THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
How did go from being an absentminded, antsy problem child to a studious, self-composed bookworm? How did I replace the medication that enhanced my focus and inhibited my hyperactivity? The basic premise behind my strategy was this reasoning: the only way to resolve a multifaceted problem is to employ a multifactorial solution – which is to say a holistic solution. A single pill is not a viable option when transformation is your end goal. And when I say transformation, I mean an evolution from a dysfunctional person to a fully integrated human being – renewed in mind, body and spirit. The achievement of true vitality and wellbeing necessitates a holistic and systematic health recovery program, which I will now outline in detail as the final chapter of this series.
Since nutrition lays the foundation for our health, providing our bodies the raw materials to stave off disease and maintain proper function, I see it fit that we start with the dietary adjustments I implemented. By cutting out dairy and all gluten-containing grains from my daily diet, I was able to greatly improve my overall health, including my mental focus and acuity. Gluten-containing grains include wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and oats (oats contain avenin, a protein similar to gluten). I noticed not only improvements in my concentration, but also in my energy levels. I had a much greater level of stable and sustained energy throughout the day. As someone with an O blood type, my condition saw exceptional improvements as wheat and dairy are highly contraindicated foods for people with blood type O. Your blood type is a genetic factor that helps determine your unique dietary needs based upon your genetic background. It is one of the variables I take into consideration when evaluating individual dietary requirements for my clients.
Gluten can also be especially irritating for those with blood type B. Considering casein and gluten are difficult to digest, they can be inflammatory to the gut of people of all blood types. The gut has been termed our “second brain,” and therefore problems associated with gut health can profoundly affect our mental health. Considering the hyperallergic, inflammatory qualities of wheat and dairy, I limited my consumption to no more than 2-3 times per week. Eggs are another contraindicated food that I limited to about twice a week. I also limited my intake of processed foods, and I avoided any foods containing harmful additives. In accordance with my blood type, the bulk of my diet consisted of a wide variety of organic meats sourced from pasture-fed animals, wild-caught seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and rice.
THE POWER OF SMART DRUGS
Secondly, I would like to share with you the herbal and nutritional formulas that I used to enhance my cognitive abilities and keep myself grounded. I cannot stress just how powerful a carefully-combined cocktail of “smart drugs” can be in its effect on a person’s mental faculties. When synergistically combined, the effects are nothing short of amazing. To put things into perspective, the movie Limitless serves as a good exemplifier of their potential and power. In the movie, a writer suffering from writer’s block stumbles upon a drug that elevates human mental capacity from the 10 percent that is typical of an average person to nearly 100 percent capacity. On the drug, he is able to become “limitless.” If you’re someone who is above average intelligence, the effects of these drugs are that much more astounding.
NATURAL VS. SYNTHETIC
When I refer to these substances as “drugs,” I don’t mean a substance that exerts one desirable effect while simultaneously causing a slew of unwanted side effects. When it comes to natural drugs, they not only serve their intended purpose, but all of their “side effects” are desirable. Most natural medicines are entirely therapeutic, which means you don’t have to suffer a multitude of adverse effects to reap their benefits. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, herbal medicines are not limited to a single chemical. Herbal medicines contain a cooperative matrix of vital co-factors, catalysts, and synergistic compounds that combine to potentiate their healing power. This wide array of therapeutic constituents work together to increase the herb’s versatility to treat and cure a wide variety of conditions without generating the toxicity of synthetic medications.
MY BRAIN BOOSTING CHILL PILL COCKTAIL
Below are the herbs and nutrients I used to dial in my focus and give me a sense of tranquility. Other striking benefits that I noticed were enhanced memory, a broader vocabulary, greater social engagement, increased wellbeing, greater virility, and sustained energy. To substantiate their efficacy and ability to alleviate ADHD symptoms, linked to each formula’s name is a clinical study validating their effectiveness.
- Bacopa monnieri – An adaptogenic herb touted as being one of the most powerful nootropic substances you can find, Bacopa promotes better brain health by reducing anxiety and improving memory and mental clarity.
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine –A peptide naturally produced by your body and found in meat, ALCAR makes a powerful addition to you brain-boosting toolbox by improving your mood, learning, memory, and impulse control.
- Magnesium-L-Threonate – A specially designed magnesium that crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily than other forms of magnesium, it is especially effective for reducing hyperactivity and improving cognition, learning, memory, relaxation, and restful sleep.
In addition to my own personal success, many of my clients with ADHD have seen tremendous improvements on this protocol. Now it’s important to note that the doses of each formula be taken within their therapeutic range or you may fail to see a measurable benefit. Given the lack of quality control surrounding the supplement industry, it’s also critical that you source only professional-grade nutraceuticals as opposed to just any brand off the shelf at your local pharmacy or vitamin store.
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION
Lastly, I will disclose how I was able to improve my emotional health, gain impulse control, and raise my spirits through behavioral modification. Understand that the emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives are not only interrelated but foremost to our overall health. As much as we emphasize the physical body when we think of our health, especially in a medical context, I have graduated to the realization that mental and spiritual health are the cornerstones of biological health, and therefore addressing them is fundamental to the healing process.
The popular consensus is that your personality dictates your behaviors; but there’s evidence to suggest the reverse may be true. Your behaviors can actually shape your personality. By exposing your child to sources of entertainment and inspiration that enrich rather than degrade the quality of their life, they can become what they were born to be – an academic and a thinker. I went from being a scatterbrained degenerate disinterested in my studies to a contemplative thinker engrossed in books and thirsty for conscious enlightenment. By providing your child with the resources to adopt traditional values, develop their cultural identity and emulate admirable role models, you can positively impact their personality and therefore their behavior. Character building on the basis of cultural and intellectual enrichment constitutes an essential component of the recovery process; and self-awareness is the vehicle that enables your child to arrive there.
