ADD-HOLISTIC Mailing List - Complete Set of Visiting Expert Transcripts

Jane Hersey

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 23:07:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi! Well, the timing didn't work out quite as planned. :-)

Our first expert (and maybe you saw her introductory post already) is Jane Hersey, National Director of the Feingold Association. I did everything I could to try to get a representative of the Feingold Association to visit because the Association has a long history of successfully helping many, many perons with ADD and other behavioral disorders. It is wonderful that Jane Hersey was kind enough to take the time to share the Feingold Program with us and offer to answer questions.

Jane Hersey has worked with families of chemically-sensitive children for 22 years. Using the findings of pediatrician/allergist, Ben F. Feingold, MD, she first helped her family and went on to volunteer in the parent support group called the Feingold Association.

She worked closely with Dr. Feingold until his death in 1982, and served the Association in many capacities: first vice president, president, executive director, and editor of the Association's newsletter Pure Facts. She is currently the national director and author of the book "Why Can't My Child Behave?"

Ms. Hersey has twice testified before the National Institutes of Health and has represented the Association on radio and television.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com

To: add-holistic@mlists.net
Subject: ADD The Feingold Program
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 20:50:04 EDT

Hell-o. In 1975 our family was having many problems. My 5 year old daughter, who had always been a handful, was getting much worse. Her behavior was fine some of the time, and at other times she was very difficult to deal with. Much of the time she seemed to be in another world, so distracted that it was very hard to even communicate with her. There were no obvious physical problems and she was very bright in many ways, but clearly, something was wrong.

Meanwhile, my husband's migraine headaches were growing more and more severe, and seemed to be coming more frequently than ever. Add to this scene, a baby to take care of ... my life wasn't great, and neither were the prospects for my family. Fortunately, we stumbled upon Dr. Feingold's book, "Why Your Child is Hyperactive" and began to learn about the many effects of certain foods and food additives. As a result, we were able to dramatically help my daughter and my husband. This led to our involvement in the nonprofit "Feingold Associations" which were forming during the mid 1970s.

I speak with many parents who are facing various difficult issues with their child or -- in some cases they themsleves have problems. The people who call us typically are dealing with learning or behavior problems; in some cases the major issue might be a physical problem such as asthma, hives or ear infections. It is not possible to predict which person will benefit from the Feingold Program, but once a caller understands what the program really involves, most conclude that it seems silly not to at least consider it.

Why would it be silly not to seriously consider using the Feingold Program? Because the synthetic food additives that we remove are pretty gross chemicals. Many of them are manufactured from petroleum (synthetic food dyes and the 3 preservatives we remove). The artificial flavorings we remove can be made from anything -- literally, including petrochemicals, pesticides, toxic waste products, etc. If the food labels were required to list their ingredients with total accuracy, few of us would buy those foods anyway.

Another category we remove at the outset of the Program are what we call "natural salicylates." These chemicals occur naturally in some very wholesome foods, but (for reasons not really understood) they are not tolerated by some people. We show people how to conduct their own test, removing natural salicylates for a few weeks, to see if there is a change in symptoms. It's a nuisance to do without wholesome foods like apples, grapes, berries, etc., but there are other fruits that are well tolerated, and those are used instead (pears, pineapple, melons).

If there is an improvement in symptoms as a result of this trial, then the next step is to continue to stay away from the synthetic stuff and to begin reintroducing the natural salicylates one at a time, to see if there is any reaction to them. The role of the Association is to help families do this with as little hassel as is necessary, and to show them which of the foods they like are free of the unwanted additives. Feingold families can eat many familiar foods, and can pig out on the likes of Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's (as well as the natural versions of Breyer's ice cream).

The Association researches brand name foods with the manufacturer to identify those which are acceptable to use, and publishes books listing all of the products which are free of the above additives. We identify the naturally occurring salicylates so that if you know you are sensitive to cherries, for example, the book will tell you if they are present in a product. There are 7 Regional foodlists for the United States and a very small book for Canada. It is very important that a family have accurate information about foods, since ingredient labels are often incomplete and sometimes downright fraudulent.

We find that most of the families who have up-to-date information and use the Feingold Program correctly report a significant -- often dramatic -- improvement in the child or adult in question. We have 22 years of good results, and some very good double-blind studies which support our work, but I don't think we can really explain exactly why it works as well and as often as it does.

Most of the people who do this work are parents like myself, who have seen such a huge benefit. We don't have any reason to volunteer, other than the fact that it is so satisfying to be able to help so many other people, just as we've been helped. While we don't keep precise statistics of the percentage of children who respond, the studies have shown that the majority of children do respond to dietary management -- despite what the food/chemical/pharmaceutical lobbies claim. If the Program was not so effective, I doubt my colleagues and I would have continued to do this work for so many years.

The Association is glad to provide complimentary information and help. You can obtain it via our number (800) 321-3287. There is also a lot of information on our web site: http://www.feingold.org. Next month we will be hosting a national conference on ADD and autism at the George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (near Washington DC). I would be glad to send you a brochure describing the conference and can be reached via this site or at my office in Virginia (703) 768-3287. At this conference, and in our materials, we offer suggestions as to the next step a family may want to take in helping their child. Some children only need to use the Feingold Program, but for others it is just a part of the answer. For many families I often compare it to 1st and 2nd grade; they aren't all you will need, but you'll have a hard time getting along if you skip them. We network with other nonprofits who are also doing great work helping families. There's a lot of help out there, but it is being carried out by good people with very little in the way of money and resources, thus is often not easy to find.

I will be glad to try to answer your questions; there's a lot I don't know, but I do know how to help my family and might be able to show you how to help yours.

From: Olivia822@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 22:48:47 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

Thanks so much for The Feingold Program info. I'm looking forward to reading more about it.

Pat

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:13:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

Jane,

Thank you for the excellent information you provided. I like the idea of starting with fairly simple changes. Even though additional changes or different changes *may* be necessary or prudent (as far as ADD or long-term health goes), it is usually a good idea to start with relatively small, but important changes.

I was hoping that you can answer a few questions.

Are there any strategies that have been used successfully to work with older children who may not be too cooperative in making the dietetic change?
What about school lunches and restaurants? How is that handled as far as ingredients go? If this issue discussed in the Regional Food List booklets?
What kind of results have been seen in adults that follow the Feingold Program?
What is the time frame that one should expect to see improvements on the Feingold Program.
For persons that follow the Program exactly as outlined and notice some improvement or only minor improvement, what kind of suggestions are made? I suppose that it is always important to make sure that major mistakes aren't being made in following the Program.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

From: Flifer@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:27:48 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

My family, too, has seen great benefit in using the Feingold diet. My son,now an adult, continues to follow and benefit from it. He did have a trial of meds, but this worked the best.

Check out the website of the Feingold Association. There is a lot of good info there. Feingold Association Dietary Connection to B...

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:53:26 -0400
To:
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: ADD FEINGOLD should be named LOCKEY/MAYO

The recent info re salycilates and the Feingold Foundation will be well pursued by perhaps as many as 25% of the families with children who have ADD and ADHD and everyone who has urticaria.

Unfortunately Dr. Feingold was not an attractive human being, and did not pay his dues to Dr. Lockey who first widely published the salycilate hypothesis in the US. This was back in the days when no ethical doctor would allow his name to be used in public ways, so Lockey called the diet the Mayo diet, where he was working when he first publicized it.

However, this ancient history notwithstanding, anyone with ANY peculiar problem will do well to exclude salycilates from their diet. this is particularly true for dyes, perfumes, artificial flavors etc.

For similar reasons I have posted diets which exclude purines, oxalic acid, salycilates, fructose, and one which is just an empirical listing of foods which frequently cause problems.

Please note, these are not 'allergies' but biochemical hypersensitivities. Food allergies are another enormous subject.

The best tool for any parent of an ADD child is a good daily journal rating symptoms and listing every food, and every environmental exposure.

Dr. Von

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Peter Breggin & Talking Back to Ritalin
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:17:32 EDT

Some of our members use Ritalin or other medicines in addition to the Feingold Program. Interestingly, some report that the Ritalin is not as effective when the child consumes synthetic additives. We don't think any (reasonable) technique should be counted out, including stimulants. We do wish all of the versions of Ritalin, as well as Dex., etc were made free of the dyes that can trigger problems. (The 20 mg SR Ritalin is free of the prohibited dyes, and is included in our list of acceptable medicines.)

Our complaint is that parents are often not given complete, accurate information on all of the alternatives, and some are led to believe that medicine alone is the only way to go. We feel, however, that it makes more sense to try an approach that has no risk of side effects as the first option, and then move on to more dramatic approaches only if necessary.

Having said that, we recognize not everyone will opt for diet, and that should be their choice. We believe that parents who want a treatment such as the Feingold Program should not be discouraged from considering it.

One of the nice benefits of the Feingold Program is that at least one parent generally notices a reduction of their symptoms when they join their child on the Program.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:17:32 EDT

On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:13:29 -0400 (EDT) Mark Gold writes:

>1. Are there any strategies that have been used successfully to
> work with older children who may not be too cooperative in
> making the dietetic change?

Yes, we have a number of suggestions that are based on some good results parents have had in the past. One of the things I recommend is that the parent "ignore" their teen, and simply stock the house with the good food. If the teenager is a boy, he will probably inhale the food in large quantity, and may begin to see that it tastes pretty good. Many teens get pretty "grossed out" when they learn what the additives are made of, which makes it fairly easy to catch their interest. I have a whole chapter on suggestions for gaining cooperation in my book...too many points to go into here.

Also, I'll be giving a workshop at our conference on how to teach people about what's really in our foods...it has worked well to get the interest of pre-teens.

>2. What about school lunches and restaurants? How is that handled
> as far as ingredients go? If this issue discussed in the
> Regional Food List booklets?

These are covered in the Feingold Handbook and in my book. We help the parents to find out which of the foods at school are OK and to let the child eat those. For the child who has been on the program for awhile, they get good at identifying what's ok, and often lose some of the sensitivity they had early on. If the child really wants to eat the school lunch, they decide for themself if it's worth the effects they will experience. They might decide to go off the diet on Fridays when they won't have school the next day. It generally is not a very big problem for the kids, and if the parents follow our suggestions, the kids usually prefer to stick to the diet.

As for restaurant food, the member gets a guide to what's OK at the major fast food chains, and there's a lot of information in my book on how to make educated choices. One simple rule in restaurants: "skip dessert."

>3. What kind of results have been seen in adults that follow the
> Feingold Program?

It appears to be as effective for adults, though the change is generally in their ability to focus and in physical symptoms. Behavioral changes are usually not the major ones...though there are some adults who stop throwing temper tanturms!!!

>4. What is the time frame that one should expect to see improvements
> on the Feingold Program.

It varies a lot with the individual. If a family has current literature (including our Foodlist and updates) it is fairly typical to see a clear change in a young child in 3 days to a week. We like people to give it a good 6 weeks trial. One woman in the area (who works at the post office and recently began the program) told me after about 2 weeks she hadn't noticed anything. Then the last time I saw her (perhaps 2 weeks later) her comment was "wow"! It had really kicked in.

>5. For persons that follow the Program exactly as outlined and
> notice some improvement or only minor improvement, what kind
> of suggestions are made? I suppose that it is always important
> to make sure that major mistakes aren't being made in following
> the Program.

Yes, first we like to talk with them to be sure they haven't been using the wrong kind of toothpaste, vitamins, etc. If all looks good in that area, then we ask more questions. I look for "peaks" and "valleys" -- if the child has some very good days and some very bad days, that's encouraging as there is probably something setting him off. It really isn't too hard to come up with some probable culprits. If I run out of ideas, I might consult with a colleage or two or ask one of our medical advisors for advice. We also provide a lengthy listing of other nonprofits that might be able to help take the child on to the next level of improvement. We do not like to see a child fail to be helped, and do what we can to try and prevent any failures.

Of course, we do not ever attempt to offer what might be construed as medical advice.

From: Hetwoman@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:57:15 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

In a message dated 98-06-23 21:22:06 EDT, you write:

> 4. What is the time frame that one should expect to see improvements
> on the Feingold Program.

My son is on the Feingold Program and we are also seeing an allergist for testing. Since he started and switched from Pepsi to Sprite - ALL of his rashes disappeared! We believe he has an allergy to caffeine. He is also in a much better mood. Not as quick tempered or moody - since beginning the diet. He asked me "What do I get out of this diet". I told him a better mood, better concentration and hopefully no more rashes. Guess that was enough for him.

Tomorrow we see the PhD to discuss the findings of the QEEG and begin a course of action with Neurofeedback. Top it off my son 16yo is excited about doing all of this. Just thought I'd share.

From: Flifer@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 23:20:05 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Peter Breggin & Talking Back to Ritalin

The most important thing is that the person receive the APPROPRIATE treatment. It may be the Feingold Program ..... or......it may be meds (the appropriate one (s)) or may be something else or a combination. It depends on what the individual needs based on his health and the cause of his symptoms. All treatments must be considered and the parent (if the patient is a child) should be apprised of those treatments

In a message dated 6/23/98 10:56:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SMILE@compuserve.com writes:

> That's the way I feel. Breggin is all the way on the extreme, just as there
> are so many docs who say that
> anyone with ADD should immediately be put on Ritalin. I have heard that
> recommended over and over again.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Peter Breggin & Talking Back to Ritalin
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 07:57:30 EDT

Agreed! There is such a polarity being created by the two opposing sides: "Who's to blame? Is it the parent's fault? Is it the 'fault' of the child (meaning a brain defect of some sort)?"

I take real offense when people claim it's all bad parenting. I really tried -- very hard -- to do the right things. Teachers are also getting a bum rap, I believe. I was there too, and remember how tough it could be.

It's amazing that so few people have looked at the epidemiology of the whole issue.

When journalists write about the drastic increase in the rate of childhood asthma, at least they ask about things other than bad schools and bad parents. And the concept of the child having some mysterious physical defect is not resonable since the increase is so sudden. They know that polluted air can affect our lungs; a few even suggest that food allergies could trigger a problem. (Of course you seldom hear about the connection between food additives and asthma -- a topic which has been reported in allergy journals for decades.)

If polluted air can affect our lungs, is it so hard to see how eating petroleum derivatives can affect our brains??

One of our MD advisors presented a terrific workshop to explain how foods and additives affect the brain. It's available as a reprint from the Feingold Assoc office.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 07:57:29 EDT

On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 21:57:15 EDT Hetwoman@aol.com writes:
>In a message dated 98-06-23 21:22:06 EDT, you write:
>
>My son is on the Feingold Program and we are also seeing an allergist for
>testing. Since he started and switched from Pepsi to Sprite - ALL of his
>rashes disappeared! We believe he has an allergy to caffeine. He is also in
>a much better mood. Not as quick tempered or moody - since beginning the diet.
>He asked me "What do I get out of this diet". I told him a better mood,
>better concentration and hopefully no more rashes. Guess that was enough for him.
>Tomorrow we see the PhD to discuss the findings of the QEEG and begin a course
>of action with Neurofeedback. Top it off my son 16yo is excited about doing
>all of this. Just thought I'd share.

Thank you for sharing; it's good to hear that your child is being helped. I would suggest that, if possible, you switch from Sprite to regular 7 UP. The Sprite contains sodium benzoate and the 7 UP does not. Sodium benzoate does not seem to be a major offender, but definitely does bother some of our members.

I don't mean to be picky, but I consider "being on the Feingold diet" to mean that you have an up-to-date Foodlist plus all of the other information published by the Feingold Association, and are getting Pure Facts. Food processing is not a simple matter, and you cannot really avoid the additives by simply reading labels. There are many additives in foods which are not listed on the label. The fact that your child feels restless makes me wonder if you have our information...perhaps you've cut out more of his favorites than you need to (???)

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD FEINGOLD should be named LOCKEY/MAYO
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 07:57:30 EDT

On Tue, 23 Jun 1998 10:53:26 -0400 George von Hilsheimer
writes:
>The recent info re salycilates and the Feingold Foundation will be well
>pursued by perhaps as many as 25% of the families with children who have ADD
>and ADHD and everyone who has urticaria.
>Unfortunately Dr. Feingold was not an attractive human being, and did not
>pay his dues to Dr. Lockey who first widely published the salycilate
>hypothesis in the US. This was back in the days when no ethical doctor
>would allow his name to be used in public ways, so Lockey called the diet
>the Mayo diet, where he was working when he first publicized it.

Thanks for your note. I'd like to add my "spin."

Dr. Feingold was a very complex man, and I'm sorry I never thought to ask him about Dr. Lockey's contribution. When I write about the history of salicylates, I try to give credit to those who first brought it to our attention.

Many people believe that Dr. Feingold promoted himself because it is called the Feingold diet, but the name he chose was the K-P Diet -- both because he worked at Kaiser Permanente and because it used to involve a lot of 'kitchen duty.' It was the media who called it the "Feingold diet," and it was the parent group who chose the name "Feingold Association."

He had many strengths but diplomacy was not one of them. My take on it was that he expected other doctors to adhere to the same high standards he set for himself, and had the reputation for being very outspoken when he felt others were falling short of this.

But when it came to his patients, he never lost his compassion for them, and passion to help people, especially the children. It would have been out of character for him to promote himself and to schmooze with other doctors in order to advance any personal agenda. He was the recipient of a lot of flack for his work. It would have been easy and comfortable for him to have just enjoyed a pleasant retirement, and basked in the outstanding reputation he had earned as one of the pioneers in allergy and immunology. But he knew he had vital information, and most certainly shortened his life in his determination to reach as many parents as possible.

>However, this ancient history notwithstanding, anyone with ANY peculiar
>problem will do well to exclude salycilates from their diet. this is
>particularly true for dyes, perfumes, artificial flavors etc.
>For similar reasons I have posted diets which exclude purines, oxalic acid,
>salycilates, fructose, and one which is just an empirical listing of foods
>which frequently cause problems.
>Please note, these are not 'allergies' but biochemical hypersensitivities.
>Food allergies are another enormous subject.
>The best tool for any parent of an ADD child is a good daily journal rating
>symptoms and listing every food, and every environmental exposure.

Agreed!

We try to make it easier for parents to implement this. We research brand name foods to indentify which are free of the unwanted additives. We've found this is essential since many additives can be present in foods, but not be labeled.

Also, we like to focus on all the things a parent can buy and enjoy, not on the things they must avoid. We even research Mc Donald's! With most moms working outside the home, we try to show them how they can use processed foods, without having a reaction as a result.

From: Hetwoman@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 08:13:24 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

In a message dated 98-06-24 08:00:31 EDT, you write:

> The fact that your child
> feels restless makes me wonder if you have our information...perhaps
> you've cut out more of his favorites than you need to (???)

Thanks Jane. I have gotten all of the Feingold information. Got a nice notebook of information. Sprite is listed in your food guide though, so I'm a little confused. He is more calm following the advice of Feingold. For example, he went and had a frozen pizza after following the program and boy - what a difference in mood. He definitely is sensitive to the additives and preservatives. Thanks. It's been very helpful to us.

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 10:04:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

>To: add-holistic@mLists.net
>Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program
>From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
>Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 07:57:29 EDT
>Facts. Food processing is not a simple matter, and you cannot really
>avoid the additives by simply reading labels. There are many additives
>in foods which are not listed on the label. The fact that your child
>feels restless makes me wonder if you have our information...perhaps
>you've cut out more of his favorites than you need to (???)

Jane,

Thanks for the info! I work with an organization which helps people who have severe reactions to MSG (monosodium glutamate). The labeling laws allow manufacturers, in many situations, to hide MSG in foods without listing it correctly on the label. In some cases, the manufactuers have been known label a product as "No MSG" when it actually contains MSG hidden under another name. Some people to go International Food Technologists conventions and other conventions to try to get some accurate information on particular products.

It is great to see that the Feingold Association goes beyond what is listed on the labels! Even though the labels seem to be accurate in many cases, I think it can be very important to have the additional information. One thing that I found helpful when shopping for myself or for children is to purchase foods at large natural foods supermarkets / health food stores when possible. Such stores now have more foods/drinks that kids will like. Also, I think it makes the selection a little easier when 99% of the foods have little or no additives or preservatives.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 13:42:43 -0400
From: WRITETOME
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Feingold Program

Where do I get information on the "Feingold" Program?

Date: Sat, 27 Jun 1998 00:08:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Peter Breggin & Talking Back to Ritalin

>One of the nice benefits of the Feingold Program is that at least one
>parent generally notices a reduction of their symptoms when they join
>their child on the Program.

Jane,

If you have a chance, can you talk a bit about your book and about some of the other resources available from the Feingold Association? Also, does the Feingold Association sponsor research? Does the Feingold Association have Regional and local groups and meetings? Thank you for being here to help out and provide information and resources!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Gluten Intoleraence & Opiod Peptides
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 13:02:37 EDT

Hi Mark

Several of our members are working on helping with the gluten and casein intolerance issues. I am not the best person to address this issue, other than to say that we are in the process of developing materials that will offer direction to those who must avoid these food components. This will include specific food advice, mail order resources for special diets and, eventually, a listing of acceptable brand name products for these folks.

Jane

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Peter Breggin & Talking Back to Ritalin
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 14:36:44 EDT

My book "Why Can't My Child Behave?" reflects the basic philosophy I share with my colleagues.

I think that the approach we take is based, in large part, on the experiences we had as we searched for some person or some way to help our children. Most of us spent a lot of time, effort and money trying to help our children, and we were very disappointed with what we received in return.

After attempting to follow some fairly complicated behavior mod strategies, I was amazed and delighted that the answer for my daughter was so simple and straightforward. I changed the food I gave her and quickly saw a dramatic improvement in her behavior and ability to attend to what was going on around her.

For many families a relatively small change in diet can yield very big results. For other families, it might take a bit longer, or the results might be good rather than great. There is a lot of variation.

But the bottom line for us is this: Let's try some simple changes and see if they yield results. This can be a hard concept to accept -- the idea that an easy change could result in a significant improvement in a child who has what appears to be a serious problem. We tend to think that "heavy duty" problems need "heavy duty" solutions, but that isn't always the case. We feel very comfortable suggesting the Feingold Program because there's no down side to it -- no harmful side effects.

Mary Callahan is a nurse who found that when her son drank milk he acted autistic and when he stayed away from milk he behaved normally. She wrote about it in her book "Fighting for Tony." The frustrating thing was that despite the fact that she was able to produce a very normal child, her doctor would not believe what was clearly obvious. It didn't fit his world as he saw it.

It isn't my desire to try and change someone's mindset, but rather to offer information to those who are interested in knowing about the subject. One of the things that most intrigues me about the Feingold Program is that we enjoy and very best of both worlds, and enjoy such benefits as a result.
I want to be able to tell another mom (sorry guys, I don't mean to be sexist) how she can:

find the food she wants easily
give her child the treats he likes
get the best taste, quality, and value for her money
and end up with a child who is happy, healthy, excells in school, and is a pleasure to be with.

I love the fact that I can buy excellent foods at good prices, and know that they are wholesome and free of harmful additives. I want my chocolate ice cream, but without the vanillin. I want steak or soda, or a restaurant meal to remember, but with no negative effects.

The question now is generally: "Why should I give up synthetic additives?"

My question is: "Why on Earth should I eat them?"

My book and the work we do are all focused on solving problems. It's nice to understand about neurotransmitter reuptake, but that's an area for others to address. What I want to know is what my kid can have when she stops by the 7-Eleven for a snack. I want to be able to provide something she will enjoy, and not have to pay for it with a day or more of bouncy behaviors.

I enjoy being a part of a group that shows parents how they can obtain a cookie that is a dead ringer for Oreos, but tastes much better, or how they can find the natural coloring so they can bring orange frosted cupcakes in for the class Halloween party, and not have the children eat toxic dyes.

This is the type of research we conduct. Since our funds are so limited (we charge only $49 for the big member packet/newsletter subscription) we have to allocate them carefully. There is plenty of academic research needed, and it should be conducted by the government agencies and universities that have these resources.

You asked about local meetings. Most of our work is centralized, so we don't hold regular meetings in very many areas, though we do have parent volunteers who go out and speak to clubs, groups, PTAs, etc . The major reason we have discontinued most meetings is that once we had our printed materials refined to the point where they are now, many people found that they didn't need to go to a meeting; they are able to get all the information they need through the newsletter, Handbook, my book, etc. Support groups generally are for people who are still having problems; once the information became available the number of people still having problems dropped sharply.

Today, when people have questions/problems, they generally contact us via phone or via our web site (www.feingold.org) where we can provide extra help.

We will be holding our national conference in a few weeks (July 17 & 18 in Fairfax, VA). This a great opportunity for people to learn more about the program and to share information. Interested people can call me at the VA office (703) 768-3287.

Many thanks for your interest and for inviting me to share this with you all.

Jane Hersey

Steve Waldstein

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 22:34:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi! Before introducing the next Visiting Expert to the group, I would like to take a moment to thank Jane Hersey for taking the time to visit and provide very helpful information and resources. I was very impressed with the practical advice and tools that are offered by the Feingold Association. Thank you!

I am very happy to introduce our next Visiting Expert, Steve Waldstein. He is one of the most knowledgable and respected practitioners in his field. I have learned alot from reading his posts to Internet discussion groups and regularly direct people to his web page for information and referrals. I am grateful that he has offered to share his knowledge and experience with us.

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA) is a classical homeopath with 20 years experience. He is the author of "How to Choose the Diet That's Right for You," a book on individuality in nutrition. He is the President of the Colorado Homeopathic Association and an officer and director of the North American Society fo Homeopaths (NASH). He is certified as a classical homeopaths by NASH. He has treated successfully hundreds of childrean and adults diagnosed as ADD or ADHD.

Please join me in welcoming Steve to the group! [clap, clap, clap]

- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com

Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 21:46:09 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Paula Lee
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Welcome Steve.

Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 11:56:59 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Thanks for the introduction Mark.

As Mark stated I am a classical homeopath with extensive experience in treating children with ADD or ADHD. I have treated a few adults also, but much less then children.

First let me give you a case study to see what homeopathy looks like in practice.

Robert was a 14 year old boy, who got into lots of trouble in school. His teachers said he was always goofing off and not listening to them and were very angry with him. He could not concentrate in schoolwork. When he was younger (from preschool on) he had been extremely hyperactive, he would literally bounce off walls, constantly moving. About two years ago the hyperactivity went away and instead the not focusing in school replaced it. He has now been diagnosed as ADD and Ritalin was prescribed , but he had such bad reactions to it that his parents took him off it. Before the change from hyperactivity to ADD his grade point average was 3.1, now it is down to 2.2. He gets angry easily over minor irritations, He is very restless in his sleep and wakes his his covers all twisted up.

This is a short summary of what was actually 25 pages of notes taken over a 3 hour initial appointment talking at times to bothe he and his parents together, and at other times to each seperately.

Based upon the exact symptoms he suffered from (not the disease name ADD) I choose to give him one dose of the homeopathic remedy Calcarea Phosphorica 50M. NOTE: Do not give this on your own to someone, this was the right remedy for this child but will not be the right remedy for 99.9% of children diagnosed as ADD.

The next day he became very angry- more so than usual. Immediately after this he became a different child. His mother said the difference was like day and night.

By one month he was able to focus on schoolwork much better but still had some problem focusing. Instead of having to call his name five times to get his attention, one time sufficed. His irirtability and anger became much better. His sleep was much calmer.

By 3 months after the remedy his ability to concentrate remains similar to at the one month level. His irritability and anger are even less. His sleep is much calmer. His Grade point average has gone up to 3.2 , the best ever.

By 4 months he relapsed slightly and needed another dose of the same remedy.

By 6 months he is totally able to concentrate. All the oroginal problems are gone and we closed his case.

Look at the difference between what happened here and what happens when someone takes Ritalin or similar drugs. With homeopathy he moved step by step toward cure with no additional homeopathic remedies needed. With Ritalin some symptoms are suppressed but nothing deeper is improved and the drug is always needed.

These results were achieved with homeopathy. Homeopathy is a 200 year old system of medicine based upon the LAw of Similars. This states that a medicine which will prodice symptoms in a healthy person cures a person with similar symptoms. Homeopaths have tested large numbers of mostly natural substances on healthy people to see precisely what symptoms they produce in healthy people. Then when we see a patient we choose the homeopathic remedy which is capable of producing similar symptoms to those of the patient.

Homeopathys works on achieving cure not suppression (driving symptoms inward).

There are many people who use homeopathic remedies without understanding homeopathy. To get the type of results I have described you need to see a real homeopath- which is usually called a classical homeopath. To make the search for real homeopaths easier I have a web page which refers people in the US and Canada to good homeopaths. The web address is http://homeopathy-cures.com/

I would be glad to answer any questions you have on ADD or ADHD or other childrens behavioral problems on this list for the next 2 weeks. To learn more about homeopathy and ADD, I recommend an excellent book, "Ritalin Free Kids" by Judith Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman.

My web site listed above also has additional information on homeopathy, other good books to read, good homeopathy websites and information on our practice in Denver.

Thanks Mark for inviting me to temporarily join your list. If I can help in any way let me know.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

From: Scofamily@aol.com
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 17:11:39 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Hi Steve,

I am curious about Homeopathy in treating develomental delays since attending a dinner recently (sponsored by the Developmental Delay Registry in Washington, DC) in which a testimonial was given by a mother whose child was treated with Homeovitics for exposure to xenobiotics - environmental pollutants.

To summarize, my son, 12 years, is diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability manifesting itself as immature behavior and impulsivity. His overall cognitive functioning appears to be developing slower than others his age. He is currently taking 30 mg Dex and 1,000 mg Tegretol per day. In addition, he takes nutritional supplements prescribed by the HRI Pfeifer Institute (Vit B's, C,E,Mg,Mn, Zn, DMAE, folic acid)

In your introduction you mentioned that you ask many questions and take copious notes when interviewing a patient. What kinds of questions do you ask and what information do you need to come up with suggestions for therapy? A few examples would be nice. I realize the interview process takes a long time!

Thank you,
Teresa
Scofamily@aol.com

Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 17:35:45 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

> To summarize, my son, 12 years, is diagnosed with a nonverbal learning
> disability manifesting itself as immature behavior and impulsivity. His
> overall cognitive functioning appears to be developing slower than others his
> age.

I have treated about 30-40 children with delayed development. Usually they can be helped significantly. Actually I really like seeing patients like this as so often the results are so satisfying.

The difficulty is finding the right remedy. There are over 2000 homeopathic remedies and only one is the perfect one for him and a few others are close enough to help. A homeopath needs to look not at delayed development but who your son to find precisely the right remedy. One issue here is patience, whether you would have patience to wait thru a number of wrong tries, if neccessary. I have been in practice for 20 years and at this point I average getting the remedy right 70% of the time, the first try, 20% of the time it takes 2-4 tries to get it right with 1-2 months bewteen each try and 10% of the time I can't find the right one. This is after lots of experience. A less experienced homeopath will tend to take longer to find the right remedy. Tremendous improvement can be found, if you have the patience to wait for it.

> In your introduction you mentioned that you ask many questions and take
> copious notes when interviewing a patient. What kinds of questions do you ask
> and what information do you need to come up with suggestions for therapy? A
> few examples would be nice.

We start off by asking each of you to describe what the problems are - not in diagnostic labels, not in generaliites but in very precise terms. We ask about his personality, his likes, his dislikes. What every physical symptoms is in great detail. About any significant events in his life. ANd all the while we are observing- we get even more data from observation then from what we are told. Each appointment goes in different directions depending upon what the limitations are. But really we are trying to find out, on all levels, who is this person in front of us.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

From: YCaryl@aol.com
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:57:57 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

I'm 59, very smart but also very unfocused, and obese at more than 350 pounds. I have severe sleep apnea, which, together with the obesity, causes breathing problems if I walk much, so I use a motorized scooter a lot of the time. I have gone to all sorts of holistic practitioners over the years, including one of the homeopaths on your list (one of the ones in boldface even!), but I've never met any holistic person who had any insight into why I should be so very large.

My own theory is that it has something to do with thyroid (was always on the low end of basal metabolism tests as a kid) and also something to do with the fact that I took amphetamines by prescription from about age 12-20 for weight control even though in those days I was only about 20 percent overweight at most. I was once in a group of very large women all over 250, and the one thing we had in common was dexedrine prescriptions as kids.

Now that I know a little about ADHD and ritalin, I wonder, too, about the effectsof dexedrine on my brain. I do remember that it didn't calm me down -- on the contrary, it made me feel speedy and sometimes good and sometimes anxious.

So -- any thoughts on all this?

Thank you.

Caryl in Minneapolis

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: ADD Individuality & Diet
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 23:37:25 -0700

Hi Steve,

I'm very interested in the title of your book - "How to Choose the Diet That's Right for You." For years I have tried following various diets recommended by "authorities" who all contradict each other; and I now have a strong hunch that the right diet is different for each person. Yet there must be some sort of "cluster effect" of body types that react similarly to similar foods. Yet after all my layperson's research into nutrition, I find good-quality information very difficult to come by.

I've never seen your book, what is its basis?

Thanks!

Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 10:34:30 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

> I'm very interested in the title of your book - "How to Choose the Diet
> That's Right for You." For years I have tried following various diets
> recommended by "authorities" who all contradict each other; and I now have
> a strong hunch that the right diet is different for each person. Yet there
> must be some sort of "cluster effect" of body types that react similarly to
> similar foods. Yet after all my layperson's research into nutrition, I
> find good-quality information very difficult to come by.
>
> I've never seen your book, what is its basis?

This book was published in 1984 and is now out of print (though We are privately reprinting it and will have it available in approximately 2 months.

The basis is that everyone has very different nutritional needs, and that even sub-dividing into body types does not work well. Instead you need to learn 1. what is a general good diet to try offering your body and 2. learn to listen to your bodies responses to what it likes and what it does not. So part look at things like listening to your cravings and learning which ones are real and need to be listened to and which ones are from pathology and should be ignored. Another part examines lots of the controversial areas in nutrition and tries to makes sense of all the conflicting information available.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 10:44:07 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

> I'm 59, very smart but also very unfocused, and obese at more than 350 pounds.
> I have severe sleep apnea, which, together with the obesity, causes breathing
> problems if I walk much, so I use a motorized scooter a lot of the time. I
> have gone to all sorts of holistic practitioners over the years, including one
> of the homeopaths on your list (one of the ones in boldface even!), but I've
> never met any holistic person who had any insight into why I should be so very
> large.

Why is something I don't know. Could the amphetamines have had an effect - yes. Did they- I don't know. But we usually can help make an obese person a healthier obese person- and sometimes they also lose alot of weight but not always. With the homeopath you saw- did they feel that they found the right remedy or were they still searching. As I mentioned yesterday, you don't always find the remedy the first try- sometimes it takes a number of tries. Once the right remedy is found, it will start moving things in the right direction. Sometiems the progress is quite fast and sometimes slow- and patience is needed.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 16:26:41 EDT
Sender: owner-add-holistic@mLists.net

On Tue, 30 Jun 1998 10:34:30 -0600 Steve Waldstein
writes:

>xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>> >> I'm very interested in the title of your book - "How to Choose the Diet
>> That's Right for You." For years I have tried following various diets
>> recommended by "authorities" who all contradict each other; and I now have
>> a strong hunch that the right diet is different for each person.

====================

As someone new to this list and fairly new to recognizing and coping with ADD, I am excited by the possibilities offered by holistic approaches. I would certainly appreciate information on _How to Choose the Diet That's Right for You_ when it becomes available again.

I have read a variety of things lately that emphasize the importance of listening to one's various body signals--and PAYING ATTENTION to them--in order to address issues as diverse as weight loss, mood swings, concentration . . . it's amazing, and a bit scary, that something so fundamental is so overlooked these days.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 16:31:14 -0700

emcklvee@juno.com wrote:
>
>I have read a variety of things lately that emphasize the importance of
>listening to one's various body signals--and PAYING ATTENTION to them--in
>order to address issues as diverse as weight loss, mood swings,
>concentration . . . it's amazing, and a bit scary, that something so
>fundamental is so overlooked these days.

Can you suggest any reading material?

Also - I would love to read Steven's book. When will it be available?

I still haven't figured out what to eat, after years of trying. As an ADD person, I've always had a hard time keeping good food journals. And there are so many variables - ingredients, food combinations, outside factors, etc... I am desparate for help in this area.

Thanks,

From: YCaryl@aol.com
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 20:15:02 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

Thank you for your reply, Steve.

How can we on this list be sure we know when your book is available? Exactly what I do not know is how to listen to my body's cravings, to know which are healthy and which are not.

Caryl

From: emcklvee@juno.com
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 21:20:45 EDT

On Tue, 30 Jun 1998 16:31:14 -0700 xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx
writes:
>Can you suggest any reading material?
>
>Also - I would love to read Steven's book. When will it be available?
>I still haven't figured out what to eat, after years of trying. As an ADD
>person, I've always had a hard time keeping good food journals. And there
>are so many variables - ingredients, food combinations, outside factors,
>etc... I am desparate for help in this area.

====================

Regarding general principles on how and when to eat, I'd recommend books by Jean Antonello, a registered nurse and dietician. She really comes down hard on the things in our culture that have trained people to ignore the body's wisdom. She is specifically concerned with weight loss and maintenance, but her call for common sense applies in other areas of life as well.

For instance, I have found that ignoring the body's signals for water can sometimes exacerbate my ADDness as much as lack of good nutrition or lack of sleep. Poorly hydrated brain cells don't contribute to mental clarity and a sense of well-being.

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 06:25:00 -0500
From: "Patti"
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Dear Steve...

I took my son to a homeopathic "doctor" and she prescribed and gave him one dose of stramonium... I think that is the spelling, but you would know for sure. The difference was remarkable, but considering he went to his dad's house for visitation, the remedy did not last. She has given him another dose, that lasted for several days as well. Maybe she did not "get" the right remedy??? I had really hoped this might do the trick... What is your experience with this? I really don't have endless resources to continue going each and every time he flares up , as visits with a remedy are around $100.,

Thanks!
Patti

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 08:32:46 -0400
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

In most cases the homeopathic 'remedy' is not a remedy but a palliative, and you have to learn and get kits of medicines and manage yourself. Remember that alternative medicine is an alternative way to make money.

Dr. Von

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 09:53:28 -0500 (CDT)
From: Pam Myers
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Hi all,

Homeopathy is a well respected system of treatment.

For more information see:

http://www.homeopathy.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pam Myers: pmyers@mail.coin.missouri.edu

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 17:11:53 -0400
From: "Lisa Graham"
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Not so. Homeopathic remedies assist in the restoration of "balance" to the body. And you don't have to buy "kits". Homeopathy is very cost effective for our family. As for learning to manage oneself, hopefully that is something we all do everyday. Not just in our health, but every facet of our lives requires management to some degree. And your comment about money? ha ha You seem biased, and lack knowledge about homeopathy and apparently other forms of "complementary" medicine as well. Lisa

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 14:37:31 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Can you suggest any reading material?
> Also - I would love to read Steven's book. When will it be available?
I will advise the group when my book is reprinted.

A good book is "Diet and Nutrition" by Rudolf Ballentine.

It is funny that we are going off in a nutrition direction so much, though I feel that for ADD and ADHD, nutrition, though important, will not solve the problem, while homeopathy can cure, in the majority of cases.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 14:58:43 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

George von Hilsheimer wrote:
>
> In most cases the homeopathic 'remedy' is not a remedy but a palliative, and
> you have to learn and get kits of medicines and manage yourself. Remember
> that alternative medicine is an alternative way to make money.
>
> Dr. Von

I am sorry but I don't agree. A large amount of homeopathic training goes into the differences between suppression, palliation and cure. On follow-up visits homeopaths are constantly evaluating to make sure that there is a curative reaction. I have treated a large number of people who no longer have their original problems and are no longer taking homeopathic remedies because they are cured.

Self treating with a home kit is fine for first aid problems and reasonable for acute disease but for chronic disease like ADD/ADHD you can't self treat or treat your family very effectively. Homeopathy is very difficult and takes many years of training.

As far as the slur about we are in it for the money, I would find it hard to think of another career that provides so little financial compensation relative to the number of years of study.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 15:23:18 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: YCaryl ADD ADHD and homeopathy

Richard Geller wrote:
> Sounds like a problem with carbohydrates/wheat/corn etc. You might want
> to try the Atkins diet. Many report their minds become clearer and life
> becomes a lot better within a few weeks from starting Atkins or similar
> low carb diet. Basically you cut out potatoes, bread, pasta, sugar,
> wheat, corn products, and stick to meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and low
> carb veggies such as salads, greens, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage.
> --Richard from Tarzana

I would not recommend this as a long term diet for most people. But one can experiment and see what works well for them.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 17:54:34 -0400
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: ADD Steve's Overdefensive response

Steve, people in alternative medicine all get paid. Pay always shapes what happens. I did NOT slur you or your fellows. I merely pointed out a truth. You get paid, M.D.s get paid. I get paid. I didn't even say "its ONLY an alternative way to make money." However, in my book, competent, compassionate, caring healers always urge their clients, patients, pupils to learn, care for themselves and to be aware, and wary. I tell my patients, NEVER trust me, I make mistakes, and I have an ego and I have unconscious drives too. Trust what I teach you which is solid, good, deep, useful, true for you.

The homeopath who saw this child should have outlined a path, made a prediction re time, and told what outcomes to expect. And should have started the process of education.

It would be useful if you, yourself, would post a good case history of an ADHD child who is now no longer ADHD so that we can see the path by which this occured. You might even refer us to published studies of homeopathic cures of ADHD. My own case histories and those of people who work as I do are always readable at www.eegspectrum.com.

