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Post by Admin on Jul 20, 2015 13:06:31 GMT -4
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Post by Hiren Darji on Jul 21, 2015 10:58:06 GMT -4
A Natural Fix for ADHD focuses on how we can try to help patients that are suffering from this psychiatric illness and help them look at other means of helping them focus on tasks at hand instead of just medicating the patient. This article emphasis on looking at alternative options to help patients overcome and fix the underlying issues that will have a decrease need for medication. Also the link of ADHD with reward center and the dopamine signal pathway is interesting connection. The reason being is that it allows us to look at maybe the patients are simply board in their daily activities and maybe we can figure out and introduce activities that will stimulate their curiosity in turn which will help increase the dopamine levels and there will be a decrease need for introducing medications. Specifically people that have lack of attention have issues with D2 D3 receptors according to Dr. Nora D. Volkow. The research conducted by Dr. Eisenberg discovered that the nomadic men who had the DRD4 7R variant were healthier then nomadic men that lacked this specific variant. These researches also allow us gain better insight on new prospect on the theory of survival of fetus those that are more focused will be able to live a healthier lifestyle which will allow them to pass on their genes.
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Post by Janak Patel on Jul 21, 2015 20:44:03 GMT -4
ADHD is an overly diagnosed condition in the United States, i did not know something like ADHD ever existed till i came here. As it is mentioned in the article once they find interest in what they are doing, they wont have any problems. Even a normal person who finds his work boring will not be able to focus. Half of the kids with ADHD have aggression and disruptive behaviors. But will Adderall or other stimulant control those symptoms? No not at all.But this can be achieved by behavioral therapy, problem solving skills and so on. Parents and teachers should be trained to tackle this kind of problems rather then going straight to the doctor and getting medication right from the beginning. If you provide proper care and attention to a child he can get better without any medications.I feel like here everybody wants a short cut, an easy way to solve any problems that a child face, but if they can put a little more effort i am sure there would be a great difference.
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Post by Anjani Singh on Jul 21, 2015 23:05:14 GMT -4
ADHD has been a major topic in recent years depicted by increasing numbers of ADHD diagnoses. ADHD novelty-seeking behaviors illustrated as a favorable trait in situations highlights that ADHD could be more of a new personality as opposed to the “negative” diagnosis our society has thought it to be. Medication being the quick fix to the problem seems to mollify it rather than adapting it to their lives in a more acceptable way. The idea of adjusting learning and schooling is not only a better alternative, but allows those with ADHD to use it to their advantage in their lives.
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Post by Victoria Mazzella on Jul 22, 2015 18:46:48 GMT -4
This article posed a new way for me to look at the treatments for ADHD. I think the diagnosis of ADHD is way too prevalent and unwarranted currently. While I was doing my pediatric rotation almost 80% of the patients were diagnosed with it and were being treated for it. When I interviewed patients and families I realized most of these kids probably did not have true ADHD. It seems that most parents have adopted the idea that if their child is misbehaving or performing poorly in school they must have a learning disability and need a quick fix with medication. As it is mentioned in this article, I think the best initial approach is to restructure the home or learning environment based on the child’s needs and interests to better engage them. Encouraging extracurricular activities and having a schedule can help kids too. It may take some time, but I think this approach is best instead of having a parent fill out a couple page survey and then prescribing medication that does not really address the underlying problems.
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Post by Cheryl Stephens on Jul 22, 2015 21:56:39 GMT -4
Dr. Friedman’s article addresses some interesting vantage points in treating and monitoring ADHD. I like how he mentions the idea about not eliminating pharmaceutical treatment but considering the option of adults that suffered from ADHD as children and grew out of their symptoms to contribute toward helping the younger generations facing this disorder. Furthermore, he mentions that adults get to choose what type of environment they live in whereas children aren’t necessarily granted that privilege. Another extremely interesting point, Dr. Friedman compares two studies based upon nomad living conditions linked to a genetic dopamine connection vs. a settled population who also carried the genetic variant. The nomads were more nourished than the ones in the settled population. These studies go to prove that person with a short attention span may have an easier time finding food to survive on than someone who has a focused attention span like a settler whose life revolves around activities that require more focus. Overall, this article hits a mark on rectifying that patients with ADHD may succeed more if their environment contained a more sporadic and variable setting compared to a regimen and organized way of life.
