THE specific BLOG

Care for ADD and ADHD in Naples

There I was, in the toy aisle at Target. One of my favorite aisles to be in as a child. The endless joy and possibility of adventure and fun! The only toy I was really ever interested in was a HotWheels car. I already had a ton of them and different tracks but something about getting a new shiny one was so exciting. Which one looked the coolest? Which one would roll the fastest? This one had this kind of wheels vs this other one…decisions, decisions.

This is where the issue was for me, I couldn’t make a decision to save my life when I was younger. There were multiple times where I would leave the store distraught, no HotWheel in hand, due to not being able to make a decision according to my parents.

Now this story has nothing to do with ADD or ADHD but it has allowed me to understand, personally, how some people and children feel when it comes to these neurodevelopmental issues, and the grip it has on them. Not really being able to feel in control of themselves.

When it comes to ADD and ADHD it seems like there are more and more kids along with families affected by these conditions. It’s safe to say that it isn’t just that but chronic health issues in general, it seems like they are running rampant in our communities these days.

There are a variety of treatments for ADD and ADHD with the most common being medications. Medications work well for these sorts of things but the issue is a lot of the kids don’t like how they feel on medications and a lot of parents don’t want their kids stuck on medication for the rest of their lives nor do they want their kids to change personalities, which is a common trait of a lot of these medications.

What is great is there is a way to help these conditions without medication. There is therapy people can do which sometimes that idea is scoffed at due to a stigma that’s out there. Diet is certainly something that plays a huge role in not only ADD/ADHD but other neurodevelopmental issues as well. After all the food we eat is the fuel to our bodies. But it’s deeper than that, food plays a major role in our microbiome. Or should I say our microbiome plays a major role in how our food affects our health.

The microbiome is essentially our gut. The gut consists of the stomach and intestines and millions of tiny bacteria that call it home. It’s important that we have this bacteria in our gut and that we have more good bacteria than bad bacteria. Oftentimes this ratio gets mixed up and we suddenly have more bad bacteria than good bacteria. This leads to the body absorbing things it’s not supposed to be absorbing. When the body encounters something that isn’t supposed to be inside what does it do? It fights it off! This is a healthy response, but when we have this mixup of bacteria in the gut this response is happening at breakfast, lunch, and dinner…every single day. It leads to chronic inflammation as the body is constantly fighting off these foreign invaders, if you may.

The body is suddenly always in a state of fight or flight.

This is where the nervous system comes into play. Think of the nervous system as a giant sponge. Research tells us that we’re taking in 11 trillion bits of information every single second! Obviously we aren’t conscious of all of this information otherwise there would be no way we could even live. Most of this information is getting filtered out or we aren’t conscious of it. A sponge can only absorb so much water, once it hits that limit it starts dripping water. The nervous system works in a similar fashion when talking about our intake of information. We have a certain threshold that we’re able to be consciously aware of and after that things can get a little crazy. So if the nervous system isn’t working properly, and suddenly we’re aware or conscious of too much information, what is that going to look like?

In that case, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and other neurodevelopmental disorders may start appearing. It’s going to be difficult to focus on tasks at hand as we’re being consciously bombarded by information because our nervous system isn’t properly filtering out things. This nervous system dysfunction can start as early as birth. Which makes sense as most kids diagnosed are usually quite young.

At The Specific Chiropractic Centers – Naples we work directly with the nervous system and its relationship to these issues. We’re able to get the nervous system back to proper functioning. By doing this we are changing it from a fight or flight response to a more thriving and healing response we are all designed to be in. The system can then start filtering information how it’s supposed to be filtering. We will be conscious of the information we are supposed to be conscious of and won’t have an overflow. Our brain will be able to rest and relax, not being in such a go go go mode! What’s great about this type of work is that medications are not needed. A lot of parents who bring their children in will ask about taking their kids off of medications and what that looks like, that is a conversation that will need to be had with the doctor who prescribed the medication in the first place and is done at the parents discretion.

This care isn’t just for a child who’s dealing with ADD or ADHD but it’s also for the entire family. Everyone from the entire family can benefit from getting their nervous system in good working order but the family also benefits greatly from the child who’s dealing with ADD or ADHD getting better. Parents will tell me how much easier things are at home, how there isn’t as much fighting between siblings, night time routines and eating is easier, going out in public is much more fun as a family, and so much more.

It’s one of the most fulfilling things I do in the office, helping kids and families with things like ADD and ADHD, along with other neurodevelopmental issues. The looks on kids’ faces when they realize how different life can be when their system is in a state of thriving is something that I never get sick of. If you’re looking for an alternative way to help with ADD and ADHD then give us a call, we can answer any questions you might have!