Me, I'm very wary. However, Sam Corson did CURE hyperactive dogs by simple interventions. We CURE hyperactive and ADD children by a simple intervention - and I always advise parents to buy their own machine and learn to train their own child - buy one as a group. If its that simple, its that simple.

Moreover, if I spend time with you I give you a bill, but I'm always teaching and liberating. If a patient still needs me after 3 months then it was either a very difficult case, or I screwed up (or the parent didn't follow the plan). If he gets hit by a truck, maybe he'll need me again, but I will already have taught Mommy what to do.

It never hurts to remind our clients that we are human and fail.

Dr. Von

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 18:26:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Steve,

Thank you for sharing your expertise. Being the inquisitive sort of fellow, I have a few questions. If it is too many for one sitting, please feel free to split it up and answer the one or two that seem most relevent.

I have heard through friends that it is common for symptoms to worsen or change for a brief period after being given a homeopathic remedy. Is that true? And if so, what percentage of time does it occur and generally how long does this period last?
One of the under-utilized aspects of Holistic Medicine is the patient interview. Learning details about a patient, his/her diet, lifestyles, emotional issues, etc. Given that, by defination, experienced Classical Homeopaths such as yourself learn quite a bit about a patient before prescribing a homeopathic remedy, based on what you learn, do you ever suggest diet or lifestyle adjustments to complement the treatment.

I understand that the primary curative treatment is to provide the *correct* homeopathic remedy. I am just interested in what you and most other Classical Homeopaths usually do in the diet and lifestyle area -- whether to supplement the homeopathic treatment or as a preventive medicine suggestion.
You mentioned that there are ~2,000 homeopathic remedies. Is it possible that there will be cases of behavioral disorders where none of the remedies are a "perfect match", but a couple are "pretty close"? If that happens, what can the Homeopath do?
I know that adults and some children can sometimes be "guarded" about what they reveal about themselves emotionally (or perhaps even physically). Do you ever find that this significantly hinders your ability to find the correct remedy?
I have heard that homeopathy is very popular in Europe. Are the practitioners primarily Classical Homeopaths or is it a mixture of Classical Homeopaths with lots of training and others with perhaps just a few workshops? For our non-North American list members, are there any organizations which compile a list of experienced Classical Homeopaths? If not, is it best then to contact certain types of Homeopathy colleges for a referral?

I know that you mentioned the book, "Ritalin Free Kids" by Judith Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman for information on homeopathy and ADD. Feel free to let me (us) know if the answers to these types of questions are in this book.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 14:52:00 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Patti wrote:
> I took my son to a homeopathic "doctor" and she prescribed and gave him one
> dose of stramonium... I think that is the spelling, but you would know for
> sure. The difference was remarkable, but considering he went to his dad's
> house for visitation, the remedy did not last. She has given him another
> dose, that lasted for several days as well. Maybe she did not "get" the
> right remedy??? I had really hoped this might do the trick... What is your
> experience with this? I really don't have endless resources to continue
> going each and every time he flares up , as visits with a remedy are around
> $100.,

It depends- if these were liquid doses, then they may just need frequent repitition- ask the homeopath. If these were dry pills- it may be the wrong strength or it may be a close to right prescription but not the perfect one. You need to ask your homeopath. Homeopathy is very hard to practice, finding the perfect remedy and dose is sometimes very difficult, but the results when it is found are amazing.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 17:22:08 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Defensiveness

George von Hilsheimer wrote:
> If you are telling me that we should not encourage patients to learn, to be
> self responsible, to know all they can about themselves and their children,
> and to be as responsible as possible for themselves, make your own self clear.

Any good homeopath teachs their patients all they are willing to learn about homeopathy and has many books available to read. And they encourage them to take control of their life as much as possible.

But despite this, chronic disease is not something that you can self-treat with homeopathy. Also you can't treat yourself for chronic problems. I can't treat myself as I do not have the perspective to see my problems, I only know my experience of them.

The long term goal in homeopathy is curing a person so they don;t need treatment anymore, In some patients that takes the long initial appointment and 1 or 2 monthly follow-ups. In other more serious cases it is year after year of step by step removing of layers of problems. But the visits start monthly and tend to get less and less often over time.

> That's the way I prefer my patients to be
> - I've sent two mommies home this week with a biofeedback machine, its a lot
> easier for them in that manner, and any practitioner who doesn't want her
> patients to learn and to evaluate for themselves is just out of step with
> humane medicine, in my unhumble opinion.

I am glad that this works with your approach. With homeopathy the equivalent is that after we find the right remedy, and as the patient understands the process, with liquid remedies they can learn to take the remedy themself when needed to move the cure along. And eventually they don't need it at all.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 17:30:35 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

Mark Gold wrote:
> 1. I have heard through friends that it is common for symptoms
> to worsen or change for a brief period after being given a
> homeopathic remedy. Is that true? And if so, what percentage
> of time does it occur and generally how long does this period
> last?

Often a person gets worse before they get better, This is not a side effect but the person getting stronger and the body throwing off old problems. It is a good sign. It usually starts within the first week, it usually doesnt last long, and it usually is not a big deal. If the dose of the remedy is chosen perfectly, adjusting it to the sensitivity of the patient, then it wont happen at all.

> 2. One of the under-utilized aspects of Holistic Medicine is the
> patient interview. Learning details about a patient, his/her
> diet, lifestyles, emotional issues, etc. Given that, by
> defination, experienced Classical Homeopaths such as yourself
> learn quite a bit about a patient before prescribing a
> homeopathic remedy, based on what you learn, do you ever
> suggest diet or lifestyle adjustments to complement the
> treatment.

Every homeopath approaches this differently. If there are major obstacles to cure, that keep them from getting well- these need to be addressed immediately. Otherwise I wait until after the right remedy is found and they start to improve. At some point after the right remedy, maybe a month, maybe a year, but at some point, a change happens inside the person and from within them they start changing ther lifestyle. This is when I start talking diet and lifestyle issues with them, because they can hear it now, where before it would have been inside one ear out the other.

I have to leave for the day and will answer the other questions tommorrow.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 11:34:23 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD or ADHD and Homeopathy

I am continuing to answer Mark's questions.

> 3. You mentioned that there are ~2,000 homeopathic remedies.
> Is it possible that there will be cases of behavioral disorders
> where none of the remedies are a "perfect match", but a
> couple are "pretty close"? If that happens, what can the

There is a concept in homeopathy called the simillimum- which is the remedy which is the closest match with the symptoms of the patient. The simillimum will tend to totally transform the life of the patient, raising them to a high level of health in the shortest time possible. Sometimes the simillimum for a patient is not one that we have tested as a homeopathic remedy- so the best we can do is find a close similar. This similar will still cure a person but not as fast and not as deep and other remedies may be needed to complete the cure. Think of it as the difference between a hole in one in golf versus a series of shots all moving in somewhat the right direction and eventually reaching the hole.

> 4. I know that adults and some children can sometimes be "guarded"
> about what they reveal about themselves emotionally (or perhaps
> even physically). Do you ever find that this significantly
> hinders your ability to find the correct remedy?

Yes we need to look real deeply at what is going on in the patient. But the fact that they are guarded and the way they are guarded and what areas they are guarded about are pieces of the puzzle that we can use in choosing the remedy. But in general men are sometimes harder to treat then women because they are more guarded as a rule.

> 5. I have heard that homeopathy is very popular in Europe.
> Are the practitioners primarily Classical Homeopaths
> or is it a mixture of Classical Homeopaths with lots of
> training and others with perhaps just a few workshops?
> For our non-North American list members, are there any
> organizations which compile a list of experienced Classical
> Homeopaths? If not, is it best then to contact certain
> types of Homeopathy colleges for a referral?

There are many people who call themselves homeopaths who know almost nothing about it. One way to tell real homeopaths is to see if they are certfied as a homeopath. The following applies to the US and Canada

For a MD homeopath they should have DHt after there name
For a Naturopath (ND) they should have DHANP
For a professional homeopath they should have RSHom (NA)
For any they should have a CCH.

Or you can look at my website listed below which shows most of the good homeopaths in the US and Canada.

For elswhere check with the classical homeopathic society in your country for referrals.

> I know that you mentioned the book, "Ritalin Free Kids" by Judith
> Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman for information on homeopathy
> and ADD. Feel free to let me (us) know if the answers to these
> types of questions are in this book.

What this books does well is show a large number of case histories of people with ADD or ADHD cured with homeopathy.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 16:49:44 -0700
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

Steven,

What is the relationship between homeopathy and nutrition? If a patient comes to see you with chronic digetive problems, will homeopathy alone often cure them? Or do they generally need to make dietary modifications as well? And if so how do they know what to do about their diets?

Thanks,

Date: Sun, 05 Jul 1998 01:49:37 -0400
From: Feingold Association
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

At 02:37 PM 7/1/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>It is funny that we are going off in a nutrition direction so much,
>though I feel that for ADD and ADHD, nutrition, though important, will
>not solve the problem, while homeopathy can cure, in the majority of
>cases.
Steve, it's not at all "funny" to discuss nutrition relating to ADHD ....... since in over 50% of people who try the Feingold diet (NOT strictly "nutrition," because even junk-food freaks can do it), the person is sufficiently better on the diet so that NO other intervention is necessary. That includes homeopathy, supplements, EEG, meds, all the stuff that must be bought and bought and bought ........ truly a remarkable savings in money since membership in the Feingold Association is all it takes.

The Feingold diet is not as hard as keeping Kosher or being a vegetarian .........and no-one feels sorry for the kids who keep Kosher or become vegetarian -- it is expected that they will appreciate the benefits of doing so. How do I know? Because my own kids have kept Kosher, are on the Feingold diet, and have friends who are vegetarians. We also have friends whose children are diabetics -- now THERE is a tough diet to learn and keep. Feingold? It is voted the easiest of them all by the kids who have had to DO it. My son had been on Ritalin and Cylert and would have also been on Tegretol because the docs were sure the hallucinations (on Cylert) were really seizures .......... all meds were cancelled when he developed Tourette Syndrome ........ a year later I tried the Feingold diet because nothing else had helped him, I didn't expect that to help either; but in 4 days he was a different child. He still needed someone to write for him in school for the next year (he was dysgraphic) and untimed tests ........ but he was no longer off-the-wall emotionally and was able to learn. He is now a college senior majoring in Chemistry, and doing just fine. This kid who had been almost kicked out of day camp, had no friends & had been refused entrance in the local Hebrew school because of his behavior, after becoming a Feingold kid was voted "most popular CIT" at a day camp, has been a life guard, is president of the university fencing club (and won the title of unclassified champion of the city in fencing after only 1 semester of fencing), was fencing master at the Renaissance Festival, had a lead part in his high school play as the prince in the Princess & the Pea. He did not need homeopathy or anything else. It pays to try it, because rather than medicating the child you simply refrain from poisoning him with stuff he does not tolerate. The child who is used to it does not feel it as a hardship; in fact, since I myself have been on the diet with them for years now, I am absolutely unable to eat fluorescent-yellow rolls or red punch drinks. As my daughter would say, "I don't eat things that color." When I look at ingredients and see a list of petroleum-based items, that food is simply not edible in my book.

Remember, the food dyes and synthetic flavorings are generally made from petroleum; same with BHT, BHA, TBHQ ........... these are not foods. The salicylate fruits contain chemicals whose relationship to these things is complex, but they can usually be returned to the diet after a while, at least to some extent. And why do companies put petroleum products in your food, anyway? Because it is CHEAPER than real food products, and it saves them money. And they will continue to do so until we the people demand better.

I repeat: the diet approach should always be first; the other interventions -- if still needed -- should be next, with the least invasive being the first, of course. And, by the way, we have had numerous reports that use of the diet together with meds results in success with a much smaller than expected level of meds. There has not yet been any research to show why this is so, but a pilot study I myself did this year as a senior psychology student supports it and points the way to some interesting research I hope to do in the future. Therefore, even if the dietary intervention itself does not "work," it may pay to continue to use the diet while trying the other interventions.

Sorry this was more long-winded than I expected.

Come visit the Feingold web site at http://www.feingold.org for more information & drop me a line (I'm the webmaster).

Best wishes,

Shula Edelkind, webmaster
http://www.feingold.org/indexx.html

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 11:20:23 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

Feingold Association wrote:
>
> Steve, it's not at all "funny" to discuss nutrition relating to ADHD
> ....... since in over 50% of people who try the Feingold diet (NOT strictly
> "nutrition," because even junk-food freaks can do it), the person is
> sufficiently better on the diet so that NO other intervention is necessary.

What I thought was funny as that I was talking almost exclusively about my nutrition book and not about homeopathy. The Feingold approach is to my mind not really nutritional so much as avoiding poisons, which is something we all should do. If the Feingold approach is enough to elimate all out of balance problems in a person then great. I have no problem at all with your approach of Feingold first, and if that does not eliminate all problems then consider other approaches also.

That said, As a homeopath I look at some things a little differently then you. We look at why of 100 people eating the same diet, some have problems and some don't. It is because some people have strong constitutions and some have weak ones. Yes eating a poor diet and eating poisonous food additives, adds to peoples problems. But a persone with a strong constitution can be exposed to many stresses without breaking down. What homeopathy does is increase a person's constitutional strength so they can handle any reasonable stress they are exposed to. But still it is important to avoid posions.

PS : I will be on line to answer questions thru Thursday morning.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 11:27:10 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Individuality & Diet

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> What is the relationship between homeopathy and nutrition? If a patient
> comes to see you with chronic digetive problems, will homeopathy alone
> often cure them? Or do they generally need to make dietary modifications
> as well? And if so how do they know what to do about their diets?

I will answer this in a slightly different form. Say a person has massive food allergies. They find that if they avoid a long list of foods then they have less symptoms. I tell them to continue avoiding the foods. Then I work on finding the homeopathic remedy which will cure them. Then after finding the right remedy and seeing that they are getting better on every level, I then ask them to start slowly reintroducing foods and see if they can handle them now. I ask them to first try introducing the foods that they had the least problem with and when they see then can handle them, slowly add back the rest. If they still have problems with the foods, I say wait a few months and try again. The goal is that a person can eat a normal (but good) diet without having any problems.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 12:29:52 -0700
From: xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: ADD Thanks

Thank you, Steven, for your reply. While the fields are often divided, this is exactly the kind of thing that should be discussed among people interested in holistic health.

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 09:19:07 -0500
From: "Linda E. Love"
Subject: ADD Question for the doctors

On behalf of my grandson, my daughter would like to ask the following questions:

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild ADHD. Is there a "mild" form?

His ADHD seems to only affect his ability to stay focused. He isn't running around a lot, but does fidget some. Is this typical of some ADHD children?

We put him on a dosage of 5mg of Ritalin, but the school said that there wasn't much (if any) improvement, so we took him off. Should we try again at a higher dosage?

TIA

Lisa

Date: Wed, 08 Jul 1998 11:14:04 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

Linda E. Love wrote:
> On behalf of my grandson, my daughter would like to ask the following questions:
> My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild ADHD. Is there a "mild" form?
> His ADHD seems to only affect his ability to stay focused. He isn't running
> around a lot, but does fidget some. Is this typical of some ADHD children?

The name ADHD is just a label. Your son has the issues he has. Like all children labeled ADD or ADHD he has his own unique symptoms. Of the hundreds of ADD kids I have treated, each has their own unique symptoms and the differences between them is much more than the commonalities. That is why homeopathy usess different remedies for each of these people.

To understand more read "Ritalin Free Kids"

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 21:48:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Homeopathy Question

Steve,

I have a few more very short questions I was hoping you could answer and it may be of interest to the group as well.

A person who visits a Classical Homeopath might (before the visit) be taking a numbers of possible substances:

Herbs
Vitamins
Minerals
Amino Acids
Pharmaceuticals
Other Supplements (e.g., green drinks, vandyl sulfate, etc.)

I have heard that it is better to avoid other treatments (unless absolutely necessary) while taking homeopathic remedies. My questions are:

Is the practice relating to this issue consistent between Classical Homeopaths, or is there some variation between practitioners?
Which of the items do you generally recommend not taking when using homeopathic remedies?
When you have had success treating children with ADD, have some of them been on ritalin or similar drugs? And if so, when do they eliminate the drug? Before, during or after homeopathic treatment?

Thank you again for all of your help!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 12:30:10 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Homeopathy Question

In a message dated 98-07-08 21:53:05 EDT, you write:
> A person who visits a Classical Homeopath might (before the visit) be
> taking a numbers of possible substances:
> 1. Herbs
> 2. Vitamins
> 3. Minerals
> 4. Amino Acids
> 5. Pharmaceuticals
> 6. Other Supplements (e.g., green drinks, vandyl sulfate, etc.)
> I have heard that it is better to avoid other treatments (unless
> absolutely necessary) while taking homeopathic remedies. My questions
> are:
> 1. Is the practice relating to this issue consistent between Classical
> Homeopaths, or is there some variation between practitioners?

THERE IS CERTAINLY A VARIATION. SOME SAY OPNE THING- OTHERS SAY SOMETHING ELSE. SOME CSAY CONTINUE ALLERGY EXTRACTS, SOME SAY STOP THEM. SOME SAY ONLY ONE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY WORKS; SOME SAY YOU CAN USE A MIX. I AM IN THE MIX SCHOOL BUT IDEALLY I THINK ONE REMEDY AT A TIME IS BEST. YOU WORK WITH WHAT HELPS, FASTEST, EASIEST AND MOST INEXPENSIVELY!

> 2. Which of the items do you generally recommend not taking when using
> homeopathic remedies?

I USE ALL OF THEM , INDIVIDUALIZED FOR EACH PATIENT.

> 3. When you have had success treating children with ADD, have some of
> them been on ritalin or similar drugs? And if so, when do they
> eliminate the drug? Before, during or after homeopathic treatment?

IF THEY REALLY NEED THE DRUG, THE PARENT CAN TELL WHEN THEY "RUN OUT OF GAS". i TELL THEM TO START TO TAPER WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE DOCTOR WHO ORDERED IT WHEN THEY FIND THEY CAN'T SEE WHEN A DOSE IS LATE OR MISSED. I USE MY TREATMENTS WITH THE HOMEOPATHIC AND IT SEEMS TO WORK BUT HAVE DONE NO STUDIES TO TELL WHAT IS DOING WHAT. I DON'T START WITH HOMEOPATHICS. I DO THE DIET FIRST, BUILD UP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH NUTRIENTS, CLEAN UP THE HOUSE AND IMPROVE THE DIET. THESE THINGS OFTEN DO THE TRICK WITHOUT ANYTHING ELSE.

Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 11:41:00 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Homeopathy Question

> 1. Is the practice relating to this issue consistent between Classical
> Homeopaths, or is there some variation between practitioners?

Most experienced classical homeopaths would agree. The problems are that taking drugs and other treatments can supress the symptoms. They also can impose symptoms of their own (side -effects). So instead of seeing a clear picture of the patients symptoms we seee the patient minus some supressed symptoms plus added on symptoms. This makes finding the right remedy much more difficult. Then after we do find the right remedy the drugs and treatments can interfere, stopping the remedy from working well. Also the interpretation of the action of the homeopathic remedy is more difficult as a result.

Now we often don't have the luxury of treating people without any drugs. Somoene with lupus may die if you take them off steroids, someone with asthhma may die without their drugs and with ADD or ADHD children especially may not function very well without Ritalin or similar drugs. So the first thing we need to do is clear the field of every drug and treatment that is not absolutely necessary and reduce drugging as much as possible. Less experienced homeopaths are not capable of working around drugs so they can;t treta people who must stay on them, and they should refer these patients to more experienced homeopaths.

Then you prescribe despite the drugs and as the patient gets better you start withdrawing the drugs. The short term goal is to get them reasonable without drugs. The long term goal is cure.

> 2. Which of the items do you generally recommend not taking when using
> homeopathic remedies?

All drugs if possible- see above and also certain other things can interfere with the patient. These vary from person to person. But most homeopaths have patients avoid coffee, other treatments, drugs, anti-perspirants , electric blankets and depending upon the remedy other things also.

Steve

PS. I leave the list today. Any further questions should be sent to me personally. And Mark I cant find the going off the list instructions - please send them to me.

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 11:55:17 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Homeopathy Question

DrRappMD@aol.com wrote:
> SOME SAY ONLY
> ONE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY WORKS; SOME SAY YOU CAN USE A MIX. I AM IN THE MIX
> SCHOOL BUT IDEALLY I THINK ONE REMEDY AT A TIME IS BEST.

Any homeopath only uses one remedy never a mixture. But there are many people who use potentized remedies (what are called homeopathic remedies) without prescribing based upon homeopathic principles and these often use a mixture.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Date: Thu, 09 Jul 1998 12:01:09 -0600
From: Steve Waldstein
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

DrRappMD@aol.com wrote:
>> The name ADHD is just a label. Your son has the issues he has. Like all
>> children labeled ADD or ADHD he has his own unique symptoms. Of the
>> hundreds of ADD kids I have treated, each has their own unique symptoms
>> and the differences between them is much more than the commonalities.
>> That is why homeopathy usess different remedies for each of these
>> people.
> I CANNOT AGREE. THERE REALLY ARE A CLUSTER OF VERY TYPICAL SYMPTOMS BUT EACH
> CHILD HAS A SLIGHT VARIATION.

The difference in our views is understandable. You are trained as an allopath. Allopaths diagnoses by putting people into diagnostic boxes, then chooses treatments depening to some degree on the diagnoses. Homeoopaths do not use these diagnostic labels at all, in determining the prescription. The reductionist system of diagnoses gives allopathy some strengthes, but also some weaknesses. A good book to understand more is Science of Homeopathy by George Vithoulkas.

> THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HOMEOPATHICS HELP BUT
> WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR 40 YEARS CERTAINLY WORKS TOO AND NOT TIL RECENTLY

I did not say anything disparaging about your approach. Mine is just different.

Steve

Steve Waldstein RSHom (NA)
Classical Homeopathy, Inc.
2600 S. Parker Road #1-313
Aurora, CO 80014 USA
Phone: 303-338-1776
E-mail: stevew@dimensional.com
Web Page: http://homeopathy-cures.com/

Doris Rapp, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 21:28:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: Introducing next week's ADD-Holistic Expert

Hi! I want to thank Steve Waldstein, RSHom (NA) for visiting the ADD-Holistic list and providing important information about the treatment of ADD with Classical Homeopathy. I think that we were very fortunate to have such an experienced practitioner help us out (at least I feel that way!). I hope that many of you will consider using Classical Homeopathy for ADD and/or other conditions. (See Steve's web page for a list of practitioners.) I believe that Steve is planning to stay with us for a little while longer to answer questions. I look forward to hearing any experiences from list members regarding the Feingold Program, Classical Homeopathy, or the other important ideas posted to the list by George, Ron, and others.

Perhaps you saw the first post from our next list expert. If not, here is some introductory information:

Doris J. Rapp, MD., F.A.A.A., F.A.A.P., is a board-certified environmental medical specialist and pediatric allergist. She is clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is the founder of the Practical Allergy Foundation in Buffalo and is a past president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She the the author of "Is This Your Child's World?", a comprehensive book for identifying substances which causes illness and behavioral changes in children and for providing treatment ideas.

Dr. Rapp was one of the honored speakers at the THE FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE ON NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR ADD & ADHD in New York City last month. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Rapp to the discussion group! [clap, clap, clap, clap, clap]. :-)

I expect that Dr. Rapp's first post will be tomorrow (Monday) sometime. Dr. Rapp is new to the Internet and AOL, so please be patient if posts don't go exactly as planned. :-)

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 10:55:29 -0600
From: Ron Hoggan
Subject: ADD Dr. Rapp

Hi Dr. Rapp,

It is, indeed, an honour to have you contribute to this list. Mark's introduction failed to include mention your many publications in the peer reviewed literature, but the introduction of a person with so many achievements makes such oversights understandable.

I am, as you may have gathered by now, a big fan of yours. I think Mark is to be congratulated on getting you to agree to visit this forum, and I'm sure we are all grateful. I'm also sure we will learn a great deal from your comments.

I have taken the liberty of appending a list from Medline of Dr. Rapp's publications. It is an impressive list.

Welcome, Dr. Rapp.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan

Hajewski C, et al. [See Related Articles]
Implementation and evaluation of Nursing Interventions Classification and Nursing Outcomes Classification in a patient education plan. J Nurs Care Qual. 1998 Jun; 12(5): 30-40. PMID: 9610012; UI: 98272932.

Hsiao KK, et al. [See Related Articles]
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Sun T, et al. [See Related Articles]
T-cell receptor expression in lymphoid neoplasms. A comparison of phenotypic expression and genotyping. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1993 Nov; 23(6): 423-432. PMID: 8291897; UI: 94121480.

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Diagnostic testing and immunotherapy for allergy. JAMA. 1988 Jul 15; 260(3): 341-342. No abstract available. PMID: 3379740; UI: 88245496.

Rapp D. [See Related Articles]
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Glines D, et al. [See Related Articles]
Allergies and problem students.
Health Educ. 1988 Apr; 19(2): 34-38. No abstract available. PMID: 3152219; UI: 90153423.

Rapp D. [See Related Articles]
Management of drooling. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1988 Feb; 30(1): 128-129. No abstract available. PMID: 3371566; UI: 88225818.

Rapp RP, et al. [See Related Articles]
Comparative accuracy of five intravenous-fluid controllers. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1984 Dec; 41(12): 2634-2641. PMID: 6517087; UI: 85094296.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Management of allergy-related serous otitis. Am J Otol. 1984 Oct; 5(6): 463-467. PMID: 6542753; UI: 85094517.

Weiss L, et al. [See Related Articles]
Metastatic inefficiency in mice bearing B16 melanomas. Br J Cancer. 1982 Jan; 45(1): 44-53. PMID: 7059464; UI: 82135271.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Diet and hyperactivity. Pediatrics. 1981 Jun; 67(6): 937-938. No abstract available. PMID: 7232062; UI: 81198711.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Sublingual provocative food testing. Ann Allergy. 1981 Jan; 46(1): 44. No abstract available. PMID: 7006470; UI: 81107653.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Abdominal pain. Am J Dis Child. 1980 Oct; 134(10): 998. No abstract available. PMID: 7424865; UI: 81036726.

Rapp D. [See Related Articles]
Drool control: long-term follow-up. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1980 Aug; 22(4): 448-453. PMID: 7409336; UI: 81004875.

Rowe JA, et al. [See Related Articles]
Tantrums: remediation through communication. Child Care Health Dev. 1980 Jul; 6(4): 197-208. PMID: 6447551; UI: 81002237.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Food allergy treatment for hyperkinesis. J Learn Disabil. 1979 Nov; 12(9): 608-616. No abstract available. PMID: 541570; UI: 80161509.

Rapp DL, et al. [See Related Articles]
Meldreth dribble-control project. Child Care Health Dev. 1979 Mar; 5(2): 143-149. PMID: 455589; UI: 79211593.

Rapp D, et al. [See Related Articles]
Kinetics of milk lipoprotein lipase. Studies with tributyrin. Eur J Biochem. 1978 Nov 15; 91(2): 379-385. No abstract available. PMID: 32030; UI: 79085684.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Food allergy. Med J Aust. 1978 Jul 29; 2(3): 119. No abstract available. PMID: 362140; UI: 79052683.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Does diet affect hyperactivity? J Learn Disabil. 1978 Jun; 11(6): 383-389. No abstract available. PMID: 670829; UI: 78219462.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Double-blind confirmation and treatment of milk sensitivity. Med J Aust. 1978 May 20; 1(10): 571-572. PMID: 355807; UI: 78246428.

Rapp DL, et al. [See Related Articles]
The effects of d-amphetamine on temporal discrimination in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1976 Dec 21; 51(1): 91-100. PMID: 827781; UI: 77103283.

Rapp DJ, et al. [See Related Articles]
Allergy and chronic secretory otitis media. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1975 Feb; 22(1): 259-264. Review. No abstract available. PMID: 1096055; UI: 75195569.

Keaten JH, et al. [See Related Articles]
Medical staff bylaws. J Med Assoc Ga. 1973 Dec; 62(12): 423-426. No abstract available. PMID: 4773607; UI: 74085134.

Rapp DJ, et al. [See Related Articles]
Review of chronic secretory otitis and allergy. J Asthma Res. 1973 Jun; 10(4): 193-218. Review. No abstract available. PMID: 4598112; UI: 74169483.

Rapp DJ, et al. [See Related Articles]
Review of chronic secretory otitis and allergy. J Asthma Res. 1973 Jun; 10(4): 193-218. Review. No abstract available. PMID: 4583068; UI: 74010058.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Water as a cause of angio-edema and urticaria. JAMA. 1972 Jul 17; 221(3): 305. No abstract available. PMID: 5067806; UI: 72208243.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Quality or quantity allergy. Ann Allergy. 1972 Jun; 30(6): 364. No abstract available. PMID: 5029835; UI: 72193335.

Rapp DJ. [See Related Articles]
Management of the child with allergic asthma and rhinitis. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1969 Feb; 16(1): 257-269. No abstract available. PMID: 4387959; UI: 69118299.

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 11:23:00 -0600
From: Ron Hoggan
Subject: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #28

Hi Dr. Rapp,

I have recently completed a thesis in which I have postulated that increased intestinal permeability, in combination with digestive enzyme deficiencies, can result in ADHD. This process involves the absorption of certain peptides into the blood. Since some of these peptides have been shown to have opioid activity, while others have been shown to be psychoactive, both hyperactivity and its absence, in the context of ADD, may thus be explained. Additionally, the reduced arousal of some parts of the brain, perhaps leading to reduced attentional capacity, may also find explanation in the opioid function of these peptides. I have gone on to postulate that chemical and food additives may find their way across the intestinal barrier because of this food-induced increased intestinal permeability.

While I have not read all of your publications, my hypothesis would appear to be consistent, although parallel, to your work. (I am not a clinician. I am a school teacher, so my work is primarilly theoretical.)

Have you looked into the possibility of intestinal permeability? Are you aware of any other work in this area?
I know you have looked at issues surrounding dairy products and behaviour. Do you also consider the possibility of gluten intolerance among your patients?
If so, because reactions to gluten may be delayed by 6 to 72 hours, how do you explore this possibility?
Are you aware of any tests related to digestive enzyme deficiencies in ADD? (I have been unable to find any reports on this issue.)
Are you aware of any work with ADD subjects where opioid blockers, such as Naloxone, have been tried? (I am aware of the work in autism, but can find no reports of such work in the context of ADD.)

I have many more questions, but will limit them as others will, no doubt, also have many questions for you.

Thank you for visiting this list.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan

Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 15:01:45 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: ADD Doris J. Rapp, M.D., FAAA, FAAP, FREM

7/5/98
I wish to thank Mark for his nice introduction. During this e-mail discussion, my hope is that the information will help each of you. This is for you or for someone you love. As much as I can, I will try to show you how to find safer, easier, and faster ways to possibly relieve your child's inability to pay attention or concentrate, his/her tendency to be impulsive and possibly to be hyperactive. Yes, these characteristics, also, are a part of the lives of many adults; so this is written to help ALL ages. If this medical shoe fits, by all means, wear it!

These are the symptoms that are characteristic of ADD and ADHD: They are presently "in vogue" diagnoses that are often recognized by parents and a child's teacher at school. It is not unusual for someone to suggest that an affected child be seen by a physician so that Ritalin (an activity modifying drug and Class 2 narcotic) can be used to quiet the youngster. Many parents are looking presently for non-drug answers to effectively relieve their child's problems.

I practiced typical pediatric allergy for over 20 years and environmental medicine for another 20-some years. During that period of time, I saw many, many children and some adults who had ADD or ADHD. There are many things that parents can do to recognize the full scope of such problems; and there are a number of fast, easy, effective methods that might resolve such problems without the use of drugs, such as Class II narcotics or other behavior- modifying drugs.

How can you recognize if your child or you, as an adult, have ADD or ADHD?

In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, most ADD-affected individuals have a long list of other complaints. These may happen all the time or only at certain times for no apparent reason. But, let's start at the beginning:

Who is apt to have an allergic component to his/her ADD, and what are some of the common causes?

If you yourself have allergies or there are allergies in your family (hay fever, asthma, eczema, or hives), the cause of any ADD in related loved ones might be due to an allergy. I hope to discuss this aspect of this topic to show you how you can figure out the cause and often eliminate it, preferably without the use of drugs.

The most common causes can be your favorite foods, dust, molds, pollen, pets, and/or chemicals.

How can you possibly tell if ADD is due to an allergy by just looking at a child or adult?

There are some telltale clues related to the appearance:

Look for red earlobes and wiggly legs just prior to a sudden burst of activity.
Look for a spaced-out look or a distant look or glassy, glazed eyes. At times, almost a demonic look is evident in the eyes.
Look for abnormally red cheeks, dark eye circles and bags under the eyes.

These clues are often, but not necessarily associated with the typical signs of characteristic hay fever, asthma, throat clearing, or itchy skin.

Affected individuals tend to complain of headaches, muscle aches, weak legs, aching joints, not wanting to be touched, fatigue, irritability, bedwetting (after the age of five years), feelings of aggression or hostility, or an inability to think clearly or to sit quietly. Although some of these symptoms are not commonly thought of as being related to allergies, they certainly are evident in many affected children and adults. These symptoms can often be easily treated with some of the newer methods to diagnose and treat allergies. The physicians who recognize the fuller picture are called "environmental medical specialists." Call the AAEM (American Academy of Environmental Medicine) for the environmental medical specialist nearest to you: 1-800-LET-HEAL (or 1-800-538-4325).

How can you find the cause of ADD or ADHD, quickly and inexpensively?

It is easy! Do the recommended diet found in either of my books, entitled Is This Your Child? or Is This your Child's World? (Call 1-888- 895-7277.) The diet excludes the highly allergic foods, such as milk, wheat, eggs, chocolate, corn, sugar, orange juice, food coloring, preservatives and additives. Don't be alarmed! There are many fruits, vegetables, meats and grains that you can eat! Where else can you find an answer so easily and quickly? Adults, however, are also very, very frequently sensitive to coffee, cola, tea, alcohol, and tobacco. Adults, therefore, must also exclude these from their diet. If the diet is tried on the whole family, several family members may find the root cause of certain chronic medical problems!

During the first few days, those who have a food sensitivity may feel much worse. Then, in three to seven days, about 66% of hyperactive children will become quiet; and, in addition, many of the other complaints listed above will also disappear or be improved.

Then, during the second week, you add each food--one at a time--back into the diet, until you find the specific food that causes each individual symptom. It is different foods for different children, but the same foods tend to cause problems in the same family.

Let me explain: Milk might cause asthma in a father, nose congestion in a mother, bedwetting in one child, constipation in another and hyperactivity or ADHD in another.

If you will stop everything and not read another word until you do something, I can promise you some possible answers right away! Make a list of your child's (and your own) very favorite foods and beverages. What would you or your child have difficulty living without for a week? Do it, and at the end of the next page, I will discuss it. If you simply want a fast fix with a drug covered by your insurance, don't read anymore. This discussion is created to help you find answers so drugs can possibly be eliminated from your mode of therapy.

What else can you do?

Well, foods have been shown in medical studies to cause up to 66% of hyperactivity. Dust, molds, pollen and chemical odors definitely are also 'a piece of the ADD or ADHD pie'. Sure, emotional problems need attention; but these are often secondary to being told repeatedly that 'you did something wrong', that 'you are dumb, lazy' or 'enjoy being sick and getting attention'. The aim is to find out the reasons why you are the way you are and to eliminate or avoid the cause, if that is possible, so no symptoms exist and no medicine is required.

So what can you do, other than a diet, that is fast, easy and practical? Will anything possibly help right away?

The answer is YES!

A quality air-purifier can certainly help to diminish some of these problems. (Call 1-888-895-7277).

Remember: The key is to find the cause of the ADD or ADHD and eliminate it.

How can that be done?

Learn to check each of the following:

Check inside each room, at home or work or school. Where does the change occur in the way someone feels, acts, looks? If it occurs mainly inside some building, this would suggest that dust, molds or something else inside buildings was the cause.
Do the same, and compare the inside with the outside. If the change occurs mainly outside buildings, think of pollen, molds (if it is damp and rainy), factory or construction pollution.
Do the same before and after meals to see if the cause is a food or a beverage. If worse before meals, think of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar; if worse after meals or within 10 to 60 minutes, think of what you just put in your mouth.
Also, check before and after the exposure to chemical odors; but this time, look for changes within just seconds to a few minutes, because chemicals produce their bad, deleterious effects quickly. Keep asking if the smell of something is causing the changes mentioned above and below.

Now, the location of a change provides important clues; but there are some other factors that specifically help to pinpoint exactly what is causing ADD or ADHD or the other symptoms so characteristic of allergies.

I refer to this as, "The Big 5." Learn to check for these, and you will definitely find out the cause of many illnesses in yourself and your loved ones. Your body will provide answers, but you must pay attention to the clues and tap into the system! Here is how to do this:

If you want the answers, just keep checking, as indicated below. It takes time, but it costs next to nothing in money. Get a pad and paper, and keep them handy. You need some record-keeping.

FIRST: Check how your child or you look before and 30 to 60 minutes after being inside.
SECOND: Check to see if you feel or behave or act differently under any of the above circumstances.
THIRD: Check your child's writing, as well as your own. If any type of change takes place, it means the brain has been affected; and it might well account for some of a child's or adult's learning or memory problems.
FOURTH: Check your pulse to see if it increases more than 20 points or becomes irregular after eating or one of the above exposures. If there is a significant change, be assured your whole body and heart circulation have gone into the alarm mode. The smoke alarm has gone off. The body is saying, something is not quite right.
FIFTH: If you have asthma, check the breathing with the use of a Peak Flow Meter. This is nothing but a hollow tube of plastic with a gauge on it. Merely put your lips tightly around the mouthpiece, and blow as hard and fast as you can. If there is a drop over 15% (200 to 165), you might very well have located the cause of your asthma. If the cause can be eliminated, you may no longer need medications. If your child does not have asthma or problems breathing air from the lungs (or wheezing, coughing with exercise and laughter, shortness of breath or reversible airway disease), there is no need to check your child's breathing. You can sometimes find the answers that everyone has missed for years by simply doing just this. Call 1-888-895-7277 to buy a Peak Flow Meter in either the adult or child size ($24.95).

So, in SUMMARY:

The answers for environmentally-related illnesses, such as ADD and ADHD, are often found by simply paying attention to the "Big 5" discussed above in relation to the location or time when certain changes occur. Keep asking if the problems are most evident:

inside
outside
after eating
after smelling something.

In the next few days, more practical information will be provided. I hope you will have some answers by the end of this week. If you do what I suggest and you have allergies, you WILL find answers!

Before closing, I offer the following example from my book IS THIS YOUR CHILD? of an aggressive ten-year-old boy who had uncontrollable tantrums and increased activity related to his ADHD.

Donald first saw us when he was ten years old. He had many allergic relatives and obvious typical allergies. His parents were particularly concerned because he had episodes when he spit and bit himself and other people. He had temper tantrums as often as five times a day. He could not sit through a meal, a television show, or a game. His teachers noted that he could sit still in the morning, but that after lunch, his school performance and behavior deteriorated.

Four months before we saw Donald, his other tried the Multiple Food Elimination Diet. Within a week, he was 75 percent better, and during the second week, his parents found that wheat, chocolate, and sugar made him hyperactive and disagreeable. After avoiding these foods for three months his mother called to tell us he was "a joy." Friends could not believe he was the same child. His teachers were delighted and very pleased. His Conner's Hyperactivity Score decreased from an abnormal high of 23 to a normal 13 within one week! Shortly after treatment, he went to a state fair with his family; and they said that it was the first time in Donald's entire life that they had ever had a good time with him.

When given a Provocation allergy test for mold in our office, he suddenly became extremely violent. He kicked and was ready to hit anyone who came within range. He was negative, uncooperative, and inordinately angry. After a tiny drop of the correct dilution of mold allergy extract was placed in his arm, he returned to the pleasant child that he had been during the many previous hours of allergy testing. Most children act normal in the office until they are tested for some item to which they are exceedingly sensitive. Then, the change becomes obvious to anyone.

Typical of many families with an allergic child, his parents soon became expert in the detection of the major foods that caused him difficulty. After they learned how to watch for early clues of allergy, they noted that ten minutes after he ate a bowl of cereal, he would become bouncy, unable to concentrate, irritable, and hyperactive.

His most remarkable response occurred when we used Provocation/Neutralization allergy testing for wheat. He scribbled when asked to write. Then, he tore the paper up after attacking it vigorously with the pencil. He crumpled what was left of the paper and began to cry. Then, in exasperation, he pounded the table with his fist. He was so angry at one point that he even punched the air. As the reaction to the test subsided, he held his head with his hands and complained of a headache. A few minutes after one drop of the correct wheat allergy Neutralization extract was given, he acted perfectly calm and entirely normal. He said he'd felt "mad" when he was being tested for wheat.

Two months after his treatment, his mother wrote to tell us that their lives had changed. Donald was responding very well to his allergy extract therapy, and they could "live" with their son again. His muscle aches, joint pains, headaches, and leg aches had subsided. His intestinal symptoms and associated red earlobes made it very easy for them to tell that he was reacting to a food or some other allergenic substance. His dark eye circles and sleep problems disappeared. They were all delighted that his previous physicians' diagnoses had been wrong. His problems were not emotional.

Five years later this boy continues to be 95 percent better. On one occasion, he stopped all his treatments for several months because he had been so well for several years. His original symptoms slowly recurred. He resumed his allergy therapy and quickly and dramatically improved again.

Dr. Rapp's web site is http://www.drrapp.com/.

Dr. Rapp's e-mail address is drrappmd@aol.com.

Dr. Rapp is available for out-of-town, comprehensive phone consultations. The Arizona phone number is: (602) 905-9195. Call for more information.

