Vicki

  “Parents of our ADD children often relate stories like, “The cord was wrapped around his neck two times,”  “He was blue as could be,” or “I was in hard labor for 26 hours.”  More often than not the APGAR scores (a way of measuring a newborn’s progress in terms of coloring heart rate, respiration, reflexes, and muscle tone) were normal, but parents report some kind of difficulty occurred at birth.  APGAR scores are given to newborns at one minute and five minutes after birth.  The higher the score, the better the condition of the infant.   The fact that some children go through difficult births and have no problem while others experience difficulty and become ADD may suggest a genetic predisposition or a vulnerability to such difficulty.  The fact remains, however, that there is a greater incidence of ADD in children who experience such birth difficulty.”  pp. 37-38.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     The American Pediatric Association has determined that Neurofeedback is a level one protocol for  ADD.  Drs. Kelsey.  260.432.8777.

  “BRAIN INJURY:  The last major theory, which has a strong scientific basis, holds that we can experience a brain injury that will cause ADD-type behavior.  This injury can be structural, functional, or both.  A structural disorder is when the brain is physically damage, as with a heavy blow to the head.  These injuries usually show up on hospital diagnostic imaging such as MRIs.  The functional  injury relates to how the brain is functioning. For example, there may be no structural damage, but the brainwaves are dysregulated.  These disorders usually do not show up on MRIs or CT scans.  We believe that the functional type of injury is much more prominent in ADD.  The brain’s physical structure may appear normal on conventional diagnostic imaging.  As a matter of fact, almost all of the ADD patients we have seen over the years have had normal CT scans and normal EEGs. But when we break the EEG down into functional bandwidths (a specific range of the EEG) at specific sites on the head, we usually see abnormal patterns in people with ADD.  Examples of functional bandwidths are the dominant brainwaves in the low bandwidth range of four to seven cycles per second or the higher  bandwidth of fifteen to eighteen cycles per second.  The dominant bandwidth will have a profound effect on the behavior of the individual.”  pp35-36.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Most functional injuries respond well to neurofeedback training.  Dr. Kelsey

 “In more thoroughly examining the case for genetics in ADD, Dr. David Comings has written a classic work, Tourette’s Syndrome and Human Behavior.  Dr. Comings has taken our understanding of the role of genetics in these disorders to new heights.  This is a complex text but is well worth reading, particularly for health professionals.  Dr. Comings clearly outlines the role of genetics in ADD as well as other disorders, including Tourette’s, alcoholism, bad conduct, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, obesity, sleep problems, and personality disorders.  Many of these disorders are closely associated with ADD.     When working with children, we frequently spot ADD in the parents, usually undiagnosed.  Our staff will frequently tell us which parent has the ADD before we even see the child for evaluation.”  p.35.  Getting Rid of Ritalin.  By Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     We have seen many parents make the connection and decide upon neurofeedback for both their child and themselves.  Drs.  Kelsey.  260.432.8777.

 “ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES:  With a growing global awareness of how we are affected by toxins, synthetic substances, and pollutants in the environment comes the theory that ADD is caused by environmental factors.  At this point in time, this theory cannot be completely ruled out or supported because nowhere near all the data is in.  This is a theory that will be examined and reexamined for a very long time to come.  New understanding in molecular biology, toxicology, and human sensitivities may lead to deeper insights into ADD as well as other problems.     However, to say with confidence that sugar, food additives, dyes, preservatives, and other such products do not cause ADD type symptoms is not only scientific foolishness, but is ludicrous.  We remember vividly an eight year old male who was very physically aggressive.  During the intake interview, we notice constant running nose.  When we asked his mother about it, she reported that he always had a runny nose.  We recommended no dairy of any kind for two weeks.  The mother was very compliant, and she reported back to us that when he had no dairy, he had no runny nose, plus his aggression was dramatically improved.  This is just one case in a complicated array of cases, but environmental agents can affect certain individuals.   We are just scratching the surface of how some individuals are affected by certain products.  We are well aware of how humans and wildlife are affected by deadly toxins like lead ,dioxin, and mercury, but we suspect that that is just the tip of the iceberg.”  pp.32-33.  From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Drs. Vicki and Charles Kelsey.  260.432.8777

