If there were an identifiable cause of ADHD, then it would be infinitely easier to prevent and cure the condition. Unfortunately, there is no single simple reason for ADHD. Western medicine believes that this is caused by a deficiency in key neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. When doctors diagnose ADHD, they prescribe medications to temporarily correct this imbalance. However, ADHD is not just a matter of chemical imbalance, and to think that it can simply be cured with a tablet, it is a very narrow, short-sighted look at the state.
A little known fact about ADHD is that this spectrum disorder is a condition that affects each person differently. Every person diagnosed with ADHD experiences a different combination of symptoms because ADHD is caused by a complex set of factors. Brain chemistry is just one of them. Although one article is not enough to give a full discussion of the many possible causes of ADHD, what you learn here is an alternative perspective for the development of ADHD in humans.
There are two different factors that intersect to cause ADHD. The first of these is called antecedents - certain events that predispose a person to frustration. The occurrence of antecedents does not guarantee that a person develops ADHD; however, it will make it more likely for him to develop later in life. These antecedents are either genetic or acquired. Genetic antecedents are mainly genes that place a person with a high risk of developing a disorder. Acquired antecedents consist of events that occur during the pregnancy of the mother and during labor, and which makes the child more susceptible to the development of ADHD. These events include vaccination and exposure to cigarette smoke, certain toxins, and heavy metals, such as mercury, from amalgam fillers. Caesarean section or stressful labor are also quite common precursors.
Even if a person is exposed to all these events, ADHD will not occur if the antecedents do not satisfy the second factor — triggers. Triggers are certain environmental factors that cause the symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity that occur in an individual predisposed to the disorder. These triggers include poor nutrition, food allergies, physical inactivity, an imbalance in the immune system, inadequate rest and lack of contact with fresh air, sunlight and water. Most often it is a bad diet and the wrong foods that cause ADHD in young children. In fact, the pediatric allergist Renomination, Dr. Feingold, noted that ADHD appeared only when certain foods with additives and preservatives became popular among children.
As soon as you understand how the antecedents and the trigger combine to cause ADHD, you will also understand why medications, such as Ritalin, are not enough to treat a disorder. ADHD drugs only temporarily correct chemical imbalances; its use cannot even be an eternal day! In addition, medications do nothing to correct environmental triggers, which are the real culprit in the mess. Instead of swallowing the pill, what your child needs is a comprehensive treatment plan that neutralizes antecedents and triggers, as well as lifestyle changes, to prevent these factors from worsening the disorder. This is the only way you can really help your child overcome ADHD naturally.
