The Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD, ADHD etc.)
ADD is mainly due to the Front Part of the Brain (the Frontal Lobes) being only half awake, as the result of the Base of the Brain not producing enough of the chemicals Dopamine and Noradrenalin. These 2 chemicals normally stimulate the Frontal Lobes of a person’s brain and keep it normally alert and working properly. If there is not enough Dopamine and Noradrenalin then the Frontal Lobes of the Brain don’t work properly.
In some cases as well as the Frontal Lobes being Underactive there are other parts of the brain which are Overactive, for example, the parts under the Temples (the Temporal Lobes).
ADD is basically an inherited disorder but its severity also depends on lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and drugs. Modern manufactured foods and drinks contain many unnatural artificial chemicals that don’t occur in nature and which disturb the ADD Brain. Modern types of work and recreations often provide little exercise and lack of exercise makes ADD worse.
ADD Underactivity/Overactivity of various parts of the brain causes problems such as poor attention, focussing, concentration, and comprehension, distractibility, difficulty getting started, difficulty finishing things, disorganisation, relationship, employment and money difficulties. All of these things lead to underachievement, despite the fact that ADD sufferers usually have above average intelligence of a streetwise non-academic kind. ADD sufferers are like a car with a very good engine but a faulty gearbox that doesn’t get the engine’s power to the wheels.
Irritability, anger, rage and sometimes violence occur in people with those types of ADD in which parts of their brain are Overactive eg. Road Rage and Domestic Violence may occur with Temporal Lobe ADD, in which there is faulty Temporal Lobe Function.
The Mental distresses and dysfunctions of ADD sometimes lead to self medication with street drugs, especially with street amphetamines or with multiple substances in more severe cases. The addictiveness, cost and side effects of street drugs can lead to poverty, lack of basic living needs, homelessness, crime, prison and a very difficult life, especially when the ADD has not been diagnosed or has not been adequately treated. Another pitfall is that ADD children quite often go on to develop Bipolar Disorder in their teens or twenties and even if their ADD has been diagnosed and treated, their Bipolar may not be diagnosed as it emerges. It may just be thought that the ADD has become worse and resistant to treatment because no treatment for Bipolar Disorder is being given.
These ADD negatives are often combined with ADD positives such as giftedness in art, colours, music, drama, literature, athletics or other activities. Many gifted artists and musicians have very up and down lives and sometimes struggle with drugs and alcohol because they have ADD and/or Bipolar Disorder. The ADD Discomforts and Dysfunctions cause them to try many things in the search for relief, including social, over-the-counter and street drugs. Because of this ADD is sometimes called “the Addictive Brain Disorder”.
Modern SPECT brain scans can now clearly show any areas in a person’s brain that are Underactive or Overactive. This has recently led to the discovery by Dr Daniel Amen in California that there are 6 different ADD Abnormal Brain Activity Patterns. We now know what the Discomforts and Dysfunctions are that correspond to each of these Abnormal Brain Activity Patterns, so we can now diagnose the 6 different types of ADD by asking the right questions. Brain scans are therefore not always necessary but if treatment isn’t working then a brain scan may help by showing up problems that have been missed. Brain scans are also sometimes helpful in Court cases and Medicolegal argument.
We also now know that most of these 6 different Abnormal Brain Activity Patterns need different medications. We were unsuccessful with many cases of ADD in the past because our knowledge of the range of types of ADD was incomplete. We therefore didn’t know until recently what special medication combinations some ADD sufferers needed.
A major step forward occurred in the treatment of ADD with the discovery of the value of Anticonvulsant/Mood Stabiliser medications (e.g. lamotrigine, carbamazepine CR and sodium valproate) in calming those Types of ADD where there is Overactivity of parts of the brain, leading to Irritability, Anger, Rage or Violence. Brain Overactivity types of ADD are actually made even worse by Dexamphetamine and Ritalin unless calming Anticonvulsant/Mood Stabilisers are also given at the same time.
Another major step forward was the discovery that SNRI “antidepressant” medications (Serotonin/Noradrenalin/Dopamine Boosters) e.g. fluoxetine, sertraline, reboxetine, citalopram, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine etc.) are very effective in some types of ADD, especially when, as is usually the case, ADD occurs in association with other Disorders such as Sleep Disorders, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Substance Abuse or Addictions. Because of their stimulant effect these SNRI’s and also venlafaxine should only be given to people with the Irritable Angry Hypo type of ADD in conjunction with a calming Mood Stabilizers.
The Stimulants Dexamphetamine and Ritalin may be the most helpful medications for people who only suffer from ADHD (Hyperactive ADD) and/or ADDD (Inattentive or Day Dreaming ADD) and many ADD sufferers will want them because they got such good results when a friend gave them a few to try. However the SNRI “Antidepressants” (Serotonin/Noradrenalin/Dopamine Boosters) may have a more helpful overall effect for the many people who suffer from other “Big 7” Nervous Disorders, in addition to suffering from ADD.
The recognition of the importance of diet and exercise in treating ADD has also substantially improved the results in many ADD sufferers. The increase in ADD in recent years is largely due to major changes in modern Human Lifestyles. There has been a great increase in brain chemistry disturbing, unnatural, artificial chemicals put into manufactured foods and drinks in our diet, and a great reduction in physical exercise in our work, recreations and daily living, due to the introduction of telephones, trains, cars, labour saving machines, computers and the internet.
EEG Biofeedback is also very helpful in ADD. We must not forget the importance of Electricity in Brain Function and Dysfunctions. Every one of your 10 billion plus brain cells produces tiny flows of chemicals and of electricity. All of the tiny flows from the cells join up to produce bigger flows and these flows of different chemicals and different speeds of electricity are what your brain controls your whole functioning and life through. In ADD there are nearly always excessively strong flows of the 3 and 5Hz brain waves and this can be permanently corrected in most cases by 30 or 40 EEG Biofeedback sessions. This gives unstable ADD people a stability and a resilience that is very hard for them to get in any other way that I have been able to find.
By providing Information, Coaching and Counselling, and by normalizing brain function with Diet, Exercise, Medications and EEG Biofeedback, we can largely fix the distressing Discomforts and Dysfunctions of ADD. This in turn greatly reduces the urge to self-medicate with social and street drugs, which can destroy people with more severe ADD.
See also Chapter 11 Section v. of Dr Neil Beck's book "Beating Heroin"
The Big 7 Commonest Disorders
The Sleep Disorders
The Anxiety Disorders
Major (Unipolar) Depression
Bipolar (Manic Depressive) Disorder
The Post Trauma Brain Shock Disorders (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Distress Disorder etc)
The Paranoia/Hallucination/Delusion Disorders