Dr. Rapp has available at a very low cost the following:

IS THIS YOUR CHILD?
IS THIS YOUR CHILD'S WORLD? *
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHILD
"ENVIRONMENTALLY SICK SCHOOLS" (90-minute video)

*The cost for these is extremely low (and even lower in quantities of 10, which could be provided to the local schools and libraries!) because Dr. Rapp wants to "get the word to the world" that allergies can be the cause of certain behaviors and/or learning problems. She wants the parents and medical professionals to take an active role in determining the causes of environmental illness

Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 17:16:13 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #28

For Ron Hoggan:

Answers for Queries:

1. Intestinal permeability is a big factor in all allergic individuals whohave food sensitivities. I have not reviewed the work in this area. Brostoff from England has a large book in which he discusses this. It may be in his smaller book for the public which you can call Ciny and get. Call 716-875-0398 The new work in autism is most intriguing and in a few months we should have a few answers. No doubt that the brain and the gut are connected, to a much greater degree than we thought.

2. Dairy products are a problem for many, many individuals. Gluten intolerance can';t be helped, but grain allergies surely can be. Dr Jean Munro is a authority on this. Here is her fax # for England.

3. Those who know about food allergy or sensitivities always tell everyone to watch for at least 72 hours. Many of the intestinal complaints take that long to show their ugly heads- colitis- Crohn's etc

4.I personally have not reviewed the work with opioid blockers but I am aware of it. I have not tried naloxone. I know about the autism resarch and know of no similar work with the ADD children. I do know that simple digestive enzymes and correcting the candida overgrowth certainly is a piece of the ADD pie.

Wish I knew more but I don't. If I find any more info, I"'ll let you know. Thanks for writing.

Doris Rapp

Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 17:22:17 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Rapp

Thanks for the resource info. Some of the scientific referecnes for many of the symptoms are listed in my books which anyone can get -- at a great discount-- by wrcalling 1 888 895 0398 . It certainly will give many insight about ways to help problems, even epilepsy and nephritis, for example.

Thank for your help,

Doris J Rapp, MD

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 98 18:30:54 PDT
From: "David E. Birren"
Subject: ADD Reply to DrRapp

I have been lurking on this list for a few weeks, having been invited by Mark Gold to participate. My particular interest related to ADD is how to overcome the mental chaos that interferes with mindfulness meditation. The condition called "monkey mind" is commonly encountered in meditation, but with practice most people are able to subdue, at least to some extent, the monkeys. In my experience this has been impossible without the aid of Ritalin. I have more to offer on this subject, but I'm fairly busy and won't be prepared to speak up much for perhaps another several weeks. Right now I'd like to reply to Dr. Rapp.

I'm a 48-year-old white male with two teen-aged children, a post-graduate education and a professional consulting career. I was diagnosed as having ADD about two years ago and have been taking Ritalin in several forms since then. To put it simply, that medication has changed my life. For the first time in my memory, I am able to pay attention the way "normal" people seem to.

However, I'm interested in non-drug alternatives that will predictably enable me to live with a fairly clear mind. I have a number of questions for Dr. Rapp. But before I comment on her post, I'd like to offer the disclaimer that, although some of my comments may appear contentious, they are in the spirit of inquiry - the sort of scientific approach that seeks to disprove hypotheses on the road to building a credible theory that explains empirical reality.

Dr. Rapp said:
>Who is apt to have an allergic component to his/her ADD, and what
>are some of the common causes?
>
>If you yourself have allergies or there are allergies in your family (hay
>fever, asthma, eczema, or hives), the cause of any ADD in related
>loved ones might be due to an allergy....
>The most common causes can be your favorite foods, dust, molds,
>pollen, pets, and/or chemicals.

I have two allergies: to penicillin and to cats. Both of these are quite recent, with the cat allergy developing after several years of not having a cat, after having had cats for most of my life. Over all the years I can remember, I have never noticed any change in my mental chaos other than that caused by Ritalin. So in my experience, neither food nor allergy nor cleaning products has any relation to it. This is not to dispute Dr. Rapp, but to say that I can't relate to the above statement, nor to the many related statements that follow.

>How can you possibly tell if ADD is due to an allergy by just looking
>at a child or adult?
>
>There are some telltale clues related to the appearance:
>+ Look for red earlobes and wiggly legs just prior to a sudden burst
>of activity.

My earlobes get red when I'm excited, and my legs wiggle in response to an increase in adrenalin - provided that my impulse to burst out in activity is frustrated. If I can act, my earlobes don't get red, and my legs don't wiggle.

>+ Look for a spaced-out look or a distant look or glassy, glazed eyes.
>At times, almost a demonic look is evident in the eyes.

I was spaced out during most of grammar school and high school. I spent many a happy hour in a world of my own. I doubt it was allergy-related. I don't know about demonic looks.

>How can you find the cause of ADD or ADHD, quickly and
>inexpensively?
>
>It is easy! Do the recommended diet found in either of my books,
>entitled Is This Your Child? or Is This your Child's World?

I'm tempted to call this statement self-motivated and simply bad advice. I've read quite a bit on the subject of ADD (including books, articles, and web pages of all sorts). The consensus among doctors and researchers seems to point toward several possible causes, several of which involve imbalances in the brain's chemistry that cannot be measured directly. Is Dr. Rapp saying that following a diet (of her own recommendation) will provide a diagnosis that has eluded mainstream science? Or am I missing something?

I'm not saying there's nothing to this. I *am* saying that it is too easy, and perhaps even irresponsible, to provide such a glib response on such a complex issue. The diet may in fact be the Holy Grail of ADDers, but - as I advise my children - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

>This discussion is created to help you find answers so drugs can
>possibly be eliminated from your mode of therapy.

And for this reason I'm interested. I might just try it myself!

I look forward to further explanations of HOW diet works to clarify the mind and regulate the behavior caused by what is considered to be a problem with neurotransmitters.

Respectfully and with curiosity,

Dave Birren

Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 23:58:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: Re: ADD Reply to DrRapp

>To: "add"
>From: "David E. Birren"
>Subject: ADD Reply to DrRapp
>Date: Tue, 07 Jul 98 18:30:54 PDT

>>It is easy! Do the recommended diet found in either of my books,
>>entitled Is This Your Child? or Is This your Child's World?

>I'm tempted to call this statement self-motivated and simply bad advice.
>I've read quite a bit on the subject of ADD (including books, articles,
>and web pages of all sorts). The consensus among doctors and researchers
>seems to point toward several possible causes, several of which involve
>imbalances in the brain's chemistry that cannot be measured directly. Is
>Dr. Rapp saying that following a diet (of her own recommendation) will
>provide a diagnosis that has eluded mainstream science? Or am I missing
>something?

Dave,

Thanks for posting! I look forward to hearing more about your experiences. I will try not to be too contentious myself :-) Here's how I look at the issue:

I believe that mainstream science tends to miss the simple solutions that can help a large percentage of people. There was a recent study in Germany showing that a *very* high percentage of childhood migraines and cluster headaches can be eliminated by removal of food additives and certain other foods. A very simple and permanent solution for many who suffered tremendously or who had been given pain relieving drugs. I believe there has been similar research related to behavior and diet (and ADD), but I'll let our scientific experts speak to this.

I do not think that changes in diet and exposure to certain toxic chemicals will cure *everyone's* ADD symptoms. But Dr. Rapp has many years of clinical success in treating ADD and other behavioral disorders (and her techniques are being adopted by many practitioners). I think that the documented successes (including video documentation of some of the treatments) of Dr. Rapp and others using her techniques are strong evidence that the techniques help many people.

It may be difficult for Dr. Rapp to distill her extensive resource book (which I highly recommend by the way) into a few posts. If you take the time to read through the book, "Is This Your Child's World?", there is a section which tries to simplify diagnosis of factors that cause ADD symptoms and other behavioral disorders. But there is also alot more information which could be very useful for more complex cases and for preventive medicine.

My experience with Holistic Medicine leads me to hypothesize that childhood ADD can be treated more successfully with a single technique such as Classical Homeopathy, Feingold Program, Dr. Rapp's program, Neurofeedback, etc., but adult onset ADD may be complicated (at least in some cases) by other factors and that one or more of these techniques (or other techniques I discuss on my web page) may lead to significant improvements, but other types of treatments or changes may be needed as well. Hopefully, as more and more ideas and techniques are discussed, more of us will find *and post about* success with either one technique or bits and pieces of several techniques.

By the way, I have an appointment with a Classical Homeopath (from Steve's web page) for Friday. I'm excited! :-)

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 01:37:05 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Reply to DrRapp

It is difficult for most people to quiet their mind for meditation. Concentrating on the breath helps. I never tried to use Ritalin so I don't`know but I just am not too happy about Class II narcotics. Never meditate when tired. Try early AM before the worries of the day get to you. If your mind is worried or stressed it is tough to meditate. Sorry I can't tell yu more. Things that cause allergy can make your mind most unsettled. Get one of my books, es[pecially Chapter 3 in the book Is This Your Child's World (It is the same for adullts. That will provide some answers as to whether some of the monkey mind is related to an allergy or not. Thanks for writing, Doris J Rapp

Date: Wed, 08 Jul 1998 09:02:08 -0700
From: Fran/Perry Atkinson
Subject: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #30

Dr. Rapp, I have an 11 year old daughter who began having wild behavior changes similiar to the ones on your video tapes as a toddler. I was criticized by family and others who thought my parenting skills were lacking. I couldn't understand why such a sweet child would become so nasty and out of control. I charted everything she did and discovered that her episodes occurred only when she had not eaten for about 3 hours. I had often wondered why we had such problems at family gatherings. It turned out that we adults were not paying too much attention to what the kids were eating. Since there was so much food around, I thought she was eating. In the excitement of cousins and activity she was really just grabbing a cookie now and then.

What I have learned about my daughter is that if she eats about every two-three hours her behavior is normal. It doesn't seem to matter what she eats. Even sugar doesn't seem to bother her unless she is running close to the time limit and if I can get some other food in her along with the sugar or within a short (about 20 minutes) period of time. In fact, ugar can "buy some time" until we can get to food. On car trips, if there is no food in the car and she starts to "crash" I can give her a stick of gum which will hold her over until we can stop for a snack. Although my child has allergies, there doesn't seem to be a connection between the allergies and the emotional swings.

As she has matured she does have more control over her actions. Now when she goes beyond the limits she may cry or tremble. She frequently believes, during these times, that others are picking on her and that she has no friends. Whatever she perceives during this time she believes is reality even after she has eaten and leveled out. She is finally learning to recognize for herself what is happening and know that she needs to eat.

Because I was lucky enough and persistant enough to "Make the Connection" she is an honor student in the gifted program who is loved by teachers and peers. She knows how important eating is to her and rarely misses her snacktime.

When I have talked with doctors about this, their only response is, "Well, if it works, it won't hurt anything."

What is happening to my daughter? I can't seem to find anything written on this. I think I don't know what to look for. Of course, it seems like it must be related to hypoglycemia, but I can't find anything there that relates to violent behavior.

There must be many other children who suffer this same way but whose parents have not found the cause. As a special education teacher turned school counselor I'm very frustrated that when parents need help they are given something to control the symptoms rather than looking for the cause. In the last year I have found two other children who respond to food or the lack of food in the same way. Can you point me toward the research in this area?

I am in a position to help parents find solutions. I share your information with them as well as my own, but it would be helpful to me to know if there is research about my daughter's situation.

Thank you for the great work you do. You're one of my heros. Fran

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 15:13:56 -0400
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: ADD Dr. Rapp and Diet

Dr. Rapp is only repeating what environmentalists taught her (she signed my copy of her book, To Dr Von "who knew all of this years ago") actually she said "centuries", but....

Dr. Rapp has offered a PRINCIPAL of investigation in diet. Generally, the principal is known as the scientific method. You collect data and you record events. She has helped organize food so that the process isn't (as I've seen some doctors try to get patients to do) just apricots bananas cauliflower doughnuts echinacieae flour grapes hyacynths i, j, k ...

I learned today that the Vulvodynia Foundation has found SALYCILATES. No mention of Dr. Lockey, not even of Dr. Feingold; of course, no mention of the German biochemists who first taught us that salycilates were dangerous. Well, foundations are not in the business of writing history, but my experience is that it is well to recount the roots, people are more likely to take the 'new' to you knowledge seriously.

Dr. Rapp's method is provocation, experimentation, proving, trial and error, empirical science. Unfortunately, all the hot shot lab tests, skin tests, etc fail to measure up to eating the food and finding out.

By the way, David Birren, if you had been in my class in school you would have been kept late and forced to learn some manners. All that hoity toity stuff is ok in college seminars, but this is the real world and you will find that you get better answers with a bit more kindness and courtesy. Of course, I date myself by this concern; but Dr. Rapp is no more self motivated that any of the rest of us. Her principals arise from a deep fountain of environmental science and she doesn't pretend to have discovered a hot shot new secret. Sniff!!!

Dr. von Hilsheimer

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 19:39:21 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #30

In a message dated 98-07-08 12:00:17 EDT, you write:

> Dr. Rapp, I have an 11 year old daughter who began having wild behavior
> changes similiar to the ones on your video tapes as a toddler. I was
> criticized by family and others who thought my parenting skills were
> lacking.

YOU ARE RIGHT!

> I couldn't understand why such a sweet child would
>become so nastyand out of control. I charted everything she did and
>discovered that her episodes occurred only when she had not eaten for about
>hours.

SMART MOM

> I had often wondered why we had such problems at family gatherings. It
>turned out
> that we adults were not paying too much attention to what the kids were
> eating. Since there was so much food around, I thought she was eating. In
> the excitement of cousins and activity she was really just grabbing a cookie
> now and then.

YOU ARE RIGHT

> What I have learned about my daughter is that if she eats about every
> two-three hours her behavior is normal.

DOES SHE HAVE HYP0OGLYCEMIA?

> It doesn't seem to matter what she
> eats. Even sugar doesn't seem to bother her unless she is running close to
> the time limit and if I can get some other food in her along with the sugar
> or within a short (about 20 minutes) period of time. In fact, ugar can "buy
> some time" until we can get to food. On car trips, if there is no food in
> the car and she starts to "crash" I can give her a stick of gum which will
> hold her over until we can stop for a snack. Although my child has
> allergies, there doesn't seem to be a connection between the allergies and
> the emotional swings.

Maybe it is simply hypoglycemia and not an allergy.

> As she has matured she does have more control over her actions. Now when
> she goes beyond the limits she may cry or tremble. She frequently believes,
> during these times, that others are picking on her and that she has no
> friends. Whatever she perceives during this time she believes is reality
> even after she has eaten and leveled out. She is finally learning to
> recognize for herself what is happening and know that she needs to eat.

Give her vegetables and proteins- not sugar snacks every 1-2 hours.

> Because I was lucky enough and persistant enough to "Make the Connection"
> she is an honor student in the gifted program who is loved by teachers and
> peers. She knows how important eating is to her and rarely misses her
> snacktime.

She will be that way again.

> When I have talked with doctors about this, their only response is, "Well,
> if it works, it won't hurt anything."
> What is happening to my daughter? I can't seem to find anything written on
> this. I think I don't know what to look for. Of course, it seems like it
> must be related to hypoglycemia, but I can't find anything there that
> relates to violent behavior.

Read my book on hypoglycemia and get Carlton Frederick's book.

> There must be many other children who suffer this same way but whose parents
> have not found the cause. As a special education teacher turned school
> counselor I'm very frustrated that when parents need help they are given
> something to control the symptoms rather than looking for the cause. In the
> last year I have found two other children who respond to food or the lack of
> food in the same way. Can you point me toward the research in this area?

Children who are worse after eating often have allergies, if before its hypoglycemia and if it is both times, they often have both. Treat the allergies and both tend to disappear. read references in my book on this topic please.

> I am in a position to help parents find solutions. I share your information
> with them as well as my own, but it would be helpful to me to know if there
> is research about my daughter's situation.
> Thank you for the great work you do. You're one of my heros. Fran

thanks- Dr D.

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 19:45:07 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

In a message dated 98-07-08 13:21:50 EDT, you write:

<< Linda E. Love wrote:
>
>> On behalf of my grandson, my daughter would like to ask the following
>> questions:
>>
>> My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild ADHD. Is there a "mild" form?
>>
>> His ADHD seems to only affect his ability to stay focused. He isn't running
>> around a lot, but does fidget some. Is this typical of some ADHD children?

YOUR CHILD MERELY HAS ADD- READ MY BOOKS

> The name ADHD is just a label. Your son has the issues he has. Like all
> children labeled ADD or ADHD he has his own unique symptoms. Of the
> hundreds of ADD kids I have treated, each has their own unique symptoms
> and the differences between them is much more than the commonalities.
> That is why homeopathy usess different remedies for each of these
> people.

I CANNOT AGREE. THERE REALLY ARE A CLUSTER OF VERY TYPICAL SYMPTOMS BUT EACH CHILD HAS A SLIGHT VARIATION. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HOMEOPATHICS HELP BUT WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR 40 YEARS CERTAINLY WORKS TOO AND NOT TIL RECENTLY DID I EVEN CONSIDER A HOMEOPATHIC SO THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO APPROACH THESE PROBLEMS. I FEEL WE NEED TO HELP PARENTS FIND THE CAUSE AND ELIIMINATE IT SO THERE IS NOTHING TO TREAT.,

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 19:50:44 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Rapp and Diet

In a message dated 98-07-08 15:13:00 EDT, you write:

> Dr. Rapp's method is provocation, experimentation, proving, trial and error,
> empirical science. Unfortunately, all the hot shot lab tests, skin tests,
> etc fail to measure up to eating the food and finding out.

I CANNOT AGREE-- IF A DROP OF MILK OR FOOD COLORING CAN TURN A CHILD INTO A WILD DARLING AND ANOTHER WEAKER DROP OF THE SAME ALLERGY EXTRACT MAKES THE CHILD CALM, IT IS BETTER THAN EATING THE FOOD OR EQUALLY AS GOOD. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE CAN PINPOINT CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS AND ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THIS SHOULD SEE MY VIDEO ENVIRONMENTALLY SICK SCHOOLS -- 888 895 7277

> By the way, David Birren, if you had been in my class in school you would have
> been kept late and forced to learn some manners. All that hoity toity stuff
> is ok in college seminars, but this is the real world and you will find that you
> get better answers with a bit more kindness and courtesy. Of course, I date
> myself by this concern; but Dr. Rapp is no more self motivated that any of
> the rest of us. Her principals arise from a deep fountain of environmenta
l > science and she doesn't pretend to have discovered a hot shot new secret
. > Sniff!!!

GEORGE YOU REALLY WERE LEAP YEARS AHEAD- YEARS AGO. BLESS YOU FOR YOUR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS.

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 21:50:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Questions for Dr. Rapp

Dr. Rapp,

Thank you for your posts. I have a question that I was hoping you could address.

In some cases, a child or adult may have noticable ADD symptoms or behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity on infrequent to fairly frequent basis. In such cases, it seems that the observational techniques that you mentioned could be extremely helpful in locating the allergy/intolerance/toxicity factor(s) which lead to the symptoms. However, how would you suggest a person address the following situations:

The behavior, inability to focus, lack of attention, etc. is pretty much constant. If the problem doesn't change much, but is there, how does one locate the allergy/intolerance/toxicity factor(s)?
I realize that in many cases, the offending items may be easily discovered by observational method. But how does one go about recognizing the more offending items which are:
- ubiquitous -- found in a large number of products and therefore the person is rarely *not* ingesting them to see a difference.
- causing chronic toxicity such that it is not so much an allergic reaction, but medium-term or long-term exposure is causing symptoms and health damage.

Do these types of situations suggest the need to visit an Environmental Medicine Specialist? If so, how does one locate a quality practitioner?

Thanks again for taking the time to learn AOL Mail and posting to the group!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 12:59:06 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Questions for Dr. Rapp

In a message dated 98-07-08 21:53:17 EDT, you write:
> 1. The behavior, inability to focus, lack of attention, etc. is pretty
> much constant. If the problem doesn't change much, but is there, how
> does one locate the allergy/intolerance/toxicity factor(s)?

THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. IT IS AN EVERYDAY EXPOSURE IF IT IS A SENSITIVITY. IF YOU HAVE TEN NAILS IN YOUR SHOE AND TAKE OUR FIVE YOU STILL LIMP. CLEAN UP YOUR HOUSE, YOUR DIET, GET ON NUTRIENTS AND DO ALLERGY TESTING. IF THE LATTER IS DONE RIGHT, IT MEANS THAT YOU CAN SEE CAUSE AND EFFECT REKLATIONSHIPS IN SECONDS TO MINUTES. PROVOCATION/NEUTRALIZATION ALLERGY TESTING IS ONE WONDERFUL ANSWER.

> 2. I realize that in many cases, the offending items may be easily
> discovered by observational method. But how does one go about
> recognizing the more offending items which are:

IF I TAKE A TWO HOUR HISTORY, I CAN USUALLY TELL FROM THAT WHAT THE MOST LIKELY CAUSES ARE. THEN YOU GET RID OF WHAT YOU CAN BY AVOIDANCE, MAKE A FEW CHANGES, AND DO THE P/N TESTING. YOU'LL EASILY SEE WHAT HAS BEEN MISSED. IF YOU DON'T THEN I GO INTO ORGANIC TEST AND AMINE ACID TESTS, PARASITES, CANDIDA, MERCURY LIVER FUNCTION, ETC

> a) ubiquitous -- found in a large number of products and therefore
> the person is rarely *not* ingesting them to see a difference.

YOU CAN'T AVOID EVERYTHING. SEE MY VIDEO ENTITLED ENVIRONMENTALLY SICK SCHOOLS 716 875 0398 IF THE BARREL IS TOO FULL, YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS. YOU ONLY NEED TO GET YOUR EXPOSURE TO PROBLEM THINGS BELOW THE LEVEL THAT CAUSES SYMTPOMS AND YOU ARE OK, EVEN WITH A LESS THAT TOLDERANCE LEVEL EXPOSURE.

> b) causing chronic toxicity such that it is not so much an allergic
> reaction, but medium-term or long-term exposure is causing
> symptoms and health damage.

ELIMINATE THE CAUSE AND THEN AVOID FUTURE EXPOSURES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BUILD UP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND DETOX IF YOU CAN ORALLY, HOMEOPATHICALLY, USING THE METHODS OUTLINES IN MY IS THIS YOUR CHILD'S WORLD BOOK-- 716-875-0398 OR DR KROHN'S OR DR ROGER'S BOOKS.

IT IS NOT EASY IF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MANY ORGANS ARE AFFECTED BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ALOT OF CHOICES. SOMETIMES REMOVAL OF AMALGAMS OF MERCURY IS A MIRACLE, OTHER TIMES THE TOLERANCE LEVEL IS STILL TOO HIGH AND THERE IS NO CHANGE IN SPITE OF ALL THE MONEY AND PAIN. YOU JUST PECK AWAY UNTIL YOU GET THE ORGANS WORKING AGAIN. SOMETIMES EMOTIONAL FACTORS ARE BLOCKING. GET A GROUP OF PRAYER PEOPLE PRAYING. YOU CALL IN ALL THE TROUPS- GET THE ATTITUDE RIGHT. PROBLEM IS THE BRAIN DOES NOT ALWAYS FUNCTION WELL WHEN YOU HAVE THIS ILLNESS, THE MONEY IS GONE AND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM IS LACKING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN'T DO AN AWFUL LOT BUT YOU DO WHET YOU CAN AND PRAY HARDER. Do these types of situations suggest the need to visit an Environmental Medicine Specialist? If so, how does one locate a quality practitioner? YES AN EM SPECIALIST CAN DO P/N TESTS AND THESE SHOW CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS. CALL 215-862-4544 FOR NEAREST ONE

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 23:17:24 EDT
From: Hetwoman@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

In a message dated 98-07-08 15:21:05 EDT, you write:

<< The gold standard for objectifying ADD is a continuous performance test -
the most widely sold one is the TOVA, Test of Variables of Attention. >>

My son recently had the TOVA tests. One was audio and one was visual. He didn't complete the visual one because he was too impulsive, but he did do well on the audio, still should some impulsivity but not as bad. He began his neurofeedback training yesterday and I am really nervous about it. He is said to have "mild to moderate abnormal QEEG. It is all so complicated to me that I am really nervous. He seemed more relaxed today - they are starting on the right side and doing some relaxation work. Then they will move on to the left side of the brian where his troubles lie. He seems to be weak in the visual areas. If anyone can explain anymore, I would be most grateful. I have more info from the reports if you need. Thanks.

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 13:15:28 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

> My son recently had the TOVA tests. One was audio and one was visual. He
> didn't complete the visual one because he was too impulsive, but he did do
> well on the audio, still should some impulsivity but not as bad. He began his
> neurofeedback training yesterday and I am really nervous about it. He is said
> to have "mild to moderate abnormal QEEG. It is all so complicated to me that
> I am really nervous. He seemed more relaxed today - they are starting on the
> right side and doing some relaxation work. Then they will move on to the left
> side of the brian where his troubles lie. He seems to be weak in the visual
> areas. If anyone can explain anymore, I would be most grateful. I have more
> info from the reports if you need. Thanks.

SORRY I AM NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR TEST. MY APPROACH IS TO FIND THE CAUSE AND GET RID OF IT OR TREAT FOR IT.THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO APPROACH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ADD BUT AT LEAST 66% RESPOND TO A DIET AND MANYH MORE TO REDUCTION OF DUST AND MOLDS AND POLLEN AND CHEMICALS. SOME SURELY NEED PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING, OTHERS NEED NUTRITION AND YEAST TREATMENT. ONE CAN'T SAY WITHOUT DOING A THOUROUGH EVALUATION . IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT, CALL 602- 905-9195 AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER PIECES TO YOUR CHILD'S PIE OR OTHER APPROACHES THAT MIGHT BE JUST WITH OR IN PLACE OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IF MY DIET CLEARS IT UP IN 3-7 DAYS, ITS FAST EASY AND INEXPENSIVE? WHAT NOT TRY IT?

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 22:03:48 EDT
From: PEllis8107@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

Dear Dr Rapp:

I am a clinician who is somewhat familiar with the research supporting and not supporting treatments effective in addressing ADD/ADHD. When you said that "66%" respond to dietary changes, you captured my interest. How did you come to this finding?

I draw your attention to one research project using what I would call respectable methodology. Dr Bonnie Kaplan at the Univ of Calgary supported the idea that there is a link between dietary improvements and behavior improvements in ADHD children. She conducted a double-blind study in which ADHD preschoolers with known allergies were placed on diets without additives, chocolate, MSG, caffiene, and other substances known to cause allergic reactions for the children. As a result of the diet, 10 of the 24 students improved by 25% as rated by established behavior rating scales. The results are promising, but are far short of 66%. This study also picked children who were known to have allergies, already a subset of the total population of ADHD children. Improvements of 25% are also encouraging but far short of a "cure".

Do you know of any peer reviewed, well designed (with reasonable controls) research that improves on this percentage?

P. Ellis

Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 12:34:07 -0600
From: Ron Hoggan
Subject: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #32

Hi Dr. Ellis,
Dr. Rapp, I'm sure, will offer a more complete response to your post. However, there are a couple of your comments that were of particular interest to me:

> I am a clinician who is somewhat familiar with the research supporting and not
> supporting treatments effective in addressing ADD/ADHD. When you said that
> "66%" respond to dietary changes, you captured my interest. How did you come
> to this finding?
> I draw your attention to one research project using what I would call
> respectable methodology. Dr Bonnie Kaplan at the Univ of Calgary supported the
> idea that there is a link between dietary improvements and behavior
> improvements in ADHD children.

I presume you are referring to:
Kaplan, B., McNicol, J., Conte, R., Moghadam, H. (1989). Dietary Replacement in Preschool-Aged Hyperactive Boys. Pediatrics. 83(1), 7-17.

Kaplan et al. clearly state that they did not include gluten containing grains as test substances. They do so in recognition that this may constitute a deficiency in their methodology.

In subsequent work:
Crawford, S., Kaplan, B., Kinsbourne, M., (1994). Cortex. 30 (2), 281-292.

Kaplan and her co-workers report evidence of a familial association between autoimmunity and ADHD, as well as learning disabilities. They also report a familial association between Crohn's disease and ADHD.

> She conducted a double-blind study in which
> ADHD preschoolers with known allergies were placed on diets without additives,
> chocolate, MSG, caffiene, and other substances known to cause allergic
> reactions for the children.

But gluten and, if memory serves, some other common allergenic substances were not considered in their exclusions. If intestinal permeability is a factor in food allergies, then the failure to examine these entities impugns their results, as elevated IgA and IgG gliadin serum antibodies have been reported in from 2.5% (Catassi et al.(1994). Coeliac disease in the year 2000: exploring the iceberg. Lancet 343(8891), 200-203. )to 15% (Arnason et al.(1992)Do Adults with high gliadin antibody concentrations have subclinical gluten intolerance? Gut . 33(2), 194-197.) of random populations.

As I remember the Kaplan et al. report, they excluded dietary substances on the basis of the parents' sense of what would exacerbate behaviour. I do not remember the basis on which allergies were determined, but I do remember that when I read that report, I questioned the validity of their approach. I will try to find a copy of that paper again, and provide further comment on this issue.

> As a result of the diet, 10 of the 24 students
> improved by 25% as rated by established behavior rating scales. The results
> are promising, but are far short of 66%. This study also picked children who
> were known to have allergies, already a subset of the total population of ADHD
> children. Improvements of 25% are also encouraging but far short of a "cure".

Of course, the application of a pharmacological paradigm is often problematic in dietary interventions. For example, symptoms of Omega 3 deficiency can be very slow developing, and equally slow to respond to supplementation. In such a case, a double-blind/cross-over is more likely to confuse the issue than shed light upon it.

> Do you know of any peer reviewed, well designed (with reasonable controls)
> research that improves on this percentage?

Perhaps Dr. Rapp is aware of some such work. I am not.

best wishes,
Ron Hoggan

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 16:41:20 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Reply to DrRapp

I am new at this E mail stuff and cannot find letter to respond.I keep losing the cursor!

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 13:20:52 EDT
From: Cpperwmn@aol.com
Subject: ADD Question for the doctors

Hi,
Writers have claimed cures for AD/HD, and that has left me feeling a little confused. I was under the impression that AD/HD is a disorder as opposed to a disease.

My understanding of a disorder is it is a (for descriptive brevity) genetic malfunction, such as the Trisomy disorders, or cerebral palsy, which I understand to be incurable (though both can be greatly aided). Whereas, I understand disease to be an attack on the (a) systems by a foreign body, such as bacteria or virus, which are (potentially) curable.

Could someone please explain where AD/HD fits in to all this? Or, if I'm way off base with my 'understandings', please clue me, too.
Thanks!
Copper

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 16:50:30 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

I hope this is your letter Copper. I am new at this E mail and cna't find cursor. As for question. I don't care if you classify it as a disease or a disorder. You can definitely help ADHD with diet, with nutrients, with homeopathics, with chriopractic, with allergy extract. You can take your pick. It is "curable" in many, quickly- sometimes not so easiy but it sure can be helped. Get my book is This Your Child lr Is This Your Child's (or your own) bWorld- call 716 875 0398. Get the Sick Schools Video. Get ready to be pleasantly surprised.

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 16:56:33 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

Read the referencesin my book. I just took children on Ritalin, not preselectged for anything else and found that 66^ had allergy, 66% responded to diet in one week. OShea found the same. J of learning Disability. My hyperactivity book goes over the literature. The studies quoted in my book by Soothill and Eggar found the same. A BIG PIECE of the add pie is unquestionably allergy. I AM SURPRISED IT IS SO HIGH TOO CAUSE i KNOW THAT MOLDS, DUST, POLLEN AND CHEMICALS ALSO CAUSE IT SO HOW CAN THE FOOD PIECE BE THAT BIG-- BUT IT IS- sEE MY VIDEOS- READ MY BOOKS - ITS ALL THERE WITH LOTS OF PROOF. mY BOTTOM LINE IS A WELL PATIENT AND WHAT i DESCRIBE IN MY BOOKS HAS HELPED 1000'S- THAT i HAVE NEVER SEEN AND MANY THAT i HAVE SEEN.
Thanks, Doris Rapp

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 17:01:23 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

There are obviously many ways to help ADD and ADHD without drugs. One merely needs to keep looking and seeing what is easiest- fast. safe and best. If i can get a medical center iin Phoenix we will evaluate the various techniques and line them up as to cost and efficacy- but til then- everyone must read and study. Dr Rapp

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 14:20:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: an588@freenet.carleton.ca (Catherine Woodgold)
Subject: ADD Hypoclycemia and Chromium Deficiency

atkinson@theriver.com (Fran & Perry) asked about ADD and hypoglycemia.

An excellent treatment for hypoglycemia is supplementation with chromium in an organic form, in reasonable, RDA-like amounts. Chromium is needed by the body to move sugar around. It is used by the body to make a molecule called Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), which works with insulin to move sugar from the blood into cells, and I think is used generally to move sugar into and out of storage in the body, etc. This chromium-containing molecule is like a wagon that the body uses to move sugar around. I think plants use it in a similar way, because chromium is usually found in natural sources of sugar such as honey, raisins, etc.

To work properly, the brain needs enough sugar, and also the raw materials to make neurotransmitters; vitamin C is important, for example.

Many people's diets are deficient in chromium. In one study it was the one mineral people were most likely to be low on. "Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that 9 out of 10 Americans may not be getting enough chromium." A typical supplementation for an adult is 200 mcg of chromium, which is not a megadose.

Eating refined sugar depletes the body of chromium. Although sugar cane contains chromium, it is removed during the refining process. Molasses might contain chromium, but some brown sugar and molasses is mostly refined. When you eat refined sugar, the body releases chromium out of storage (in the liver?) into the blood in order to handle the sugar. Inevitably, some of this chromium is then lost in the urine. So eating sugar leaves you with a little less chromium than you had before, and therefore a little less ability to process sugar in the future.

Supplementation with chromium elevates and stabilizes blood sugar levels.

Chromium chloride is just about useless as a supplement: hardly any is absorbed. The organic molecule GTF itself is found in brewer's yeast and in some nutritional supplements, and works very well. Chromium picolinate also works very well: picolinic acid (picolinate) is normally used by the body to transport minerals, so it's in a ready-to-use form. Honey, raisins, grapes, brewer's yeast, natural sugar cane, and unrefined molasses (?) are food sources of chromium.

My own experience: I became depleted of chromium during my first pregnancy. For a couple of months I would become ravenous a couple of hours after eating. Of course, I was breastfeeding, but the lack of chromium was a major factor. I began chromium supplements and within a couple of weeks I felt quite different. A few hours after eating I would be simply hungry, not desperately hungry.

I used to get migraine headaches if I didn't eat for about 4 hours in a row. I still like to snack frequently, but I can get along without eating for 5 hours now and just feel hungry, and not get a headache. I used to be irritable just before dinner; that was prime time for fights with my husband. OK, I still have a bit of a low before dinner and my husband and I have an agreement not to discuss anything until after eating, but the chromium supplements made a big difference too.

Fran & Perry, you said that sugar doesn't seem to make your boy's behaviour worse. It may not in the short run: but over the course of a few weeks it depletes him of chromium. He needs the chromium or he will crash if he doesn't eat for a few hours. I suggest using raisins, honey etc. instead of refined sugar for treats and emergency snacks. (Brush teeth frequently and/or end each meal or snack with a piece of fresh fruit other than bananna, to cleanse the teeth.)

You may see no difference in his immediate behaviour as compared to giving him sugar, but after a few weeks I think you will see an overall improvement. Since refined sugar is everywhere it may be hard to get enough chromium into him via food; I think chromium supplementation is a good idea, though I don't know the correct amount for a child. I would think you would take the adult dose and divide it by a ratio of body weights. That is, divide his body weight by the weight of a typical adult, and make his dose smaller than 200 mcg by that ratio. You could cut 200 mcg pills into quarters, for example. Chromium is an essential nutrient; everyone needs it to stay alive. Generally with essential nutrients taking a bit more than you need almost never does any harm; they're pretty safe because our bodies are used to them.

Cathy Woodgold TISSATAAFL Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~an588/ mailto:an588@freenet.carleton.ca
One car takes people to a place; hundreds of cars make the places
no longer worth going to. Are your favourite places car-free?

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 17:08:16 EDT
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Hypoclycemia and Chromium Deficiency

What you said about chromium is of caourse very important. I recommend stevia from the health food stores as a substitute. It tastes much better than the usual substitutes. Augar is definitely a piece of the pie. Thank, Dr rapp

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 17:23:14 -0400
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: ADD Disorder, disease, dysfunction

Mark rewarded me for being silent. Excellent explanation.

The disease, diabetes, includes the disorders hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, and a host of others. A disorder is the reverse of order, a usually homeostatic or self regulating process is dysfunctional. A dysfunction is a small part of a disorder.

Doris Rapp's Sixty Six (66) per cent is probably conservative. I am almost 70, I've been seeing ADD kids professionally since I was in my 20s and I almost never found one who did not have some hypersensitivity; all us old pahzers were taught that "atopy" came from the word "wierd" and that "allergy" was an atopic illness, viz. a wierd illness. These days with many MD's insisting that the only allergy is an IgE allergy then meanings slip.

So lets use hypersensitivity. The ADD brain is vulnerable because is has very high amplitude slow wave activity which deranges, brakes, many otherwise well functioning brain systems. Get rid of the over braking and you get rid of many derangements. Pavlov taught us this more than 80 years ago.

If you want to see ADD fly out the window for good (unless you hit the child in the head fairly hard) then do EEG biofeedback. I do NOTHING else these days. I'm old, tired, and love to be efficient. So EEG biofeedback. Plus good diet, allergy management, and at the very least vitamins C, B-6 and magnesium. ADD, goodbye.
Dr. Von

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 98 19:34:03 PDT
From: "David E. Birren"
Subject: Re: ADD Reply to DrRapp

DrRappMD replied to me:

>IIt is difficult for most people to quiet their mind for meditation.

Indeed, it is. It's probably the most challenging aspect of the practice, at least for the first several lifetimes (as I've heard it said, generally with some humor).

>Concentrating on the breath helps.

That's the primary technique.

> I never tried to use Ritalin so I don't`know but I just am not too happy > about Class II narcotics.

I have to agree with you about using drugs. But my feeling is - as I implied in my earlier post - I'm happy to have something that enables me to organize the chaos, because I've never found anything else that does it. The key, to me, is using the substance intelligently, which means treating it as a teaching tool, something that enables a person to free up enough inner resources to build the kinds of mental mechanisms that "normal" people take for granted.

>Never meditate when tired. Try early AM before the worries of the day get
>to you. If your mind is worried or stressed it is tough to meditate.

I think most meditation teachers would say that tiredness is just something else one deals with. Morning is the best time for many people, myself included, but "sitting" while tired or upset or worried or stressed often provides deeper and more useful insights than when one is feeling calm. Not fun, necessarily, but that's not the point.

>Things that cause allergy can make your mind most unsettled.

I wonder about the predictability and reliability of the relationship between allergies and ADD. I never had a single allergy until about five years ago (age 43) when I reacted to penicillin with mild hives. When I moved and was no longer around cats, I discovered an allergy to them. Yet I have always had the symptoms of ADD - impulsivity, restlessness, and difficulty organizing mental processes. Considering that until recently I've never had allergic symptoms of any kind, would you suggest that there are allergies that manifest only through ADD symptoms?

The same is true for my son, one of my sisters and one of her sons. None of them has any allergies that anyone knows of, yet they have the same set of ADD symptoms - no obvious hyperactivity, but a consistent pattern of mental disorganization and impulsivity.

It certainly is hard to sort through the variables, isn't it?

Best regards,

Dave

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 22:18:46 EDT
From: YCaryl@aol.com
Subject: Re: Re: ADD Reply to DrRapp

In a message dated 7/12/98 1:31:39 AM, Dave said:

<>

Amen!!!!

Especially, since we have, as you also wrote so succinctly,

[[a consistent pattern of mental disorganization and impulsivity]]

Caryl

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 22:49:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

>From: PEllis8107@aol.com
>Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 22:03:48 EDT
>To: add-holistic@mLists.net
>Subject: Re: ADD Question for the doctors

>I draw your attention to one research project using what I would call
>respectable methodology. Dr Bonnie Kaplan at the Univ of Calgary
>supported the idea that there is a link between dietary improvements and
>behavior improvements in ADHD children. She conducted a double-blind
>study in which ADHD preschoolers with known allergies were placed on
>diets without additives, chocolate, MSG, caffiene, and other substances
>known to cause allergic reactions for the children. As a result of the
>diet, 10 of the 24 students improved by 25% as rated by established
>behavior rating scales. The results are promising, but are far short of
>66%. This study also picked children who were known to have allergies,
>already a subset of the total population of ADHD children.

Dr. Ellis,

Unless I'm mis-reading the results from the Kaplan, et al. study, I think the improvement is greater:

I didn't see anything about the subjects being included because they had allergies. But it's a long publication and I could have missed it.

I thought it was interesting that the researchers pointed out that:

This statement may be one example of where the Kaplan, et al. protocol diverges from Dr. Rapp's techniques. If I understand it correctly, Dr. Rapp has some suggested foods to eliminate which differ from those eliminated by Dr. Kaplan. In addition, specific observational techniques are used by Dr. Rapp and the parents to help identify foods and environmental chemicals that cause problems. Provication/neutralization techniques are used by Dr. Rapp when necessary. Dr. Rapp's techniques seems to be geared towards identifying and eliminating the problem exposures. Dr. Kaplan picked some substances known to cause allergy and intolerance reactions, but they may have missed many substances because they didn't use Dr. Rapp's techniques to identify offending foods/ chemicals.