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Post by Vani Zutshi on Jul 22, 2015 22:23:18 GMT -4
I found it interesting to approach people with ADHD as having differently wired brains than most others rather than as having an actual illness per se. I know a few people personally who have ADHD, and each one has a different way of dealing with it. One of my friends takes a more “natural” approach such as is talked about in this article, where hands-on learning is focused on more, and tasks that the person enjoys consume more of his time. Another friend of mine takes more of a pharmaceutical approach, which I have always felt would not help as much in the long run. This article sort of shows that people can in fact find ways to “outgrow” ADHD if they find the right lifestyle that works for their brains, rather than simply using medications to cope with their symptoms, which is something I have always felt is important.
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Shashank Varakantam
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Post by Shashank Varakantam on Jul 23, 2015 8:06:36 GMT -4
ADHD is a complicated subject. I believe there’s a lot of misdiagnosis, and too many people just do it for drugs. Sounds like Dr. Friedman is proposing a theory to look into natural and safer way of fixing it. I believe if individual with ADHD learns to cope through other ways may make their brain stronger. People who were raised more than 20-30 years ago probably aren't going to be diagnosed with ADHD, because they were taught to pay attention or grew out of it by finding other ways or simply by changing the conditions of work environment from one that was highly routine to one that was varied and unpredictable. Also agree, when it comes to kids it’s always hard, they have less freedom to choose the environment that suits them. Should find better ways or come up with new tasks that fits their novelty-seeking behavior. I feel like Dr. Friedman did a good job in this article by simplifying the complicated subject.
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Post by vpawate on Jul 23, 2015 9:04:27 GMT -4
When I started my pediatrics rotation, I noticed there were several children that were diagnosed with ADHD. Once a diagnosis has been made and recorded on a patients chart, it forever sticks with them. A common thing I noticed is that parents are convinced that their children should be diagnosed ADHD because they are not obeying to their rules at home and they have aggression. I believe that before stimulants are prescribed, families should try to make some changes at home. It is natural behavior for a child to be running around, but with discipline and getting the child to sit and teach some relaxation methods it can make a difference.
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Anuhya Vallabhaneni
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Post by Anuhya Vallabhaneni on Jul 23, 2015 9:16:03 GMT -4
Ritalin and Adderal are one of the most commonly abused psychiatric prescription drugs in the recent times.Dr. Friedman's article gave an insight on looking at ADHD diagnosis as a normal variant rather than a disease or disorder. The diagnosis of ADHD is still based on subjective symptoms rather than a single definitive diagnostic test, so the risk of under diagnosing it or over diagnosing is very high. Educating the patient and the parents about taking time to find out what the patient is interested in and channelling their energy towards their interests in a positive way might reduce the need for treatment with stimulant drugs and reserve them for severe cases.
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Post by Jay Vithalani on Jul 23, 2015 9:17:03 GMT -4
It almost seems as the tx for ADHD is used as a modern day "pill" for better grades. That was certainly true when talking about studying in under-grad and med school. The demand for such pills a week before the exam was intense! As the writer says. "people with A.D.H.D. may not have a disease, so much as a set of behavioral traits that don’t match the expectations of our contemporary culture." There is so much pressure sometimes from a generation prior to exceed their expectations that rather than looking to discipline a child, an easy resort of "magic pill" is used. ADHD as being the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in young just shows how much progress it has made. Just a few decades ago, only a couple meds existed...now there are more than 10 that I can think of. More demand, more supply. Simple. This also makes sense when you think of how much work load a 5th grader has now a days. School, homework, after-school activities sometimes even continuing on weekends. Some kids are naturally energetic and active. In this fast food generation, one would think its a good thing. As the article explains, meds should not be the first choice to control this hyperactivity. Some behavioral modifications are warranted first. Sometimes even a simple thought of "they are kids!" should be used. Try to calm them down first using behavioral modifications not just resort to medically suppressing them.
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Badursha Subramaniam
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Post by Badursha Subramaniam on Jul 23, 2015 9:28:25 GMT -4
It is interesting to know that how the age of 4-17 is the most affected in America. It was also interesting to know neuroscience research shows that people with A.D.H.D. are actually hard-wired for novelty seeking a trait that had, until relatively recently, a distinct evolutionary advantage. ADHD people have sluggish and underfed brain reward circuits, so much of everyday life feels routine and under stimulating. People with ADHD may not have a disease, so much as a set of behavioral traits that don’t match the expectations of our contemporary culture. It was also interesting to know that with the PET scan, can actually rule out ADHD. The adults with ADHD has found a fewer D2 and D3 receptors. I agree that these curious, experience-seeking kids would most likely do better in small classes that emphasize hands on learning, self-paced computer assignments and tasks that build specific skills.
