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Dr. Rory Stern Interview for ADHDCrossfire

• Categories: Audio, Avoid ADD Drugs, Step #1 Avoid the Bad • by Jon Bennett

Hi guys.  Here is the audio of an interview that I did with Dr. Rory Stern for ADHDCrossfire.com
“Welcome to the first episode of ADHD Crossfire!  This podcast is meant to tackle the hard-hitting, controversial issues where research and science come head-to-head with real life experience.
In today’s episode, I am joined by best-selling author Jon Bennett.  [...]

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Growing Awareness of the Potential Effectiveness of Drug-free treatments for ADD/ADHD

• Categories: Adult ADD, Avoid ADD Drugs, Special Reports • by Jon Bennett

Most major drug companies would like us to believe that there is only one possible route that we can take after the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. This route is the one that always ends in the prescription of powerful drugs with which to ‘manage’ the condition. There is, however, a growing realisation that these drugs are not the miracle cures that parents are so often promised.

Research is pointing to the following very troubling consequences of long term ADD/ADHD drug use:
• Stunted growth
• Loss of long term motivation
• Mood swings (Leading, in very extreme cases, to suicidal thoughts)
• Substantial risk of abuse and addiction

As if the above were not bad enough it is becoming clear that the effectiveness of these drugs decrease over time. They are therefore often not much more than temporary ‘band aids’ and do not make any difference to the underlying causes of the condition. These facts are causing more and more people to ask the question: “Is there not a better way!?” Here at ‘3 Steps ADD’ we have always answered the question with an enthusiastic ‘Yes’. This is, in fact, exactly what the three steps are about: A better, natural, way to cope with and triumph over ADD/ADHD.
Pharmaceutical companies tried very hard over the years to paint those who advocate natural responses to the condition as being part of a lunatic fringe. This is getting harder and harder to do as modern research is pointing to some real successes with natural approaches.

The fact that there are a number of treatment options that can produce positive outcomes points to the fact that every person is unique. Different techniques will therefore work for different people. It is also a confirmation of the emerging scientific consensus that ADD/ADHD is not a single unified condition but rather a range of conditions. It therefore makes perfect sense that different ‘ types’ of ADD/ADHD will have to be treated in different ways.

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More and More Teens Abusing ADD/ADHD Drugs

• Categories: Avoid ADD Drugs, Special Reports, Step #1 Avoid the Bad • by Jon Bennett

Most parents believe that they have a very good idea of what to look out for when it comes to substance abuse. Unexplained absences, regular visits to the ‘shady side’ of town and the development of undesirable friendships all feature high on the list of common warning signs. There is no doubt that it is important to pay attention to these obvious areas of concern. A recent study is showing, however, that parents will have to widen their gaze to include things as seemingly innocuous as the family medicine cabinet or the school gate.

The study conducted by the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (and published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics) analysed calls by 13- to 19-year-olds to poison control centers between 1998 and 2005. Its findings make for sobering reading to say the least. During the period under review, calls related to teenage ADHD medication increased by 76%. This figure is roughly in line with the staggering increase in prescription rates for these kinds of drugs. This fact underlines one of the basic problems with the industrial scale medication of a significant proportion of an entire generation.

The basic laws of economics teach us that an increase in the supply of a given product almost inevitably leads to a corresponding increase in demand. This principle acquires an especially vicious edge when it comes to the abuse of illicit drugs. Drug dealers create artificial conditions of abundant supply (by supplying free samples) only to then create conditions of scarcity once the addictive properties of the drugs hooked the client. With psycho-stimulant drugs that can be legally bought (at least if you have a prescription) the dynamic is slightly different. Abundant supply is created by over-prescription which means that increasing numbers of young people who are curious about the effects of narcotics, or who perhaps had previous experience with drug use, will make use of the opportunity to get a ‘legal’ high. At least some of them will be keen to use ADD/ADHD drugs on a regular basis as their drug of choice. The fact that these drugs can be more or less legally acquired makes them all the more appealing as they are a) easier to get hold of b) cheaper and c) more socially acceptable.

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Nutrition and the Brain: The Role of Vitamins and Minerals

• Categories: ADD-ADHD News, Avoid ADD Drugs, Special Reports • by Jon Bennett

Over the past few weeks we looked at the impact of the major food groups (carbohydrates, protein and fats) on brain function. This week we turn our attention to the last major nutritional category namely vitamins and minerals. The body, and the brain, needs a wide variety of vitamins and mineral to grow and to [...]

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ADD/ADHD Drug Guide – Part 6

• Categories: Avoid ADD Drugs, Special Reports, Step #1 Avoid the Bad • by Jon Bennett

You may have heard of Wellbutrin, a common drug used to treat depression and sometimes, back pain.  However, it has been used on people with ADD/ADHD.  It seems to act as a stimulant and its drug manufacturer says that their research shows it is just as effective as Ritalin.  Many physicians prescribe Wellbutrin if a [...]

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