Seeking Natural Ways to Manage Adult ADD for Sister

Healthy diet and exercise are very important. Have her look in to fish oil as well or do your own search on it. Here are the recommended dosage's by Dr. Barry Sears of the Zone Diet (he's done a lot of research on the benefits of fish oil). Note - 1000mg = 1gram. The Costco bottle and pretty much any brand you buy, say serving size is 1 pill which is 1 gram. That is not enough. According to Dr. Barry Sears, your sister would be at 10grams a day. So, do some research first, then bring it up with her Dr. I take about 8grams a day which is 8 pills. It is a blood thinner so please, make sure she talks to her dr. first. At the least, she should be taking the maintenance dosage. It cannot hurt her.
The Importance of Fish Oil
• Reduces inflammation
• More effective than statins (cholesterol lowering drugs)
• How much fish oil
o Maintenance of wellness – 2.5 grams/day
o Treatment/prevention of obesity, diabetes, CHD – 5 grams/day
o Treatment/prevention of cancer, chronic pain – 7.5 grams/day
o Treatment/prevention of neurological disorders – 10 grams/day

Hope she is feeling better soon. I'm so sorry for what she has been through.

OTC stimulants. AKA coffee/espresso/tea/coke/mtnDew/anything that is dose-as-you-go caffeine. ((Caffeine pills don't usually work so well for us, because the dose is too high... as opposed to something we can drink throughout the day. Warning, most of the adhd'ers I know drink 4 liters of soda or 3-6 pots of coffee in a day. We're talking the drink may as well be carried around with them in a camel back.)) &/or Nicotine gum.

I would suggest, however, that she try the antidepressant. Her doc can't know that it would work for her (aka lifelong is a ridiculous statement, we all react differently to meds, and another might work much better), BUT a little known fact of ADHD is that our emotional swings are *almost* as strong as bipolar people. Most people feel an emotion and it gradually tapers away. ADHD people feel an emotion full on, each and every time. Embarrassment from an hour ago is as strong as embarrassment from 15 years ago. We learn to *redirect* our emotions (essentially, think of something else so we can feel something else) but very very strong emotions, like the grief from the death of her son, could overwhelm her for YEARS. Actually my bet is one of two things will happen:

1) She will be completely inconsolable for years and years (and at very high risk for suicide)

-or-

2) She'll have to/choose to engage in *extraordinarily* risky behavior in order to mask the grief over her son. I'm not just talking things like drugs and sex... but also things like joining the military or combat zone NGO, extreme sports, extreme jobs... anything that looking in from the outside looks like she has a death wish. In order to mask *really* strong emotion, we have to do it by supplanting it with an equally strong emotion or reaction.

What an antidepressant will do, is to allow her instead to begin to process her grief so that she doesn't have to supplant one powerful emotion with another, but instead be able to grieve normally.

R. adhd-c mum to an adhd-c kiddo

Wow, she has a full-plate. I would say to surround herself with positive people, friends, family etc. Hypnosis may help in addition to good diet, exercise, massage, talk therapy, acupuncture etc. Best wishes~

Molly

Hi Bethany,

I don't know what to say. I know how to help her ADD and Hep C, use a raw paleo diet, but because she has had a liver transplant, her immune system would become stronger and would be stronger in rejecting the new liver.

The advice below is good. You do need to be careful with fish oil, though. Too much can increase bleeding (during menstruation, bleeding abnormalities, or injury) which can lead to anemia. I would suggest a multi-mineral supplement.

You are a wonderful sister in trying to help her.

Good luck,
: ) MD

Bethany,
I am a Shaklee distributor. Shaklee has great natural supplements. One has been approved for treatment of Hepatitis C and several others help with ADD and depression.
Let me know if you would like to know more.
I am so sorry seh is going through so much.

Victoria

wow, sounds like she is in a major life transition right now.
diet, excersize, maintaining a structured day full of routines as well as yoga, tai chi, guided imagery, and meditation techniques can help. perhaps she can see a chiropractor for natural remedies such as this, or even speak to a counselor, especially with the grief of losing her little boy.

http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/teen-adult-adhd-sym...

My thought is that any symptoms she is having are related to losing her child. I don't think anyone could even begin to imagine the devastation she must feel. I would focus more on getting her into a support group for grieving parents. That might be the best thing for her right now. I am not anti meds at all but just think they probably won't help someone who is going through as huge of a loss as she is right now. Keep being a supportive sister to her and keep reaching out to her even if she is withdrawing. She really needs you right now. I am sure you are going through your own grief from losing your nephew so make sure you take care or your needs as well.

Dito on balance diet, vitamin supplements, sunlight, exercise and open communication/socialization.

You may want to look into a homeopathic doctor in your area.

there is SO MUCH that is out there regarding how our diet affects our behavior and the way we feel. Combined with a major medical operation, and grief it sounds like she is going through a lot. One source I've recently come upon is the GAPS diet, another we've used is the Maximized Living healing diet www.maximizedliving.com My 2 yr old started having having huge meltdowns (more than just being 2) and I used this to cut back on her sugar/processed foods. Big difference in behavior. She may also benefit from counseling and just talking with someone about all that she's been through. Grief can look a little like ADD sometimes.