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Post by NADER RAFFI on Jul 23, 2015 9:57:22 GMT -4
For the longest time the only approach to treatment of ADHD has been pharmacological intervention.This article reveals a possibility of alternative non pharmacological method of treatment.This article focuses on the root of the problem.the connection between the reward center and the dopamine pathway makes one think that maybe if you stimulate these patients brain by putting them in a less routine work enviroment there wouldnt be a need for medications like ritalin and adderal.According to Dr.Nora.Volkow,s research the patients with attention deficit have less d2 ,d3 dopamine receptors.Dr.eisenberg,s research also talkes about dopamine receptors too.These conclusions can open doors to behavioural therapy and even occupational rehabilitation as good alternatives to pharmacotherapy for treatment of ADHD.Also in terms of preventative measures,perhaps we can look into our school system ,education,and the teaching methods to make sure that its intellectually stimulating.Many years ago when i went to school ADHD was diagnosed much less frequently.We were not allowed to use calculators in ou exams and we had to figure out even how to figure out square roots.our minds was constantly being stimulated and we were never board.Hopefully the reseach can advance furthur so we dont have to medicate our future children so much because of ADHD.
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Kenechukwu Udechukwu
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Post by Kenechukwu Udechukwu on Jul 23, 2015 9:59:46 GMT -4
Every day, new stuffs are published, undermining the work of medicine. Few days ago, I ran into an old friend who was surprisingly disliked the fact that I went in to study medicine. He is of the views that it's only a matter of time before doctors are kicked out of business due to constant invention of various natural remedies to different illnesses. This article no doubt hints at that fact that yes! People can indeed get rid of their ADHD by changes in their usual activities without the help of any medication - like the case of the 28-years old man who had difficulties at his office desk in an advertising firm. His normal routine was to sit at his desk for hours multitasking just to keep his attention level up. Eventually he quit that job and got himself in another job that kept him on the road in constantly changing environments - BINGO!! ADHD days were over. Another case with where a patient was treated of ADHD simply by changing the conditions of his work environment from a highly routine one to a more varied and unpredictable one. All of a sudden, his greatest liabilities — his impatience, short attention span and restlessness — became assets. But are these people really relieved of this illness? A problem isn't solved by simply avoiding the solution and looking for easy way out- rather you solve a problem by coming up with a solution. What is the probability that the ADHD symptoms are completely solved in the two cases highlighted above? Dr. Friedman’s article addresses some interesting vantage points in treating and monitoring ADHD. He achieved this by highlighting ideas about not eliminating pharmaceutical treatment but considering the option of adults that suffered from ADHD as children and grew out of their symptoms to contribute toward helping the younger generations facing this disorder. The fact that adults get to choose what type of environment they live in whereas children aren’t necessarily granted that privilege should also be an important note. I found Dr. Friedman's study on Nomadic Animal Herders very interesting as well. He tries to compare two studies based on nomadic farming linked to a genetic dopamine connection vs. a settled population who also carried the genetic variant. The nomads were more nourished than the ones in the settled population. Does that mean that people with a short attention span have more advantage over people with focused attention span?- hmmm. But I must say that this article has no doubt, improved my knowledge on ADHD on the fact that patients can control their ADHD if they're able to adjust their environmental routine.
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Post by Ishminder Singh on Jul 23, 2015 12:58:28 GMT -4
ADHD has always been a topic of discussion for the past many years. Some argue that medications are absolutely required for patients diagnosed with it, while others may go to the extreme of saying its a "fake" disease made for the financial gains of pharmaceutical companies. In countries like India, ADHD is barely, if at all, diagnosed. The article mentioned a very interesting point regarding a tailored environment for people with ADHD, and its a great first option. ADHD might be something that's overly diagnosed, and more natural methods should definitely be tried before beginning someone on Adderall or Ritalin. While ADHD is a disease that can be diagnosed, and studies, such as that done by Dr. Nora Volkow has shown the decrease in receptors, there needs to be more effort put into place by parents and medical professionals to get the patient to try natural methods rather than prescribing medications immediately, making some of the kids dependent on them and having withdrawls when they stop. For adults, one should be motivated to try to a find a job or work in a field that allows a patient with ADHD to use their disorder as an advantage.
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