Here are some abstracts I found that may be relevant:

AUTHOR: Boris M; Mandel FS
TITLE: Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children.
SOURCE: Ann Allergy (4XC), 1994 May; 72 (5): 462-8
ABSTRACT: The attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a neurophysiologic problem that is detrimental to children and their parents. Despite previous studies on the role of foods, preservatives and artificial colorings in ADHD this issue remains controversial. This investigation evaluated 26 children who meet the criteria for ADHD. Treatment with a multiple item elimination diet showed 19 children (73%) responded favorably, P < .001. On open challenge, all 19 children reacted to many foods, dyes, and/or preservatives. A double-blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) was completed in 16 children. There was a significant improvement on placebo days compared with challenge days (P = .003). Atopic children with ADHD had a significantly higher response rate than the nonatopic group. This study demonstrates a beneficial effect of eliminating reactive foods and artificial colors in children with ADHD. Dietary factors may play a significant role in the etiology of the majority of children with ADHD.

[This is interesting because if shows how food can affect the brain.]

AUTHOR: Uhlig T; Merkenschlager A; Brandmaier R; Egger J
TITLE: Topographic mapping of brain electrical activity in children with food-induced attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder.
SOURCE: Eur J Pediatr (END), 1997 Jul; 156 (7): 557-61
LANGUAGE: English
ABSTRACT: In 15 children suffering from food induced attention deficit hyperkinetic syndrome, topographic EEG mapping of brain electrical activity was carried out following avoidance and ingestion of previously identified provoking foods. A crossover design was used and recordings were interpreted independently by two investigators, one of whom was blind to the order of testing. During consumption of provoking foods there was a significant increase in betal activity in the frontotemporal areas of the brain. This investigation is the first one to show an association between brain electrical activity and intake of provoking foods in children with food- induced attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that in a subgroup of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder certain foods may not only influence clinical symptoms but may also alter brain electrical activity.

AUTHOR: Carter CM; Urbanowicz M; Hemsley R; Mantilla L; Strobel S; Graham PJ; Taylor E
TITLE: Effects of a few food diet in attention deficit disorder.
SOURCE: Arch Dis Child (6XG), 1993 Nov; 69 (5): 564-8
ABSTRACT: Seventy-eight children, referred to a diet clinic because of hyperactive behaviour, were placed on a 'few foods' elimination diet. Fifty nine improved in behaviour during this open trial. For 19 of these children it was possible to disguise foods or additives, or both, that reliably provoked behavioural problems by mixing them with other tolerated foods and to test their effect in a placebo controlled double blind challenge protocol. The results of a crossover trial on these 19 children showed a significant effect for the provoking foods to worsen ratings of behaviour and to impair psychological test performance. This study shows that observations of change in behaviour associated with diet made by parents and other people with a role in the child's care can be reproduced using double blind methodology and objective assessments. Clinicians should give weight to the accounts of parents and consider this treatment in selected children with a suggestive medical history.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com

Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 00:47:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD-Holistic Visiting Experts

Dr. Rapp,

I want to thank you for taking the time to visit the group to share your clinical experience and answer questions! I hope that you can stay around and answer and followup questions and participate in the discussion as you have time. I think that your book, "Is This Your Child's World?" is not only a great book for those with ADD/ADHD, but is an excellent resource book for anyone raising children or treating children.

For anyone interested in finding out more about the resource Dr. Rapp has to offer, please visit her web page at:

http://www.drrapp.com/

Also, Dr. Rapp has provided phone numbers in previous posts for ordering books & videos, and finding a specialist to help test for and eliminate behavioral disorders caused by allergies/intolerances/toxic exposures.

The next Visiting Expert is...well, this will have to wait 'till tomorrow (Monday) until I can clear up a few things. I'm excited and hope it works out!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com

Arthur E. Munyer, CMT

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 08:43:07 -0400
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Dave Rietz (www.dorway.com)"
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert, Arthur E. Munyer, CMT

Hi!

The ADD-Holistic mailing list is very fortunate to have our next honored Visiting Expert, Arthur E. Munyer, CMT. Mr. Munyer is truly a world-renowned bodywork instructor, teaching various modalities in Europe, South America, and the United States. He returned from South America only a few days ago and I am very appreciative that he has agreed to share his expertise with the group.

Mr. Munyer was a Manager and Teacher at the School for Infants and Toddlers of the Esalen Institute. In addition, he was an Instructor and Administrator in Early Childhood Development at the school. (The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California is one of the most well-known and respected centers for "holistic" education in the world.)

Mr. Munyer has education and training in Cranial-Sacral work, Trigger Point Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Applied Kinesiology, Radix, Aikido, Fedenkrais, Polarity Therapy, Deep Tissue Massage, Rolfing, Emotional Release Work (based on the work of Dr. Stan Grof), Deep Tissue Therapy, Meditation, and other modalities.

From my own experience, I know that body-oriented and breath-oriented modalities have had a powerful effect on my emotions and behavior. I used Bioenergetics, the work of Dr. Stan Grof, and Heller Work "massage" to help cure a low-level depressive state. While it wasn't ADD/ADHD, I believe that bodywork and related modalities may be equally useful in many cases. Therefore, I am very excited to welcome Mr. Munyer to the ADD-Holistic discussion group! (Even though I'm on vacation, I will read the archives when I return. :-)

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Munyer to the discussion group. [clap, clap, clap!]

Take care!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 18:19:28 +0000
From: Arthur Munyer
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Arthur E. Munyer, CMT opening post

Hello Everyone,

I'm very knew at this form of communication and I am willing to make a go of it, Okay??

My approach to working with ADD is doing bodywork and helping children and adults in finding safe ways to release their unwanted emotional energies, that society find hard to adjust to.

I believe and have experienced that people really change this so called ADD into productive excepted living, once they understand more about how energy moves in the "HUMAN BODY"

I AM OPEN FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, FEED BACK, AND YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES.

NAMASTE

arthur munyer

P.S.

Thank you Mark for being in this world, with all that positive supportive energy, that you so openly show.

Arthur Munyer,CMT - Certified Bodywork Therapist & Spiritual, Emotional Healer
P.O. Box 222356 Carmel, California 93923
Bus (831) 625-0337 E-Mail arthur@triggerpointrelease.com
arthur@triggerpointrelease.com
http://www.triggerpointrelease.com/

Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 21:02:17 +0700
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Berkompas
Subject: ADD Releasing energies

>My approach to working with ADD is doing bodywork and helping children
>and adults in finding safe ways to release their unwanted emotional
>energies, that society find hard to adjust to.

Dr. Munyer, welcome!

I have become quite interested in some of your methods over the last couple of years. I have noticed benefits from cranial-sacral and trigger point (combined in reflexology and Thai massage) treatments.

What method would you advise an ADD person begin with? How do you decide which to use?

My 20-year-old ADD son is in college, and I think bodywork of some sort might be an alternative for him.

Is there some special way of knowing whether someone who advertises themself as doing bodywork is properly trained? Any special initials?

Do you have a network or associates? Any near Cedar Rapids, Iowa?

Do you advise any sort of supplements in conjunction with your treatments?

Thanks for joining the list, and I hope to glean some helpful info from you and the discussion that might ensue.

Joette in Bangkok
kompas@ksc15.th.com or berkompas@usa.net

Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 08:08:49 +0000
From: Arthur Munyer
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Releasing energies
Hello Joette

> What method would you advise an ADD person begin with? How do you decide
> which to use?

First I would establish which feeling they are currently dealing with: there are basically 5 feeling; which are Love, Joy, Anger, Sadness & Fear.

Then I would start with Massage and see what energies emerged, ( the 5 feeling ). Giving lots of support for what ever is happening, and staying away from judging anything.

Then I would move to deep work and later some from of Sacral work.

> My 20-year-old ADD son is in college, and I think bodywork of some sort
> might be an alternative for him.
> Is there some special way of knowing whether someone who advertises
> themself as doing bodywork is properly trained? Any special initials?

Its important to work with some who excepts working with feelings and not analyzing them.
> Do you have a network or associates? Any near Cedar Rapids, Iowa?

No

> Do you advise any sort of supplements in conjunction with your treatments?

Sometimes seeing a Homopathic Doctor can be extremely helpful.

> Thank you for your questions, I hope it will be helpful

Namaste

arthur

Arthur Munyer,CMT - Certified Bodywork Therapist & Spiritual, Emotional Healer
P.O. Box 222356 Carmel, California 93923
Bus (408) 625-0337 Fax (408)-625-9307 E-Mail amunyer@pacbell.net
amunyer@pacbell.net
http://home.pacbell.net/amunyer

Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 14:14:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Arthur E. Munyer, CMT opening post

> My approach to working with ADD is doing bodywork and helping children
> and adults in finding safe ways to release their unwanted emotional
> energies, that society find hard to adjust to.

Arthur,

Thank you for being the list expert! I just got back online. If you have a chance, I have a few questions which are of interest to me and may be of significant interest to some of the list members.

With the various bodywork and emotional release modalities, I imagine it can be difficult to choose one. Are there a few modalities that, by their design, help create a safe space to release of unwanted emotional energies? Or is it preferable to talk to a bunch of practitioners looking for those who allow the child/adult to safely express the emotional energies? There is such an variety of practitioners that choosing the type of practitioner might be very difficult.
Beyond a potential reduction of ADD symptoms with the work you describe, are there other short- or long-term benefits that you have seen on a regular basis?
For persons in or travelling to California (your location), are there resources that you can suggest?

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 14:28:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Arthur E. Munyer, CMT opening post

> I AM OPEN FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, FEED BACK, AND YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES.

Hi List! I would like to share my own non-ADD related experiences as far as bodywork and emotional energies. I suffered from depression, serious immune system disorders, and various emotional-related disorders. While some of these situations were helped significantly with nutrition, yoga, etc., I eventually came to realize that by getting in touch with the emotional energy in the body and allowing it to release in a safe manner that my depression disappeared and my physical health was improved significantly. For me, anger, shame, and sadness were almost "locked" in my body so that there was a very deep, seemingly permanent tension in certain areas of my body (esp. upper back). This may have been because there wasn't any chance for me as a child for a safe release of emotions that I experienced.

Anyway, certain types of bodywork and emotional techniques proved (and are proving) very helpful to me in curing the conditions I had and improving my life. I can see that such techniques might be enormously helpful to those with ADD.

Arthur, thank you again for being on the list!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 21:06:07 +0700
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Berkompas
Subject: Re: ADD Releasing energies

Dr. Munyer, I forgot to say thanks for your response.

Thanks!
Joette in Bangkok
kompas@ksc15.th.com or berkompas@usa.net

Russell L. Blaylock, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 22:57:34 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi!

It is an honor to introduce our next Visiting Expert, Russell L. Blaylock, MD. He is both an very experienced clinician and one of the world's most knowledgable experts on one of the categories of toxic substances I referred to in my last post. Here is Dr. Blaylock's bio:

I am a board certified neurosurgeon engaged in a private neurosurgical practice for the past 21 years. During this time I have had a strong interest in nutritional treatment of neurological disorders and in the biochemical basis of diseases of the nervous system. ADD and ADHD have been a part of my interest because of the relationship to the excitotoxic process. In 1994 I wrote a book on this subject, Excitotoxins, The Taste That Kills, and revised and updated it in 1998. I have written and illustrated three chapters in medical textbooks and a patient care booklet on multiple sclerosis. In addition I have published several papers in peer reviewed journals on a variety of subjects from the pathology and treatment of pituitary tumors to immunothearpy of brain tumors. I have appeared on the 700 Club approximately 7 times, Life Style Magazine once, and 30 plus syndicated radio programs discussing the book. While I do not treat ADD in my practice, I have given advice to a number of mothers and have found that a significant number improve and some quite dramatically.

I want to add that Dr. Blaylock's book, "Excitotoxins, The Taste That Kills" is one of the best and most-readable sources of information (for the public and practitioners) on excitotoxins (which play a large role in many neurological disorders). I learned quite a bit from his book as well as from his articles on the nutritional treatment of such disorders.

Dr. Blaylock's opening post should be sometimes on Monday.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 18:36:30 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: Post

My interest in ADD and ADHD arose from my studies on the process of excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is a neurological phenomenon associated with certain amino acids that produce a delayed degeneration of particular neurons when exposure occurs outside the cell. This process has been proposed as the central event in many neurological disorders, including strokes, head injury, migraines, hypoglycemia, ischemia/hypoxia as well as causing toxicity directly. We know that several of these excitotoxins play a vital role in brain development, primarily glutamate and aspartate. It must be appreciated that glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain. But, elaborate steps are taken to assure that extracellular concentrations of this substance remain only for a very short time ( milliseconds) and in very low concentrations.

During brain development, there are wide physiological fluctuation in glutamate brain levels. This series of events plays a vital role in brain development. Too much or too little glutamate can result in abnormal development of the brain. For example, high concentration of glutamate in utero can cause neuron death in special brain areas and even abnormal formation of brain pathways. That is, the brain is mis-wired. This can result in anything from mild learning difficulties to severe neuroendocrine, behavioral and learning deficits. There is some evidence, for example, that abnormally low concentrations of glutamate at critical times can result in schizophrenia. Some neuroscientist are suggesting that such conditions as ADD, ADHD and autism may be cause by such glutamate abnormalities.

Clinically, we know that many such children will significantly improve when taken off foods containing excitotoxins, such as MSG ( and its many disguised forms) and aspartame. It appears that several neurotransmitters are abnormally functioning in ADD, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, histamine, and acetylcholine. Almost a decade ago, it was found that feeding pregnant animals MSG produced a form of learning difficulty similar to ADD. The offspring had normal simple learning but showed profound defects in complex learning. In a followup study of these offspring, it was found that they had an 80% reduction in frontal lobe acetylcholine levels and a 50% reduction in norepinephrine. The latter plays a vital role in attention and ability to focus. We also know that dopamine plays a vital role in performance and memory. Serotonin deficiency appears to play a vital role in violent and antisocial behavior.

It is also of interest that a significant number of these children are reactive hypoglycemics. We know that hypoglycemia not only precipitates the release of glutamate in the brain, but that magnifies the toxic effect of all excitotoxins. Unfortunately, many food have excitotoxins added to them as taste enhancers.

The approach to this disorder requires first, the removal of all food borne excitotoxins. This must be done as early as possible. The longer and more intense the exposure the more likely permanent damage will develop. Manipulating the various neurotransmitters by nutritional means is the next step. This involves several avenues of approach. Each step requires patience. Other methods, such as biofeedback, can be helpful during this period. Remember, biofeedback can alter brain chemistry. We still have much to learn about this disorder. You should also be aware that every child is different. Treatment has to be tailored to each individual case.

Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 22:44:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Question for Dr. Blaylock

Dr. Blaylock,
Thank you very much for your opening post! I have a couple of questions.

You mention ischemia/hypoxia as causing excitotoxicity. Besides the fetus being exposed to to food-borne excitotoxins, are there any other events that can lead to the fetus being exposed to high levels of excitotoxins? One lady recently mentioned that the cord was wrapped around the fetus' neck. Would that cause hypoxia and potentially lead to excitotoxicity?
Are there certain nutrients/supplements that you recommend for persons who have suffered from traumatic brain injury, hypoxia, and other events that lead to excitotoxicty? I believe you said that your suggestions are individualized. But are there any important nutrients or supplements that are common to these cases?
If someone (a child for example) is exposed to an excitotoxin, will they have some immediate symptom which signifies that it is causing damage?

I believe that Dr. Blaylock lists various forms of food-borne excitotoxins in his book (for those who are interested).

Thanks.

Best Wishes,
- Mark

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 16:11:07 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Dr. Russell Blaylock

In a message dated 98-09-02 22:49:17 EDT, you write:
<< The approach to this disorder requires first, the removal of all food borne excitotoxins. This must be done as early as possible. >>

Dr. Blaylock

If possible , could you list a more indepth list of food borne excitotoxins for us viewers in the list ?, thanks ...

Aloha
Frank

Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 19:39:02 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: ADD excitotoxins

Thanks for the questions.

Concerning the person who inquired about the baby having the unbilical cord wrapped around its neck, and the relationship to hypoxia induced excitotoxicity. If the cord was indeed compressing the carotid arteries or interfering with breathing then sufficient hypoxia/ischemia to the baby's brain could occur and produce a rise in brain glutamate and aspartate levels. This is a natural response to low oxygen levels (hypoxia) and reduced blood supply ( ischemia). The degree of damage would depend on the severity of the hypoxia/ischemia episode and its duration. We know that the fetal brain is especially sensitive to excitotoxic injury. And, as I stated in the post, excitotoxin excess during these critical developmental stages can result in destruction of groups of brain cells ( called nuclei) and alter how the brain's pathways would form.

The former would cause damage to such critical areas as the arcuate nuclei ( most sensitive), supraoptic nuclei and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. This can result in endocrine problems later in life. It is interesting that thyroid problems have been seen in cases of ADD with increased frequency. In fact, hypothalamic axis disorders are seen in 50% of such children. This could present as problems with reproduction later in life, thyroid problems, adrenal problems, or weight problems, as well as behavioral difficulties. Obesity is one of the most common defects seen with excitotoxin hypothalamic damage. It is ironic that we are seeing a significant rise in childhood obesity and ADD.

Abnormal pathway development means that the connections ( that number in the trillions) between neurons would be altered. Minor alterations may cause little problems, but major alterations could result in severe learning difficulty, episodic outburst of violence, emotional dyscontrol and attention problems. In my book I have a whole chapter on the effects of excitotoxins on brain development. As I stated in my post, experimentally it has been shown that fetal exposure to maternal glutamate ( as MSG) resulted in profound changes in brain neurotransmitters that persisted until adulthood. It has also been shown that early postnatal exposure to glutamate can result in a 56% rise in brain free radical levels over several years.
As for nutritional ways to prevent excitotoxicity, there are several principles that have shown benefit. We know, for example, that low energy supply to neurons greatly magnifies excitotoxicity. An example of this would be hypoglycemia, which can be very common in newborns and toddlers. For example, poor dietary intake during illness, or with prolonged diarrhea, aspirin consumption, and sensitivity to certain amino acids, such as leucine sensitivity, can all cause hypoglycemia. This can not only magnify excitotoxicity but can cause the brain to release its stores of glutamate as well.

Second, low magnesium also magnifies excitotoxicity. This can occur with vomiting, poor dietary intake of prolong diarrhoea. Magnesium supplementation protects the brain from excitotoxic damage.

Here is a short list of supplements shown to protect against excitotoxicity:
1. acetyl- L- carnitine
2. Phosphotidylserine
3. Vitamin C, E, and the carotonoids ( beta carotene, lycopene, alpha carotene, etc)
4. Coenzyme Q10
5. N-acetyl-l-cysteine ( NAC)
6. magnesium
7. methylcobalamin ( Vitamin B12)
8. pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacinamide
9. grape seed extract ( and other flavonoids)
10. Zinc
11. Juice plus+ is a well compounded formula with high concentrations of flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.
The dose depends on size and weight of the child or age of adult.

Supplements to avoid:
- cysteine
- glutathione (converted to cysteine in brain )
- glycine
- aspartate
- aspartame
N-acetyl-L-cysteine is safe because it is converted to cysteine within the neuron, where it is then converted to glutathione. Cystine is also safe.
As for a list of excitotoxin names in food, the major ones are:
- hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- vegetable protein
- textured protein
- hydrolyzed soy protein ( or any other processed protein)
- natural flavoring
- sodium or calcium caseinate
- yeast extract ( autolyzed yeast extract)
- monosodium glutamate ( or potasium glutamate)
- aspartame, NutraSweet, equal
- accent
- malt flavoring or extract
- broth
- bouillon
- stock
There are more, so see book. The food industry changes the names all the time.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 23:41:18 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD excitotoxins

In a message dated 98-09-03 21:39:20 EDT, you write:
<< As for a list of excitotoxin names in food, the major ones are:

Hi i am not sure why protein is listed as excitotoxins...
I take up to 40 grams a day Organic Brown Rice protein (processed with enzymes) and i find that i have good assimulation of it with no adverse stimulation of my condition, in fact , it really does the opposite ... but ,whey , Soy and a milk and egg protein give me the undesired effect .. could you elaborate more on Proteins and processed and their effects .....

Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 13:29:37 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: ADD Processed proteins

Concerning the question about hydrolyzed protein products. First, you must keep in mind that in most cases the food processing companies are adding processed proteins for the specific purpose of taste enhancement, not nutrition. Therefore, they choose sources that are known to have high contents of taste enhancing excitatory amino acids- such as glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine. Soy, whey, and milk proteins meet those criteria. By hydrolyzing them or treating them with protease enzymes, they can concentrate these amino acids.

Organic brown rice, probably has rather low concentrations of these three excitotoxins, and this is why you are able to tolerate it better than soy, whey or milk protein. But, you should also be aware that " feeling" better is a rather poor way to judge toxicity. Amphetamines, cocaine and other neurostimulant drugs can also produce a sense of euphoria or well being, yet they are quite neurotoxic. Also, many of the toxic effects of excitotoxins are quite subtle, so that those being affected may notice little outward effects for years. But, this subtle damage can, over a long period of time, produce serious neurological disorders. Take for example thyroid deficits induced by glutamate exposure. One may feel tired, cold intolerant and develop many subtle symptoms that they, as well as their physicians, would never connect to excitotoxin exposure. The same is true of behavioral problems, learning difficulties, episodic violence, etc. Yet, throughout this period of development they may feel " fine".

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is the most dangerous of the protein products because it contain three powerful excitotoxins as well as carcinogenic substances. Its use is growing every day. Chicken is painted with it and even injected with it. A new program is calling for the spraying of vegetable crops with MSG. So, the use of excitotoxins is growing very rapidly.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 18:37:37 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Processed proteins

What would be suggested for protein nourishment? lets say for a developing 7 month old ( genetically predispositioned to ADHD )that isnt able to breast feed (momie is dried up) and Similac is full of sugar and whey....

also what choices do we have to avoid these excitotoxins in diet for protein resources?

Thanks for you answers
Aloha Frank

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 18:43:08 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Processed proteins

In a message dated 98-09-04 15:27:35 EDT, you write:

<< Organic brown rice, probably has rather low concentrations of these three excitotoxins, and this is why you are able to tolerate it better than soy, whey or milk protein. >>

where would you suggest that i get my protein from ?

The Organic Brown rice protein has notheing added to it for flavor , it is very bland ..

From: Cpperwmn@aol.com
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 19:45:22 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Processed proteins

In a message dated 9/4/98 12:27:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time, russell@mail.misnet.com writes:

<< Its use is growing every day. Chicken is painted with it and even injected with it. A new program is calling for the spraying of vegetable crops with MSG. So, the use of excitotoxins is growing very rapidly. >>

I don't doubt this for a moment! But, what is the purpose of painting a chicken, or spraying the crops with MSG? (Is that how the giant gets 'tender' young peas?) How does it enhance (?) the chicken? Does the MSG double as a bug repellant, or such?
Copper

Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1998 19:00:06 -0700
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Amy
Subject: ADD Processed proteins

At 01:29 PM 9/4/98 -0500, Blaylock wrote:
>Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is the most dangerous of the protein products
>because it contain three powerful excitotoxins as well as carcinogenic
>substances. Its use is growing every day. Chicken is painted with it and
>even injected with it. A new program is calling for the spraying of
>vegetable crops with MSG. So, the use of excitotoxins is growing very rapidly.

What? Why? How? How can we be going backwards? Who is behind all these additions to our foods? ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Love,

Amy

Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 16:42:08 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

Several questions addressed the topic of processed proteins. It appears that many do not quite understand the process. First, it is well known that certain amino acids ( the building blocks of proteins) act by stimulating certain neurons to the point that they will die ( excitotoxicity). It has been observed that these amino acids ( primarily glutamate, aspartate and cysteine) can greatly magnify the pleasant taste of foods. Following a conference in 1945, involving most of the major food processors, glutamate, in the form MSG, was added to numerous foods, especially soups and packaged food products. Since that time many other forms of high glutamate additives have been discovered, including casinate and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Some foods, including toddler foods, will contain two or even four such taste enhancing excitotoxic amino acids.

Recently, several of the poultry processing houses, have either dipped, painted or injected such excitotoxin taste additives in their chicken meat and turkey meat products. You can read it on the package yourself if you are in doubt. The purpose is to enhance the taste of the chicken, etc.

It has been demonstrated over and over in numerous neuroscientific studies that infants are significantly more sensitive to such food borne excitotoxins than are adults. In fact, babies are 4X more sensitive than adults. Why they have decided to begin spraying vegetable crops with MSG is beyond me, but it too is a fact.

We also know that the toxic effects of excitotoxins are dose dependent, and that subtoxic doses, given over a course of time, are additive to the point of being fully toxic as would be a single dose. What this means is, that over the course of a day, one is exposed to multiple sources of excitotoxin food additives and that these are fully toxic to the nervous system, especially in the fetus and newborn.

As far as who is behind these practices - The food processors ( Campbell's, Libby, Oscar Mayer, etc) and the company who sells these additives, the Ajinomoto company. We are talking about billions of dollars. Campbell's Soup Company adds multiple forms of excitotoxin additives to each can of their soup. Check the label.

I get the impression that several of you are skeptic to the point of anger. That is unfortunate, since you are denying reality. In my book, I list all references documenting what I am saying. Since writing the book, mountains of new evidence confirms what I, and neuroscientists, have been saying. These referenced articles are all from peer reviewed articles.

For those of you who are still interested. It becomes obvious that the Feingold diet has two properties that make it perfect for improving children with ADD. First, it is a diet that would be used to correct reactive hypoglycemia. Second, it removes "junk" food , which also happens to be very high in excitotoxin food additives. There is no question that several of the food dyes are also neurotoxic. But, I feel that the former two reasons given are why the diet has such a high degree of success.

As for episodic violence and emotional dyscontrol, we know that first, it is the limbic system that plays such a vital role in emotional elaboration. Second, it has been demonstrated that excitatory amino acids are the major neurotransmitters in this system and that microinjection of MSG into the hypothalamus can result is explosive violence. Further, it is known that excitotoxin excess can alter other neurotransmitters, as stated earlier, and that one of these is serotonin, a neurotransmitter suspected to be deficient in ADD cases exhibiting emotional dyscontrol.

Finally, as for the question- What should we use as a source of protein? I suggest whole proteins- especially those low in fats. The advantage of using whole proteins is that when the GI tract breaks them down, it does so slowly, so that the glutamate and other excitatory amino acids are released slowly, allowing them to be metabolized by the liver and muscles. Free excitatory amino acids, on the other hand, flood the system, causing drastic rises in blood glutamate levels. This is especially so with liquid forms of amino acids, or when excitotoxins are added to liquid foods (e.g. Gravies). Enzymes, or the hydrolyzation process, releases the free amino acids- concentrating the taste enhancing excitotoxic amino acids. This is the only reason they are added to foods. But, the same process occurs if you consume free amino acids or hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or enzyme treated protein.

NutraSweet contains two amino acids and a neurotoxin- methanol. One of the amino acids is an excitotoxin- aspartate, and the other is a recognized neurotoxin ( phenylalanine). With time, especially when exposed to heat, aspartame breaks down into a substance called diketopiperzine. This class of substances are known to be significantly carcinogenic. Experimental studies have shown that aspartame feeding, at all dose levels, increased tumor formation in multiple organs, including brain, ovaries, testies, uterus, breast, and pancreas. Also, separate studies have shown that aspartame is a moderately powerful genotoxin ( gene toxin).

Fat type is also vital for brain development. It has been shown that the fatty acids DHA and arachidonic acid play a critical role in brain development. Human breast milk is higher in DHA than is cow's milk, and formula, until recently, contained no DHA. The mother's diet plays a critical role in DHA levels in her breast milk. Dieting, poor nutrition or poor selection of fats can lead to significant lowering of DHA and arachidonic acid in breast milk, as well as in the placental fat transfer. Formula is also deficient in taurine, which is necessary to reduce the toxicity of the excitotoxin- cysteine.

Most have now heard that prenatal vitamins containing vitamins B6, folate and B12 can reduce neural defects in newborns drastically. It is now known that it is homocysteine that is the culprit, the same chemical connected to heart attacks and strokes. Interestingly, homocysteine is an excitotoxin. This group of vitamins lower homocysteine levels.

Exposure to caffeine during pregnancy, even in relatively small doses, can have a significant deleterious effects on brain development. Certain metals can also affect brain function and development, such as mercury, lead, and manganese. Much research is being done in this area.

For a more complete discussion of all of these areas I suggest you read my book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. And finally, what would I suggest for a 7 month old who cannot get mother's milk? I would suggest either commercial human breast milk or goats milk. Human milk has significantly lower glutamic acid levels than cow's milk.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 20:05:27 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

In a message dated 98-09-05 18:40:03 EDT, you write:

<< I get the impression that several of you are skeptic to the point of anger. That is unfortunate, since you are denying reality. In my book, I list all references documenting what I am saying. Since writing the book, mountains of new evidence confirms what I, and neuroscientist, have been saying. These referenced articles are all from peer reviewed articles. >>

I have no anger in my post , just curiousity to learning more about Excitotoxins and what they are in my diet ..and others (Who dont participate on this list yet ) who are curious to know more about it ...Please continue on , dont take an offensive position we are here to share ..... Excitotoxins is information that is new to most of us here and we are very curious about analysing what we now eat to see how to eliminate and maximise our health optimaly ...

aloha from Hawaii
Frank

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 20:08:56 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

In a message dated 98-09-05 18:40:03 EDT, you write:

<< commercial human breast milk >>

anyone know where to get a commercial human breast milk ?, they havent heard of it out here in Hawaii ( kind of behind the times in isolation )

Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 20:20:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re ADD excitotoxins

Dr. Blaylock,

Thank you very much for your detailed and comprehensive answers. I'm learning alot. I have a couple of short questions about one of your posts:

> Here is a short list of supplements shown to protect against
> excitotoxicity:
> 1. acetyl- L- carnitine
> 2. Phosphotidylserine
> 3. Vitamin C, E, and the carotonoids ( beta carotene, lycopene, alpha
> carotene, etc)
> 4. Coenzyme Q10
> 5. N-acetyl-l-cysteine ( NAC)
> 6. magnesium
> 7. methylcobalamin ( Vitamin B12)
> 8. pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacinamide
> 9. grape seed extract ( and other flavonoids)
> 10. Zinc
> 11. Juice plus+ is a well compounded formula with high concentrations of
> flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.
> The dose depends on size and weight of the child or age of adult.

Are you saying that Juice plus+ provides most (or all?) of the nutrients mentioned in 1-10 above? Where is Juice plus+ sold, at health food stores or through mail order?
For persons with ADD, do you usually recommend all of the supplements mentioned above? Or are there one or two of them that you feel are particularly important and recommend starting with them?

Thanks again!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

From: randy1@ibm.net
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1998 20:23:21 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

Dr. Blaylock, isn't phenylalanine one of the precursors of dopamine (via hydroxylation to tyrosine) and norepinephrine (via dopamine and DOPA - "dihydroxyphenylalanine"), which are also neurotransmitters thought to be deficient (by some including Hallowell and Ratey) in ADD?

I understand that phenylalanine is certainly toxic in some cases, such as phenylketonuria, but is it truly toxic to all people?

Russell Blaylock, M.D. wrote:

> Several questions addressed the topic of processed proteins. It appears
> that many do not quite understand the process. First, it is well known that
> certain amino acids ( the building blocks of proteins) act by stimulating
> certain neurons to the point that they will die ( excitotoxicity)...

> ...Further, it is known that excitotoxin excess can alter other
> neurotransmitters, as stated earlier, and that one of these is serotonin, a
> neurotransmitter suspected to be
> deficient in ADD cases exhibiting emotional dyscontrol.
> ...
> ...NutraSweet contains two amino acids and a neurotoxin- methanol. One of the
>
> amino acids is an excitotoxin- aspartate, and the other is a recognized
> neurotoxin ( phenylalanine).

Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 10:29:00 -0600
From: John Dommisse
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

Dear Dr Blaylock,
I thank you for participating in this mailing-list: I believe you have made a very valuable contribution to world awareness of excitotoxins, and I think this knowledge is especially applicable to ADHD. However, I think you go a bit overboard on occasion. 'Randy' has already asked you about your statements on phenylalanine, an important amino-acid precursor of dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain. I have founf the combination of DL-PA and 5H-Tryptophan, both in high doses, to be as effective as any antidepressant medication and usually w/o any side-effects. Except for mild over-stimulation in a small minority of patients who were anxious to begin with, i have not seen any negative effects of phenylalanine.

The other element you mentioned in a negative context that I would take issue with is 'manganese' in fetal brain development. Everyone knows that anything in excess, especially minerals, is harmful but what evidence do you have that manganese, in which far more patients are deficient than toxic - I do blood-levels of all these substances on every patient - has ever caused a problem in fetal development, and how would anyone know if it did, in the absence of accurate measuremnt of this mineral in any fluid or tissue in the pregnant woman or developing fetus?

I look forward to your response, and I hope you are having a pleasant long weekend.

John

Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 13:55:37 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: ADD answers to questions

Thanks for the interesting questions:

To Randy, concerning his questions about phenylalanine as a precursor of the catecholamines- dopamine, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine. It is true that dopamine( an integral neurotransmitter of the mesocortical dopaminergic system) and norepinephrine ( vital to the locus ceruleus-cortical system) are reduced in ADD. But, the danger of aspartame goes beyond this. Remember, its two other constituents, methanol and aspartate. Aspartate and the other exicitotoxins may be the cause of the decreased norepinephrine and dopamine in the first place. The real danger is the consumption of these products before the baby is born - while in utero. This is a very vulnerable period because of the rapid growth and internal development of the baby's brain.
I have known numerous mothers and fathers, who have noticed consistently that their children, especially with ADHD, are considerably worse when they are exposed to NutraSweet or MSG products. Conversely, they get much better when they avoid them. It is also known that phenylanine can not only precipitate seizures, but also that it can produce long-lasting behavioral abnormalities in experimental animals ( Schlock RL and Kloper FD. 168: 147-151, 1967) It has also been shown that high concentrations of aspartame can cause delay in developmental milestones and decreased brain weights.( Brunner RL, et al. Neurobehavioral Toxicology 1: 79-86, 1979)

Interestingly, phenylalanine has been shown to be a unique amino acid in that it is actually concentrated by the placenta on the fetal side. This means that when the mother consumes phenylalanine ( as in NutraSweet) the phenylalanine levels are significantly higher in the fetus than in the mother. This can have toxic effects on neurodevelopment. You must remember, just because the brain utilizes a particular substance as a neurotransmitter, it is not safe in all concentrations. Dopamine, for example, is carefully regulated by the striatal brain system. When levels are too high, it is degraded into 6-hydroxydopamine, an excitotoxin that is 6X more potent than glutamate. In this state it undergoes autoxidation, producing H202, which then, in the presence of free iron, generates the very powerful hydroxyl free radical.

One of the ways stress damages the nervous system is via this system. ( Stress can dramatically increase free radical production within the brain.) It plays a vital role in neurodegeneration and subsequent development of Parkinson's disease. Many of these neurodegenerative diseases appear to begin their development long before their clinical presentation, perhaps even childhood or young adulthood.

As for the question about manganese, yes it has been shown to effect neurodevelopment. Manganese toxicity ( very high levels) in adults are known to produce a disorder very similar to Parkinson's disease. There is some evidence that in some cases of ADD there is an excess of tissue manganese. Studies are very early, but I would avoid over- supplementing with manganese. As for the other neurotransmitters, as you will remember from my original post, I mentioned serotonin as one of the deficient transmitters in ADD associated with violent outburst. And, there is some indication that supplementation with its precursor, 5-HTP can ameliorate some of this violent dyscontrol. The same is true of adults as well. But, you should be aware that one of the metabolic breakdown products of serotonin is quinolinic acid, a powerful excitotoxin. In fact, accumulation of this excitotoxin is associated with AIDS dementia as well as other serious neurological disorders. Also, as I stated, excitotoxins can also trigger intense violent outburst. With low serotonin levels, one would expect an exaggerated violent outburst effect. Can, phenylalamine supplementation improve the symptoms of ADD? It's possible, but the dosage should be carefully titrated.

As to FJBCIII's question on tuna fish and tofu, Tuna has two drawbacks. Most canned tuna has HVP ( hydrolyzed vegetable protein) added, and tuna is notorious for its high mercury levels. Tofu has elevated glutamate levels, so I wouldn't get in the habit of eating it regularly or in large quantities.

In closing, excitotoxins are occupying center stage in many neurological disorders and I am convinced that the dramatic increases in many of these neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's, ALS and neurodevelopmental disorders are related to the massive amounts of excitotoxins being added to foods.

I thank you for your very interesting questions and for inviting me to participate.

Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

From: YCaryl@aol.com
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 20:27:45 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: Re: ADD excitotoxins and proteins

Dr. Blaylock, you have really stretched my understanding. I knew nothing about excitotoxins. I am finding wonderful relief from depression with l- tyrosene. The kind I bought (TwinLabs) has B6 and C in it. Does l-tyrosene help reverse the effects of excitotoxins?

Caryl Wattman

From: MarkDGold@aol.com
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 23:38:19 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD and Excitotoxins

Hi!

I'm at a different email address today. But I thought I would provide add a little bit of information to Dr. Blaylock's comments about the neurotoxicity of phenylalanine in pregnency. This is from a draft review I wrote several years ago.

- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com

Here are the thoughts of two experts who testified before the U.S. Congress in 1987 (Elsas 1987; Pardridge 1987):

Levy (1994) found that plasma phenylalanine levels of around 400 umol/L in patients with mild hyperphenylalaninaemia were associated with a slightly lower birth measurements and offspring IQ than lower plasma phenylalanine measurements. However, Levy (1994) did not found any additional fetal loss, congenital heart disease or severe non-cardiac anomalies when compared to the control group. Smith (1995) pointed out that for every 100 umol/L rise in plasma phenylalanine levels, there is a clinically important change. Levy (1995) concurred that there is not a threshold level at 400 umol/L plasma phenylalanine.

Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 11:06:11 -0600
From: John Dommisse
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD answers to Mn & PA questions

Dr Blaylock,
I agreed that any mineral in excess can be toxic but I found it strange that you singled out manganese together with mercury and lead as particularly prone to cause toxicity. I do manganese - and other mineral, vitamin, amino-acid, multiple hormone, and other levels - on virtually every patient I see, repeatedly, and have thus measured manganese levels in the blood literally thousands of times. I am aware that parkinsonism is supposed to be the effect of this toxicity. Yet, among all these levels, I can count the high ones on one or two hands, while the deficiencies - of which the effects are depression, anxity, fatigue, memory-problems and glucose-intolerance - can be counted in the hundreds or thousands. So just wanted to balance your statement with what I think is a much-more-prevalent problem with manganese - its deficiency. Similarly, I believe the talk of iron-overload is greatly overblown and there are still far more people with iron deficiency than its excess. If one measures both the serum iron and the ferritin level, and realises that a high ferritin level can be caused by conditions other than excessive iron storage, one doesn't diagnose too many cases of iron-overload and they are almost all in men, not women.

On phenylalanine: Could you clarify whether you are against the use of aspartame (including its phenylalanine content) or are you against the use of phenylalanine (on its own) as a prescription for depression, ADHD, etc.? I prescribe 500-1500mg (depending on size of pt, and other factors) of DL-PA after brkfst and lunch daily in these conditions - if their PA level is low in a blood-test. I then re-test. The PA level has never gone above the normal range in these patients, on these doses.

Thanks for your input.

John

Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 11:40:13 -0500
To: mgold@holisticmed.com
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: answers

As far as the supplements found to be most useful:

in general, the most often used with success include:

DMAE ( increases brain acetylcholine levels)
phosphotidylserine ( a glutamate blocker)
DHA ( Very critical role in brain development)
zinc ( plays a critical role in brain development)
magnesium ( Most important neuroprotectant known)
multi-"B" vitamins
methylcobalamin ( also glutamate blocker)

As for Juice plus+, it is a product developed by NSA and sold as a multilevel marketing product, but it is one of the best compounded products I have seen in along time. It consist of a concentrated form of 17 fruits and vegetables, plus enzymes. The most important usefulness for this product is the high concentration of flavonoids. It is suspected that one of the problems in ADD is an excess of histamine in the brain. In the brain, histamine acts as a neurotransmitter. Several of the flavonoids act as antihistamines, but in a way different than drugs, since there is no drowseness. I have spoken to several mothers who have had thier childen on juice plus+ and have reported significant improvement.

To obtain the product you will have to contact a dealer. I do handle the product and my whole family takes it because of its powerful effect in reducing cancer and preventing neurodegeneration. If you have someone who is interested let me know and I can have the company either find them someone close or I will be glad to do it for them.

Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 12:54:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Excitotoxins (Alternatives)

Hi!

I will have a few short posts before introducing the next honored Visiting Expert later tonight. Here's the first one. :-)

Dr. Blaylock mentioned a number of excitotoxins found in foods. One which he mentioned containing an excitotoxin was the artificial sweetener, aspartame. I wanted to suggest to people who are looking to switch to a healthier sweetener that they consider downloading the Healthier Sweetener Resource List I put together a while ago. It lists sweeteners which are generally safe and those to avoid because of toxicity/health concerns. The web address is:

http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

From: owner-add-holistic@mLists.net
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 09:38:15 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: Magnesium and ADD/ADHD

I forwarded that abstract about magnesium deficiency in ADHD children and significant improvement after supplementation to Dr. Russell Blaylock. (I also forwarded to him another abstract that he refers to.) I thought his comments would be of interest to the list:

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 16:17:45 -0500
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: Re: Magnesium and ADD/ADHD

>Ann Acad Med Stetin 1998;44:297-314
>The aim of my work was the answer to the following questions: how often does
>the deficiency of magnesium, copper, zinc, calcium, iron occur among
>hyperactive children in comparison with healthy children, deficiency of which
....

