ADD Treatment and ADHD Treatment

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an increasingly diagnosed and medicated problem, particularly amongst children in Perth, WA. Symptoms include restlessness and difficulty in maintaining attention and concentration, which affects schoolwork and homework. This is often complicated by other difficult and aggressive behaviour, including violent striking out and defiance, often combined with fear and phobias. Here it can be confused with the other medicalised description of difficult children: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). While homeopathy is not that interested in the label, it has medicines to treat the full spectrum of difficult behaviour, where it is a real problem and not dependent on the environment.

Naturopathic principles must be borne in mind, and the diet and family dynamics investigated, but where medicines are needed there are a range of homeopathic remedies to cover the different presentations in children. Where restlessness is paramount, Arsenicum album, Arsenicum iodatum and the spider remedies such as Tarentula hispanica are mostly indicated. Aggression combined with fears may indicate Stramonium (pictured). If anger and destructive behaviour is primary, Cina, Tuberculinum or Nux vomica could be the remedy. Rudeness, combined with precocious behaviour and/or hyperactivity may need Medorrhinum or Veratrum album. Where the presentation is mixed with sexual behaviour and swearing, together with restlessness, indicated homeopathic medicines could be Hyoscyamus or Medorrhinum. Once again, it must be stressed that the choice of remedy depends on the whole pattern of symptoms of the patient, including physical complaints, and a series of remedies may be needed: only a skilled homeopath should prescribe.

It is my experience that something like at least 95% of all behavioural problems in children can be linked to birth trauma, emotional distress of the mother during pregnancy, or early childhood abuse; but birth trauma is often the primary cause. Birth by caesarean section, while a more subtle contributing factor - and often life saving - is also a form of trauma that unfortunately may have repercussions. Homeopathy has many medicines to help heal these situations.

Among the homeopathic remedies that may be indicated for birth trauma are Arnica, Argentum nitricum, Gelsemium, Opium poppy (pictured), Stramonium, Cimicifuga, Hyoscyamus, Aconite and Belladonna. In fact, where these homeopathic remedies are indicated later in life, we may often trace the patient's complaints to a difficult birth, where we have access to that information.

ADHD is often used as a general term for the whole pattern of symptoms, but where concentration and attention problems occur, without restless or aggressive behaviour, the term applied is ADD or Attention Deficit disorder. The child has difficulty paying attention in class and is easily distracted. Many homeopathic remedies can be indicated here, depending on the whole pattern but Phosphorus and remedies containing it are useful, such as Natrum phosphoricum and Lithium phosphoricum.

Other learning difficulties such as dyslexia are treated by homeopathy, with medicines such as Lycopodium, Germanium metallicum and Natrum muriaticum.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment

The autism spectrum, including autism itself, Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) are psychological conditions characterised by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behaviour. They share certain features with OCD (obsessive and compulsive behaviour) and ADHD (restlessness and attention problems and sometimes aggression).

In the worst cases the individual appears locked away in their own world. Homeopathic medicines used may be any of those mentioned above, and newly introduced medicines such as Hydrogen and Helium have proved very useful. This clinic has seen significant improvement in most autistic cases, and some are close to total recovery.