AUTHOR’S NOTE: Considering the depth and respect that this urgent subject deserves and the implication it’s had on my own life, this discussion will be split into four parts. Part one will provide a critical examination of ADHD, including its label, diagnosis, and treatment. Part two will detail my firsthand experience of the effects of ADHD medication and the impact it had on my life growing up. Part three will dive into the underlying cause of ADHD and reveal how you can make lifestyle adjustments that have been shown to relieve ADHD symptoms. In the final installment, I will outline how I was able to systematically overcome my own struggle with ADHD. For most of you, this series will provide a surprising analysis and tale of events as they reveal a much-needed contrast to the conventional narrative on ADHD.
ADHD IS ON THE RISE
As the toxicity of our environment overwhelmingly increases, we are seeing a corresponding rise in mental health disorders. In the past 8 years alone, there has been a 42% increase in the number of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Despite the growing number of children exhibiting hyperactive behavior and short attention spans in the modern world, only a fraction of children, approximately 6.1%, are said to be medicated. As a health professional and someone who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 7, I would like to share my personal experience and insight with you.
As you may already know, hyperactivity and impulsivity are two of the defining features of ADHD. Notably, they are most commonly presented by young boys. In fact, boys are almost 3 times more likely to demonstrate ADHD behavior than girls. ADHD behavior is characterized by:
- Impulsivity or “acting out”
- Hyperactivity or inability to sit still
- Lack of focus, including inattentiveness
These behavioral patterns are typically not as apparent in girls because girls tend not to externalize them to the same extent that boys do.
A DISORDER STEEPED IN CONTROVERSY
There is a considerable amount of commotion and controversy surrounding ADHD because of the way in which it is labeled, diagnosed, and treated. It can be legitimately argued that certain behaviors are indeed “disorderly.” Obsessive thinking or addiction for instance could be considered a “disorder.” But the moment a medical institution formally classifies a behavioral pattern as a clinical disease, an institution whose only recourse is to prescribe drugs, it gives people the impression that their behavior is inborn and unalterable. This way of thinking, propounded by a dogmatic medical orthodoxy and its prescribing physicians, says our behaviors are set in stone and dictated by our genetics. They tell us there is no hope for recovery, and so we must submit to a life of symptomatic suppression with the use of the drugs they dispense and the psychotherapy they purvey. It doesn’t take much ingenuity to recognize that the perpetuation of these ideas is quite a moneymaking asset for anyone capitalizing on the business of medicine. Thankfully, people are waking up to this fragmented perspective of illness, and the medical establishment is losing its religious-like authority.
THE DOPAMINE DEFICIENCY THEORY
ADHD is predicated upon a questionable diagnosis. We are told that ADHD is caused by a dopamine deficiency. The psychiatric industry is notoriously known for diagnosing mental disorders solely based on symptoms without any lab testing involved. Never do orthodox doctors test their patients’ baseline neurotransmitter levels to validate their hypotheses. There are, however, a minimal number of studies involving small groups of test subjects that have shown some people who exhibit ADHD-like symptoms have higher concentrations of proteins on the surface of their braincells known as dopamine transporters. These transporters are reported to temporarily prevent dopamine from going on to the next cell, potentially lessening dopamine’s effects. However, scientists are quick to note that increased dopamine transporter density (DTD) does not necessarily correlate to or cause ADHD.
The second basis of the dopamine deficiency theory was conceived by people trying to make sense of what would cause hyperactivity in children. They theorized that children must be instinctually thrill seeking and acting rambunctiously in an attempt to stimulate a rise in dopamine in order to compensate for their dopamine deficiency. However, this theory loses any and all plausibility when you simply examine the symptoms associated with low levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a feel-good neurochemical responsible for increasing feelings of euphoria, excitement, and sexual arousal. Therefore, a dopamine deficiency results in lethargy and depression, not excitement and hyperactivity. People with low dopamine act nothing at all like an energetic, high octane, unruly child. Common symptoms of dopamine deficiency include:
- Lack of interest in life
- Decreased motivation
- Inability to feel pleasure
- Fatigue
- Excessive feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Addictions to caffeine or other stimulants
- Weight gain
As I’m sure you can relate, these symptoms are actually quite the opposite of what is typically observed in a child diagnosed with ADHD. The low dopamine theory is analogous to a dying man desperately grasping at straws to save his life. In this case, it’s the medical establishment’s desperate attempt to save a warped theory in order to perpetuate a drug-intensive treatment model.
ARE DRUGS THE ANSWER?
Let’s just say that the dopamine theory is hypothetically true. Let’s play devil’s advocate and pretend there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the theory. Why then is no further inquiry made into the underlying cause of this alleged dopamine deficiency? We know it’s not due to a methamphetamine deficiency, so then why do doctors stop short at treating the symptom and fail to identify the cause? As typically is the case, the answer can be found by following the money. The sale of pharmaceuticals would decline if doctors were to restore the very nutrient deficiency that precipitates the onset of a dopamine deficiency. It is an established fact that when your braincells need to manufacture neurotransmitters for proper mood regulation and mental focus, they use amino acids as the essential raw material. In fact, amino acids are the precursors to every major neurotransmitter your brain produces.
Amino acids are what proteins are composed of, and they are extracted during the process of digestion to be used by your body in the production of neurochemicals. In the case of dopamine, the brain uses the amino acid phenylalanine as the source for its production. Phenylalanine is one of the essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own, and it must be sourced from our diet or nutritional supplements. Once the body receives phenylalanine, it can convert it to another amino acid known as tyrosine, which in turn is used to synthesize dopamine.