Thank you for passing the paper along.

It has been something that I suspected all along. A group working out of Covington, La that I work with asked me about excitotoxins and ADD and I suggested that they add magnesium supplimentation to their protecol. They have found it to be very helpful. As you know, magnesium acts by blocking the voltage gated NMDA receptor physiologically. Magnesium deficiency is very common because of poor diets and use of carbonated soft drinks. I have researched most of the papers concerned with magnesium and neurological function and have found it to be one of the most remarkable neuroprotectants. I use it on all of my surgical cases, especially with brain trauma, subarachnoid hemorrhages and strokes with great success. unfortunately, most neurosurgeons do not use it.

I also appreciate the abstract you sent me concerning formaldehyde formation from NutraSweet esposure. It was a very interesting paper, that demonstrates that formaldehyde formation from aspartame ingestion is very common and does indeed accumulate within the cell, reacting with cellular proteins ( mostly enzymes) and DNA ( both mitochondrial and nuclear). The fact that it accumulates with each dose, indicates grave consequences among those who consume diet drinks and foodstuffs on a daily basis.

I have also discovered that MSG excitotoxicity is greatly magnified in the presence of lead. This would have importance in children with ADD having elevated tissue lead levels. Likewise, recent studies have shown that MSG dramatically elevates free radical generation within all tissues, not just brain, and that it does so for a prolonged periods of time following even a single dose. The importance of this observation is that this would also raise the likelihood of cancer induction in several exposed tissues, including brain, by oncogene activation by said free radicals.

It is unfortunate that so few in the field of ADDand ADHD care giving understand the central importance of excitotoxins. Many of the treatment that I have seen relate back to excitotoxicity, despite other explinations being given. For example, the Feingold diet. Close adherence to the diet eleminates many excitotoxins from the diet. I suspect this is why it works so well. Remember, excitotoxins interplay with many neurotransmitters, stimulate free radical production, damage brain lipids, interact with many trace metals, and that elevated intake of excitotoxins is associated with eicosanoid injury to neurons, which would explain thier relationship to omega-3-fatty acids. These are very powerful substances and not only can they kill neurons, but they affect their physiology and even brain development itself.

[followup comments]

With the newer studies linking excitotoxicity with free radical generation, I think it will be very difficult for those selling these toxin to defend them as safe much longer. I am especially concerned because the free radical generation caused by excitotoxins is so prolonged. It must be related to all degenerative diseases, including cancer. In the case of aspartame, the effects of formaldehyde on cellular proteins and DNA ( oncogene activation and p53 tumor suppressor gene alteration) in conjunction with free radical generation would certainly lead to a high incidence of neuronal dysfunction. I think this is why I receive so many calls from young women who have developed brain tumors ( mostly astrocytomas) following prolonged use of NutraSweet.

Russell

Jonathon Alderson

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Autism Treatment: Multi-Treatments provide ultimate combination

Jonathan Alderson is the Founder and Director of the Intensive Multi-Treatment Intervention (www.IMTI.ca) program for families with children on the autistic spectrum. Alderson offers a highly customized solution and specializes in blending play therapy, structured learning, sensory, and biomedical treatments in the integrated IMTI model. �The issues underlying the challenges of children with autism are multifaceted � so the treatment has to be multifaceted too�, Alderson explains about his unique approach. With over 20 years of study and work in education and autism treatment, a Masters in Education from Harvard University, a BA in developmental and educational psychology, and 8 years of training and work at the Son-Rise Program, including hundreds of hours of 1:1 therapy with children, Alderson now designs and directs home-based treatment programs for families in Toronto, Ontario. You can find more about his practice at www.IMTI.ca.

Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 11:25:45 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introducing next week's Visiting Expert

Hi!

I would like to introduce our next Visiting Expert, Jonathan Alderson, of the Option Institute. I first read about the work of the Option Institute earlier this year in a magazine published in the UK. I very much look forward to learning more about their programs.

One concern I had is that programs and ideas which are not about diet, herbs, and other physical manipulations are sometimes not taken as seriously. I recently read an interview of the well-known and respected physician, Dr. Dean Ornish. He was referring some of the same ideas that are taught by the Option Institute when he said:

The Son-Rise Program is a program at the Option Institute for "helping children and adults with special needs maximize their potential." They work with persons with ADD, PDD, Autism, and others. Jonathan Alderson is the Son-Rise Program Director. He oversees all aspects of Son-Rise Program, responsible for budget planning, supervision and development of all SRP Child Facilitator and Teacher Training, staff trainer and family teacher, recruiting and interviewing new trainees, future planning and development.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 13:00:08 -0700
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Amy
Subject: ADD WELCOME

WELCOME JOHATHAN ALDERSON!

I am a Special Needs Foster Parent ... currently:

9 yo male Navajo Autistic ADHD Seizures Agressive
4 yo female PDD/NOS just taking her first steps
3 yo femal Rett Syndrome

and 5 cats that let me stay here if I'm good! Additionally I do Respite for DD kids in my 'spare time'. I've been in this field since the early 70s first being introduced in a State School. I'm an Early Intervention advocate.

I'm wondering ... I've been following the Option Institute and would dearly love to attend. However due to time restrains and costs involved I'm not sure I'll ever get it worked out.

Have you or are you considering any 'road trip' seminars? Forgive me if I'm ignorant and you alread do this. But it's so very difficult if not impossible for many of us to REALLY get away.

I must say that my greatest successes I believe have been with diet approaches. Each of our kids has wonderful stories.

Bless you for all you do. And welcome again!

Love,

Amy

Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 16:42:57 -0400
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Jonathan Alderson
Subject: Re: ADD WELCOME

Hello Amy! Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm so excited to be able to share more about what we do at the Son-Rise Program with all of you. A big WOW! goes to you for you love and courage in choosing to "foster" so many very special children. We continue to hold such admiration for all of the incredible parents that we meet daily...and it is for this reason that we feel so strongly about the importance of supporting parents as much as we help change the lives of children. One of our fundamental principles is the the parent is the child's best resource!

With regard to your questions-- yes, at times we do go "on the road" with our Start-Up Program which is a very powerful one-week seminar intorducing all of the basic concepts of the Son-Rise program with instruction on how to set-up a home-based program, video presentations, different experiential exercises etc. We are doing this more and more, this year already we presented in Amsterdam, and twice in London England. We haven't done this as yet in North America. However, we do offer this program almost every 3-4 months at the Institute in Massachusettes. We'd love you to attend and to meet you .

Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 21:40:14 -0400
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Jonathan Alderson
Subject: ADD The Son-Rise Program

Cheers!; I'm sorry this is late getting to all of you, but hopefully still useful.; It is such an honor to be a guest on-line with you and to be able to have this open forum of ideas in which to share more of a program which for me has inspired professional and personal growth over the past seven years.; My formal training, prior to the Option Institute was in Developmental Psychology, however, it is my training and experience with these very very special children at the Option Institute that has led me to understand more than any text book could ever do!; I know that if any of you choose to read the book SON-RISE : THE MIRACLE CONTINUES, you will be touched by the heart-warming stories and the profound impact that the concepts taught in the Son-Rise program can make.; I invite you to do this as a first step and introduction.; Below I have tried to outline a brief history and synopsis of what we do.; I hope you enjoy!; And I look forward to hearing from you.

The Son-Rise Program for families with special children serves parents and professionals seeking a loving, humane and respectful method to help special children maximize their potential. This unique program is based on the work of Barry and Samahria Kaufman whorebirthed their son, Raun, from the supposedly incurable illness of autism. Defying the odds, they developed a program radically different than existing techniques. Based on an attitude of love and non-judgment, they designed and implemented a child-centered, home-based program for their son.

After their own success, the Kaufman's went on to establish The Option Institute and Fellowship, a non-profit, charitable organization. Families come to The Option Institute with children who face a host of disabilities including: autism, ADD, PDD, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Rett Syndrome, and Down Syndrome among others.

We teach from the perspective that every child is wonderful and precious, regardless of their diagnosis or the way they are often viewed by society. Families of children with special needs have heard "tragedy" and "hopeless" often enough. We tell them that their child is a gift, and can provide the entire family with an experience of growth. This perspective is not restricted to autism or any other condition. And, because we observe each child intensively and then design individualized programs based on the child's cues, the diagnosis is actually not important. What is important is the child. All children are different, regardless of the labels we give them.

We base our program on some very simple, yet powerful concepts: The first is that *loving* a child and expressing an accepting attitude are more important in establishing a relationship with the child than any specific to modify a child's behavior. The second is that the *Child is the Teacher.*; By this we mean that; one basis of learning is motivation.; A child will learn to the degree that they are motivated for something.; Most of the children that we work with are not motivated by the same things other children are such as peer relations, social dynamics, interactions, or even toys.; Since our aim is to establish interaction and an interest in learning with the child, we begin by observing what the child does how do they spend their time.; What can we learn about this particular child's motivation that we can then use to build on?; In this way, we can still have an agenda of what we want to teach a child, but we present the curriculum through the child's motivation.; For example, if I want to teach basic math.; And my son is interested in collecting baseball cards and studies the statistics of the baseball players, I could imagine various games, conversations, and projects involving baseball cards through which my son and I could explore the nature of basic math concepts.; This is of course almost evident it is so simple a concept, yet so few of us; take the time to study the interests of our children and then approach teaching through them.; Another benefit to this concept is that by "joining" my child in their area of interest I not only learn more about them and how they learn, but I build more trust, acceptance, and love between us.;

While our continued input with a family is extremely useful; we begin by empowering parents so that they feel confident enough to draw on their sense of what is most effective for their childto resource their observations and connection with their own child.; After a Son-Rise program Training Course, parents not only have a wealth of knowledge and techniques to use to help heal their child, but they have also gained a new perspective that offers the opportunity for them to cope with and embrace their situation rather than feel fearful or angry.; This attitude shift alone brings the parents closer to the child and invites the child to interact, communicate and participate more in their surroundings.

Our way of working with special needs children is applicable to any disability. What we are doing is motivating the children in a very loving, passionate and enthusiastic way to actually change their brains, their physical bodies, etc. When we work with children we are incredibly compelling in our enthusiasm, and we completely accept whatever the child might want to do, and we engagingly request them to do more.

Our way of working with special needs children is applicable to any disability. One young boy came to us with a very physically disabling condition called Anterior Horn Cell. He was unable to walk and spent his days in a wheel chair.

He wasn't able to feed himself or assist with any of his own care. He was deteriorating rapidly according to the doctor. He was quite capable of conversation and was very intelligent. We tried to motivate him in all sorts of ways to move his body, but he always came back with "Oh I can't do that" - Oh no way I couldn't possibly do that!"

Then one of our staff members came up with a game - very specific that this young boy loved. This boy was given the role of a very special detective and he was on a mission to save the world. And what he had to do was to pick up this pin and get it into the door, open the door and that would disable the bomb and then he would save the world. The staff member was so enthusiastic and so exciting that he was able to motivate Abraham to pick up a pin, put it into the door and save the world. They did this over and over as Abraham dropped the pin, the staff member cheering "You almost did it!", come on Abraham, you can do it "Save the World". By the end of the week Abraham was getting himself into and out of his wheelchair in record time, brushing his teeth, and fixing all sorts of things with screwdrivers etc. So you see the programs are customized, but the key is our attitude and our ability to motivate the children.

We offer several different styles of programs each with varying levels of intensity and customization.; The program that we offer to families learning about the Son-Rise Program for the first time is called the Son-Rise Program Start-Up.; This is a dynamic, powerful and inspiring program that offers parents and professionals a chance to learn all of the fundamentals of the program including how to create the most supportive and effective learning environment for their child, how to choose a more loving and accepting attitude with their child and how to be even more creative and energized with their child.; We also present classes on easy and powerful techniques to help parents teach their children more language, more eye contact, longer attention span, self-help skills etc.

Once a family has attended our Start-Up Program, they can bring their child for a customized Son-Rise Program Intensive.; We work with only 2 families per week in our Intensives. During the week our trained staff work 8 hours per day in a specially designed playroom with your child while our teaching staff work with and instruct the parents.

After the week, many families return home to set up their own home-based program. These parents then train volunteers who work in their Son-Rise programs. We have seen parents create incredible programs involving up to 10 volunteers who all take part in creating the miracle of helping a child come to his/her full potential. These volunteers and parents convey to us over and over the joy they feel in working with a child with special needs, and how it has changed their life in some way - how it has helped them become more loving. less judgmental -(even of themselves) and how that has spilled over into their lives in a very profound way. These programs are not just helping the child but the adults involved are deeply touched by the experience.

I know that your group is mostly based on nutrition and we do definitely recommend that parents strongly consider testing for allergies, especially eliminating dairy and most sugars from the child's diet.; However, since we are not doctors nor dieticians , we are careful not to tread in areas for which we are not fully trained, eventhough we have tons of anecdotal evidence for diet as a source of healing for many of these children.

There is so much more that I would love to share with you about our program, but I know this isn't supposed to be too long just enough to tickle your brains and to stimulate some discussion.; In your questions to me, I would like to encourage all of us to use specifics and examples where possible so that we don't engage too much in theoretical philosophy type debate.; We work with hundreds of families each year.; I myself spend almost 80% of my weekly work time on the floor playing with these children or working with the families directly; so for us, although we have theories and concepts to teach; we are very grounded in applying all that we know and strive for daily.; I hope that this information can be meaningful and useful to each of you in some way Thank you for the opportunity to be a guest with you this week. For more information and resources check out our site at http://www.option.org/
With warm regards, Jonathan Alderson

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Son-Rise Program
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 14:03:00 EDT

I've long been impressed with the Kauffman's work and have written about it in Pure Facts, the newsletter of the Feingold Association. But I wanted to ask you not to be too intimidated by the concept of using nutrition to help these children. The heart of the Feingold Program is to eat FOOD not petroleum-based synthetic additives. It's just common sense, and has no down side to it.

For the children with autistic symptoms or extreme allergies, they may need to use rice milk and gluten-free baked goods, but even that is simply a different version of plain old good food.

Anyone can follow such a plan with a little bit of help. That's what we do.

Jane

Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 11:05:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
cc: mgold@holisticmed.com
Subject: ADD Son-Rise Program Questions

Jonathan,

Thank you for your detailed introductory post to the group! I have a few questions:

In general, how successful has the Son-Rise Program been in working with children with ADD? I know that whatever treatment techniques are used, no guarantees can be made. However, it would be helpful to get a sense of the kinds of improvements have been seen? Does the book, "Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues" contain ADD cases?
Do you work with adults with ADD? I wonder if it is much more difficult than helping children because most children have can have a strong support group (e.g., parents), but with adults, the support is not necessarily available.
You mentioned that the Son-Rise program visits the UK. What would it take to set up visits in other parts of the U.S.? Is it simply a matter of getting enough families interested and finding a location for the classes?

One thing that impresses me about the Son-Rise Program is the environment of loving and acceptance that can be created (or increased) in the child's life. With or without the health improvement, this seems to be an important benefit.

List Note: Here is the Amazon.com web page for "Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues" (web address broken into two lines):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915811618/o/qid=905352071/ sr=2-1/002-2786172-1958604

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 09:18:20 -0400
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Jonathan Alderson
Subject: Re: ADD Son-Rise Program Questions

Dear Mark, below are some answers and information , each answer following your original question.-- thank you for your questions!

At 11:05 AM 98-09-09 -0400, you wrote:
>Jonathan,
>
>Thank you for your detailed introductory post to the group! I have a few
>questions:
>
>1. In general, how successful has the Son-Rise Program been in working
> with children with ADD? I know that whatever treatment techniques
> are used, no guarantees can be made. However, it would be helpful to
> get a sense of the kinds of improvements have been seen?

since we work with each child in a specially designed palyroom - constructed to eliminate distractions (this helps the child to focus of course) , and to eliminate any circumstance in which the child might have to be stopped or controlled. For example, if I don't want my child to play with a sharp knife, then I won't put a sharp knife in the playroom. In this way, I control the environment to my child's favor in that I am able to let my child explore, learn and play in a "permissive" environment. For children with ADD, since they are often ditracted, not focused and into everything around them, their parents, teachers and supervisors will often have to stop the child (eg. from running out in the road, or from taking candy in a store, or to sit still in a desk) -- this constant physical manipulation and exerting control, going against the child we believe leads to less trust of the child toward adults, possibly avoidance of touch (we see this when for example when an adult holds out thier hand for the child and the child pulls away) . Since one of our main focuses is to establish a very strong relationship based on trust and acceptance so that we can then strongly request and encourange change in the child, we feel that the best place to do this is in a playroom as opposed to outside where I always have to say "no", stop and go against my child. This is very effective with ADD children. We see much more attention span, greater ability to focus, listening skills increase, and most importantly is eye contact which we go for very strongly.

> Does the book, "Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues" contain ADD cases?

No, but it does have 5 other amazing stories of children with similar challenges. We do work with many many ADD, ADHD children.

>2. Do you work with adults with ADD?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

>I wonder if it is much more
> difficult than helping children because most children
> have can have a strong support group (e.g., parents), but with
> adults, the support is not necessarily available.

True, howerver, since our program is focused on teaching parents/families or supporting professionals to set up programs , we usually only worked with families as a whole and not just individuals with ADD -- however, if an adult with ADD was motivated enough to look at themselves, the way they operate and to take time each day to do certain kinds of focused activity, then we could help.

>3. You mentioned that the Son-Rise program visits the UK. What would
> it take to set up visits in other parts of the U.S.? Is it simply
> a matter of getting enough families interested and finding a location
> for the classes?

We have just set up a new dept. within our Institute called our Son-Rise Program World Wide Services created to handle all of our off property Programs. We anticipat4e creating Start-Up programs throughout the U.S. in major cities over the next two years. We will continue to send out flyers announcing these programs to those on our mailing list. Yes, we usually require a minimum of 100 participants to run an off site Program as well as a local "sponsor" who helps to find a venue etc.

>One thing that impresses me about the Son-Rise Program is the environment
>of loving and acceptance that can be created (or increased) in the child's
>life. With or without the health improvement, this seems to be an
>important benefit.

Absolutely! We feel that this is perhaps the single most important factor in the work that we do. Combined with a good diet and awareness of allergies etc. the Son-Rise Program is very powerful. As a note, most children are much more open to trying new (health ) foods or special diets when the foods are presented in a fun, loving way without forcing or pushing the child...once again, the attitude is so important in determining the eventual actions that we all take.
Sincerely
Jonathan

Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 17:48:15 -0400
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Jonathan Alderson
Subject: Re: ADD The Son-Rise Program

Jane, thank you for your kind support and for making this tangible by writing about the Option Institute. Our timidity about speaking on nutrition is less about our conviction in the importance of nutrition and more about legal ramifications. Since our staff are not trained doctors or nutritionists, we are careful not to make specific recommendations unless these are solicited by the parents first. You'll be pleased to know that we have seen many many families use the Feingold diet who have had great success, especially when such diets are combined with a Son-Rise Program (We believe the perfect combination.) Good luck with all of your work!
Jonathan

From: YCaryl@aol.com
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 11:23:35 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: Re: ADD Son-Rise Program Questions

I can't think of any questions, but I do want to say how wonderful your program sounds for the lucky children -- and adults -- who come to you.

Caryl in Mpls.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD The Son-Rise Program
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 10:26:15 EDT

Thanks so much for your note and your kind words!

Jane

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 19:20:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi! I would like to introduce our next honored Visiting Expert, Dr. Phyllis J. Mullenix. But before I do so, I would like to thank Jonathan Alderson for the detailed and exciting information about the Son-Rise Program at the Option Institute http://www.option.org. Mr. Alderson took time out from an extremely busy schedule to visit the group. I hope you have had a chance to visit their web page and perhaps get on their mailing list. I believe that Mr. Alderson will check his email on Monday to respond to any final questions put to the list.

[Note: This bio was adapted from what was on the 'Net. If there are any inaccuracies, I hope Dr. Mullenix will correct them. :-)]

DR. PHYLLIS J. MULLENIX, Ph.D. is a pharmacologist and toxicologist by training. She graduated from the Truman State University (Zoology -- magna cum laude). Her Postdoctoral Training was as a Research Fellow, Environmental Medicine, The John Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore. In the 1980s, Dr. Mullenix was Head of the Toxicology Department at the Forsyth Dental Center, a world renowned dental research institution affiliated with the Harvard Medical School. She was invited to start Forsyth's Toxicology Department because of her expertise in neurotoxicology. She is presently a Research Associate in Psychiatry at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Mullenix's academic appointments, professional positions held, teaching experience, awards, honors and many published scientific research articles to her name are numerous.

The first test Dr. Mullenix was asked to perform at the Forsyth Dental Center was a test related to neurotoxicity of fluoride. The person who asked her to perform this test was Dr. Harold C. Hodge, one of the founders of the Society of Toxicology. Since that time, Dr. Mullenix has conducted additional research related to fluoride including one study which is about to be published. She is considered to be the world's foremost expert on the neurotoxicity of fluoride compounds.

Because of her expertise, Dr. Mullenix is very busy publishing research, presenting at conferences, and meeting a large number of other obligations. But she has generously offered to discuss the issue of pre-natal and post-natal fluoride neurotoxicity and its relationship to ADD/ADHD and other neurological conditions.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Mullenix to the ADD-Holistic list! Don't forget to post your questions after Dr. Mullenix' first post on Monday.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 10:26:16 EDT

Dr. Mullenix has taken on a formidable enemy in publishing her findings on fluroide. I applaud her courage!!!

Jane Hersey

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 17:41:32 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net, mgold@tiac.net, PJMTOX@aol.com
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

It was 1982 when fluoride was first brought to my attention as a substance in need of investigation. At that time, I was in the Departments of Psychiatry at Boston's Children's Hospital and Neuropathology at the Harvard Medical School. My studies focused on detection procedures for neurotoxicity, and they typically considered a variety of environmental and therapeutic agents, i.e., radiation, lead, amphetamine, phenytoin, nitrous oxide. Dr. John Hein, then Director of Forsyth's Dental Infirmary for Children in Boston, was interested in neurotoxicity studies and invited me to continue this research at Forsyth and to apply it to substances used in dentistry. Fluoride was prominent on his list.

Five years lapsed before our investigations of fluoride began. The delay was due to time spent on technological improvements, specifically development of a computer pattern recognition system for the objective quantification of behavior in an animal model. In early June of 1986, the Forsyth Dental Center was noted for this achievement in the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Herald, and applications of our research grew. The new technology enabled us to study the clinically recognized neurotoxicity associated with the treatment for childhood leukemia. Simultaneously, we started investigations of fluoride, the "safe and effective" treatment for dental caries.

Initially, the fluoride study sparked little interest, and in fact we were quite anxious to move on to something academically more exciting. Using an animal model developed for the study of dental fluorosis, we expected rats drinking fluoride-treated water would behave the same as matching controls. They did not. The scientific literature led us to believe that rats would easily tolerate 175 ppm fluoride in their drinking water. They did not. Reports in the literature indicated that fluoride would not cross the blood brain barrier. But it did. Prenatal exposure to fluoride was not supposed to permanently alter behavioral outcome. It did. Like walking into quicksand, our confidence that brain function was impervious to fluoride was sinking.

Our 1995 paper in Neurotoxicology and Teratology was the first laboratory study to demonstrate in vivo that central nervous system (CNS) function was vulnerable to fluoride, that the effects on behavior depended on the age at exposure and that fluoride accumulated in brain tissues. The behavioral changes common to weanling and adult exposures were different from those after prenatal exposure. Whereas prenatal exposure dispersed many behaviors as seen in drug-induced hyperactivity, weanling and adult exposures led to behavior- specific changes more related to cognitive deficits. Brain histology was not examined in this study, but we suggested that the effects on behavior were consistent with interrupted hippocampal development (a brain region generally linked with memory).

Establishing a threshold dose for effects on the CNS, in rats or humans, was not the intent of this initial investigation. Yet, one fact relevant to human exposure emerged quite clear. When rats consumed 75-125 ppm and humans 5-10 ppm fluoride in their respective drinking waters, the result was equivalent ranges of plasma fluoride levels. This range is observed with some treatments for osteoporosis, and it is exceeded ten times over, one hour after children receive topical applications of some dental fluoride gels. Thus, humans are being exposed to levels of fluoride we know alters behavior in rats.

We concluded that the rat study flagged potential for motor dysfunction, IQ deficits and/or learning disabilities in humans. Confident as we were, the data were only one piece of the puzzle, the overall picture was still emerging. Soon thereafter we learned of two epidemiological studies (Fluoride, 1995-1996) from China showing IQ deficits in children over-exposed to fluoride via drinking water or soot from burning coal. A recent review (International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 1994) listed case reports of CNS effects in humans excessively exposed to fluoride, information that spans almost 60 years. A common theme appeared in the reported effects: impaired memory and concentration, lethargy, headache, depression and confusion. The same theme was echoed in once classified reports about workers from the Manhatten Project. In all, our rat data seem to fit a consistent picture.

Information linking fluoride and CNS dysfunction continues in 1998.

A recent study in Brain Research demonstrated that chronic exposure to fluoride in drinking water of rats compromised neuronal (hippocampal) and cerebrovascular integrity (blood brain barrier) and increased aluminum concentrations in brain tissues.
Masters and Coplan have reported (International Journal of Environmental Studies, in press) that silicofluorides in fluoridated drinking water increased levels of lead in children's blood, a risk factor that predicts higher crime rates, ADD and learning disabilities.
Luke at the International Society for Fluoride Research (ISFR) meeting in August reported that fluoride accumulated in the human pineal gland, as much or more so than in bones and teeth, and the pineal gland's melatonin biosynthesis pathway is affected by fluoride.
Also at the ISFR meeting, I reported that the fluorinated steroid (dexamethasone) disrupts behavior in rats to a greater degree than does the nonfluorinated steroid (prednisolone). This finding matched results just completed in a study of children receiving steroids as a part of their treatment for childhood leukemia. Dexamethasone, compared to prednisolone, further reduced IQ, specifically impairing reading comprehension, arithmetic calculation and short-term working memory.

Exposure to fluoride goes well beyond that in our drinking water, toothpastes and mouth rinses. Fluoridation of water dictates that it is in food and processed beverages. Pesticides such as cryolite also increase fluoride content of foods. The trend toward fluorinating pharmaceuticals increases fluoride exposure via medication. Fluoride, in various compounds, plays a heavy role in occupational exposures and for people living in close proximity to industry, i.e., aluminum, steel, brick, glass, petroleum, etc. With exposure so common, we can no longer afford to ignore potential CNS consequences of fluoride.

I would be happy to answer questions about any of the above material.

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 15:48:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Dr. Mullenix,

Thank you very much for providing an overview of the neurotoxicity of fluoride! The new research was especially interesting. I would like to ask a couple of questions that would clarify things for me and perhaps for the group as well. I hope these questions aren't too long-winded. :-)

If I understand correctly, the findings in your original study are equivalent to humans receiving water fluoride ion (F-) concentration of 5-10 parts per million (ppm) (based on equivalent blood levels).

I heard that in the following experiment which you described:
- A recent study in Brain Research demonstrated that chronic exposure to fluoride in drinking water of rats compromised neuronal (hippocampal) and cerebrovascular integrity (blood brain barrier) and increased aluminum concentrations in brain tissues.
the rats were given water with a fluoride ion concentration of 1 part per million (ppm). (2.2 ppm of NaF = 1 ppm F-) Is that correct? It does seem like quite a low dose in animal studies -- i.e., they gave the animals the same water F- concentration as received by humans. Or was it the "equivalent dose" that was 1 ppm after adjusting for differences in the way rats and humans concentrate fluoride in the blood?
I know that there are a number of double-blind experiments showing that fluoridated water can cause headaches, tiredness, visual disturbances, joint pain, etc. I have also seen fluoride reactions mentioned clinically by Dr. Doris Rapp and other. Dr. Michael Schacter has said in part:
Are these neurological reactions another sign that fluoride is crossing the blood brain barrier? If this is the case and if some children improve being after completely removing fluoride, could it be the case that the effects of post-natal exposure (or at least some of the effects) are reversible? Or is this just a case of the above-mentioned symptoms being acute sensitivities while your research is looking more at long-term, silent neurotoxicity.
Given that fluoride is in so many things: tap water, food prepared with tap water, foods grown with pesticides that have fluoride, occupational exposure, etc. it may be difficult to remove fluoride exposure completely. Do you have any suggestions for practical steps that can be taken to reduce exposure? Also, are there particular nutrients that are helpful in reducing toxicity?

As an aside, I found the following quite interesting:

> 3) Luke at the International Society for Fluoride Research (ISFR)
> meeting in August reported that fluoride accumulated in the human
> pineal gland, as much or more so than in bones and teeth, and the
> pineal gland's melatonin biosynthesis pathway is affected by fluoride.

I once wondered if the large increase in fibromylagia cases might be due, at least in part, to medium- or long-term fluoride exposure. A couple of years ago, I saw a statement by a physician/researcher about the buildup of apatite crystal in cases of fibromylagia:

This reminded me of the New Zealand studies showing a connection between fluoride and repetative stress injury and the buildup of apatite crystals. New Zealand Medical Journal, 98:556-557, 1985 and New Zealand Medical Journal, 28 August, 1985, page 710.

However, fibromyalgia cases often involve sleep disorders as well. That is why your mention of the fluoride affecting the melatonin biosynthesis pathway is interesting. Of course, I'm just speculating, but I do wonder if long-term fluoride exposure might be a significant contribuatory factor in the development of fibromyalgia. Hmmm. :-)

Sorry for sidetracking from ADD....

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:54:19 -0500
To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: "Russell Blaylock, M.D."
Subject: ADD fluoride

Dr. Mullenix,

I found your statement on the neurotoxicity of fluoride quite interesting. This is an area that I have intended to explore in my studies on neurotoxicity. Your observation that humans obtain blood levels comparable to those of rats when humans consume much smaller fluoride doses, is comparable to what we see with glutamate consumption. Humans absorb glutamate at a rate 5 fold that of mice and 20 fold that of non-human primates.

As for your observation that earlier reports indicated that fluoride did not pass through the BBB, also reflects the early statements about both glutamate and magnesium. It is now recognized that many substances that will not pass the BBB with acute exposures will on chronic exposure. In fact, glutamate actually concentrates in the brain with chronic exposure. Magnesium passes through the BBB slowly in a gradient fashion. I was wondering if you had any evidence that the brain accumulated fluoride with chronic exposure. Also, I would like to know if there have been any studies demonstrating the mechanism of action of fluoride on the neuron or glia cell? Is it a direct toxin or indirect? Your observation that fluoride stimulates the absorption of aluminum is critical, since aluminum plays a vital part in iron generated hydroxyl ion generation in the presence of the superoxide ion, and especially in the presence of beta amyloid. That would connect fluoride to excitotoxicity.

Are you aware of any studies that have demonstrated a protective role for magnesium in fluoride toxicity, since magnesium competes with aluminum for normal albumin carriers of magnesium past the BBB? Alpha lipoic acid may also be a candidate for neuroprotection, since it can protect against other metal poisoning, such as with arsenic.

Are you aware of commercial water filters that can remove fluoride from drinking water? I know the Brita filters do not. I was not aware of the presence of fluoride in dexamethasone. Unfortunately, it is the most common steroid used in neurosurgery for a variety of conditions, brain tumors, trauma, radiation necrosis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, etc. This could be especially damaging in pediatric neurosurgical cases. Is fluoride present in medrol?

I would appreciate it if you could send me your published papers on this subject.

Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:28:15 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD fluoride

In a message dated 98-09-16 11:54:13 EDT, you write:

<< Are you aware of commercial water filters that can remove fluoride from drinking water? >>

This would be interesting to know as well , even most bottled waters are extracted from tap waters (city treated water ) then purified (if that ) with carbon or reverse osmosis filters ........here in Hawaii they do not floridate the water , and it has no trace floride in it .....the pediatricians all prescribe floride to the infants that have teeth ... i personally use a filter on my water system .. but i am not aware of its ability to remove any flouride ... i do know that it has a list of impurities and Or/ inorganic carcinagins that it removes according to NSF Standard 53.... as well as leaving in the beneficial minerals ..... since Flouride is naturaly occuring in the water as well , do you think that it will pass through any filter like minerals do ?

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 15:43:25 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Hi Mark,
Thank you for the questions and interest in our work. The following are responses to your questions.

You have the dose for the Brain Research paper correct. It was essentially 1 ppm fluoride in the drinking water for 52 weeks (not an equivalent dose). This was indeed a very low dose, but one close (or even lower) to that consumed by humans. Note that our study in rats included higher doses, but for shorter periods of time (6 or 20 weeks duration). We realized at the time that the duration of exposure was just as critical as the dose. We proposed studies looking at much lower doses with longer durations, but that was where our research was cut off. Hmmm, indeed.
There is no question that fluoride crosses the blood brain barrier, and it is also likely that some neurological effects can be reversed. The key variables to reversibility may involve: 1) the age at exposure- the earlier in brain development when exposed, the more likely changes will not be reversible. 2) the dose and duration of exposure. There are more than one mechanism by which fluoride could be causing problems for the brain. Repeated peak exposures to fluoride for a short duration of time may be a problem if the peaks occur during critical periods of brain development. The mechanism to be suspicious of here is fluoride's ability to interfere with the G2 phase of the cell cycle. In other words, it can interfere with brain development the same way that x-irradiation does. In contrast, low steady doses of long duration can still be a problem for the brain, even if the brain is well developed. However, the mechanism to be suspicious of here is the accumulation of fluoride. This situation is more likely to be reversible, but the problem is stopping the exposure to allow the body time to rid itself of the deposits so that the brain can recoup. Remember, there are major storage sites for fluoride in the body (bones, teeth and the pineal gland). Every time bones remodel, they kick out fluoride which can then be recirculated and go back into other soft tissues, including the brain. Ridding the body of fluoride can take years, even if you accomplished the difficult task of stopping all sources of fluoride exposure.
There are ways to restrict fluoride exposure:
- drink distilled water or bottled water with known low fluoride content (i.e., Evian)
- avoid drinking processed beverages made with fluoridated water- colas, etc.
- avoid drinking tea
- avoid foods sprayed with cryolite- used often on potatoes (outer peel may have as much as 20 ppm fluoride)
- avoid foods that labs have confirmed as being high in fluoride- some cereals (fruit loops, wheaties), vegetables grown next to industries- spinach, celery
- whenever possible, switch from fluorinated to nonfluorinated medications. Besides steroids, antibiotics, anesthetics (methoxyflurane) and antidepressants (prosac and paxil) contain fluorine in chemical structure. When metabolized, they may contribute to fluoride levels in blood.
- get plenty of calcium in diet (magnesium can help some too).
The link of fluoride with fibromyalgia has not been explored in any depth. The new data showing fluoride's impact on melatonin biosynthesis, and the high concentrations in the human pineal gland, should be a real eye opener for many. I am ill at ease with this enzyme poison (fluoride) being that close to the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis functions in the body. Research is needed immediately, but will it happen for this politically sensitive subject?

I'm sorry if these answers are long, but there is much to say and learn.

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 16:57:13 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.
In a message dated 98-09-17 16:14:19 EDT, you write:

> 3) There are ways to restrict fluoride exposure:
> a) drink distilled water or bottled water with known low fluoride
> content (i.e., Evian)
>
> c) avoid drinking tea >>

question about "A":are there any water filters that remove Flouride ? i have researched and found that distillers do but they are expensive. please enlighten on this

question about "C" avoid drinking TEA ? why is that ? i am confused on this statement ... i drink a several different varieties of Green Tea from tea bags ....perhaps you are referring to ready made teas that come in a can or a glass bottle that could have been made with flouridated water ?

Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 17:21:42 -0500
From: Randy Fields
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

I have heard that one of the reasons China doesn't fluoridate its water supply, in general, is because so many Chinese drink green tea daily. I suppose this means that green tea is quite a source for fluoride! One other thought on China, though: many of the Chinese have permanently discolored and/or malformed teeth, not due to lack of fluoride, but due to the abundant use of tetracycline as an antibiotic.

Randy Fields

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 18:59:35 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

> I have heard that one of the reasons China doesn't fluoridate its water supply,
> in general, is because so many Chinese drink green tea daily. I suppose this
> means that green tea is quite a source for fluoride!

I dont know , but it sure raises my curiosity on the issue of tea and Fluoride , anyone else have any info onb Fluoride , and Tea or green tea ?
Aloha
Frank

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 19:07:20 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Hmmm, after doing a search for studies on green tea and fluoride , i came up with many , here is one of interest , Notice the PPM Title
[Fluoride contents in tea and Sakura-shrimp in relation to other inorganic constituents]
Author
Asanami S; Tanabe Y; Koga H; Takaesu Y
Source
Shikwa Gakuho, 89(8):1407-12 1989 Aug
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the fluoride contents of shrimp and of tea samples obtained from Shizuoka prefecture which is famous for tea products area and fishery market and to examine the relations between fluoride and other mineral contents, such as calcium, magunesium and phosphorus. Fluoride contents in tea produced in this area have been reported by Matsuura and Kokubu and other investigators, but more recent data are scarce. Samples were taken from a kind of shrimp known as Sakura-shrimp and from 4 kinds of commercial tea (coarse tea, 2 kinds of green tea and refined green tea). After having been dried and powdered, 1g of each sample was reduced to ashes at 550 degrees C for 10 hours with Ca(OH)2 as a fluoride fixative. Fluoride was distilled from each ash sample at about 140 degrees C with HClO4, and about 200 ml of distillate was collected from each sample. Fluoride contents were determined by means of ion-specific electrode. Calcium and magnesium contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and phosphorus contents were determined by Chen, Toribara and Warner's method. Total fluoride contents of the samples were as follows: 61.73ppm in shrimp, 180.16ppm in coarse tea, 72.62ppm and 89.02ppm in the 2 kinds of green tea, and 71.11ppm in refined green tea. More than 99% of the total fluoride was obtained from 150ml distillate of each sample. Calcium contents were extremely high in shrimp (21,822ppm) and 2,106-2,693ppm in tea samples. Magnesium contents were highest in shrimp (3,088ppm) and lowest in coarse tea (1,333ppm).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 19:09:41 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Title
Studies on the leaching of fluoride in tea infusions.
Author
Gulati P; Singh V; Gupta MK; Vaidya V; Dass S; Prakash S
Address
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, India.
Sci Total Environ; VOL 138, ISS 1-3, 1993, P213-21
Secondary Source ID
TOXBIB/94/082260;
Abstract
In order to assess the levels of fluoride ingestion through intake of tea, studies were conducted with four different brands of tea leaves commonly available in the Indian market. Four most prevalent methods for the preparation of tea with various contact times (2,4,6,8 and 10 min) of tea leaves with water show that: (a) leaching of fluoride is least in case of leaf tea as compared to powdered tea (F levels increasing with decreasing grain size); (b) leaching of fluoride reaches a maximum after a contact of about 6 min; (c) there is no difference between levels of fluoride with or without addition of milk in the English style where tea leaves are not boiled, while for the Indian style, addition of milk and subsequent boiling resulted in reduction of fluoride levels and (d) ingestion of fluoride per cup of tea ranged from 1.55 mg/l to 3.21 mg/l amounting to an intake per day per person of fluoride between 0.3 to 1.9 mg.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 19:27:52 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

> 61.73ppm in shrimp, 180.16ppm in coarse tea, 72.62ppm
> and 89.02ppm in the 2 kinds of green tea, and 71.11ppm in refined green
> tea. More than 99% of the total fluoride was obtained from 150ml
> distillate of each sample.

This seems really High , wow , guess i am gonna not drink tea anymore .....(SIGH)

Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 17:51:52 -0700
From: Thomas Hobson
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Just one question about this floride element. Is the floride in tea and shrimp of the same nature as what is found or put into drinking water? Is one natural, organic and safe and the other chemical, inorganic and harmful?
Tom

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 20:32:04 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Regarding the different forms of fluoride:
Water treatment usually consists of fluosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride. Such silicofluorides are the form of fluoridation that is being seriously questioned now for increasing lead levels in children. Most fluoridation systems in the US use this form of fluoride. It's the cheapest. Some use sodium fluoride instead, but not many.

"Natural" forms of fluoride usually mean calcium fluoride. Calcium fluoride doesn't dissolve as readily as say sodium fluoride, and therefore it usually takes a higher dose to cause health effects. Inhaled fluoride can be in the form of fluorine (very rare) or hydrogen fluoride (which reacts with water to form hydrofluoric acid). Caution, if the fluoride ion gets into the body, regardless of what the source, it produces the same effects because the body does not distinguish between them. A fluoride ion is always a fluoride ion. Don't be fooled by the label of "natural" versus "artificial".

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 21:40:20 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

For more information about the content of fluoride in tea, and other foods as well, read the Journal of AOAC International, vol 78, no. 4, 1995. "Survey of lead, cadmium, fluoride, nickel, and cobalt in food composites and estimation of dietary intakes of these elements by Canadians in 1986-1988." On page 899 it states: "Individual samples with the highest fluoride levels were cooked veal (1230 ng/g), canned fish (4,570 ng/g), shellfish (3,360 ng/g), cooked wheat cereal (1020 ng/g), and tea (4,970 ng/g) (Table 2)." For fluoride amounts in fruit juices, check out The Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, vol. 16, no. 1, 1991. White grape juice by Gerber contains 6.8 ppm fluoride, the juice with the highest fluoride content.

