information about the AVE devices to use in Special Ed or Counseling, please contact me directly! I would love to help.
Heidi Nauman
Practice Manager
888-783-2242 Ext. 4
[email protected]