Even if ADHD was caused by a dopamine deficiency, the most logical way to increase dopamine would be to give your body the proper amounts of the amino acid precursor. But for the pharmaceutical industry, it only makes sense for them to dispense patentable, manmade drugs that will artificially manipulate dopamine levels. The latter option is obviously not a more rational or scientifically-sound option, but it is a much more financially incentivized one.
DRUGS SUPPRESS YOUR SYMPTOMS, BUT WORSEN YOUR ILLNESS
Amphetamines have been scientifically shown to deplete dopamine levels via chronic overstimulation of this vital neurotransmitter, causing neuron death in the brain! Like most synthetic drugs that are prescribed for a biochemical imbalance, they either overstimulate or entirely replace your body’s own biochemical production. This actually worsens the condition being treated, resulting in drug dependency and damaging effects after prolonged use.
Adverse effects of prescription amphetamines include:
- Nervousness
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
- Teeth grinding
- Headache
- Stomach ache
- Decreased appetite
- Malnutrition
- Weight loss
- Trouble sleeping
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Rapid heartrate
- Vasoconstriction
- Hypertension
- Rebound effects
- Physical dependence
ADHD DRUGS ARE NARCOTICS
Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta are Schedule II narcotics. They are virtually chemically identical to the street drug “speed,” and they are known around campus as “academic cocaine.” If you are caught in possession with any of the ADHD drugs without a prescription, you are charged with the same criminal offense as the rogue drug dealer who’s trafficking crystal meth. Alternatively, there are many natural nootropic drugs, otherwise known as “smart drugs,” which enhance cognition, focus, memory, learning, and creativity – while improving instead of worsening your condition. There are also many adaptogenic herbs that modulate mood and behavior. In other words, if you’re overexcited, they will calm you down, and if you are feeling bogged down, they will elevate your mood. These herbal medicines also improve rather than worsen your condition. I will discuss the specifics of these natural substances in greater detail, as well as how they profoundly improved my mood and behavior without any of the side effects of the synthetic ADHD drugs in the final chapter of this series.
THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF AMPHETAMINE USE
There have been numerous clinical studies that have shed light on how long-term amphetamine use in adolescents affects their brain chemistry and behavior – studies of which are not being discussed between doctors and their patients. One such study, published in the journal Neuroscience, found that rats given regular doses of amphetamines during adolescence have brain and behavioral changes in adulthood. The study focused on the key neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. The researchers found abnormalities in brain activity associated with all three of these neurochemicals from amphetamine use. Imbalances in these neurotransmitters are associated with emotional disturbances and mental disorders such as depression and addiction. The neurochemistry of a rodent’s brain is very similar to that of a human’s, so these findings should be given serious consideration.
“Along with other studies, this shows pretty clear evidence that drug use during adolescence, a time when the brain is still developing, has extremely long-lasting consequences that go far beyond the last drug exposure,” said University of Illinois psychology professor Joshua Gulley, who led the research. The researchers also concluded that amphetamine use in adolescence can cause neurobiological imbalances and increase risk-taking behavior, and these effects can persist into adulthood, even when the user is drug free.
The worst side effect of all is the dependency drugs perpetuate upon the user. The purpose of medical intervention is to turn a sick person into a healthy person; not only absent of disease, but strong, robust and most of all – independent. Synthetic drugs on the other hand act as a crutch that exacerbates the user’s condition, robs them of their self-determination, and renders them weaker than before they started the treatment. It’s a quick fix that requires habitual use at the expense of the person’s health.
The reality is, the single pill solution commonly used by doctors often causes collateral damage. Most shortcuts come with a heavy price. The use of narcotics, independent of the dose in which they’re administered, is no exception. The natural laws that govern our lives dictate that there is no substitute for healthy living and proper parenting. I understand that as parents, we undoubtedly want what’s best for our children; and in most instances, doctors truly believe they are serving those interests; but intention is only half the battle. Without the proper approach, we can have the greatest intentions and still not achieve a desirable outcome.
THE STIMULANT PARADOX
Despite the harmful effects of ADHD drugs and the superficial way in which they’re used, they do work to control and focus hyperactive, inattentive children. But just how do they work? What is their mechanism of action? Psychostimulant drugs are shown to have a sedative or depressive effect on children with ADHD; but why would a stimulant reduce rather than heighten excitement? The use of stimulants to calm one’s nerves is more common than you might think. Take tobacco, coffee and exercise, for example. How many people will smoke a cigarette, drink a cup of coffee, or engage in strenuous exercise to destress themselves? Nicotine in cigarettes, caffeine in coffee, and the adrenaline rush you get from exercise all have stimulating properties; which by definition, increase central nervous system activity in the body. This phenomenon is known as the “stimulant paradox,” or the paradoxical effect that a stimulant can have on a person. Scientists have not fully extrapolated as to why low doses of stimulants can help reduce restlessness, but I theorize that, although stimulants increase stress hormones, they can also increase tranquilizing and anesthetizing neurochemicals that may counterbalance the effects of adrenaline and cortisol.
It is well established that ADHD drugs are effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD. However, their use comes with a cost. Amphetamines are toxic to the body, and most of all – they fail to address the underlying cause of ADHD. My personal axiom is that the best medicine prevents disease. If the onset of disease has already occurred, medicine should cure. Medicine that treats disease neither prevents nor cures, giving it a category of its own because it subjects people to a life of disease management. Let’s take a firsthand look at how the treatment of my ADHD symptoms affected me and the impact it had on my personal health.