“The theory that has the most popular support is that of poor parenting. It is difficult to discount the notion that poor parenting creates difficulties for children because, in fact,, it does.  Years of psychiatric and psychological work and countless research articles have been enough to convince us this is true.  However, we do not believe parents are the root of all evil.     We have worked with ADD children who had great parents and others who had less than adequate parents.  We are convinced that it is highly  unlikely that poor parenting is the causative factor.     Now, before we go further, we would like to point out that ADD can become like a runaway train if parents are inadequate.  Good parenting skills can dramatically alter the course of a child with ADD.  This may be why ADD children can grow up, go to college, and lead normal, functional lives.  Good parenting is able to set boundaries and teach children how to compensate; it can instill good values and model good behavior.  In contrast, poor and neglectful parenting gives the ADD child a world with no boundaries in which risk taking escalates and respect is non-existent.     In general, poor parenting may lead to children who are uncontrollable, disrespectful, undisciplined, and neurotic.  Their brain dysfunction may be a result of the way they interpret the world based on how it was presented to them by dysfunctional parents.  However, they may not have the typical slow-wave brain patterns seen in ADD.  Our conclusion is that poor parenting can dramatically affect the outcome of ADD children  in a negative way, but it is highly unlikely to be the cause of ADD.  On the other hand, children who are abused may in fact suffer the physical or emotional injury consistent with classic ADD-type behavior.”  p. 32.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Our experience is that the ADD person is almost always responsive to neurofeedback.  Some may take longer than others to correct the dysfunctional brain.  Drs. Kelsey.  260.432.8777.

 “Perhaps the most interesting theory of all is the theory that proposes there is no such thing as ADD.  Even today in our clinic, we have people to say, “There is nothing wrong with him; he just needs a good kick in the pants,”    or some other colorful phrase indicating there is no problem except not enough discipline.  The idea that a child can be spanked out of this syndrome is not only offensive, but ludicrous.     In spite of articles like Schmitt’s 1975  “The Minimal Brain Dysfuntion Myth,” ADD does exist.  Schmitt and others propose that there is no such thing.  He even went so far as to say it is a fabrication by distressed parents, teachers, and physicians to allow them to medicate disruptive children.  We are the first to concede that thousands of children are needlessly medicated, but that does not mean that we are not dealing with a dysregulated brain.  We agree that some children are actually medicated for the sake of adults, but ADD is not a myth conjured up by distraught teachers, parents, and physicians.”  pp.31-32.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Many ADD children have a parent who is also dealing with brain dysregulation.  Sometimes, both parent and child undergo neurofeedback.  Drs. Kelsey.  Phone:  260.432.8777.

 There are many theories.  One is “Family Discord:  a theory that has a lot of support is the family discord concept.  The theory suggests that a chaotic family life or marital discord in the family would cause the children affected by those stresses to become ADD.  In cases where the marital discord is affected by the psychiatric problems of the parents, the same would be true.  Children need a stable environment, predictability, and an element of constancy.  Families that have marital discord lose that sense of predictability, at least that sense of comfortable predictability.  Often the children are left to parent themselves, and all too frequently, the parents are too busy taking care of themselves to take care of the children.     When the noise and chaos in a family reach a certain level, the child is likely to tune it out.  They do this by slowing down their brain–the slowed brain is less alert to what is going on.  It is slow brainwave rhythms that characterize ADD.  When the brain slows down, it is less awake, less alert, and less aware.  In our clinic, we have seen the same slow wave patterns in children who are yelled at constantly, and we have also seen this in verbally abused spouses.  It is possible to conclude that anyone who lives in chaos and discord could suffer an emotional brain injury and would exhibit many classic ADD-type symptoms.” p.31.  Geting Rid of Ritalin.  By Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Emotional traumas can be just as devastating to the brain as physical.  Neurofeedback can help both.  Drs. Kelsey.

 “Regulating the brain to a more functional pattern may not fix the individual stresses in one’s life, but at least the brain can take a more active role in problem solving.  Untreated, the individual may be driven ever deeper into nonfunctional and slow brainwave patterns.     Neurofeedback is a treatment that can normalize the dysfunctional or injured brain.  For example, if the brain is too slowed down, causing a state of low arousal and ADD-type symptoms, neurofeedback can train the brain to speed up its activity level.  This is done by feeding back information to the brain about how the brain is functioning, and rewarding the person with a sound or score for any improvement.  Teaching appropriate behavior is called operant conditioning. With this simple operant conditioning procedure, the brain begins to regulate itself, and undesirable behaviors begin to modify.”     ADD, ADHD, anxiety and depression are very responsive to neurofeedback.  Drs. Kelsey.  Ph. 260.432.8777 for a consultation.