From: FJBCIII@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 21:46:31 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

<< ng/g) >>

what is that NANO grams ?

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 22:46:55 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD fluoride

Dr. Blaylock,
Our rat studies demonstrated that subchronic exposures (6-20 weeks exposure in drinking water), definitely allowed brain accumulation of fluoride. One prior study (from a different lab) concluded that fluoride did not pass the bbb to any appreciable degree, because they gave an injection of fluoride iv, then measured brain levels one hour later. It was inappropriate to conclude from such an acute exposure what fluoride would do in the chronic situation. The fluoride case sounds very much like the glutamate situation.

In regard to mechanisms, I am afraid I can only give possibilities worth studying. For example:

fluoride appears to inhibit the G2 phase of the cell cycle. For the developing brain this means problems for cell proliferation, cell differentiation and antimetabolite properties.
fluoride increases cAMP, and interacts with Ca, Mg and Al
fluoride has anticholinesterase activity
fluorine (as the fluorine in dexamethasone) has "enhancing activity" which may mean greater penetration into the brain.

In all, mechanisms are still a mystery.

With regard to magnesium, magnesium has been reported to increase the threshold at which fluoride toxicity begins. How well this works for neurotoxicity protection is not well defined.

I am not familiar with commercial water filters that remove fluoride. Only reverse osmosis or distillation works as far as I know.

The news about dexamethasone is disturbing. In leukemia it is preferred more often now because of better penetration into the brain and it adds to cancer killing efficacy. This efficacy needs balance with toxicity studies, however. In terms of chemical structure of dexamethasone, fluorine is added in the 9 a position of ring B. The fluoride is created by metabolism, which is known to occur in rats. No study has checked whether chronic treatment with dexamethasone increases plasma fluoride levels in humans. This must be done since the impact on behavior is greater than the nonfluorinated prednisolone. Medrol, I believe is not fluorinated.

The dexamethasone work in animals and children has only recently been completed. When it is in published form, I would be happy to send it to you.

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 23:13:44 EDT
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Yes, ng/g refers to nanograms per gram (10 to -9 power)

Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:48:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert-Fluoride

Dr. Mullenix,

Thank you very much for the detailed responses and the references! I have a couple of followup questions, one simple one and one a bit more complex (at least for me!).

I assume that 4,970 ng/g for tea is 4.97 parts per million (ppm) or nearly five times the concentration of the fluoride ion found in most artificially fluoridated water (i.e., 1 ppm)?
I have a question related to naturally-occuring levels of fluoride ions in water and some food products. I hope this doesn't confuse things, but this question comes up alot.

It is my understanding that fluoride ion concentration in most unfluoridated water in the US is far below 1 ppm, but that there often is some naturally-occuring fluoride. I believe that the most common source is calcium fluoride (CaF2). There is also a significant level of calcium ions and magnesium ions in most water. (In fact, some of the calcium ion would come from the breakdown of CaF2.)

I believe that it is known that calcium and magnesium ingestion reduce acute toxicity (i.e., poisoning from fluoride). But my questions related to chronic toxicity, including neurotoxicity:
- Would the temporary increase in blood levels of calcium or magnesium from water reduce the effects of the relatively small amounts of fluoride found in most *unfluoridated water*? Perhaps these ions bond with the fluoride ion allowing for quick elimination via the urine? Thus, one would assume that fluoridated water with low calcium and magnesium levels (e.g., soft water) would be even a greater potential danger?
- Is it correct to assume that blood levels of calcium and magnesium are important to reduce chronic toxicity? I believe this has been seen in India? I know that many children on this list may be sensitive to dairy, but this might speak to the importance of having at least some adequate intake of these nutrients.
- I have heard that fluoride intake can increase the likelihood of calcium and magnesium deficiencies. Is that the case?
Are there any special concerns a person should have about well water?

Thanks!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 11:21:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Fluoride & Water Resources

Hi!

I want to thank Dr. Mullenix for up-to-date details about fluoride neurotoxicity and how it might relate to ADD and other behavioral disorders. It is possible that she may get a chance to answer the last couple of questions I posted.

What follows are some resources that may prove helpful to those who want to avoid fluoride neurotoxicity:

Here are my recommendations for water alternatives and other alternatives:

http://www.holisticmed.com/fluoride/fluoride.alt

Please note that there are some updates. Since I wrote this page several years ago, FDA rules have gone into effect (at the request of the American Bottled Water Association) to define terms used on bottled water. If they use the term "Spring Water" on the bottle, it has to be spring water or they are breaking government regulations. If alot of flowery imagery is used to describe the water (e.g., Mountain fresh water, etc.) but no term, "Spring Water," then it is not spring water and may be filtered tap water with a relatively high fluoride content.
I'm not sure if the resource listed on the page still carries a reverse osmosis filter. I know that they are becoming more popular. One thing to keep in mind about a reverse osmosis filter is that it does not remove chloramine from the water which is used by some municipalities (e.g., San Francisco, I believe).
If you are concerned about preventing dental disease, the Oramedics program is excellent when used without the fluoride. It requires just the purchase of a book (not from me). Please see:

http://www.holisticmed.com/dental/prevent.html

Hope this helps.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

From: PJMTOX@aol.com
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 13:29:07 EDT
To: mgold@tiac.net, add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Re: Fluoride Question

Dear Mark,

The levels of fluoride in tea that I was referring to are 4.97 ppm, about 5 times the level of artificial fluoridation.
Your comments regarding Ca and Mg are correct:

Ca and Mg levels of water are important. For example, Ca can bind fluoride and reduce the amount of fluoride absorbed in the gut in the first place. Fluoridated water with low Ca and Mg can make a bad situation even worse. Deficiencies in Ca and Mg have frequently been reported in the literature to reduce the threshold at which fluoride toxicity will occur. Dietary intake of Ca definitely should not be ignored.
Often well water contains low levels of fluoride, but not always. It's best to have the level confirmed. Even the "natural" fluoride can cause toxicity if enough is consumed over a long period of time.

Thanks for having me as a guest with the ADD group. Your efforts to provide information about this perplexing problem are critical. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 00:03:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Introduction of Visiting Expert!

Hi!

I would like to introduce our next honored Visiting Expert, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, the developer of the Namudripad Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET).

I first heard about NAET a couple of years ago from a feature article in Alternative Medicine Digest. Since that time, I have read numerous cases from people on Internet groups which describe full recovery from or significant improvement to allergies, asthma, ADD, other chronic immune system disorders. I know that some well-known practitioners who treat ADD regularly refer patients to NAET practitioners. So I am very excited that Dr. Namudripad can visit and share her expertise!

Below is a description of the history of NAET from Dr. Nambudripad's web page: http://www.naet.com/. This will also serve as Dr. Nambudripad's bio. Tomorrow, I will send the initial email to the group related to NAET.

NAET was developed by, a California acupuncturist, chiropractor, kinesiologist and a registered nurse, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad in an attempt to relieve herself of severe allergic symptoms suffered since her birth in Kerala, South India.

While working on her Ph.D. at Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, she observed that people presenting allergic symptoms often responded favorably to acupuncture or acupressure treatment. After recognition of the systemic relationship between contact with an allergen and the resulting neuro-physiological effects produced in the body, she began to discover the key to the mystery of how the brain may be reprogrammed in its response to what it once took to be harmful or toxic.

Her own experience and personal interest led her to develop the method later referred to collectively as NAET and to specialize exclusively in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. She has trained over thousand medical practitioners from all over the world (chiropractors, acupuncturists, allopathic medical doctors, dentists, doctors of osteopathy, doctors of veterinary medicine are some among the group). To date, thousands of patients have been successfully treated, with permanent and amazing results.

Various studies to prove the effectiveness of NAET are underway.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Namudripad to the ADD-Holistic mailing list! [Clap, clap, clap!]

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@holisticmed.com
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 12:33:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: mgold@tiac.net
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Dr. Devi Nambudripad

Hi!

I hope you received the introduction of our honored Visiting Expert, Dr. Devi Nambudripad, the developer of the Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET). If you missed the introduction, you can see it on the following web page: http://www.egroups.com/list/add-holistic/989.html

I have received email from people who have used this treatment modality to successfully treat ADD/ADHD. Dr. Nambudripad has a good deal of experience treating ADD and an understandable interest in the issue as she used NAET to cure her son's ADHD.

What will follow is the initial post split into two parts. It is an article that Dr. Nambudripad put together for our group based on sections from her upcoming book on ADD/ADHD entitled, "Say Goodbye To ADD and ADHD."

SAY GOODBYE TO ADD AND ADHD

Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, D.C., L.Ac., R.N., O.M.D., Ph. D Web-site: http://www.allergy-naet.com/ e-mail: naet@earthlink.net

More than one million American children take Ritalin regularly to help them with Attention Deficit Disorder, an increase of two and a half times since 1990. Do we have a miracle cure or over-medicated kids? (Newsweek, March 18, 1996, cover story) �ADHD has become America's number 1 childhood psychiatric disorder.

What is ADHD? And where did it pop up all of a sudden? Is it another 21st Century illness?

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD, also known as ADD is not a new disease. In fact it is not a disease at all. ADD is a neurologically or neuro-biologically-based environmentally dependent, developmental disability, estimated to affect between 3-5 percent of the school age population (Professional group for Attention Deficit Disorders, 1991).

References to attention deficit disorders like symptoms have been found in the medical literature for almost 100 years. In fact, this syndrome is one of the most thoroughly researched of all childhood disorders. According to scientific experts ADD is a disability that can cause serious lifelong problems if it is left untreated.

In recent times, ADD is officially called Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). But to most people the name ADD still remains a familiar term.

According to the traditional medical researchers, the actual cause of ADHD is not known. Scientific evidence suggests that the disorder is genetically transmitted in many cases and results from a chemical imbalance or deficiency in certain neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that help the brain regulate behavior. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health showed that the rate at which the brain uses glucose ( its main energy source), is lower in subjects with ADHD than in subjects without ADHD (Zametkin et al. 1990).

What are the signs of ADHD?

Professionals who diagnose ADHD use the diagnostic criteria set forth by the American Psychiatric Association (1994) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The fourth edition of this manual, known as the DSM-1V, was released in May 1994.

According to DSM-1V the most obvious signs associated with this disorder are inattentiveness (short attention span, failure to listen, failure to follow instructions, inability to finish projects, and inability to stay focused), impulsivity (act before thinking, answer before completely listening to the question, etc.), and hyperactivity (excessive activity, fidgets, doesn't stay in seat, runs, climbs, moving back and forth all the time, etc.). One can have any one of these symptoms alone or in combination with two or more or all of the above.

In addition to these problems, depending on the child's age and developmental stage, parents and teachers may see temper tantrums, frustration, anger, bossiness, difficulty in following rules, disorganization, social rejection, low-self esteem, poor academic achievement, and inadequate self-application.

A proper diagnostic evaluation by NAET includes the following:

A thorough medical and family history, pre-natal history of the mother (if she suffered from any strange disease or emotional trauma during pregnancy, etc.), emotional, social and environmental history like parental divorce, child abuse, death of a loved one, environmental or residential disruption, a new comer in the family, arrival of a new sibling;
Behavior ratings completed by parents and teachers;
A physical examination (vital signs, growth pattern, etc.);
List of commonly eaten food and drinks, any special addictions to toys, blanket, furniture,etc.
Muscle Response Testing for possible allergens;
A computerized non-invasive testing for possible allergens. Treatment Through Traditional Approach:

Traditional medical approach for such conditions are :

Behavior modification;
Educational modification;
Psychological counseling; and
Pharmaceutical drugs.

Medication has proven effective for many children with ADHD. In most cases, the Cental nervous system stimulants are used. They are believed to stimulate the action of the brain's neurotransmitters, which enables the brain to regulate attention, impulse and behavior. Short acting stimulants like Dexedrine or Ritalin (methylphenidate) are commonly used. Ritalin has been used successfully in the treatment of ADHD for several decades. It has been found helpful in alleviating the symptoms in children and adults who take the medication. In some cases where stimulants are not suitable anti-depressant medications are used. Since the drug can help to reduce or control most of the symptoms the child then continue to live by learning and working, etc. It is okay to use the drugs if it is necessary, to help the child to function in this world. It is better than letting the child waste his life away. But it is very important to check the allergy to the medication before administering it. If the child is allergic to the drug, it is not going to give any expected result. . In some children, where they have an allergy to drugs, their condition could get worse by using these drugs. They may become hyper, violent, irritable beyond control, or may produce unpleasant side effects like itching, hives, eczema, indigestion, bowel and bladder incontinence, etc. In such cases, medication should be stopped immediately and should not be used until the allergy is removed. Now we have NAET. You can look up the web-site allergy naet.com to find a NAET practitioner near you. He/she will be able to remove the allergy to the drugs in a short period of time.

Some children may out-grow these symptoms and lead a normal life in their adulthood without the use of drugs. Some others may need to continue the use of drugs and increase the dosage steadily to get the desired effect and continue the usage even through their adulthood, middle age and old age.

But one of the problems with the use of medication is that it is too often given too quickly without investigating other ways to help a child with ADHD. Certain schools make it mandatory that parents give Ritalin in order for the ADD child to continue receiving an education. Doctors readily prescribe this magic pill. And for some, it seems to work. Perhaps �easier� than altering the life style by behavior modification, changing the diet, and tracking down the actual cause of the problem for the individual child to avoid or eliminate them.

Even though, we are using thoroughly researched pharmaceutical drugs, drugs are chemical compounds and can have allergy and few side effects in certain individuals. The allergic reactions and side effects have created constant fear in some people against using drugs. More and more people are becoming conscious against using chemically produced drugs and moving towards using products made by natural means. Long term use of chemicals can destroy our body's garbage disposal --the Liver -- to go weak; sometimes, damage beyond reversal!.

Alternative Treatments and therapies

Because of the experience of adverse drug reactions, more and more practitioners and consumers are looking for natural means to control this disorder. Out of necessity, many alternative therapies have been invented. Now, there are many alternative therapies available for ADHD today that produce inner calmness and serenity in the victims without using chemically produced drugs. These commonly practiced alternative therapies include: behavior modification in conjunction with vitamin-mineral therapy, amino- acid therapy, various detoxification programs to remove toxins and parasites, herbal supplementation, biofeedback, living in a chemical-free environment, diet management by removing sugar, corn, gluten, milk , dairy products, yeast, food additives, and carbonated water from the diet entirely, providing regular chiropractic treatments, acupuncture treatments, regular therapeutic massages, saunas, encouraging Yoga and meditation practices, magnetic therapy, engaging in regular sports and exercises programs, etc.

What is NAET?

Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques or NAET for short is an innovative, completely natural and a drugless treatment method for regaining perfect health by achieving freedom from allergies and diseases arising from allergies. It is a holistic, non-invasive treatment used in eliminating food, chemical, environmental and emotional allergies permanently. NAET is developed for diagnosis and elimination of allergies of all types. The best part of medical knowledge from various medical fields are combined in developing this new technique.

We now know that most of the causes of common illnesses including ADD and ADHD are in fact, undiagnosed allergies. Which when left untreated can become serious health problems. An allergy is an over-reaction of the immune system. In NAET, allergies are viewed from a holistic perspective, based on Oriental Medical principles. An allergy is a condition of unusual sensitivity of one person to one or more substances that may be harmless to the majority of individuals. In the allergic person, the allergen is viewed by the brain as a threat to the body's well-being. So, an allergy is defined in terms of what a substance does to the energy flow in the body.

When the body, or magnetic field of the body makes a contact with an allergen, it causes blockages in the energy pathways called meridians, or, we can say, it disrupts the normal flow of energy through the body's electrical circuits. This energy blockage causes interference in communication between the brain and body via the nervous system. The obstructed energy flow is the first step in a chain of events which can develop into an allergic response. An allergic reaction is the result of continuous energy imbalances in the body, leading to a diminished state of health in one or more organ system or a disease.

The energy pathways travelling back and forth from brain to Heart, Spleen, and Liver meridians are affected in ADHD cases. NAET uses Muscle Response Testing (MRT) to test the allergens and to detect the blockages in the meridians.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR ADHD USING NAET ?

The NAET treatment involves three steps:

Step - 1
Isolate the offending allergen using NTT (Nambudripad's Testing Techniques: Muscle response testing, and/or non-invasive skin resistant testing, also encourages the use of standardized laboratory testing like RAST, Eliza act etc.);

Step-2
Mild acupressure on specific pre-determined acupuncture points by the practitioner on the specific meridians;

Step-3
Complete avoidance of the treated allergen for 25 hours following the treatment.

After 25 hours practitioner needs to retest the treated allergen for the completeness of the treatment. In most cases it takes one treatment (one office visit) to eliminate the allergy if the treatment is administered properly, and 25 hour - avoidance is followed. In some extreme cases it may take more than one office visit per item.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Avoiding the allergens are not always easy or exciting. The most effective treatment option for allergies until now has been complete avoidance of the offending allergens. This can be difficult and in some cases impossible. Can you imagine eating a strict diet for months after months and years after years, especially if that diet contains no egg, soy, fruits, vegetables, wheat, corn, rice, sugar, fats, hamburgers, French fries, ice cream, milk, butter, oils, gluten, MSG, spices, whiten-all, food additives, food colorings, etc.? That's where NAET comes in. NAET will accommodate to the 21st Century lifestyle. It doesn't mean that one should eat all junk foods available after completing NAET treatments. NAET can remove the adverse effect of any allergic food in the body including all the above listed food products, and create a homeostasis in the body in the present of the offending allergen (without avoiding for life). During the NAET treatment, your brain will create a new friendly memory towards the allergen and will imprint and store in the memory bank. During the process, the old memory about the allergen's adverse effect is erased or forgotten. After completion of the NAET treatment, the allergen becomes non-allergen and an irritant becomes non- irritant to your energy field and the body will learn to relax naturally in the presence of the new friendly substance. When the brain is not frightened about the contact with the new harmless substance (previously an allergen), natural calmness comforts the brain and body. Thus the attention deficit and hyperactive symptoms will disappear. The child can relax and listen to others once again without being frightened or bothered by the irritation that particular irritant produced once. Now the calm nervous system will co- operate with the child and allow him to relax without the help of CNS stimulant or depressant. If they continue to maintain an allergy-free body and live in a suitable environment, they can say goodbye to ADHD for ever.

It sounds like a magic or too good to be true, Isn't it?

It is easier than many other treatments available now. But nothing comes that easy. You have to work hard to find your allergens and/ or find a doctor who is NAET practitioner. Please read the book "Say Goodbye To Illness", by the author. This book will help you to find your child's allergens. Please visit our web-site to locate a NAET practitioners near you.

COMMONLY SEEN ALLERGENS IN ADHD

Listed according to the importance to the body:

Animal protein (egg white, egg yolk, chicken, tetracycline);
Milk group and calcium group (breast milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, and calcium);
Vitamin C group (fruits, vegetables, vinegar)
B-complex vitamins (1,2,3,4.5.9.6,12,13,15,17,paba,choline, inositol,biotin);
Sugar mix (cane sugar, corn sugar, maple sugar, grape sugar, rice sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, dextrose, glucose, maltose);
Iron (animal and vegetable source, beef, pork, lamb, raisin, date, broccoli);
Vitamin A (animal and vegetable source, beta carotene, fish, shell fish);
Minerals and Trace minerals (magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, copper, cobalt, chromium, and other trace minerals, fluoride);
Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, aluminum, arsenic, copper, gold, silver, vanadium);
Salt and chloride (sodium and sodium chloride, water filter/ salts and chemicals);
Grain mix (wheat, gluten, corn, oats, millet, barley, rice);
yeast mix ( brewer's yeast, bakers yeast ;
Stomach Acid;
Base (digestive juice from the intestinal tract contains various digestive enzymes: amylase, protease, lipase, maltase, peptidae, bromelain, cellulase, sucrase, papain, lactase, gluco-amylase, alpha galactosidase.
Candida mix (candida albican, ;
Fat mix (animal fat, vegetable fat, butter, oils, fatty acids);
Dried bean mix (vegetable proteins, soy bean, lecithin);
Neuro-transmitters (amino acids, DNA, RNA, serotonin, GABA, dopamine, epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, histamine, endorphin, enkaphalin, acetyl-choline, acetaldehyde);
Caffeine mix (chocolate, coffee smell and taste, caffeine, soft drinks);
Artificial sweeteners (sweet and low, equal, saccharine, twin, aspartame);
Nuts (pea nuts, wall nuts, pecan, cashew nuts, almonds, and other nuts);
Night shade vegetables (bell pepper, onion, egg plant, potato, Tomato (fruits, sauces, drinks);
Spice mix (peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, and spices);
Food additives (sulfates, nitrates, BHT, MSG/accent, whiten-all, gum mix, gelatin);
Food colors (different food colors in many sources like ice cream, candy, cookie, gums, drinks, spices, other foods, lipsticks, etc.);
Refined starches (corn starch, potato starch, modified starch);
Alcohol (candy, ice cream, liquid medication in alcohol, and alcohol);
Baking powder/ Baking soda (in baked goods, tooth paste, detergents);
Fabrics (daily and sleep attire; towels, bed linens, blankets, formaldehyde);
Chemicals (drinking water, tap water, chlorine, swimming pool water, detergents, fabric softener, soaps, cleaning products, shampoo, lipstick, cosmetics from mother and other family members);
Hormones (female and male hormones, thyroid hormones, pituitary hormone, hypothalamus, brain);
Child-hood immunizations, and vaccinations (DPT, POLIO, MMR, small pox, chicken pox, influenza, hepatitis);
Any drugs given in the infancy and childhood or taken by the mother during pregnancy (antibiotics, sedatives, laxatives, recreational drugs);
Any insect bites in infancy or child-hood (bee stings, spider bites, cockroach, etc.);
Perfume (room deodorizers, soaps, flowers, perfumes, after shave, etc from others) ;
Pesticides (malathion, termite control items, regular pesticides);
Parasite mix (pin worms, tape worms, hook worms, malaia parasites and other parasites);
Plastics (toys, play or work materials, utensils, toiletries, computer key boards, phone,);
Latex products (shoe, sole of the shoe, elastic, rubber bands, rubber bath tub toys);
School /work materials (Crayons, coloring paper and books, inks, pencils, crayons, glue, play dough, other arts and craft materials);
Paper (News Paper, Ink, reading books, colored books, colored pictures in the books);
Radiation (computer, Tele-Vision., microwave, X-ray, Sun);
Bacteria mix;
Molds;
Inhalants (Pollens, Weeds, Grasses, Flowers, Wood mix, room air, outside air, smog, polluted air from nearby factories);
Body parts, tissue and secretions (DNA, RNA, brain tissue from various lobes, hypothalamus, liver, blood, saliva, sweat);
Allergy to people, animals and pets (mother, father, care takers, cats, dogs);
Emotional allergies (fear, fright, frustration, anger, low-self esteem, rejection, etc.).
First treat them alone, later some may need combination treatment of different groups from the above list.

After clearing the allergy to nutrients, appropriate supplementation is necessary. Please ask your NAET practitioner or read "The NAET guide Book" by the same author for more details.

Books to read On NAET:

Say Goodbye To Illness, by Devi S. Nambudripad, D.C. L.Ac., R.N., O.M.D., Ph.D

Living Pain Free with Acupressure by Devi S. Nambudripad,D.C. L.Ac., R.N., O.M.D., Ph.D

The NAET Guide Book, by Devi S. Nambudripad,D.C. L.Ac., R.N., O.M.D., Ph.D

Say Goodbye To ADD and ADHD, , by Devi S. Nambudripad, D.C., L.Ac., R.N., O.M.D., Ph.D WILL BE AVAILABLE BY DECEMBER, 98.

AVAILABLE FROM:

DELTA PUBLISHING CO.
6714 BEACH BLVD
BUENA PARK, CA 90621
FAX: (714) 523-3068

Price of the Books:
Say Goodbye To Illness: $21.00 plus $4.00 for shipping and handling.
Living Pain Free with Acupressure: $22,95 & $4.00 for shipping and handling
The Guide Book: $12.00 & $3.00 for shipping and handling.
For Calif. residents please add 7.75% sales tax.

From: "Diane/Jim B"
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Dr. Devi - Child vs Adult
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 15:19:48 -0400

I'm new to this so I hope I am doing it right. :) I have a few questions.

I was wondering if there was any difference between an NAET treatment done on a child with ADD and the NAET treatment done on an adult with ADD.
Does a child with ADD respond any differently to an NAET treatment than an adult? Is NAET easier on a child than an adult? Does NAET more effectively reduce ADD in a child than an adult?
Does a child require less of an avoidance time after an NAET treatment than an adult?

BTW, I think it is great of Mark to host these experts and generous of Dr. Devi (and the other experts) to take the time to reply to questions.

..diane

Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 16:30:10 -0700
From: Devi Nambudripad
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Devi - Child vs Adult

There is no difference with NAET done on a child or an adult. If it is done properly, both should get great results. In most cases it takes 25 hour of avoidance. Sometimes a child may take less hours. Even if some one takes less hours to pass a treatment, it is advisable to avoid 25 hours before one resume using the product. We see fewer combinations treatments when a person observes 25 hour avoidance.

From: "Diane/Jim B"
To:
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Devi - Effectiveness
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 00:24:10 -0400

Dr. Devi and all,

What kind of effectiveness/success rate do you see with NAET for ADD? Is this about the same for other illnesses/conditions? Is it more than 75%?

How much of this success rate involves getting rid of the condition and how much involves improving the condition to some degree?

Mark mentioned studies in his intro. Have there been any studies on the effectiveness of NAET for ADD or any other illness? What types of studies have been done? Have any studies been published on NAET?

Thanks for your response..

...diane

Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 23:01:38 -0700
From: Devi Nambudripad
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Devi - Effectiveness

Dear Diane,

The successrate with NAET is more than 75% in almost all the cases of ADHD we have treated. In some cases it is more than 90%. They have cleared their problems completely and able to function as a normal person. We have many NAET doctors treating ADHD all over the country. We have assigned a group of researchers to collect data from all the practicing NAET practitioners. When we get all the data we will know how many children have been treated and how many responded to the treatment to what degree. We have not done any double blind studies on ADHD. We have done some studies on other areas, like milk allergy elimination, etc. but we have not published anywhere yet. Eventhough NAET is practiced over 13 years, we have come to the light only in the last year or so. We have begun researches in few areas, the results will not be out for few years. I wish we had better things to offer to you on the data. Our main source is from the patients' results. May be some of the mothers with ADHD children who were treated with NAET would see this sight and share their success stories with the readers.
Dr. Devi Nambudripad

From: hamfam@webtv.net (Mike Hamilton)
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 11:35:31 -0400 (EDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Re: Questions about NAET

Dear Dr. Devi,

A friend and fellow herbalist introduced me to NAET several months ago in a talk she gave at the local Holistic Practitioner's meeting. I wanted to believe it but It sounded too good to be true and even though I know this lady to be of the highest character, I was suspicious of this new method with all the little vials of water with computer replicated substances that she had just been trained for and was so excited about. I just couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't the latest "New Age thing" or another way to make money for somebody.

Having been involved with ADD for about 30 years now, I feel as you do that drugs such as ritalin are sometimes appropriate, but that they are not little "magic" pills or the answer long term for everyone as they are currently touted in the US. I also have read and personally observed that allergies and blood sugar problems are almost always present. These parts of the ADD puzzle are often just ignored as it requires discipline,is much harder and more expensive to change one's diet or environment than to take a little pill.

It was only about a month after my friend gave this talk about NAET that Dr. Doris Rapp came to Orlando and gave a lecture. I was truly stunned when she told us there that she had moved to Arizona in an effort to build a center to study and validate a new method that she had encountered a couple years ago. She said this method works, but that in order for it to be endorsed or accepted by the mainstream studies are needed to prove the reasons behind why it works. This effort was going to be one of the areas that she was going to pursue. The method she spoke of was NAET!

Dr. Rapp then proceeded to demonstate. She had a man hold something that he knew he was allergic to and then she put her hands on either side of his head and as he breathed in she put pressure on each side of his forehead and occiput, then let go as he breathed out. She repeated this 3 times. I have come to understand now that while it was a good demo because it served to greatly excite and interest the group present in NAET, it is just a small part of the whole method of which you were the originator.

Here are my questions: Now I know this demoed procedure seems a bit simplistic but does it really work? Could it be used first at home with the known offenders and then could one go to a practitioner for the unknowns? Is the power to heal oneself or one's loved ones from allergies as simple as finding what it is they are allergic to, getting your hands on that substance and then performing the head thing, and then avoiding the offending substance for 25 hours? What are the dangers, if any, of doing this to onself? Is NAET going to become as well-known as the Heimlich manuver? a method that with minimal training can empower anyone to perform it? I hope and pray so. Once these offending substances are no longer exacerbating the ADD, other methods used to treat the deficit would work so much better and more quickly, thus less expensively which would open them up to more people. Which leads me to- about how much have you observed (estimated average) is required in time and money for NAET on most ADD kids?

Thank you for coming on the ADD list and sharing this "new" method with us. I am really looking forward to reading your book on using NAET for attention deficit, hyperactivity and autism. Fran Hamilton

Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 15:31:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Dr. Nambudripad

Dr. Nambudripad,

I have a few short questions that I can't seem to find an answer for.

The overwhelming percentage of people I have spoken to who were treated with NAET had significant improvement after several treatments. However, in a couple of cases, people said that the improvement was only slight. Are there resources for "troubleshooting" in the few cases where the initial improvement is not large?
There are some people on the list with gluten intolerence. How successful (if at all) is NAET in discovering and treating gluten intolerence?
I would like to try NAET treatment, but am currently on a remedy from a Classical Homeopath. Others on the list use Homeopathy as well, I believe. Is there any conflicts with doing NAET while on the remedy?

I really appreciate your new web page: http://www.allergy-naet.com/ The Sitemap section and the Doctors/Practitioner Locator are particularly useful to me. I look forward to the release of the ADD/ADHD book! Thanks.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

From: "Barbara Cesmat"
To:
Subject: ADD Naet works
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 13:25:47 -0700

Hello to all,

I want to respond to the questions regarding NAET. My little girl has had many problems since birth, and I was unable to get help for her until a friend introduced me to Dr. Devi Nambudripad.

I am my little girls grandmother and though I have had children I did not have any experience with the problems that she was experiencing. The pediatrician suggested that I change her formula to soy, unfortunately that did not help her. We were then told to try goat milk and that was somewhat of a help. I took her to an allergist who sent her out for a blood test that was so traumatizing that I cried with her. The allergist then told me she did not have any allergies and when I questioned him on dairy he gave me an emphatic NO SHE DOES NOT HAVE ANY ALLERGIES , MILK INCLUDED. My gut told me this could not be true, I, after all was the one who walked the floors with this child wrapped around my mid-section [the only place that gave her comfort] day and night. The bottom line here is that she was in fact allergic to the regular formula the soy formula and all the other dairy products.

This child is now 8 years old lives an almost normal life I.e.: going to birthday parties and for the most part being able to eat wants offered. She knows what to avoid, that which has not been treated and will always bring home a tiny sample of the goodies to treat if necessary. When a child learns that feeling good can be as simple as bringing home some samples they are willing participants in their well being. She has come a long way and will recognize sometime when she is having an allergic symptom. This treatment gave her her life and mine also.
BLC

From: "Barbara Cesmat"
To:
Subject: ADD Fw: Dr. Devi's miraculous healing techinique
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 15:30:49 -0700

-----Original Message-----
From: Godflower@aol.com
To: barbara1@cesmat.com
Date: Sunday, October 18, 1998 3:23 PM
Subject: Dr. Devi's miraculous healing techinique

>To Whom It May Concern:
>
>Dr. Devi's contribution to the health of my entire family is limitless and
>awe-inspiring. For example:
>
>My eight-year-old son has benefited from her treatments since he turned four
>and was suddenly experiencing extreme asthma attacks requiring even 3:00 am
>trips to Kaiser hospital for breathing therapy. After his enduring a few
>hours of one of these inhalant sessions, I headed directly for Dr. Devi's
>office with him, an hour or so away. By the time we got there he was using
>his face muscles to assist him in breathing, the most extreme stage of asthma.
>
>After quickly determining that his asthma was being caused by drinking water
>chemicals, Dr. Devi allowed him (and me) to listen to his wheezing lungs
>through her stethoscope. It was terrifying for me -- I couldn't imagine how
>he could be breathing at all. She then treated him for the water chemicals
>and within 5 minutes his lungs were CLEAR and he was breathing comfortably,
>effortlessly. It was a year and a half before any signs of asthma showed up
>again and by then it was an easy matter to correct the symptoms.
>
>In the interim, besides eliminating colds, flu, and other common nuisances
>from our lives, the NAET treatments proved that my son's behavior could be
>switched from difficult to exemplary in just moments.
>
>Our family's list of miracles is endless. However, my husband had an
>experience as extraordinary as my son's:
>
>After a late night plunge into the pool, my husband couldn't get water to
>drain from his ear. Within a couple of days he was suffering from an earache
>which, during the following weeks, steadily increased in magnitude and
>intensity . He was attended by medical doctors, a variety of holistic
>practitioners, and was prescribed drugs, antibiotics, vitamins, and
>homeopathic remedies, all to no avail. Eventually, his entire right side,
>from his face to his foot, was numb. His face muscles were losing integrity
>and his mouth was "drooping" on one side, as was his right eye. His eyes
>blinked "out of sync". He was diagnosed as having had a stroke, and then as
>having "Bell's Palsy". He was told he'd soon be drooling.
>
>I have no idea why we didn't take the trip out to Dr. Devi's when he first
>experienced alarming symptoms, but I suppose it just was easier to try
>everything in our immediate neighborhood, first. You probably can guess the
>outcome based on my little boy's results.
>
>Dr. Devi treated him for bacteria and he immediately felt better. By the time
>we were driving home he was 75% better. By the next day he was 100%. It was
>nothing less than astonishing! And boy, is HE a believer!
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Vone Deporter (e-mail: godflower@aol.com)

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 18:42:59 -0700
From: Devi Nambudripad
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Re: Questions about NAET

Dear Fran,

NAET is a simple technique for a practitioner. It cannot be taught to a lay person like H.manuver. If you do not perform NAET right, then it may not work. If you fail the treatment, patient can get worse until treated correctly again. Because of these possible adverse reactions, lay person without proper knowledge should not try to treat using this technique. We only train licensed medical practitioners on naet. We have seen extreme reactions on few people. So, we take precaution. Practitioners have been taught how to revive the patients successfully without calling paramedics to their offices. But anyone can learn NAET- muscle tesing techniques and avoid the allergens until treated. Number of treatments depends on many factors like the severity of the disease, age of the children (the younger they are better they are for the treatment), level of understanding about the treatment and follow up instructions for 25 hours following the treatments. We have treated some children for 8-10 groups of items and got well completely. But some other children have taken 40-50 office visits in 2-3 years time to complete all the known allergies. There is no specific number of visits one can define for allergy treatments especially in this type of cases.
I hope I answered some of your questions,
Best wishes,
Dr. Nambudripad

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 19:19:07 -0700
From: Devi Nambudripad
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Questions for Dr. Nambudripad

Dear Mark,

If NAET is done right, it works well on any body. If it is not done right, it doesn't work. Some people may be allergic to few items. and some others may be allergic to the whole list I posted on the site. If one is allergic to many items, then, it is for their advantage to limit their food only to the allergy cleared items, even if they have to eat just one or two food items. In people with good discipline, NAET works like magic. Most of my ADD children are back to regular school within 10-12 visits.

We treat gluten allergy with excellant results. Our success rate is between 80-95%.in any allergies and allergy-related conditions. The only essential element is "right NAET treatment". Few practitioners I have heard that they are modifyng the original NAET treatment. Probably thats where people are receiving poor results. I can only train them. I cannot be with them in their offices to supervise the. They will learn evetually.

NAET does not conflict with any other treatments or remedies one is taking. Please read the NAET GUIDE BOOK by DEVI S. NAMBUDRIPAD. I have answered all these questions in that book. It will answer all your questions.
Best Wishes,
Devi

Sonia Sumar

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 22:26:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi!
I am excited to introduce our next honored Visiting Expert, Sonia Sumar. Ms. Sumar uses a special type of yoga therapy to help transform the lives of children with ADD/ADHD, Down's Syndrome and other disorders. She is the author of "Yoga for the Special Child."

Bio

Sonia Sumar has taught yoga in Brazil for more than twenty years and is internationally renowned for her pioneering work with special children. She began experimenting with yoga as an early intervention therapy shortly after the birth of her second daughter, Roberta, in 1972. Roberta was born with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by mental retardation and other developmental delays. Sonia's teaching work expanded to include infants and children with Cerebral Palsy, Attention Deficit Disorder, and various other syndromes and disorders.

Her life dream is to help the world's special children to achieve their full potential and become active and productive members of society. Nothing can better express her success than the letters from the parents of her students.

Ms. Sumar holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and has taught at the elementary school level. She has conducted workshops and has addressed special education programs and symposia in Portugal, Brazil, and throughout South America. In 1980 she founded the Integral Yoga Center of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where she continues to teach yoga to both children and adults and offers specialized training courses to yoga teachers and other professionals who wish to learn her methods.

In recent years she has expanded her teaching and mentoring in the United States. She is assisted by her 27-year-old daughter, Renata, who has a degree in Speech Pathology. Sonia's programs are coordinated by Jeffrey Volk, who also supervised the English translation of her book.

Most persons I have seen who began practicing yoga experienced health improvements or a health transformation. The program that Ms. Sumar has put together to work with parents and children/adolescents to extend yoga's benefits to special needs children is very exciting. It is an honor to have Ms. Sumar visit our discussion group and share details about her work.

Please join me in welcoming Sonia Sumar! [clap, clap, clap!] Please feel free to ask followup questions after her initial post on Monday.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 00:28:02 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Sonia Sumar
Subject: Yoga for children with ADD

Thank you for the beautiful introduction, Mark.

My work with children with ADD began in 1975, at a special education institute in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Children with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities also attended this school, so I had the opportunity to observe how yoga worked as a therapy with children at varying ages and levels of development. In almost all cases, yoga stimulated the children's development--the crucial factor most often being the parent's involvement with and support of their child.

Children with developmental disabilities often posses many ADD/ADHD characteristics. One of the participants at our September, 1998 Ten-Day Certification Program in Central Virginia brought his three-year-old daughter, Madeline, along with him. Madeline was born a "blue baby" and was described as being "globally developmentally delayed." She was extremely distractible, and it was almost impossible to get her to focus long enough to follow any of my instructions. My opportunity came on the seventh day of our program when I put on a piece of music that seemed to capture her attention for a moment. Immediately I began to sing along with the music and to clap her hands together and swing her arms to the rhythm. An entire yoga routine flowed out of this single piece, posture by posture, as she swayed to the rhythm of the song. All of the participants were amazed to see what this little child could do when her mind was focused.

Yoga is a scientific system of physical postures, breathing exercises and deep relaxation techniques designed to balance the body's energies and to promote mental, physical and spiritual health. Yoga's benefits extend to persons of all faiths, ages and abilities. Because it is gentle and non-competitive, even persons with chronic diseases and degenerative conditions can practice it. In applying the yoga modality to infants and children with special needs, I have created a system of progressive yoga programs, each one corresponding to a successive level of childhood development.

To be a yoga teacher of special children, you have to love your work. I feel like every child I work with is my own child--this is the foundation of our practice. Yoga means "union," and through the bond that develops out of this union, you can accomplish seeming miracles. So the techniques are the tools; but the foundation is love and a firm, unwavering belief in you child's innate potential.

Before getting into our case history, I would like to say a few words about our book and our programs. "Yoga for the Special Child" can be purchased at local bookstores, as well as through our website at http://www.specialyoga.com. The book contains case histories, including the biography of my daughter, and a workbook section that explains the principles and practical applications of yoga as a therapy for special children. All our programs and special events are posted on our website. We're still working on our 1999 schedule; as soon as these dates are confirmed, they will be posted.

I look forward to your questions.

Best Wishes,
Sonia Sumar

CASE STUDY OF LUISA

I first met Luisa in 1992, when she was six years old. Her mother Nair had read about my work in a local newspaper and wondered if yoga might be able to improve her daughter's condition. At that time, Luisa was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome. According to Borland's Medical Dictionary, Prader-Willi Syndrome is a congenital disorder characterized by a rounded face, almond-shaped eyes, strabismus, low forehead, hypotonia, insatiable appetite, failure to thrive and mental retardation. In my opinion, she also exhibited many of the characteristics of ADHD: When I attempted to teach her, she became easily agitated; she was also extremely hyperactive and distractable. Due to her lack of balance, she was unable to walk up and down stairs without assistance. She suffered from daily convulsions and sometimes went into multiple seizures so severe that she needed to remain in the hospital under observation for a week at a time. To help control her seizures, Luisa took various anti-seizure medications. However, none of these medications was adequate in controlling her seizures, no matter how often they were adjusted.

Our first yoga sessions were spent in creating a strong bond of trust and friendship-- between Luisa and myself and her mother. Once this bond of trust was established, we were able to open up new channels of communication and proceed with our work. At this early stage of Luisa's yoga practice, I had to guide her body through all of the yoga postures (asanas) because she did not have balance, motor control, or physical strength to imitate my movements. One of the paradoxes of Luisa's condition was that she experienced stiffness in her joints and a resulting lack of flexibility, even though her muscle tone was very low. Children with hypotonia usually have a greater degree of flexibility.

After several months of yoga therapy, twice a week, the intensity of Luisa's seizures began to diminish. Although her school class performance was not up to par, I noticed that she was quite intelligent. This apparent contradiction was due to her extreme distractibility and impulsivity. Often, the only way I could reach her was to go into her own world and meet her on her own terms. For example, in order to keep her attention focused during our yoga sessions, I found it necessary to increase the speed at which she performed asanas. Not until I discovered her own natural rhythm was I be able to begin slowing her down. The same approach applied to music and sound therapy.

