ADHD
ADHD affects all age groups…
ADHD can be difficult to diagnose accurately, and a lot of factors contribute to a person’s struggle to pay attention or stay on task. Diet, exercise, sleep, and gut biome health are all important.
In the current culture, the term “ADHD” is used broadly and loosely to describe anyone who is frequently distracted or too energetic for their environment. ADHD is also more often associated with kids, but many adults struggle with inattention, too.
Diagnosis is not needed.
We neither diagnose ADHD, nor do we require you to bring a diagnosis to receive care. Our approach is to resolve the problem of inability to choose where to place one’s attention.
Drugs are not always the solution.
Stimulant medications are often the first solution presented for kids with attention problems. For some kids, this helps.
But medication typically has some unpleasant side effects. Also, using drugs represents an ongoing expense (often for many years), because they don’t solve the problem.
The brain doesn’t learn anything from medication, and many kids don’t respond well to medications – they become lethargic or lose their sparkle.
If kids are misdiagnosed and their brains are already working too hard, then the stimulant from medications pushes them further in the direction of hyper or irritable behavior and may adversely impact sleep or digestion.
Neurofeedback is a better alternative to medication.
There is a large body of evidence showing that neurofeedback is an excellent way to train brains to be more attentive.
The American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed neurofeedback in 2012 as a “Level 1 Best Support Intervention” for attention and hyperactivity behavioral problems.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry endorsed neurofeedback in 2005 as meeting the clinical treatment criteria for ADHD.
“Train your brain.”
Neurofeedback is about training your brain and nervous system to be more balanced and have appropriate levels of activity for a task.
Unlike medication, it has no bad side effects. Instead, the brain is learning a new way to be wired, resulting in a lasting solution. Moreover, it’s cost-effective because it’s a fundamental change – not a band-aid.
How neurofeedback works.
For kids or adults whose primary concern is inattention, we typically recommend neurofeedback and biofeedback, not psychotherapy.
Neurofeedback works best when you come twice a week for 30-minute sessions, but once a week is okay, too. It’s a learning process, so expect 20-50 sessions to achieve lasting results.
Essentially, we help the brain learn how to calm itself and encourage executive functioning capacity to increase. Executive functioning includes focus, planning, organization, prioritizing, staying on task, regulating emotion, and monitoring self-progress.
Avery did not learn well in a traditional environment.
Avery could only sit and read or write for five minutes at a time before needing to wiggle, fidget, or get up and run around. This didn’t work very well in a traditional school environment.
Avery’s parents and teachers knew he was really smart, causing them to feel increasingly frustrated at his behavior. They perceived him as un-motivated, disrespectful, and defiant.
As Avery felt their criticism, his behavior worsened. This was unsustainable, and his teacher suggested neurofeedback to Avery’s parents.
At first, they were skeptical that it would work. Just watch a video game? It seemed too simple to be true. However, the scientific studies they read combined with their distrust of medications led them to give it a try.
In addition to starting neurofeedback, they pledged to make time every day for Avery to play hard outside, and they stopped allowing dessert or sugary snacks during the week.
After two sessions, Avery came home from school saying he’d been able to pay attention to the teacher more than usual. Five sessions later the teacher contacted the parents in surprise and gratitude about his improved behavior.
Nine sessions later his mom could painlessly help Avery with a tricky homework question, which took 5 minutes instead of 35 – and everyone stayed cheerful!
They completed 30 sessions of neurofeedback and biofeedback training. Now a year later, Avery is doing great at school and has improved relationships with his parents and teachers.
Drug-free solutions to ADHD are available.
Our goal is to solve the problem – not suppress the symptoms. Contact us at (828) 338-3200 for a free 20-minute phone consultation, so we can work together to find a solution.