Starving to Sit Still?
Our 14 year old son has been on stimulants for his ADD (Attention Defecit Disorder) since he was 6 years old. In the last few years, we took him off the stimulant medications during the summer and on long breaks from school so he could “eat”. The medications commonly prescribed to children and adults with ADD and ADHD (ADD with hyperactivity) are also appetite suppressants, therefore, in addition to encouraging the person to sit still and pay attention, they also deprive them from eating healthy meals which feed their brains and help to them to think, learn, and live life.
Each year we would question the medication usage, but continual encouragement from doctors, teachers, principals, and other well meaning parents confirmed what the world wants us to believe: a docile child is a better child.
Well, our wonderful son began getting migraines a year ago, so while his doctor was unsure of the cause, he couldn’t completely rule out that it wasn’t the stimulant medication, so he took him off of everything for a few months to see if that would help decrease the migraines.
Some experts will tell you that at times the child will “grow out of” the ADD/ADHD. Well, that’s just what he did, he “grew out of” his moodiness, his anxiety and his bouncing off the walls; he also grew out of his shorts, his shoes and his shirts! He gained nearly 20 pounds, and grew about 5 inches taller. He began sleeping well at night, and became more alert and self controlled during the day.
Our doctor’s conclusion: The stimulants did their job for a season, got him through the “wiggly” years when he really needed to focus and learn. However, in his teen years, when the majority of his growing needs to happen, his need for balanced meals (like all day long!) and brain food kicked in, and when he got what he needed, the nutrition improved everything from A to Z.
Our son is a brand new kid. No migraines, no depressed appetite, and no complaints from the school, as of yet.
So please, if you must medicate your child with a stimulant, please take time out to let him or her eat, and let it be long enough to see if maybe they don’t need the meds any longer. Often times the proper nutrition is just what a child needs to get healthy sleep and make healthy choices. You don’t have to be a health food fanatic about it, just use common sense. I am so happy we did!
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