Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders in which children and adolescents are diagnosed, affecting more than 6.4 million US children aged 4-17 years old.
However, ADHD is more than just being energetic or finding it hard to sit still. Children suffering from ADHD often have a number of symptoms which work together and affect their home, school, and social lives.
Many children who suffer from ADHD have problems with their impulsivity, controlling their emotions, paying attention, executive function, or may lack judgement to make smart and safe choices.
Most people diagnosed with ADHD are between the ages of 2 and 17 years old, when symptoms are most noticeable. However, 30-70% of children diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that endure into adolescence and even adulthood.
Current ADHD Treatments & Negative Effects
Over the years medication has become the main form of treatment for young children. ADHD brains have lower levels of neurotransmitters, which have been found to impair parts of the brain especially associated with dopamine. Dopamine is known as the reward and pleasure center of the brain, which also is associated with motivation, attention, and movement.
ADHD Medication
Stimulants have been the most common type of medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to date, since stimulants are believed to increase dopamine levels in the brain. While effective, ADHD medication can cause side effects such as poor appetite, stomach aches, irritability, sleep problems, slowed growth, headaches, and have been found to cause personality changes.
Many parents have reported watching their children become more withdrawn, rigid, and even display obsessive-compulsive symptoms after starting a medication reliant treatment plan.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend parents of young children with ADHD look towards behavioral and natural therapies rather than stimulants as their first step in treating ADHD.
Ben’s Story
Ben (Note: Names have been changed to protect anonymity) is a 15-year-old boy who started microcurrent direct neurofeedback to treat his ADHD and Autistic symptoms.
When we first met Ben, he was looking for neurofeedback and counseling as a natural treatment since his family had heard of the negative long-term effects that medication can have on brain development.
At the start of his treatment plan, he was very quiet and made little to no eye contact, staying quite withdrawn with both his mother and the practitioner.
He had been expelled from multiple schools for aggressive behavior and his parents reported Ben bullying his siblings at home. He regularly failed to complete his schoolwork and did not engage socially with anyone, both friends and family.
After the first treatment, Ben’s mother noticed that he was more behaved at home. Even Ben was able to notice feeling more “awake” and not having such a “heavy head” that came with the combination of medications he was on.
As treatment continued, Ben had far fewer outbursts and his parents reported this as “the best behavior they’ve seen in years.”
For the first time in years Ben wanted to go back to school and was far more social, even starting conversations about his favorite TV shows and IT interests with the practitioner.
As Ben approaches the end of his treatment plan, he has become excited to come to his neurofeedback sessions and talk with his practitioner, preparing fun questions that he has been waiting all week to talk about.
He has successfully been enrolled into a mainstream private high school and is currently getting all A’s and B’s in his classes. His parents have reported that he is no longer bullying his siblings and has become far more social with friends in the neighborhood and with his family.
For the first time in years he will end conversations with his parents with “I love you” and is succeeding in creating rapport with the ones around him, cracking jokes and engaging with people while still staying relaxed.
Microcurrent Direct Neurofeedback for ADHD Treatment in Children
With microcurrent direct neurofeedback, patients like Ben have been able to see drastic improvements in their ADHD symptoms. In many cases, while working with their primary care physician, our patients have been able to greatly reduce their medication load.
Our direct neurofeedback system is an ideal modality for children with ADHD because of the ease and length of our sessions. Our treatment is passive, meaning patients merely have to sit down with us for 15-30 minutes and can expect to quickly feel the positive results with our drug-free, non-invasive modality.
Without having to rely on stimulants, parents regularly report having ease of mind not having to worry about the long-term negative effects medication may have on their child. Direct neurofeedback differs from medication in both side effects and in long term effects. Once someone stops taking their medication, the stimulant stops helping with their ADHD symptoms. With direct neurofeedback, our patients are able to experience sustained positive changes long after their treatment plan ends.
Neurofeedback has been trusted as a natural alternative for treating ADHD, where patients are able to experience a more symptom-free life without having to remain dependent on medication.
Call us at 818-612-0964 or fill out our simple contact form to set up your consultation and to experience for yourself how effective our holistic approach is in treating ADHD and ADHD symptoms.
Jacob is a leading qualified Microcurrent Neurofeedback Practitioner in Los Angeles and is dedicated to helping patients with symptoms associated with a wide range of disorders such as anxiety, ADD/ADHD, depression, traumatic brain injury, PTSD and addiction to greatly improve their quality of life.