  “Studies have estimated that 30 percent of people with ADD are depressed, 30 percent have an anxiety disorder, and 50 percent have conduct problems.  This does not make for a happy life.  Those with ADD usually receive a lot of criticism.  It seems that someone is always critical of their behavior and performance.  If it is not a parent, it is a teacher; if it is not a teacher, it is a sibling.  They are even criticized by peers.     As a result, they either withdraw or develop a stand-back I would rather do it myself attitude, which of course generally gets them in more trouble.  A great part of their conduct problems is the constant criticism which produces a lot of anger and hostility.  They get tired of being seen as, or feeling like, “damaged goods,”   and they rebel.  All of these problems, we emphasize, are a result of a dysregulated brain.”  p. 28.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Dysregulated brains are helped towards normal with neurofeedback.  Drs. Kelsey

   “Although this statement will probably invite challenge, we strongly contend that our jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers are full of ADD adolescents and adults.  After all, we are talking about risk takers, individuals who have no fear but who cannot foresee consequences.  It is easy to see that there is a recipe for disaster in that cluster of behaviors.  The child who is prone to get in trouble and prone to accidents because of taking risks is now a late adolescent or adult who takes a different risk.  The adult risks are bigger and the consequences greater.     There are not as many good follow-up studies as we would like to see, but the ones that are available are consistent in their findings. Brown and Borden did a study in 1986 which indicated that between 22 and 30 percent of hyperactive people engage in antisocial behavior.  That could mean five or six million, or even more, adolescents acting out in antisocial ways, and the best prediction for future behavior is past behavior.  Girtelman and colleagues found that antisocial behavior may be present in 20 to 45 percent of ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADD with hyperactivity) children by the time they reach adulthood.  That study indicates that as many as 25 percent of adults with ADD or ADHD would meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder.  The DSM-IV states “the  essential feature of Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for,  and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.”  Behaviors of this disorder include lying, stealing, impulsivity, aggression, recklessness, and lack of remorse.  From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Ideally, the ADD/ADHD personality receives neurofeedback training as a child, but many adults make great  behavioral mprovement with more training.  Drs. Kelsey

 “If people are aware they are ADD, they may exercise more caution and be very careful, methodical drivers to compensate for their inattention.  Others do not compensate or even realize their driving style is risk-taking.   Many people who are ADD are  often too distracted to know it, but they be a driving nightmare for everyone else on the road.  People with ADD are significantly more likely  to have automobile accidents than people without it because people with ADD have trouble controlling their angry impulses.  ADD likely plays a major role in what is now labeled “Road Rage.”  Individuals with ADD have less impulse control, so if they experience a sudden burst of anger, they are likely to act on that angry impulse rather than control it.”  p.23.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     Neurofeedback is a natural way to train the ADD brain to function well, choosing to set aside angry thoughts at critical moments.  Drs. Kelsey.  Ph. 260.432.8777.

“ADD and Driving–A Dangerous Mix     ADD people are individuals who cannot see consequences.  They have five times more auto accidents than people without ADD.  Adults send adolescent drivers out at night with no medication because if they get the medication they cannot sleep.  So, a 3,500  pound automobile that will travel at speeds greater than a hundred miles per hour is in the hands of someone whose attention is poor.  We believe no child or adult with ADD should ever have a driver’s license without neurofeedback treatment.”  From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.  p.23.  Drs. Kelsey.  260.432.8777.

  “Because we have a general practice, people frequently do not come in for neurofeedback, even though their problem indicates that neurofeedback would be the most effective treatment.  Ann and Tom came in for marital therapy at Tom’s insistence.  He was ready to leave Ann if things did not change.  Tom reported Ann was smart, loving, and pretty. “But she is a mess.  The house is always in a state of half cleaned, the laundry is always half done, dinner is always half fixed–everything is “half.”  Ann could never finish anything she started, she was disorganized, bored, and unfocused.     For her part, Ann reported she had been this way as long as she could remember.  Tom thought it was cute at first, but over time he has become angry about it.”  she said.  After the initial intake evaluation, Ann was diagnosed with adult ADD.  Treatment in this case included neurofeedback and marital therapy.  Neurofeedback could remedy the ADD, depression, and motivation problems, but it could not teach Tom and Ann how to communicate clearly with each other.  As Ann’s symptoms declined, the marriage became more fulfilling for both of them.” pp.22-23.   From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     We have noticed that many people assume ADD shows up in only males.  Not so.  Many female children and adults are affected by ADD.  Drs. Kelsey.

 “DON’T STAND UP AND GIVE A TALK:     Adults with ADD are too easily distracted to give good talks.  They are bright, enthusiastic, and witty, but they ramble.  It is impossible for them to stay on track.  If someone does something distracting, they are lost.  For example, if asked a question, their answer is likely to go off in an unrelated direction, and they may or may not get back to their original topic.       Recently we attended a conference on healing.  At one point a physician (who we are convinced has ADD)  stood up to make a quick comment.  He went on for ten minutes.  The speaker tried politely to end the filibuster, but was unsuccessful.  The audience became so impatient there was a mass cry for him to shut up and sit down.  He missed those cues just as he had probably missed most social cues in his life.     Yes there are ADD physicians.  There are ADD engineers, dentists, therapists, and, frightfully, there are probably ADD airline pilots.  Many people are able to compensate quite well by dogged determination.  They become single-minded and hyper-focused, much like the child with ADD who plays video games.  When the game starts they go into hyper-focus and it is hard to get their attention.   You may ask them over and over to stop and do something else, but they will never hear you.”  From Getting Rid of Ritalin.  By Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.  pp.21-22.     The ADD professional benefits from neurofeedback as focus, stability, and peace of mind become part of their mind-set.  Drs. Kelsey.  fwneurofeedback.com

