My brother and I were not getting along. We were very different people, and in very different stages of life living under the same roof. I was a 22 college drop out starting to get my life back on track with chiropractic care (future blog entry). He was a 12-year-old adolescent.
I realized we were constantly fighting because he would ask me the same question repeatedly, refuse to shut doors, or sit down and do his homework. At this time my mom was given a solution he was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication. It was an answer and really that’s what a parent is looking for.
As I mentioned I was getting back into school to finish my degree. Also, at that point in time, ADHD diagnoses were skyrocketing, and the dependence on drugs to treat them was the norm. After my own experience and lack of success with pharmaceuticals, I began to question this. I knew the problems I developed from side effects and wanted to look deeper into his prescription. For my parents, they were just looking for something to get them through the nightly homework fight at the kitchen table. We all wanted a way to end the tension.
Around that time I was tasked with a research project to review scientific papers on the subject of my choosing. I chose ADHD. I poured over tons of research on pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment of ADHD. What I found about the drugs was shocking, and scary for my brother. What also shocked me was the results people were getting with non-pharmaceutical options. Why weren’t we given a non-psychoactive option to try first?
It takes more work to go the non-drug route, but there are no side effects that can harm a child now or later in life. We have that option, and I want to help as many kids as possible. I don’t want anyone’s child to deal with the side effects my brother did. With diet, supplements, exercise, and chiropractic adjustments a substantial improvement can be expected.