Our yoga sessions always began with about five minutes of chanting and hand clapping, followed by rapid breathing exercises (the bellows breath). Both of these exercises helped to capture her attention, focus her mind and enliven her spirit. The asana portion of our class was interspersed with short intervals of deep relaxation to keep her from getting too excited and speedy. In the beginning, almost all the asanas were difficult for her to perform, but even so, she persevered--a tribute to her mother's encouragement and our strong bond with one another.

Once Luisa was familiar with all the asanas in her yoga routine, she showed her great enthusiasm for yoga by beginning each asana even before she had finished performing the previous one. In other words, she was always one step ahead of herself and unable to hold any pose for more than a second or two. I struggled to curb this tendency by bringing her attention to the muscles that were being stretched or strengthened during each particular pose. While she was holding the pose, I always reminded her to bring her attention back to her body and to breathe deeply.

Another aspect of Luisa's condition was her need to talk incessantly. My instructions and comments during our sessions were often met with replies on totally unrelated topics. I finally made an agreement with her: We could speak about anything she wanted for a period of up to ten minutes, either before or after our yoga session. But during our class, she promised to follow my instructions and to allow me to guide her without interruptions.

Another challenge I faced with Luisa was her inability to remain upright in a seated position. She would always sit slouched over with her pelvis tilted downward. I focused on poses to open her rib cage and chest area, and to relax the muscles of her back. In order to bring her hips into alignment, I gave her a variety of poses which began from a seated position. While she was holding these poses, I always talked to her and encouraged her to bring her mind back to the asana.

After approximately one year of yoga therapy, Luisa's body awareness and control had taken a quantum leap. She was now able to sustain a prolonged period of deep relaxation and learned to love this quiet time. She was finally able to walk up and down stairs unaided -- and even run! She was working on perfecting her standing poses and had added the Skull-Shining Breath and Alternate Nostril breathing to her repertoire of breathing exercises. In 1993, after about a year and a half of yoga therapy, during Luisa's school vacation, Nair asked me if she could bring Luisa to her adult group class, because she did not have someone to take care of her. These classes last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. My private yoga therapy sessions with Luisa lasted only forty minutes. I was not sure if she would be able to sustain her concentration for the extra 35 minutes. I seated her at the front of the class and she surprised us all by completing the entire routine. In fact, she did so well that I allowed her to continue attending our adult class twice a week for the remainder of her school vacation. Luisa loved this class and the other students were greatly impressed with her new-found ability to perform these advanced asanas, as well as her overall attitude and maturity. She became the darling of our class.

After two years of yoga therapy, Luisa was able to raise her straightened legs off the floor in both a supine and prone position. Her attention span and body awareness were vastly improved. She could even remember the names of most asanas, about twenty-six in all, in both Portuguese and Sanskrit. After three years of yoga therapy, Luisa was finally able to join a children's group yoga class, which included children at all levels of development. In this class she learned to perform many of the more advanced asanas without assistance, such as the Shoulder Stand and the Sun Salutation. All her other poses have improved, along with her flexibility and motor control.

Although Luisa is still subject to occasional seizures, they are not nearly as severe or often as they once were. Her doctors were finally forced to reevaluate their diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome because she is still thin and agile, and never developed a compulsive eating disorder. During yoga Luisa is usually attentive and cooperative. She goes out of her way to help new yoga students and is her very popular in her group yoga class. During an entire forty-five minute yoga session, she remains fully concentrated and absorbed in her yoga routine. The benefits of her yoga practice also carry over into her daily life. At her school this ability to concentrate has allowed her to learn to read, write and complete math exercises.

Luisa still practices yoga twice a week at our yoga center in Brazil; she is steadfast in her attendance. When I am away in the United States, she writes to me and often tells my daughter Renata that she can't wait until I return to Brazil. When I had my book signing of the English edition of Yoga for the Special Child at our yoga school in Brazil, Luisa was the first person to receive a book from me. She showed the book to all of her school friends, reminding one and all that the child in the painting on the cover of the book was none other than herself! I know how proud Luisa is to be on the cover of our book and I am equally proud of her.

From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Visiting Expert Sonia Sumar

Sonia,

Thank you very much for your detailed and inspiring post and case histories. It gave me much to think about because I had not known until quite recently that yoga therapy is being used to help special needs children.

I hope you have received the posts including Barbara's question. If I may, I have a few short question for you.

For the adults with ADD and similar disorders, would there be any differences in the workshop program or suggested treatment? Do you offer workshops or classes for adults?
Do older children (e.g., 8-15) enjoy the workshops and classes?
Some of us are probably aware of a few of the postures used in yoga classes. You mentioned a couple of breathing practices in you post. I would greatly appreciate it if you would talk briefly about a couple of the exercises and their short-range and long-range benefits.

I am very glad that I found out about your work. It is encouraging that you will be offering workshops at a number of major conferences related to ADD, Cerebral Palsy, and Down's Syndrome. Along with the sharing of information through the web and other means on the Internet, this will help tremendously in having your techniques more widely available.

> Before getting into our case history, I would like to say a few words
> about our book and our programs. "Yoga for the Special Child" can be
> purchased at local bookstores, as well as through our website at
> http://www.specialyoga.com.

The web page is wonderful. I found the "Comments From Graduates of Our Programs" section of the newsletter particularly inspiring and I hope that you eventually put more of those on your web page or in the next addition of your book.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
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From: "Barbara Cesmat"
To:
Subject: Re: Yoga for children with ADD
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 11:06:45 -0800

Dear Sonia,
Thank you so much for sharing your work with ADD children and adults with us. As we know ADD does not discriminate age, race, or social status. I believe that as long as there are caring people like you out in the world there is hope for the victims of ADD and those that love and care for them. Does yoga also help the parents and care givers of Add patients? Where are you located, I am interested in your bi-lingual abilities.
Barbara1@cesmat.com

From: RevNadine@aol.com
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 12:45:17 EST
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Sonia Sumar

First let me tell you that I think that the work that you do is wonderful and truly a God filled inspirational service to humankind. Thank you for doing this work with so many children and spreading your love and light out into the world! You are bringing hope and encouragement to so many!

Questions:

How did you establish that bond of trust in the first meeting with Luisa and her mother?

How do you know the amount of time and intensity level of yoga to use with the children? Is it trial and error or have you been able to develop some guidelines?

What type of yoga are you a practitioner of?

Have you gotten much harassment from the medical institutions in working with these special children, especially around their drug/medication usage? Or are they supportive?

Thanks again for the wonderful work that you are doing & for sharing your time with us in this way.

Rev. Nadine Cotton

Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 21:57:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Sonia Sumar

I just wanted to let you know that Sonia Sumar will be on the list for a while longer to answer some of the questions that were asked. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and asked questions!

Within a few weeks, her 1999 workshop schedule should be on the web page, http://www.specialyoga.com/ -- I will let you know when it's available. In addition to the workshops and certification programs in various locations around the country, Ms. Sumar will be attending the CHADD conference in Washington, D.C. in 1999. Hopefully, we'll see her conducting workshops at other ADD conferences in the near future.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
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Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 23:36:40 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Sonia Sumar
Subject: Re: Fwd: ADD Questions for Visiting Expert Sonia Sumar

>>1. For the adults with ADD and similar disorders, would there be
>> any differences in the workshop program or suggested treatment?
>> Do you offer workshops or classes for adults?

A- MY PROGRAMS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. WHAT VARIES IS THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD OR ADULT, AND HIS OR HER COOPERATIVENESS. I DO OFFER WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES FOR ADULTS, BUT NOT JUST FOR PERSONS WITH ADD.

>>2. Do older children (e.g., 8-15) enjoy the workshops and classes?

A: I WORK WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AND, YES, THEY DO ENJOY OUR CLASSES. DURING PROGRAMS, CHILDREN DO NOT NEED TO STAY ALL DAY. THEY COME ONLY FOR THEIR INDIVDUAL CLASSES, WHICH LAST FROM A HALF AN HOUR TO FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. WE ALWAYS HAVE CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AT OUR PROGRAMS TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN WHILE THEIR PARENTS ARE IN THE CLASS.

>>3. Some of us are probably aware of a few of the postures used in
>> yoga classes. You mentioned a couple of breathing practices
>> in you post. I would greatly appreciate it if you would
>> talk briefly about a couple of the exercises and their short-range
>> and long-range benefits.

A: I COULD MENTION THE FACT THAT ALL YOGA POSES WORK ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH BENEFITS EVERYONE, WHETHER THEY HAVE DISABILITIES OR NOT. ALSO, GLANDS AND ORGANS ARE COMPLETELLY REJUVENETED AS WE PERFORM THE POSES, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE BREATHE PROPERLY. WITHIN YOGA THERE ARE SPECIFIC ASANAS FOR STRENGTHING MUSCLES (THE LOCUST POSE, STANDING POSES) AND INCREASING FLEXIBILITY (ALL THE POSES). FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SHORT RANGE AND LONG RANGE BENEFITS, I SUGGEST THOSE INTERESTED READ CHAPTER THREE OF MY BOOK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MARK

WISHING YOU LOVE AND LIGHT.
SONIA SUMAR

Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 23:23:26 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Sonia Sumar
Subject: Yoga for children with ADD

Dear Barbara

Thank you very much for writing; also, for the sensivity you expressed about my work.

Fortunately, there are many other professionals, in different areas, who also are doing a good job in helping people with ADD and other disabilities.

Yes, Yoga can definitely help parents, care givers and everybody else who is seeking for a better quality of life. The wonderful thing about Yoga is not only its power for healing the body, but also the incredible way it works with the mind, helping us to develop our potential and understanding. Then we can understand life better and also be better equipped to serve society and our own selves. I could write many pages about the various benefits of Yoga. As an yoga practitioner, I experientialy how it can make you feel more vibrant, calmer and happier. That's why I love to share it with everybody.

Wishing you peace and joy,

Sonia Sumar

Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 23:28:03 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Sonia Sumar
Subject: Re: Fwd: ADD Questions for Sonia Suma

Dear Rev. Nadine,

Thank you so much for your beautiful letter.

Once the mother is open to trying Yoga herself , she also opens the channel for me to connect with her child. That's why it is so important to make it clear to the mother that 50% of my work will depend on me and the other 50% will depend on her. If we can work in this way, everything will proceed well and we will get great results.

Once I have established a strong bond, I try to connect with the child's innate potential for growth and development. Based on this connection, I posit my total trust in that child. It is not my body working with another body, but my soul working with another soul; in this way, we both learn and grow together. Because I work through my intuition, the child is able to guide my hands, so I always know just how far to go into a pose or exercise. All you have to do is observe the child attentively and never going beyond the resistance point of the child's range of movement.

The type of Yoga I teach and practice is Hatha Yoga. Of course, I have to adapt it to the needs of each practitioner.

Unfortunately, I have not gotten much support from the medical profession. Some doctors are very supportive and some are not. Several have taken my workshops and programs in the United States.

Wishing you peace and light,
Sonia Sumar

Mark Ungar

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 22:31:23 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Gold
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi!

Our next honored Visiting Experts is Mark Ungar, Executive Director of the ADD Action Group.

The ADD Action Group is a national resource center and clearing house for information on alternative solutions for those with ADD and learning diabilities. The ADD Action Group organizes the yearly World Conference on Non-Pharmacological Therapies for ADD & ADHD. They provide many resources for parents and health care professionals related to the treatment of ADD.

It is through groups like that ADD Action Group and the Feingold Association that parents and practitioners can create a nationwide (and even worldwide) network of support and powerful holistic treatment ideas for ADD/ADHD. We are very fortunate to have Mr. Ungar visit our Internet Discussion Group to tell us more about the ADD Action Group, the resouces offered, their planned activities, and to share with us ideas for community outreach and creating support groups.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Ungar to the discussion group! [clap, clap, clap :-)] Please feel free to share your thoughts or questions (don't be shy!) after the initial post on Monday.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
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From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 12:27:10 EST
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: ADD Action Group

Dear freinds,
After a long battle with our donated computer, we are finally on line again. My name is Mark Ungar and I am pleased to be able to share with all of you information about the ADD Action Group thanks to efforts of Mark Gold.

The ADD Action Group was started as a result of our family members being told that our kids exhibited symptoms of ADD & ADHD.

Being that we all were raised with a nutritional backround and we were trained that nutrition, diet and lifestyle we the key to top mental and physical health.

So when we were told by clinicians & people that medication was the only solution for these "DISORDERS", we were concerned because we never took medications for anything and never will.

We researched non-drug solutions and found out that there were many out there. In fact we learned that there were many other people who were experiencing the same problems as we were.

We started a support group to share stategies of how to over come these issues The group grew so quickly that all of a sudden people became dependent on us to provide up to date information on the Alternative Solutions. That was in March 1996.

Today we are the ADD Action Group, is a Non-profit national organization that helps people find non-drug solutions for ADD, ADHD, Learning Differences, Dyslexia and Autism.

Our Mission Statement is :

"Because there is not one reason why these situations or circumstances exsist, there is not one solution. Each person is unique in their particular needs."

We beleive that medication should only be used as a last resort, never the first approach.

A therapy that may work for one person may not work for another.

The ADD Action Group has monthly meetings where speakers from that particular area who have knowlege in non-drug solutions discuss therapies and strategies for parents, grandparents, adults, teachers, administrators, and of coarse doctors who want to start treating their patient without drugs.
Membership is $25 per year and that comes with a subsciption to the ADD Action Group' quarterly newsletter which has a summary of all the meetings throughout the country including who spoke, what they spoke about and when. Our meeting summary is great for those who can't make it to the meeting. Then we have video tape list of our program which you can read about below. The suggested reading book lists are an important link to getting educated.

Next are the meeting updates where you will find where the meetings are and when.

A guide to "AGAP" ( Action Group Awareness Progam) is explained in the newsletter which is designed to go into the schools and help teachers, clinicians and administrators with staff development. Of coarse we have articles that will enlighten those who have the need for knowlege.

The resource list is a very important tool in tapping into specialists who can solve aparticular condition but we urge that you first get educated as to what therapist would best work for your situation.

Therapies may include but not limited to Eidetic Imagery, Neurobiofeedback, Allergy and Nutrition, Auditory Integrative Training, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, Color therapy, Neural-Organization Technique, Psychology, Organization / Time Management, Brain GYM, Energy Work, Holistic Psychology, Publications, Herbology, Education Support / Evaluations, Flower Essence, and much more.

As a member a person may possibly quallify to become a CHAPTER PRESIDENT where they will get to organize monthly meetings and talk directly to therapists and authors in arranging the monthly lecture. We also guide you through this process.
As a Chapter President you also recieve broadcasting rights to our weekly TV program " ROUNDTABLE " which is produced in NYC. This show explores the issues of ADD, ADHD, Learning and Developmental Delays. This not only discusses non-drug solutions but also legal advocacy as well. Guests on our show include Dr. Doris Rapp, Dr. Peter Breggin, Dr. William Crook, Dr. Ronald Hoffman, Gary Null, Patricia Lemer (DDR), Patricia Palmer (Feingold), and many more.

If you are interested in watching this program in your area then contact the ADD Action Group @ (212)-769-2457.
The ADD Action Group's web site is the link between knowing and wondering.

It includes all the summarys of all the past meetings, articles, definitions of conditions and therapies and in the future, video streaming. http://www.addgroup.org.

We get lots of people who call who are concerned about the school system, the way in which it is interacting in a negative way with the children, its lack of knowlege in teaching the way a child needs to be taught and how schools pressure parents to medicate the child to satisfy the schools need for a zombie child.

We know your concern and we can help. Also let us all remember some important facts that you may or may not be aware of.

(a) These children that are being "labeled as ADD, ADHD, or Learning Disabled are probably non of the above. Why/? Because these children who are being labeled are in fact above average intelegence, above average in creativity and most important above average in sensitivity so they are very easily humiliated, very easily trahmatized and they experience pain much more. Does this sound like your child???

This goes for adults as well as children. This my friends we consider as gifts, not disorders, disabilities or deseases. Our society has to learn how to honor these gifted people not punish them by giving them a label and destroying their self asteem. The truth is that our society cannot deal with outspoken imaginative freeflowing beings and as a result we have national brain washing with emphasis on conditioning our families to take offensive action against our kids. This is not the not the true and healthy direction of mankind.

For families who experience children who are totally unmanagable, oppositional and angry, let me set the record straight. Your child does not having a disorder or disability attact. This is absolutly normal " Human" behavior for the given the circumstance that the child, a human being, has or is experiencing. Look deeper into the "Source of the Problem" as aposed to taking societies word for it that your child has a disorder.

The ADD Action Group not only disagrees with the diagnosis, but questions and challenges anybody who can prove that ADD even exsists!!!! Its not the diagnosis that we should give attention to but the situation and circumstance which can be changed!!!

The ADD Action Group
P.O. Box 1440
New York, NY 10023
(212) 769-2457
(212)-724-9139 fax
addinquir@aol.com
http://www.addgroup.org/

I would like to discuss ways of how we can get more of a community out reach progam going. Now lets open up for questions or solutions.
Thanks
Mark Ungar, Executive Director

From: moshenko@acsu.buffalo.edu
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 15:39:08 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net, ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Action Group

Hi - I would be happy to give information to the President of SEPTSA (Special Education - PTA) in our school district (Williamsville, NY). The SEPTSA group runs monthly meetings at school, though as a parent of a "special needs" (ADHD) child have found that educating others about the behaviors, causes, and treatments (other than RITALIN!!) has raised some eyebrows!! I am glad to learn there is a support group out there!!!

Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 06:14:18 -0500
From: Reg Reynolds
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD Action Group

Diagnosis is concerned with classification. Of course, ADD doesn't "exist" except as a concept used to describe a group of unique individuals who, nevertheless, have certain characteristics in common.

Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 14:39:54 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mark Gold
Subject: Questions for Mark Ungar, ADD Action Group

Mark,

Thank you very much for your opening post to the group. I hope you received the post from moshenko@acsu.buffalo.edu regarding giving information to the school district.

I was hoping that you could answer a few short questions.

Do you compile ADD Action Group member accounts of "cures" or significant changes in the members (or member's child) condition?
Getting to view the TV program, "Roundtable" would be wonderful! However, I am not sure what you mean by "broadcasting rights." Does that mean the Chapter President can receive a copy of a videocassette to show at a weekly meeting. Or does it mean that one can broadcast the show on a local station -- perhaps a local cable access station? I could imagine that some people would just want to see a video and others might want to try to get it broadcast on a local station.
By "video streaming" do you mean the ability to use Real Audio/Video to watch the TV program, "Roundtable" via the web? That would be great! Any target date on that yet?
Are there materials that you provide for professionals (physicians, teachers, etc.) who can then give information to patients and parents? For example, I was wondering if a physician might subscribe to the newsletter and offer that to patients (or perhaps some other material such as a brochure).

I like your web page. The yearly membership fee is quite reasonable. I hope that your site increases memberships so that a large percentage of the population knows that there are effective, natural treatments for ADD/ADHD.

Take care!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
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to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 21:30:58 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Mark Ungar

Hi!

I hope that Mark Ungar of the ADD Action Group can stay with us for a little while longer to answer the followup questions that have been asked. Please visit the ADD Action Group web page at:

http://www.addgroup.org

They have many resources for natural treatment of ADD/ADHD. They also have resources related to community outreach so that others -- patients, parents, and practitioners -- can become aware that there are effective treatment techniques for ADD/ADHD symptoms.

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:05:34 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD adverse side effects of Ritalin and other stimulants

>Please check the Feingold Associaiton's web site, for a lot of
>information on practical help for you and your child. It's
>www.feingold.org.
>Jane

Hi jane its Mark Ungar , ADD Action Groiup. When can you come to NYC to come on our TV show?
Mark

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:06:26 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: Questions for Mark Ungar, ADD Action Group

Dear Mark,
The ADD Action Group only compiles accounts of successful treatments for specific study groups which is currently under way with Gary Null. Cofidential records are in demand by many commercial companies which we deny to them info because people dont want to advertize.

Usually Broadcasting rights means that they can submit a request for a TV series to local access stations on behalf of the ADD Action Group. We cannot send tapes to individuals or Chapt Pres. because it would cost us a bundle. They can record the show on TV when it comes on in their town and then submit it to support groups.

Yes video streaming is coming to our web site but the date has not been finalized yet. It is being donated so we have to wait.

Yes we do provide mateials to doctors, clinicians & teachers and also at our support meetings too.

Thanks Mark
Mark

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 23:11:28 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD 20/20-inspired rant

Dear Linda,
We beleive the problem of diagnosing a person with ADD not only takes the attention away from the underlying problem but also will affect people socially as with the case with the military and the FAA.

If a child is diagnosed with ADD, and he wanted to someday become an astronaut, he cannot. Why? Because the military which currently is where the astronaut has to be trained to fly aircraft and then spacecraft does not accept people who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. He will not have the choice of serving in the military of any branch even if the parents dont want him to go into the military.

Oh by the way tell the parents who had their children diagnosed that their child will also never have the choice of flying a civilian airplane as long as the FAA has a policy of grounding ADD people.

Do you know what it is like when a parent finds out this information after they had their child diagnosed? They are horrified that nobody ever told them the truth.

But it doesnt stop there. Adults who over came their ADD still are being descriminated against because of a diagnosis that they had no controll over as chilren.

Its wrong to diagnos a person with ADD when all they really need to do is change their situation or circumstance.

The way that "ADD" people are reacting is perfectly normal for any human being to react to according to what they are going through.

More discrimination is coming to the people who are diagnosed with ADD.

Lets solve each persons individual needs not treat the diagnosis.

Mark Ungar, Executive Dir.

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 23:21:08 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Special Ed classes

> I'm trying to find out if putting a child that has ADD in a
> "special-ed" class in school is a good idea.

Sorry Mel,

According to the many parents that contact us, Special ED is not the place for gifted children. Ask your husband if he beleives that he is and was gifted. My guess is he is.

Society is trained to put gifted outspoken kids in a rigid prison like situation because the kids cause ripples and dont follow the norm. The hell with the norm!!!!!

LET OUR KIDS GO!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE !!!! LET THEM FLORISH!!!

Sorry I get carried away some times.
Mark Ungar

Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 10:08:28 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: janefaus@juno.com (Jane H Hersey)
Subject: Re: ADD adverse side effects of Ritalin and other stimulants

Well, howdy!!

Good to hear from you. My brother wants me to come see his new home in CT and I want to get back to Manhasset to do an interview...but not till after the spring thaw! Can I take a rain check on your kind offer till mid '99? I like to try to combine as many ADD/social things as possible.

Best to you,
Jane

On Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:05:34 -0700 (MST) ADDInquir@aol.com writes:
>Hi jane its Mark Ungar , ADD Action Groiup.
>When can you come to NYC to come on our TV show?
>Mark

Ruth Hunter

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 22:24:23 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi!

I am honored to introduce our next Visiting Expert, Ruth Hunter, co-author of "Parents' Guide to Martial Arts."

Several months ago I read an article in a physician's office about significant positive changes in ADD children who take martial arts classes. There has been mention of positive results on this group as well. Because of her expertise on martial arts, selecting martial arts schools, and martial arts and ADD, I was very excited when Ruth Hunter agreed to be the Visiting Expert on ADD-Holistic.

Bio:

Ruth Hunter is the co-author of two books: "Parents' Guide to Martial Arts" and "A Part of the Ribbon: A Time-Travel Action Adventure Through the History of Korea" (for ages 9 and above). She is a regular columnist for Taekwondo Reporter newspaper and has had article published in national trade magazines and national newsletters.

Ms. Hunter is the Interim Director of Communication and Media Relations at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. St. Norbert College, a Catholic, liberal arts and sciences college, offers the only mainland Master of Science in Adaptive Education degree. (She quote people from that program in the book, as well as interviewed instructors across the United States who work with children with ADD/ADHD.

She has studied the martial arts (tae kwon do) for 9 years and is a second-degree black belt.

Please join me in welcoming Ruth Hunter to the ADD-Holistic Internet Discussion Group as the honored Visiting Expert! [clap, clap, clap!]

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 08:16:45 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Ruth S. Hunter"
Subject: martial arts and ADD/ADHD

Martial Arts and Children with ADD/ADHD

Children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD can successfully participate and benefit from martial arts classes.

One young man with ADD, now in his teens, began when he was five years old. When he was six, he wanted to compete in tournaments so he could win trophies.

And the trophies and titles added up. He has won over 215 trophies at national, regional and state tournaments. He ranked first in the nation in forms and weapons in 1992, and first in forms in 1993 and 1995.

Immediately before each competitive event, the young man prepares himself, using his own method. Right before I compete, I like to be by myself, concentrate and clear my mind, and listen to upbeat music to get my adrenaline going.

During the tournament season, he trains one-on-one with the instructor in addition to taking regular classes. He is not being singled out because he was diagnosed with ADD. Most of the serious competitors train with coaches.

Along the way, he found that karate, the martial art he studies, gives him more than trophies and titles. The biggest things karate has done has helped me with my concentration and discipline, he said.

As one martial arts instructor explained, AAttention deficit is like having 47 things coming into your mind at all times. They cannot complete the entire thought process before another comes in.

Since all sounds and movements have the same impact and nothing is filtered out, these children have a hard time staying focused.

For many affected youngsters, the martial arts has proven to be extremely successful in providing a structured, fast-paced framework which helps them learn to function and feel good about themselves. By its very format, martial arts classes help children stay on task.

In this article, I'm using the educational definition of modality which is audio/visual/kinesthetic. Martial arts are multi-sensory, combining all three modalities in classes. When introducing a new technique, the instructor will tell the class what to do, demonstrate it and often (especially in the beginning classes) perform the technique with the students. As they advance, students can be given a verbal command, such as performing their own combinations of kicks and punches across the floor. The students have to decide what to do. It's difficult for everyone, not just children with ADD/ADHD.

The structured class format helps students succeed. Instructors must keep classes focused and disciplined in order for children with ADD/ADHD to succeed.

Students stand in straight lines according to rank

There is a specific, detailed manner with which they address upper belts and instructors.

The instructor usually gives concise commands and directions. Children learn what to expect and find comfort and room to grow within the structure.

The instructor provides a focus point at the front and center of the room. Children with ADD/ADHD should be positioned directly in front of the instructor and away from mirrors.

Students are constantly moving and are constantly mentally challenged in classes and in the special tests that they take to promote to another belt level. A mother of a boy with ADD and very unexcitable found the classes stimulated him and helped him to respond to others.

Critiques. Instructors provide positive enforcement of what each child does well and gives each student something to work on. One mother of a child with ADHD, said, AThe martial arts stretched his level of concentration, and he responded very well to encouragement from the instructor. The instructor should always give constructive, positive feedback.

Students with ADD/ADHD should always be treated the same as other students. E.g., they will be assigned push-ups just like anyone else for not following certain expectations. They shouldn't be singled out or given special attention. Classes provide physical and mental learning.

Students are constantly given a variety of training drills.

Instructors must set individual goals for students. The goals will be kept simple, such as kicking higher or kicking faster, breaking a board, learning a new technique.

The martial arts motivates students to achieve their goals (such as attaining higher belt ranks and competing in tournaments).

Instructors will talk with parents on children's progress toward their goals.

The martial arts constantly builds confidence in students.

The children find they can succeed at something difficult.

Often, because of ADD or ADHD, the children are criticized or made fun of. In the martial arts, with the right school and instructor, children's self-confidence grows and transfers to arenas outside of martial arts class.

One mother watched her son's self-confidence improve when he took the forms learned in tae kwon do, put them to music and performed them in his elementary school's talent shows.

Before starting their children in the martial arts, parents should interview the owner/instructors at several martial arts schools to discover which school is more prepared to work with their children and is willing to do so. Some schools have studied ADHD, prepared appropriate teaching methods and taught all of the instructors in the school to work with these children.

Martial arts is another venue through which children can build their self-confidence and concentration skills. It supplements what parents are already doing through diet and medication.

I'd like to particularly thank Penny Duggan, master instructor at Kim's Tae Kwon Do, and Barbara Natelle, Ph.D., associate director of the Adaptive Education program at St. Norbert College.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: martial arts and ADD/ADHD

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 00:13:28 EST

> From: "Ruth S. Hunter"
> Subject: martial arts and ADD/ADHD
> Martial Arts and Children with ADD/ADHD
> Children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD can successfully participate
> and benefit from martial arts classes.
> ....

Martial Arts is great for ADD issues mainly because it balances the left and right hemispheres through the corpus colosum by providing a clear supply route of neurotransmitters to each side of the brain. The BRAIN GYM technique explores this well
Thanks
Mark Ungar

Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 09:43:00 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Martial Arts Visiting Expert

Hi!

I want to thank Ruth Hunter for being the Visiting Expert on the ADD-Holistic mailing list. I hope that she gets a chance to answer the followup questions which were sent.

I do recommend her book, "Parents' Guide to Martial Arts" which can be purchased from http://www.amazon.com/ or from Turtle Press at: http://www.turtlepress.com/

Here is a quote from a Feb. 1998 article about martial arts and children:

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Ruth S. Hunter"
Subject: Re: Martial Arts & ADD (Questions for Ruth Hunter)
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 10:52:49 -0600

Dear Mark

I apologize for being unable to get back to you - quickly! In my opinion, the martial arts can help almost everybody. One challenge for adults with ADD is that over time they've developed ways to compensate. These ways may or may not get in the way of learning the martial arts. At the same time, it's theorized many adults with ADD aren't diagnosed. And it's a good chance many of these adults are already in the martial arts. But as the martial arts help children focus and concentrate, the martial arts can help adults do the same.

You seem to have found Turtle Press' web site. Let me know if you still need it. I don't have my own site. I know the book can be ordered through Turtle Press and any book store. In addition, it's been picked up by Barnes & Noble as well as Borders.

There's a group here who would like to develop a brochure on this issue. It will take a long time - based on our schedules. Have you thought about who is going to design and pay for it - layout, printing, etc., and who would distribute it?

One more thing I found.

There's been a web site set up for the book. Do you have this address? http://www.turtlepress.com/parents.htm

Take care. Thanks again for the opportunity to "speak" with your group.

Sincerely,

Ruth Hunter

Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:04:09 -0700 (MST)
To:
From: "bgmoore3"
Subject: Re: Martial Arts & ADD (Questions for Ruth Hunter)

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE BOOK? And what about us ADD'ers who have no coordination and hate exercise? (I'm not sure the latter isn't the result of always being the least athletic person in my class--I'm not one to stick to things that I can't do well--poor character, I guess.) My daughter, whose son we suspect has ADD, has been considering martial arts classes simply to improve his self-confidence (He's only six), but this would be an added benefit. I'd appreciate information concerning any resources in this area. SANDRA

Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:27:13 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Re: Martial Arts & ADD (Questions for Ruth Hunter)

>Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:04:09 -0700 (MST)
>From: "bgmoore3"
>Subject: Re: Martial Arts & ADD (Questions for Ruth Hunter)
>
>WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE BOOK?

Sandra,

"Parents' Guide to Martial Arts" by Ruth Hunter & Debra Fritsch. Please click on the book cover at the following web page address:

http://www.turtlepress.com/parents.htm

> And what about us ADD'ers who have no coordination and hate
> exercise?

Unfortunately, Ruth Hunter has left the list. She was only scheduled to be on the list for one week as a Visiting Expert. So, you may want to email her with your followup question.

From my limited experience with martial arts (taekwon do, kung fu, qigong, aikido), I know that classes can vary enormously. My taekwon do class was some exercise intensive and competitive. The aikido class was intense and highly competitive -- which is unusual for aikido classes as far as I understand (and which is probably why I didn't stay long). The Kung Fu class was focused on forms and had only a moderate amount of exercise and was not competitive. The qigong classes I have had involved little or no exercise. Tai chi, is one aspect of qigong which can be practiced by those who don't like heavy aerobic exercise and aren't particularly coodinated.

Ms. Hunter's book goes into more detail about the different types of modalities and classes.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Dr. Fred Pescatore

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 23:14:02 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert

Hi!

I would like to introduce our next honored Visiting Expert, Dr. Fred Pescatore, Medical Director of the Atkins Center. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Atkins Center and protocols used to treat ADD/ADHD patients. I have included his bio below. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Pescatore to the ADD-Holistic discussion group! [Clap, clap clap, clap!]

Dr. Pescatore will be posting his opening email to the group sometime on Monday. Please feel free to ask followup questions after assimilating the opening post. Take care! - Mark :-)

Fred Pescatore, M.D., M.P.H, is a traditionally trained physician who has chosen to practice Integrative Medicine. By practicing Integrative Medicine, Dr. Pescatore is able to combine traditional and alternative medical techniques while treating his patients in a progressive and effective way.

Breathrough
While studying for a Masters Degree in Public Health at Columbia University and traveling extensively throughout Asia and India, Dr. Pescatore trained with practitioners who specialize in alternative healing techniques. This invaluable exposure provided him with the knowledge that opened his eyes to the world of alternative medicine and the realization that by combining traditional and alternative medicines you can treat a patient in a way that allows the truly holistic process of healing to take place.

Current Role
In order to further expand his knowledge of alternative medicine, Dr. Pescatore joined the staff of the Atkins Center, the world's preeminent center for Complementary Medicine. Working alongside Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Dr. Pescatore has quickly risen to his current position as the Associate Medical Director of the center. In his daily practice, Dr. Pescatore treats patients with illnesses ranging from AIDS and life-threatening cancers to more daily concerns such as diet and nutrition by employing a combination of alternative and traditional medicines -- orchestrating all the healing arts for the benefit of the patient.

Speaking the Message
Dr. Pescatore has taken to the airwaves as the host of "Your Health Choices -- The Friday Edition," his own weekly radio program on New York's WEVD. His hope is that this program will teach people about integrative medicine and its ability to link the "fix-it" mentality of traditional medicine with the body-mind-spirit philosophies that play a critical role in the healing process.

In addition, Dr. Pescatore appears regularly on national news magazine programs and national morning programs; he has written several well-circulated articles and speaks to audiences around the world to share his insights on these important topics. In September 1998, his first book, "Feed Your Kids Well," wil be published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Dr. Pescatore's Medical History
Dr. Pescatore's traditional medical knowledge comes from his training at three of New York's preeminent teaching hospitals -- St. Vincent's, M. Sinai Medical Center and St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital Center -- and his treatment of thousands of patients using traditional methods. To keep abreast of both alternative and traditional teachings, Dr. Pescatore is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine and the American College for the Advancement of Medicine.

Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 18:31:22 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: ADD Opening Statements

Hello everyone and thanks for the introduction.

As Mark explained to you I am the associate medical director of the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, located in New York City. Many of you may know of Dr. Atkins or the Atkins diet. We do much more than that. We apply diet to all aspects of health. If the fuel isn't right, the car won't function.

I am going to describe a case of a child with ADD. Now, the principles applied in this case can also be applied to adults. I would say that I primarily treat adult patients, but have a keen interest in bringing integrative medicine to our next generation.

The approach we generally take in treating ADD, or any illness for that matter is threefold. We look at nutrition - what is the patient eating, are they sensitive to any foods, does anything need ot be eliminated? We then look at nutritonal supplementation. NO matter what anyone says, you can not get proper nutrition from what you are eating. Our food supply is too damaged. The third aspect is intravenous supplementation. We currently do not offer this for patients with ADD. I just mentioned it for completeness.

Here goes the story:

Evan was eight years old when his parents were given the diagnosis of ADHD. His parents were devastated. Evan was a child who was constanly being asked to leave the classroom because he could not control himself. He would blurt out answers, talk to the other children when his teachers were talking, and cause a general disruption in the classroom.

Evan's parents were given a prescription for Ritalin and told he would have to take this indefinitely.

HIs parents brought him to my office and I conducted a series of tests on him that included a cytotoxic food sensitivity test, a candida antibody test, and a glucose tolerance test.

HIs results were fairly typical of a patient with ADD. He was sensitive to corn, wheat, rye, candida and oats. His candida antibody tests were also quite elevated, indicating an exposure to this fungus. Also, his glucose tolerance test was grossly abnormal. This meant that his blood sugar, in the third hour dropped to 38. /The normal low is 60 - 70.

I immediately eliminated all his food sensitivites. This meant teaching Evan and his parents an entirely new way of eating. I also put him on a diet I developed called the Next Generation Diet. It is an adaptation of the Atkins diet for children. It eliminates any of the simple sugars and simple carbohydrates from a child's diet.

I placed him on the following supplements: DHA, DMAE, Gingko biloba, Zinc, B- complex, Acidophilus, grapefruit seed extract, and encouraged the parents to get a CD of Mozart's music and have Evan listen to it through headphones while doing his homework.

As you may have guessed, this wasn't easy, but perserverance payed off. Almost within the first week,Evan's teachers noticed an improvement. By the end of three months, Evan was not being asked to leave the classroom anymore. It was a slow improvement, and there is still backsliding and we are often making adjustments in his treatment plan.

I just wanted people to be aware that there are alternatives to the use of Ritalin out there. Just know that if your child has ever used Ritalin after the age of 12, he or she will never be allowed in the armed forces. It is an amphetamine, and it has street value. 26% of all children on Ritalin have been approached to sell it. Please think hard before exposing your child to these risks.

I will be happy to answer any questions about what I do. The story I related and many more like that can be found in my book, Feed Your Kids Well. It was published at the end of last year by John Wiley & Sons, and it should be available at most book stores. Of course it is available through amazon and barnes and noble on line services. If you would like mroe information about the Atkins center, please visit our website at http://www.atkinscenter.com. I will look forward to your questions this week, and thanks for letting me join the list.

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements (Dr. Pescatore)

Dr. Pescatore,

Thank you very much for your detailed opening presentation.

I have a couple of questions for you if that's okay.

What types of practitioners do recommend parents look for in order to discover sensitivities and candida antibodies?
If a abnormal glucose tolerance test common for persons with the ADHD? I would be interested to hear what you think causes this and how it might be prevented.

Your suggestion about the CD's while listening to homework was interesting. I have always wondered if some lifestyle habits of children are contributing factors in their ADD/ADHD condition (at least in some cases) and that interventions like what you suggested may contribute to an improvement.

I look foward to your comments!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 10:45:34 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: hamfam@webtv.net (Mike Hamilton)
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth

Dear Monica,
The visiting expert from the Atkins Center, Dr. Pescatore mentioned some tests and things he had recommended for an ADD boy whom he saw- those are all things I also frequently recommend- DHA,DMAE, ginko,b6,magnesium- and I get reports that they do help.

Candida is rampant today because of diet and antibiotics, but it is difficult to treat grownups much less kids - they don't like to take pills and especially are balky about changes in the foods they eat! Use a good probiotic with different strains of bacteria as well as FOS to help it grow. That and Caprylic acid and pau d'arco and garlic are especially good. (I know of a pill that combines the above) also psyllium, oil of oregano or grapefruit seed extract work.

Dr. Crook's many books on the subject of Candia are great - most of them I have seen have numerous line drawings to illustrate the points and I think it would be helpful to have children being treated to look through the book as they might be more cooperative in the treatment if they identify with the message conveyed in those illustrations. But be patient and consistent, as it takes time to treat candida. Good luck,
fran

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 21:24:12 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Amy
Subject: ADD Opening Statements (Dr. Pescatore)

Dr. Pescatore,

I would like to thank you along with Mark for your detailed opening presentation.

***clap*** ***clap*** ***clap***

I"m interested in your answer to Marks' question as well about if a abnormal glucose tolerance test common for persons with the ADHD?

I have self DX ADD - my DH has SEVERE ADHD - I have an Autistic Foster Son with ADHD. I was just DX with Type 2 Diabetes and started the Atkins diet with INCREDIBLE results ALL the way around! (just got my 2nd blood tests! *grin*)

My Autistic son has responded GREATLY to dietary changes. Has not had a seizure in 3.5 years now!

Thank you for all you do. I'm looking forward to lively learning from you!

Love,

Amy

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 21:25:44 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Jane H Hersey
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet

While I don't mean to defend junk food, you may want to consider a fairly painless intermediary step -- using that junk food which is free of the worst of the additives (such as synthetic dyes, artificial flavorings, etc) The Feingold Association researches foods to locate those which do not have the additives found to trigger learning and behavior problems. I'm in the process of updating our "Fast Food Guide" -- what's ok at McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc.
Jane

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 21:26:12 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements (Dr. Pescatore)

Mark, Patients or their families should look for physicians that practice integrative medicine. If they can't find a physician in their area, then they should look for a clinical nutritionist, not a dietician. Certain N.D.'s will also practice in this way.

The glucose tolerance test is always abnormal in these kids. I think it is because their diet is so bad to begin with, or perhaps there is some genetic predisposition.

Fred Pescatore

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 21:26:22 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet

Candida is often overlooked by conventional physicians as a cause of ADD. In the diet I have outlined, theyeast is eliminated. This includes all foods that contain sugar, including fruit, all fermented foods, including mayonnaise and salad dressings, and cheeses, and breads. You might want to try such products as SF-722, a mycocidin, and PCN-200, a grapefruit seed extract. These are effective in my patients.

Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 21:24:28 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mary
Subject: ADD yeast test

To test for yeast overgrowth, contact Dr William Shaw at Williamsha@aol.com, who has a very simple urine test that will give you a precise reading on many metabolites of yeast in the body.

Mary
Educate before you vaccinate
http://www.909shot.com
http://www.access1.net/via
http://www.gti.net/truegrit

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:39:24 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements (Dr. Pescatore)

Dear Amy,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. It always helps to know that there are people that benefit from the work you do.