A SICK SOCIETY BREEDS SICK PEOPLE
We are well aware of the dangers junk foods pose to our bodies. We thereby must be equally aware of the dangers that messages pose to our minds. If ideas are food for thought, then bad influences are like junk food for our brains. If our eyes and ears are the windows to our soul, even more deserving of our scrutiny than the ingredient labels of our food, are the corrosive ideas and vulgar personalities foisted upon us by the moguls of music and motion picture.
The only way to regain your sanity and find stability in a world that has gone stark raving mad is to step outside the pandemonium and create your own rose garden. By this I mean ridding yourself of everything that doesn’t serve you and immersing yourself in everything that lifts you to a higher plane. I initiated this change by removing cable television from my life. I found stability and self-contentment by disinfecting myself of the noise and chaos of commercial television. I can’t tell you just how much not being bombarded with corporate advertising can calm an overstimulated brain and rewire a restless nervous system. As the saying goes, garbage in garbage out. When you remove the shock and drivel that has become so typical of mainstream television, real palpable changes in mood and behavior can be realized. For a child with ADHD, this can mean the difference between fidgeting and losing focus during a lesson or calmly and intently sitting still and listening.
As a society we’ve been conditioned to find solace in the commotion and decadence fed to us through our TV screens. Reframing our tastes for healthy doses of quality programming is a transition that can take time. TV is an entrancing part of our daily routines, and rightfully so. There are plenty of ways to enjoy television programs without insulting our intelligence and sacrificing our dignity. Commercial-free broad-audience programming can be viewed with video streaming services and DVD discs. Tasteful and touching examples of quality cinema and programming include Disney and Pixar movies, period dramas like Downton Abbey, nature and survival shows, educational documentaries, and silent films (subtitled and scored with enthralling music).
THE ROLE OF MUSIC IN RECOVERY
To be clear, the impact of music cannot be underestimated. It is a powerful form of communication used to express feelings and impart messages to others. Science shows that the right kind of music can enhance brain activity, bolster immune function, lower stress hormones, and reduce markers of inflammation. The wrong kind music can warp our desires and debase our existence. The second social change I made to improve my mental health was cleansing my music collection. Depending on the music you listen to, music can either center you and inspire you, or it can engender a sense of anxiety, idiocy, avarice, envy, lust, and materialism. Modern mainstream music tends to invoke these lower emotions. By ridding my airwaves of lewd lyrics and low vibrations and by filling them with melodies of beauty, sophistication and elegance, I was able to bring harmony and balance back into my life. Musicians who ignite the divine spark of intellect that lies dormant, waiting to be awoken in our hearts, include the likes of Roberto Cacciapaglia, Thomas Bergersen, Kiasmos, Faun, and of course all of the classical greats like Beethoven and Bach. Introducing your child to the right music can be a great way to enhance their life and complement their studies. Just be sure to start them young because the older your child grows, the more set in their ways they become. If your child has developed a taste for musical tripe, take the time to patiently refine their preferences.
IMPULSE CONTROL
Acknowledging my impulsivity and keeping conscious of it when impulses would arise was also imperative to gaining greater self-restraint and overall discipline. The biggest deciding factor that nudges someone towards self-control is an earnest desire for self-improvement. Dedicate yourself to doing what’s best for your child – no matter how much effort and persistence it takes – and convert your child to want to grow with the same commitment. Instilling a deep desire for personal growth in your child, as well exercising a willingness to persevere with them through the growing pains is essential. Pain plus reflection equals progress. When you embrace this reality, you won’t cave in to your child’s resistance as they progress on their healing journey. It all comes down to your persistence versus their resistance. Your child may fight you tooth and nail, but standing firm and subjecting them to the discomfort of change will gradually allow them to break through their limitations and make improvements. With repetition, these changes will become routine. But when your child has been subjected to a life of denurtured food, environmental toxins and poor behavioral patterns, don’t get discouraged by the long road of repetitions it can take to reprogram your child to become their greatest advocate as opposed to their own worst enemy.
As you can see, the holistic approach involves an active participation in your own recovery. You are no longer a passive onlooker standing on the sidelines of your child’s health. As an empowered participant, you are involved to an even greater degree in the amelioration and maintenance of your child’s health than the practitioner guiding you. This is the practice of Wholism – which recognizes, explores, and treats your body as a whole rather than merely a set of symptoms. Anyone can match a drug to a symptom, but it requires a skilled practitioner and a committed patient to delve deeper.
SWEET VICTORY
So, what was the final result of all my efforts? My grades dramatically improved, my fervor for life returned, my spider veins diminished, my appetite returned, my confidence grew, my obsessive thoughts left me, my tics disappeared, my teeth grinding came to a halt, and my keenness of thought and mental focus were unprecedented. I was able recover from the lingering effects of the drugs, finish high school, and go onto college without feeling medicated and empty. After discovering a natural non-toxic approach to ADHD, I felt a great sense of responsibility to share my discovery with the world; so that future generations wouldn’t have to endure the same suffering that I did. So that parents could be afforded options outside the use of narcotics. It was this profound sense of responsibility and my newfound health that catapulted me to graduate with a degree in Natural Medicine. As a board-certified Holistic Practitioner and Nutritionist, I’ve been helping parents recover the health of their children ever since. If your child is challenged by ADHD, don’t be afraid to look beyond the prescription pad for answers. Your child will thank you for it!