 John was a thirty-nine-year-old independent contractor who built small single-family houses.  He came to us because of a long history of ADD that he readily acknowledged was a condition which kept him from being more successful.  He reported that he was sure his father was ADD and perhaps one of his brothers.  He wanted help.  He came to us because we had treated a neighbor’s child and he was impressed with the changes he saw.  “Can you help a grown man?” he asked.     We told him that although there were no guarantees, we thought we could.  We then discussed the treatment plan and the probable outcome.  He knew it would take longer for an adult to change, but he was willing to commit to the treatment plan…..John had almost fifty treatments before he began to feel better about himself.  Finally, after 65 neurofeedback sessions, he reported he was “catching up” in his work.  He was no longer leaving jobs before he was finished, or starting new jobs that would go unfinished.  He was finally able to stay with a job, until it was completed.  He said that before treatment, he would get “antsy” on a job and have to start something new.  Although John ended up taking eighty sessions, he reported it was well worth the time and money.  Everything else had failed him.  But the neurofeedback was successful.  “It was worth the money just to get rid of the depression.”  From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo, Castro, M.D.     Drs. Kelsey at FWNeurofeedback have treated many adults with ADD successfully.

 “Once again family and friends shake their heads in frustration.  Adults with ADD are usually good “idea people” but need to have the backup of steady workers.  They are good for the short projects that do not require much follow through.     In the office we frequently put a stopwatch on the children and monitor how long they can look at a TV monitor or carry on a conversation before they break away.  Surprisingly, there are consistent patterns within the individual.  Some children can hold on for twenty or thirty seconds, but many of them are in the five to fifteen second range.  Adults with ADD are generally able to lengthen the time as a result of work experience, but they cannot always see projects through without a lot of help, encouragement and supervision.  Just like the children, they lose concentration and focus.”  pp.18-19.  Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.     The beauty of neurofeedback is training the brain in a pleasant setting and watching your favorite netflix show.  The improvements tend to be dramatic and tend to be permanent.  Drs. Kelsey

  Adults with ADD are often very bright and come up with great ideas.  They tell us about these ideas and we get excited for them.  They take off like a whirlwind doing things, arranging things, setting things up.  For those of us who love them, we feel they have finally found themselves.  They are finally on track.  They initially have boundless energy and cannot be stopped even by the most discouraging news.  When they are in this phase it is impressive.  But, then, as the project progresses, these individuals go flat as a pancake.  The work stops, the idea does not seem so good, and their failure is usually perceived by them as someone else’s fault.     Once again family and friends shake their heads in frustration.  Adults with ADD are usually good “idea people” but need to have the backup of steady workers.  They are good for the short projects that do not require much follow through.” p.18.From Getting Rid of Ritalin by Robert Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D.    If this describes a friend or family member, there is a natural solution for helping them with neurofeedback.  Drs. Kelsey

Adults with ADD generally present with the same symptoms as children.  However, the stakes tend to be higher and the ramifications of the problems are much broader.  There is a long-held misconception, even among some professionals, that children will “grow out” of their ADD, thereby becoming “normal” adults.    In reality, ADD does not always go away as effortlessly as some predict.  Long term follow-up  studies on children with ADD have found that as many as 80 percent of children with ADD take their disorder into adulthood.  Experts in the field indicate that 1 to 2 percent of the adult population, including men and women, have some degree of ADD.     This could mean as many as several million adults have the disorder.  The hyperactivity component usually disappears, but the majority of people with attentional difficulty take the problem into adulthood.  This generally means we take the worst part of the disorder into the workday world, and unless someone is hyperactive, the problem may not be recognized.       The hyperactive child tends to be a problem for everyone around him, but the child may be having fun.  They do not realize there is a problem; they are into everything, having a great time.  The ADD component of the disorder is what causes the individual to have difficulty with academic success, job performance, and relationships.  So, when it comes to something like schoolwork, the child begins to suffer.  Their poor academic performance is usually followed by low self-esteem. loss of motivation, and even depression.     Since the adult usually continues to have the attentional problems rather than the hyperactivity, the ramifications are far-reaching.  Low self-esteem, poor motivation, lack of follow-through, trouble sustaining attention, and depression become serious problems in adulthood.  ADD interferes with every aspect of one’s life.  (Next we will look at how the adult with ADD may behave in the workday world.)     Adults with ADD respond very well to Neurofeedback.  They tend  to take longer than children to make optimal changes.  This is because the brain has been running ADD patterns for more years.