Stepson has just been diagnosed with ADD, he has been put on Ritalin and Since being on it is very withdrawn and almost depressed like, is this normal???. Also is there any natural therapies we can look into for him.
Stepson has just been diagnosed with ADD, he has been put on Ritalin and Since being on it is very withdrawn and almost depressed like, is this normal???. Also is there any natural therapies we can look into for him.
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6 Replies
My nephew went on this and he was the same. I don't think he had ADD at all. He had a terrible diet as a child and not the best discipline. Of course, ADD exists. But it's sooo over diagnosed. I took my daughter to a pediatrician recently to have her behavioural development assessed and do you know how they actually 'test' for ADD and the like? It's literally a series of questions.... If you say 'yes' to enough of them, then you're diagnosed. That's it! Try taking ALL preservatives, colours and flavours out of his diet and reducing sugars. See if that helps? He may well have ADD, but if he's reacting like that to the medication, imagine what it's doing to his brain. Maybe even a trip to a naturopath might help?
Reposted on the facebook wall too and hope it helps! x
I agree i think he needs to see a naturopath, alot of kids with ADD could do with an overhaul of their diets, no sugars, no preservatives, no additives, no artifical colours and flavours. May also be sensitive to dairy and gluten....
When he is with us I try to cook healthy food, I tend to bake our own cakes etc so I know what is going into it. I will suggest the naturopath option to my partner. But we only have him for such short periods of time it makes things hard. I will def be trying to limit all the preservatives and what not, so glad my other two are big fruit kids makes things easier.
Have a look into coffee / caffeine. It works for my 7 yr old. We did not want him medicated at all. We give him a coffee in the morning and then he takes a Breaka Iced Coffee with his lunch and even his teachers can tell if he has had it or not.
Good luck.
I didn't want too but I did medicate my daughter with Ritilan and it was the best thing I've done for her.
At the age of 4 and a half she had never sat still for more that 3 minutes, the dr suggested it was ADHD and I was addamit she was not going on medication. So I changed her diet, we didn't eat much processed or packaged food, and we are pretty healthy. I tried gluten free diets, sugar free diets, I made her a vegan for 3months and nothing changed her.
Finally as starting school approached the dr again suggested medication and the very first day she sat for 45minutes with 1book which for her was amazing something she had never done.
For the first month and a bit until her body got use to it she would have her tablet, go on a 10minute 'high' and then Plato and calm right down. Over the last 4 years I've found if she is medicated and her brain is not being stimulated enough she tends to act withdrawn and upset but as soon as I give her something to focus on she comes good again.
I only medicate her on school days and if she has an appointment, on weekends and holidays I let her 'be free, be a kid' I can handle her it's just at school where she needs to concentrate.