Keep up the good work,
Fred Pescatore, MD

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:40:03 -0700 (MST)
To: "'add-holistic@mLists.net'"
From: "Rossello, Mary M."
Subject: RE: ADD meat and diet

Dr. Pescatore -- I STILL do not know how to get a child of 8 to take these things unless they are fruit flavored and dinosaur shaped

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:39:48 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth

Your son is going to do so much better now that he is on a yeast free diet. I find it appalling that kids with ADD require Special Ed classes. This not only stigmatizes the child, but they grow up thinking they are different, and that their naturla creativity should be discouraged rather than encouraged.

The school, on the other hand, benefits quite nicely from having children with these diagnoses. They receive much more financial aid for any child so diagnoses. You are absolutely correct for fighting this. Don't let your child be put in this situation. Figth back,

Good Luck,
Fred Pescatore, MD

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:39:39 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth

I also think Dr. Crook does wonderful work and in fact quoted him in my book, Feed Your Kids Well. Candida overgrowth is a prblem that needs to be addresses. Children who have been treated with antibiotics for ear ahces have a much higher incidence of ADD than the regular population.

Fred Pescatore, MD

Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 13:06:29 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "John V DOMmisse, MD"
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet

Dr P,

I believe there are a lot of "old wives' tales" going around about foods to avoid in candida, started probably by Wm Crook himself. I understand the restriction of sugar and white starches, and the acidophilus, SF-722, colloidal silver treatments, but can you explain why alcohol and fermented substances (tho' I know they are FROM sugars), whole-grains, dairy products, or other yeasts should perpetuate candida. Before you answer, let me tell you that my diet restricts only sugars and white starches - and gets virtually all pts' IgM, IgG titers down into the normal range, without using any prescription drugs like Diflucan, Nizoral, etc..

You know I think the restriction on dairy is purely because dairy LOOKS like candida?! And I think other yeasts help to keep candida DOWN, like other bacteria keep pathogenic bacteria in check.

What do you say, Colleague?

John DOMmisse, MD
http://www.galaxymall.com/health/Nutrnl_Mtblc

From: FPesc106@aol.com
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 15:02:38 EST
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet

As someone who uses nutrients in the treatment of most illnesses, I have never known pycogenol to help with ADD/ADHD. Theones I recommend are DMAE, DHA, (not DHEA), acidophilus, zinc, and the B vitamins

Fred Pescatore

From: FPesc106@aol.com
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 15:07:59 EST
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD yeast test

Urine tests for candida have never been known to be a relaible indicator of yeast, unless there is a urinary infection. Blood test are much more reliable

Fred Pescatore, MD

From: FPesc106@aol.com
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 15:06:36 EST
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet

Jane, I don't think there should be any metnion of what's good at the fast food establishments. I can't thinkof one thing they serve that has any nutritional value. Parents and children need to understand that there is nothing to eaqt at these places and need to learn alternatives to these places

Fred Pescatore, MD

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: PARRJL@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 23:33:52 EST

In a message dated 2/9/99 10:31:10 PM Central Standard Time, FPesc106@aol.com
writes:
> This includes all foods
> that contain sugar, including fruit, all fermented foods, including
> mayonnaise and salad dressings, and cheeses, and breads.

Is this permanent? Or once the yeast over growth is "fixed" can the child go back to these foods?

Lisa

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 14:10:50 EST

Hello Dr. Pescatore!!,

It's great to have you onboard this site. Your info is a great resource for all people, not just children. Just to get you up to date with the ADD Action Group. We were featured in the Community Resource Directory in Washington, D.C. regarding our TV show "ROUNDTABLE:", which as you know discusses only alternative solutions for ADD, ADHD, Learning Differences, Dyslexia and Autism. (You were a guest on our show).

Well, as a result of that article that featured us, all the community and educational channels across the country are to this day are still calling us to get our show on their station.

We can't beleive the response!!!!!

Our show has moved to a new level which will help more people get educated about all the many solutions that are out there. The biggest challenge for us now is comming up with the money to buy hundreds of blank tapes to make the dubs and postage to get the shows to the stations around the country. But I'm sure we will find a way. So technically, "ROUNDTABLE" is a nationally syndicated show as we speak!!! I will keep you updated and also keep you informed of THE SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE ON NON-PHARACOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ADD, ADHD, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS.

Keep up the good work!!

All the best, Mark Ungar ADD Action Group
http://www.addgroup.org/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: PARRJL@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 19:27:04 EST

In a message dated 2/10/99 2:18:26 PM Central Standard Time, FPesc106@aol.com
writes:
> The ones I recommend are
> DMAE, DHA, (not DHEA), acidophilus, zinc, and the B vitamins
> Fred Pescatore

I use acidophilus, milk thistle & flax seed oil and I have found that to be a good "mix" for my son. I also give him a good multivitamin. These things have helped with his concentration which was a surprise b/c I began those things for his psoriasis. Lisa

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Imveruka@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 19:52:52 EST

Mr. Pescatore,

Thank you for offering your time and your knowledge to our list! I am so grateful to finally come across someone who has alternatives to drugs for ADD. I plan on looking up your book this weekend! Once again THANKS for providing information on diet instead of drugs.

Kristi

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 09:45:02 EST

Lisa:
Once the overgrowth is fixed, the offending foods can be slowly re-introduced back into your child's diet. Teh slower the better to ensure that an overgrowth does not occur again. If your child were to go back on antibiotics, for whatever reason, then the restrictions should be enforced again

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 09:51:02 EST

Mark: Congratulations. All the hard work is finally paying off. That's great. Let me know if there is anything I can do

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 09:49:33 EST

Vaccines are something that may be completely disruptive to a child's immune system. In fact, there are many web sites and unfortunately I don't have the site names available right this moment. Use one of the search engines to find out this really unbeleivable information. No one will ever want to have a vaccine again, after reading this information. Read it and see what you think.

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 09:57:44 EST

Dr. D: In my practice, I generally tend to be more restrictive witht he patients who suffer with yeast symptoms. To that end, I will restrict alcohol, and fermented foods, simply because they contain sugar and in the fermentation, there may be molds that form. Whole grains, if they are yeast free, I do not restrict. A whole grain bread with yeast may be just as bad as a refined grain wtih yeast, for some patients.

I don't always restrict fresh cheeses, such as farmers's and pot cheese. It depends on the severity of theri yeast issue. Most other cheeses I restrict because of the fermentsation and the mold in the cheese itself, like blue, roquefort, etc.

If your patients respond with less restrictions, all the better

Keep Well,
Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 10:00:22 EST

A child of 8 will take supplements if they are offered time and time agian, even upward of 20 to 30 times. You also have to be taking supplements in order to set a good example. Alternatively, you can crush them. Many of my patients put them into our high protein chocoalte shake that we make, after they are crushed. Capsulkes can be opened and pured into hot cereals or other foods. I see hundreds of pediatric patients a year. It is possible. Please just keep trying.

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 10:04:59 EST

The problem will not necessarily come back if the foods are re-introduced slowly over time. I do not advocate that the biggest offenders, such as the 35 tablespoons of sugar that the average kid eats a day should be re- introduced to their diet, but there is no reason that cheeses, whole grain breads, and some fruits can't be re-introduced to the diet.

Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 10:02:57 EST

Dear Steve: If there are no symtpoms that your child is experiencing, then I see no reason why he would need to be retested. It sounds as if you did the right thing, by doing it the first time, and then never going back to too many things, just the occasional treat and some fruits and other things like that. A yeast restriction is not somethign that needs to be done forever, if it is done right the first time. It sounds as if your son is doing well. Keep up the good work,

Fred Pescatore

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: PARRJL@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 10:17:48 EST

Dr. Pescatore:

Thank you for the information regarding the yeast overgrowth.

Lisa

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Diana Algarin-diaz
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 17:37:58 -0500 (EST)

On Wed, 10 Feb 1999 FPesc106@aol.com wrote:

> YOur son is going to do so much better now that he is on a yeast free
> diet. I find it appalling that kids with ADD require Special Ed classes.
> This not only stigmatizes the child, but they grow up thinking they are
> different, and that their naturla creativity should be discouraged rather
> than encouraged.

This is not necessarily true. Many teachers don't have the training to teach stuedents that learn different. It does a lot of harm placing these students with the rest. They stay behind and eventually will drop out. Now some states are requiring to include in regular education classes some special ed classes. When this becomes a reality, then parents don't have to worry about labels. But this process of training is long. If your child gets a competent special ed teacher, you'll see how he is going to flourish to his full potential. Maybe it will help to tell you that I am a VE graduate student.

> The school, on the other hand, benefits quite nicely from having children
> with these diagnoses. They receive much more financial aid for any child
> so diagnoses.

It's true. It requires a trained personnel. From time to time I work with this special population. I am very impressed with the quality work.

> You are absolutely correct for fighting this. Don't let
> your child be put in this situation. Figth back,

I suggest that you fight back if you think and have concrete evidence that your child is not receiving the services he needs. Use your energy for better the system. I know one teacher who works with EH students and she screams all day at them and does little teaching. I wish a parent would fight to get her out, but not to take the child out. They need the service. I spoke with various parents and they are very displeased with the situation, but no one dares to speak!!! I wonder why. Maybe they don't know they're rights. I don't wat to get involve because I am a substitute teacher myself in the same school.

To: "'add-holistic@mLists.net'"
From: Dean Mouscher
Subject: RE: ADD meat and diet
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 10:38:33 -0600

Dr. Pescatore:

You mentioned that you would restrict fermented foods. That doesn't include yogurt, does it?

Thanks,
Dean

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Michele Hardy
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 17:04:13 -0600

At 06:31 PM 2/8/99 -0700, Fred Pescatore wrote:
>I conducted a series of tests on
>him that included a cytotoxic food sensitivity test,

Please explain more on what this test is. Also where might I find a practitioner who is knowledgable in this area? (If it is a paticular type of specialist, do they have an association that I could contact for a referral in my area).

And with food sensitivity, do you eliminate those foods from their diet permanently?

Unfortunately, as with many others, we are in diagnosis limbo and everything we've done has been completely on our own. The research, the trials, everything. I have yet to find a medical professional who will listen to my claim that food and chemical sensitivities are a major component of many of our family's health and behavior problems. My son is definitely ADHD (very high on the H part) but as he is highly gifted he does ok in school. I suffer from severe allergies, chronic sinusitus, migraines, etc.

We are currently following a strict Feingold diet and have some success for both myself and my 6-year-old son. But I think there are a lot more things that need to be investigated in the way of food sensitivities. Unfortunately, my kids are some of the world's pickiest eaters. Also, my son is remarkably cooperative with the current diet but I don't want to impose more elimination tests for fear that the result will be total non-compliance.

Michele Hardy

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 16:27:27 EST

Dear Dean: That does include yogurt, because of the fermentation and the natural sugars that occur, because it is made from milk. Once the initial difficult phase of the restriction is complete, generally after three to six months, I will allow sugar free, plain yogurt to begin.

Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 16:38:38 EST

Dear Michele: This cytotoxic test needs to be done by a trained specialist, usually in a doctor's office. If you can't find someone in your area, try to contact the American Academy for the Advancement of Medicine or ACAM. They can give you names of doctors in your area that may practice this way. Short of that, I would try to get your doctor to order an ALCAT test. That is from a lab inFLorida, and any docote can order a kit to take this test. It is simply two tubes of blood.

These food sensitivities do not need to be eliminated for ever. The process oif the gut healing which is why you would eliminate foods in the first place, unless there was a tru allergy, takes three to six months.

Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD an overlooked cause for ADHD - yeast overgrowth
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 16:34:24 EST

To the special ed graduate:
I am happy to hear that you have done well. Congratulations. Too often I hear the sad stories of what happens to these children who are in these special classes for no apparent reason. The school system should better train teachers to handle chidren of all kinds. I get quite concerned when the school forces these difficult to handle children into special classes, so they have an easy solution. There is no easy solution to raising a genereation of children, but rest assured that placing the most difficult ones into special classes is not one of them. Teachers should have more resources available to them, so there will not be a need in the future to stigmatize children that may be different. We suffer too much already from a segregated society, both culturally and economically. It's time we learn to educate our cchildren properly, not placing them away from the others. Let's use somke of the budget surplus to refund the schools and give higher pay to teachers and attract some of the brightest to that noble profession.

Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD intro
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 16:25:17 EST

Dear Gail: I am sorry to hear about your plight. I worked in the NHS for a year and understand some of the problems you may be experiencing. My book was published in England as well, so you may want to read it. IT may give you some neew insight and some ammunition for the health authorities. Good Luck,'
Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Diana Algarin-diaz
Subject: Re: ADD/ADHD and Special Education
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 12:07:14 -0500 (EST)

Greetings Dr. Fred
Thanks for your commendation.
Always, Diana

On Fri, 12 Feb 1999 FPesc106@aol.com wrote:
> To the special ed graduate:

To: "'add-holistic@mLists.net'"
From: Dean Mouscher
Subject: RE: ADD meat and diet
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 08:38:50 -0600

Dr. Fred:

What about breast milk? My toddler is still nursing. He just went through a course of antibiotics, after which he had a yeast infection around his anus. Makes me worry what it did to his gut (actually he only took 3 doses of antibiotics then stopped because he developed a rash all over his body).

How can I know if the antibiotics caused yeast overgrowth in his gut as well as around his anus?

Thanks,
Dean

On Friday, February 12, 1999 3:43 PM, FPesc106@aol.com
[SMTP:FPesc106@aol.com] wrote:
> Dear Dean: That does include yogurt, because of the fermentation and the
> natural sugars that occur, because it is made from milk. Once the
> initial
> difficult phase of the restriction is complete, generally after three to
> six months, I will allow sugar free, plain yogurt to begin.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Diana Algarin-diaz
Subject: Re: ADD/ADHD and Special Education
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 13:33:24 -0500 (EST)

Greetings Dr. Fred
I agree with you. Studying and ocassionally working with VE students I get to learn and see different cases. In my judgment, many can be helped right from home, if more loving attention, music, excercises,concious diet and exposure to knowledge is provided -just to mentiion a few. It is very sad to know when I have a conference with parents, that parents see their special ed child as a source of income. The last time I spoke with a parent, she told me that she had to give the pill to her son because otherwise he would not longer qualify for the government financial help. This is very common, Dr. Fred. I have seen many times parents pushing special ed placement for financial qualification.

As I told you, I am just a grad st and I'm starting to find out. Teachers are being trained to deal with this population, which is very difficult, especially because of the parents' attitude. I also find incompetent and abusive teachers, but these cases are fewer because of legal issues. Parents opinion are very strong and they can make a teacher to lose their certification.

I'm trying to make a difference, but even then I become frustrated. There is a lot of jealousy among teachers who supposed to be professionals. It is not good to generalize as one can become bias easily. If we try to take one case at the time, probably one can be fair. Just like my professor motto says: "Changing the world, one student at the time". Always, Diana

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: FPesc106@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD meat and diet
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 18:24:10 EST

Dear Dean: You can assume that the antibiotics caused yeast overgrowth. It happens to everyone who takes antibiotics, and especially in an infant whose immune system isn't strong yet. You can certainly try to put some acidophilus in the formula, or expressed breast milk.

Dr. Fred

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Thank you!

Dr. Pescatore,

I would like to thank you for being the honored visiting expert on the ADD-Holistic mailing list! I think you did a fantastic job answering a number of questions and providing an outline as to how you work with individuals diagnosed ADD/ADHD.

The text of the visit will appear on the archives page at:

http://www.holisticmed.com/add/

It is half-finished at the moment and will hopefully be finished by the end of the week. So, if anyone missed Dr. Pescatore's presentation, please go to the above-mentioned web page at the end of this week. I will also add the book to bookstore page of book by ADD-Holistic Visiting Experts.

Take care!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Statements
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 21:12:26 EST

Dear Dr. Pescatore,
Your the best!!!!
I'll let you know
Mark Ungar, ADD Action Group

Jacob Mirman, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 07:35:54 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Introducting Dr. Jacob Mirman

Dr. Mirman is a board certified internist. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1987 and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. His initial homeopathic training was with the Faculty of Homeopathy in London, England. He followed this program with a series of preceptorials with several internationally renowned homeopaths. He continued his studies by attending the ESSH School of Homeopathy in Flagstaff, Arizona. He has been in private practice in Classical Homeopathy since 1992. He has treated numerous cases of ADD/ADHD with very gratifying results.

The following is the explanation of my alphabet soup:

MFHom: Member of Faculty of Homeopathy, Great Britain.
CTHom: Certified Trained Homeopath (ESSH School of Homeopathy).
CCH: Certified Classical Homeopath (Council for Homeopathic Certification)
DHt: Diplomate of Homeopathic Therapeutics (given by American Institute of Homeopathy, the oldest organization of physicians in USA, predating the AMA)
DNBHE: Diplomate of National Board of Homeopathic Examiners

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Mirman to our discussion group! [Clap, clap, clap!!!] :-)

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 21:11:42 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: ADD initial posting

Hi, everybody

Thank you Mark for the nice introduction.

I am very happy to discuss ADHD. What follows is an article I lifted from my web site @ http://www.demystify.com. I feel it will serve as a nice introduction to my views on the topic. Let me know how you feel, ask questions... Lets talk...

Lately there has been a dramatic increase in the number of patients coming in who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Before we discuss some possible ways of dealing with this problem I'd like to discuss what we mean by these diagnoses. The first and foremost thing we need to remember is that these diagnoses don't correspond to any recognized pathology. For example, if we say somebody has appendicitis, we can look at the removed appendix under the microscope and see some specific changes like a lot of a certain type of cells that create an inflammatory response. Somebody with asthma will have certain easily identifiable changes in their lungs, etc. A person with ADD/ADHD does not have any such changes as far as we know. All they have is a certain group of symptoms, like difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, behavior issues, etc. We don't really know the cause of the symptoms, so the diagnosis becomes what we call a diagnosis of exclusion. That is, we make sure the person does not have some other identifiable condition, such as depression or some learning disabilities or a physical problem causing the symptoms, and if they don't, and have a certain number of symptoms from a predefined list, we label them with ADD/ADHD and give a drug that tends to make them a bit more manageable. That is indeed all that Ritalin does, it cures nothing.

I am not saying one must never use Ritalin. When one has a headache Tylenol is often quite helpful, but most people realize that it is not a cure and if their headache becomes chronic they look for more definitive ways of diagnosing and treating it. In rare cases, when we cant find the cause of the headaches and a better treatment, we resort to taking Tylenol all the time. However, I'm sure nobody would be so stupid as to think that that is the optimal situation. Why then do we use this approach with ADD/ADHD-labeled children? In my opinion, Ritalin and related drugs must be the choice of last resort.

What I want to share, is some thoughts of how the "disorder" might possibly be avoided. One of the first things to look at when dealing with a child who demonstrates a short attention span and/or hyperactivity, is the television. It is my opinion that this is one of the most dangerous pieces of furniture in the house. While there are some very valuable shows being offered on public TV, it seems that most of my patients are spending their viewing time watching commercial programs. I think such programming conditions children to have short attention span. It seems that almost all of it is just a series of never-ending bright colors, loud noises and camera gyrations. If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a few minutes out of your schedule and watch TV. Be sure you stay in the room for the commercials, so you can see how incredibly "stimulating" they have become. It's little wonder that children with ADD will frequently be capable of watching hours of TV, even though they can't sit still for a whole meal.

The next area of problems is with video games. Look at the abilities these games tend to stimulate in the child. To play them you often need quick reaction and ability to respond to constantly and rapidly changing stimuli. Deep logical thinking is not necessary for most of them, and in fact can be detrimental to the success in playing the game. A child playing a lot of these games will be conditioned to the need of quickly changing stimuli, and no school will be able to satisfy this need. Hence, they will exhibit the typical ADD/ADHD symptoms of inability to sit in one place, inability to focus on the teacher, etc... It is just too slow for them now! I believe the only reasonable way to deal with the child so affected is to unplug them from the source of the problem, the video games. It will not be easy at first, but with appropriate support they will slow down and get plugged into the real world again.

Another source of "problems" is IQ that is too high for the kind of classroom setting the child finds themselves in. When there is not enough stimulation for a very intelligent child they may get bored and tune out. I've known a person who was labeled with ADD and even a question of "slowness" was raised. The parents knew better and found an advanced science program for their son. He did much better in that setting, and late "dropped out" of high school and "dropped in" to college at age 15, got his bachelor science degree by 19, masters by 20 and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from CalTec at 25. He still does not have a high school diploma. Of course, this took some incredibly dedicated parents to guide him through all these "difficulties". I tell you, it's not easy to be smart in this world where many want you to be average. Ritalin would've definitely been a "great help" to everybody involved in his care and education.

Of course, there's always the issue of diet too. Some kids are particularly sensitive to refined sugar, additives, preservatives, etc. In these children such products can cause a great variety of symptoms, including those normally attributable to ADD, as well as other problems, like headaches, allergies, skin eruptions, etc. I don't know what percentage of ADD labeled kids could be "cured" by removing these dietary causes, but it is significant.

There are specialists who work with detoxifying programs and they claim a lot of success. And then there is homeopathy. As a homeopath, I treat ADD as a part of the overall chronic condition. I take a complete case, paying equal attention to all issues in the child's case, including any physical and psychological symptoms present. I don't care if the diagnosis is ADD or ABC or LMNOP. All I care about is understanding the symptoms present in the particular case and finding the best remedy that would cover all those symptoms according to the method outlined in my booklet, that you are welcome to read on this page. The remedy must cover all symptoms in the case, and therefore I expect it to cure all of them as well, to a reasonable extent. In my practice this approach has proven to be very effective in numerous cases. It's not an instant fix, but the results tend to be worth the wait. The improvement tends to be on psychological as well as physical level, so, if a child has some other condition besides ADD/ADHD, such as asthma, headaches, belly aches or anything else, it tends to improve at the same time, or I change the remedy. Of course, some of the obstacles to cure, like too much TV, video games, refined sugar in some cases, lack of intellectual stimulation, etc, may need to be removed for good results.

Homeopaths, like fishermen, like to brag. And where else can one brag if not on their very own web page? So, I'll brag a little. I have this family I am treating with three kids. Two of them were diagnosed with ADHD and placed in a special education class. I gave them both homeopathic remedies and they improved. A few months later we had a visitor. Their special ed. teacher came to check out what kind of magic I am up to. Apparently, neither of the kids needed to be in the special program anymore, so she was intrigued. This is why I practice this weird medicine: doing magic is great fun!

Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 21:11:59 -0700 (MST)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: [Fwd: ADD/ADHD]

Hi again
It appears that by mistake I posted to the wrong list. This is one of the replies from that list. I think it would be valuable for the ADD list as well.
Jacob

--------------5F439202290369CD0C951AA9
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 20:03:15 -0500
To: homeopathy mailing list
From: Will Taylor
Subject: ADD/ADHD

Jacob -

What a nice posting!!!!!

I can only add this -

This is a systems issue, and we do a tremendous disservice not only to the child, but to the entire system when we decide that the problem resides purely "in the child" and attempt to remedy it merely by "fixing" the child. How would things be different if, when a child is not learning or behaving to expectation, we were to ask ourselves what is wrong with the school? If when the child's behavior is unmanageable at home, we were to ask, how could we better cultivate this child's personality?

Now this suggestion is clearly one-sided and unfair to the school or family - but certainly no more unfair than the prevailing attitude is to the child. Reality lies in the truth common to the both perspectives. This child is a unique person, with their own limitations and gifts. Too often we focus on how the limitations impair the child's ability to fit into our conventions (i.e., schooling philosophies & parenting styles), and determine that somehow we need to "fix" the child - too often by drugging them, with an ever-increasing armamentarium of drugs.

Clearly there are kids "with ADD/ADHD/ODD etc." who find themselves seriously unable to attend or learn in a wide variety of circumstances, whose limitations are great, who can do with a great deal of healing within themselves. But when we find school systems in which 30%! of the kids are on Ritalin, we have to seriously question whose problem this is.

The typical public school allows children with particular styles of learning to excel; and for children with other styles of learning not compatible with the (often unexamined/unvoiced) philosophy of the school, we conclude that the problem resides one-sidedly in the child; the child has a "learning disability". I'm seriously concerned that our schools have a widespread "teaching disability", in their inflexibilty to accomodate the widely varied learning styles of human beings.

My goal in homoeopathic threatment of most of the children "with ADD/ADHD/ODD" (or whatever label might be generated in the future) that I see is to help the child to expand their tolerance & ability to participate in learning styles that are not their own native style - so they can more easily "fit in" to school - but it is vitally important in these kids (& adults) to identify the styles of intelligence & learning that are their own, that work the best for them. We need to address the child's limitations, clearly - but to do this without acknowledging and addressing the limitations of the school or family to cultivate this child is one-sided, and will ultimately fail.

Will Taylor, MD
Homoeopathy Website at:

To: ADD discussion group
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: [Fwd: Re; initial posting and ADD]
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 18:47:36 +0000

Schools like it because it makes kids more manageable. In some third world countries moms regularly give their infants suckers with opium. It also makes the kids more manageable, in fact they sleep a lot, and its very convenient. The two approaches are very similar. Of course you have my permission
Jacob

> Schipper's Creek wrote:
> my name is Reka Schippers and I am one of the many silent members of > the Homeopathy mailing list .
> I really liked your posting on ADD and ADHD .\
> Since I am also Chair of the PAC at Lake Kathlyn Elementary School in
> Smithers B.C. I am always interested in educating my school parents on
> issues of interest.
> My personal opinion of Ritalin in prolonged use is not very good in
> fact I would never use it on my children .Schools opinion in most
> cases is very much pro Ritalin and in our Town our Pediatrician
> recommends it fairly regular .I even had parents really praising the
> results of Ritalin .
> I would like your permission to print your Introduction on ADD in our
> Parent Newsletter .
> ( ca. 112 Families) To give some parents a different alternative if
> they choose so .
> Thank you
> Reka Schippers ;-)

To: "'add-holistic@mLists.net'"
From: Dean Mouscher
Subject: RE: ADD Introducting Dr. Jacob Mirman
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 13:41:20 -0600

Dear Dr. Mirman:

It is my understanding that in classical homeopathy, the patient is given one single dose of a highly potent (meaning extremely low-dose) homeopathic remedy, and that's it. Is that correct? And is that how you practice?

It is also my understanding that camphor or coffee can destroy the effectiveness of homeopathic preparations. Need one avoid coffee forever after having taken the homeopathic preparation, or just during the treatment period?

Finally, and perhaps slightly off subject, there is one homeopathic remedy which I have personally found to be startlingly effective, namely Oscillococcinum for flu. I understand it is made from goose hearts. Is that true? And if so, what is the connection between goose hearts and influenza?

Thanks,
Dean

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Debbie McDonald
Subject: ** ADD Introducting Dr. Jacob Mirman
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 10:37:34 -0600

Dearest Dr Jacob,
Thank you for this forum. Can you give some recommended sources for someone wishing to study homeopathy, both crash course and long term?

Something relating to this list, how does homeopathy treat candida albicans? It seems to be a lifelong battle with no end.

Also, I had recently been bitten by a spider(dark brown, and blackish) and had a bad reaction. I could barely carry on a conversation. This has left me very arachnophobic and I wish to be prepared in the future. Would apis work on this and how to dose. Please excuse my lack of true understanding of homeopathy:).

One more, I had heard that an holistic veterinarian was having wonderful results treating lyme disease in animals with ledum. I have no idea of the dosing, would you have any guidelines and would you think this would work for humans? I have an horse with a protozoal disease, hard to treat and symptoms/treatment run close to that of conventional medicines treatment for lyme with the resultant poor prognosis and had wondered if this might be worth a try on him. He is serum positive(disease is called Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis) but has not had a spinal tap, which is the allopath's definitive test for this disease. He is also very symptomatic for systemic yeast and my vet says the prognosis is very poor for this. Lastly, he is a survivor of a brain injury so it is hard to tell where any one symptom is coming from. Please do not take up the lists time with my questions if you feel they will not benefit but I am amazed at the places from which I gleen such useful tidbits of info. I am most grateful to this list for all the info I receive. Thanking you in advance. Debbie
--
Debbie McDonald
mailto:lullwatr@flash.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD Introducting Dr. Jacob Mirman
Date: Tue, 09 Mar 1999 14:34:00 +0000

Dean Mouscher wrote:
> It is my understanding that in classical homeopathy, the patient is given
> one single dose of a highly potent (meaning extremely low-dose)
> homeopathic remedy, and that's it. Is that correct? And is that how you
> practice?

Yes.

> It is also my understanding that camphor or coffee can destroy the
> effectiveness of homeopathic preparations.

Yes

> Need one avoid coffee forever
> after having taken the homeopathic preparation, or just during the
> treatment period?

Treatment period can be pretty long. I usually tell my patients: count on 3 years or so, then we'll talk about it

> Finally, and perhaps slightly off subject, there is one homeopathic remedy
> which I have personally found to be startlingly effective, namely
> Oscillococcinum for flu. I understand it is made from goose hearts. Is
> that true?

It is made from gizzards of migrating ducks. The ducks are said to be natural reservuars of flu viruses, and so the remedy works somewhat like an imunization

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD initial posting

Dr. Mirman,

Thank you very much for your comprehensive opening post to ADD-Holistic!

I liked the way you detailed some of the "environmental" contributing factors that are sometimes overlooked -- TV, Video Games, and other over-stimulating environments. Now that I think of it, I have known many people who have practiced meditation and become more "centered," calm, focused, developed a greater attention span, etc. If such training of the mind is possible, it only makes sense to me that years of exposure to an over-stimuating environment might have the opposite effect. Hmmm.

A couple of weeks ago, we had Dr. Fred Pescatore as a Visiting Expert. He shared a case in which part of the successful treatment plan was a change in the child's environment (by playing CD's of Motzart). It is encouraging experienced practitioners like yourself and Dr. Pescatore are looking at such factors as part of the treatment plan!

I have a few questions that I hope you could answer.

I was treated by a very experienced classical homeopath. The first remedy had no effect. The second one had a transitory positive effect. The third one had a much more powerful and long-lasting effect.

In your experience treating ADD/ADHD cases, how often do the patients need to go through one or two or three remedies to find the one with positive, long-lasting effects? Also, once the best remedy is found, how long does it take to see significant improvement (or does that vary quite a bit)?
I can see benefits with cutting out TV, Video Games, additives, preservatives, etc. What do you do when dealing with children over 10 years old (for example) who may have developed a very strong habit (or even addiction) to many junk foods, TV, Video Games, etc.? What can such things be replaced with? I liked the presentation by Visiting Expert Ruth Hunter related to martial arts and ADD/ADHD. It seems like an excellent after school replacement to TV. I would be interested in hearing other ideas???

Thank you again for the information you shared!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
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To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD Question
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 00:23:32 +0000

Have you seen the article I just posted?
If not, go to my web site below. It will answer your question at least in part
Jacob
For a concise guide to Homeopathy on line go to
http://www.demystify.com

Jennifer Rayburn wrote:
> Hello, my name is Jennifer Rayburn, and Iam a student at Southern
> Adventist University. Currently Iam taking a class called Education in
> Exceptional Children and Youth. Recently we have been talking about ADD
> and ADHD. I was curious to know, What are some alternative solutions for
> ADHD other then Ritalin?

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ** ADD Introducting Dr. Jacob Mirman
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 17:07:58 +0000

Hi
I'll try to answer your questions. See below

Debbie McDonald wrote:
> Dearest Dr Jacob,
> Thank you for this forum. Can you give some recommended sources for
> someone wishing to study homeopathy, both crash course and long term?

How deep do you want to study it? Do you want to know it well enough to practice? If so, there are several schools. Let me know where you live. I may be able to suggest one.

If you want to know enough to treat acute conditions in the family, like flus, etc., you may be able to find an acute homeopathy course that would run for a few days.

For a course near you you might want to contact National Center for Homeopathy. They are on the web. Let me know if you can't find them. If you want to learn a little bit, read the Further reading suggestions at the end of my book which can be found on my site @ http://www.demystify.com

> Something relating to this list, how does homeopathy treat candida > albicans? It seems to be a lifelong battle with no end.

Candida is not a disease. Its a symptom of weakened immune system. The homeopathic treatment would be similar to any other condition, read my site for better understanding.

> Also, I had recently been bitten by a spider(dark brown, and > blackish) and had a bad reaction. I could barely carry on a > conversation. This has left me very arachnophobic and I wish to be > prepared in the future. Would apis work on this and how to dose. > Please excuse my lack of true understanding of homeopathy:).

I would not take Apis for this

> One more, I had heard that an holistic veterinarian was having > wonderful results treating lyme disease in animals with ledum.

Bad idea. Remedy must be individualized. Otherwise results will be very poor Some cases may need Ledum, others will require something else

> I have > no idea of the dosing, would you have any guidelines and would you
> think this would work for humans? I have an horse with a protozoal
> disease, hard to treat and symptoms/treatment run close to that of
> conventional medicines treatment for lyme with the resultant poor
> prognosis and had wondered if this might be worth a try on him. He is
> serum positive(disease is called Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis)
> but has not had a spinal tap, which is the allopath's definitive test
> for this disease. He is also very symptomatic for systemic yeast and
> my vet says the prognosis is very poor for this. Lastly, he is a
> survivor of a brain injury so it is hard to tell where any one symptom
> is coming from. Please do not take up the lists time with my questions
> if you feel they will not benefit but I am amazed at the places from
> which I gleen such useful tidbits of info. I am most grateful to this
> list for all the info I receive. Thanking you in advance. Debbie

Homeopathic treatment for this horse would have to start with a very comprehensive case taking, a single remedy will be prescribed that will cover all symptoms of the animal. Then you may see some good results

All the best
Jacob
For a concise guide to homeopathy on line go to
http://www.demystify.com

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: abeck@arctic.ca
Subject: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #228
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 00:37:23 -0600

Greetings to Dr J. Mirman from the Far North:

My name is Alan Beck and I am suffer from Bipolar Disorder comorbid with ADD/HD.

I have a few questions for you.

One thing I really enjoy is a good British/ Australian Homebrew beer. I make them myself and find they do not affect me as far as some foods. Such as MSG or Sucrose Gluclose Gluckclose Goopclose stuff you find in "punch" drinks.

Generally I have one every few days and I can find no direct relation between the use of the beer and my disorder. I have the same symptoms randomly with or without that one beer.

Do you have any experience with Adult ADD/HD at all? Are foods as much of a concern? I definately find overstimulation and stress to be a big factor and end up hurting because of it.

Currently, I am on strike from the CBC in Canada which is causing me a lot of stress.

And I do not know who my friends are because my union local, 2000 KM away is so distant, they never communicate. To go anywhere major up here it is 2 hours in a 737.

Cheers from the Great White North.

Alan Beck
Rankin Inlet
Northwest Territories,
Canada

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD initial posting
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 00:38:37 +0000

Hi Mark
Thank you for the questions
Please see below
mgold@tiac.net wrote:
> 1. I was treated by a very experienced classical homeopath. The first
> remedy had no effect. The second one had a transitory positive
> effect. The third one had a much more powerful and long-lasting
> effect.

The Homeopath got to know you better and better over time, and was able to prescribe better and better remedies

> In your experience treating ADD/ADHD cases, how often do the patients
> need to go through one or two or three remedies to find the one
> with positive, long-lasting effects?

This depends on luck and the skill of the homeopath. I think, in ADD cases I get the correct prescription the first time around in about 70% of cases. I better, because if I don't, I don't charge for the follow-up, and I don't like to work for free.

> Also, once the best remedy is
> found, how long does it take to see significant improvement (or does
> that vary quite a bit)?

Sometimes you see a good reaction quickly but it may be transitory. Good significant improvement usually takes months and years

> 2. I can see benefits with cutting out TV, Video Games, additives,
> preservatives, etc. What do you do when dealing with children over 10
> years old (for example) who may have developed a very strong habit
> (or even addiction) to many junk foods, TV, Video Games, etc.?
> What can such things be replaced with? I liked the presentation
> by Visiting Expert Ruth Hunter related to martial arts and ADD/ADHD.
> It seems like an excellent after school replacement to TV. I would
> be interested in hearing other ideas???

My kids don't have time for such junk as video games, TV, etc. They have Chess lessons, piano lessons, karate, gymnastics, homework and a few other things, like books to read, other hobbies at home, etc.. You just got to figure out what your kid likes to do. Granted, when both parents work full time it becomes a bit more difficult. But, people find ways...

Jacob
For a concise guide to Homeopathy on line go to
http://www.demystify.com

-------------- To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: ADD [Fwd: Add/ADHD/ODD]
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 15:30:57 +0000

"Celia M. Malm" wrote:
>
> At 05:05 PM 3/9/99 PST, Todd Warren wrote:
> >I am still not sure which side of the ADD controversy I find myself
> >on... is it a real... or a "made up" disorder. However, due to my own
> >early experiences I am DEAD SET against the use of drugs such as Ritalin
> >unless someone can convince me that the problem is extremely severe and
> >there are no other possible solutions. That, I assure you, would be a
> >VERY tough sell!
>
> My major reason for pursuing homeopathy so seriously was to avoid ending up
> with my son on Ritalin. (I had bad experiences with psychotropic allo-meds
> for depression in my early 20s, and I *knew* I didn't want to mess with my
> son's mind like that.) He was 3 years old when we started
> treatment...several years from us being "pushed" by school officials to put
> him on Ritalin, but he had already been diagnosed ADHD, and I knew it was
> only a matter of time.
>
> I think ADD is probably overdiagnosed, but it's clear just from looking at
> the way children behave now as compared to how children of my own
> generation (not THAT long ago) behaved, I DO see a problem. Maybe it's the
> effects of TV and video games, which certainly cater more to the short
> attention span than our TV programs did. Maybe it's the effects of our
> society's overall shift in parenting styles. Maybe it's the hereditary
> effects of vaccines or parental recreational drug use or floridated water
> or any of a thousand environmental toxins that didn't exist a century ago.
> It's one of those things we may never know all the reasons for.
>
> But I do agree that schools and doctors need to examine ALL possible
> reasons for a child's behavior before pinning on the ADD label. I think too
> many poorly-trained people (many of whom have perhaps never SEEN the
> behavior of a child with "real" ADD/ADHD) are diagnosing the condition, and
> doctors are often all too willing to give the parents of kids whose
> behavior isn't in line with expectations a "quick fix" in the form of
> Ritalin. (Incidentally, NONE of the families that *I* know that have kids
> with what I would call "real" ADD/ADHD have found allo-meds to be the
> "perfect" or "simple" answer.)
>
> >I am one of those that believes there are less invasive ways to handle
> >the problem, such as Behavior Management, though perhaps a more
> >difficult solution for the parent to institute than DRUGGING their
> >child.
>
> I object to the assumption being made (by other people posting on this
> topic as well) that somehow if only the parents could/would do something
> differently, that the problem would be miraculously solved. In fact, I
> would suggest looking at the parents, as part of determining whether the
> kids "really" have this disorder. Are the parents just perturbed and
> annoyed by the behavior? Or are they in actual despair? I have never seen
> an ADHD mother that didn't have a certain haunted look in her eyes when
> talking about her child--a look I know I wear in my own eyes. When you've
> tried EVERYTHING to control your child's behavior (from your parents'
> techniques to the "latest" thoeries of child raising); when you've been
> stared at so many times by total strangers with that "what kind of parent
> are you?" expression; when relatives are all too ready to criticize and
> claim they could get your child in line (but never actually offer to parent
> them 24/7); the LAST thing you need is to be told again that this may be
> your fault, that YOU aren't doing SOMETHING right.
>
> In the case of my ADHD son, it is all too clear now that from infancy he
> was not "normal". Because he was my oldest, I had no clue of this. I was
> left to assume that THIS was what parenting was REALLY like, and that I was
> just bad at it. Some instinct in me said, "no, this is not right", but
> there was certainly no one else telling me that. Even my husband, even in
> the face of atrocious behaviors, was in denial for a LONG time that
> anything was "wrong" with his beloved eldest son. It wasn't until my
> younger (non ADHD) son was born that all those feelings of "something's
> wrong, this isn't how it's supposed to be" were FINALLY validated. And
> fortunately, although it's been a painfully slow process, homeopathy has
> managed to do what all our efforts to "modify" his behavior could not. And
> with homeopathy, unlike allo-meds, I know that we aren't just covering up
> our "parenting problems" with drugs.
>
> Sorry if I've been rather vociferous here, but this subject touches a very
> sensitive nerve for me.
>
> Cee

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD Re: add-holistic-digest V1 #228
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 00:33:19 +0000

abeck@arctic.ca wrote:

> My name is Alan Beck and I am suffer from Bipolar Disorder
> comorbid with ADD/HD.
> ....
> Do you have any experience with Adult ADD/HD at all? Are foods
> as much of a concern? I definately find overstimulation and stress
> to be a big factor and end up hurting because of it.

I am not a spetialist on food sensitivities, but many people say food sensitivities play a big role. If a patient with sensitivities comes to me, my job is to cure the whole case, sensitivities and all, and for this I don't need to know the specific sensitivities. Homeopathic treatment affects the patient on a much deeper level. Overstimulation is definitely a factor, but not everybody who is overstimulated has ADD, so those that do have a predisposition to ADD. This is what homeopathy can often cure. So, when you are well and happen to be under stress, you won't get the symptoms anymore

> Currently, I am on strike from the CBC in Canada which is causing
> me a lot of stress.

You could sue the trade union for emotional injury...
Hope the strike is over soon

Jacob
For a concise guide to Homeopathy on line go to
http://www.demystify.com

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD Sugar
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 00:40:34 +0000

I feel she is correct for the majority of cases, but for some sugar will cause trouble. The same goes for milk, corn, wheet, oranges, food additives, herbs, etc, etc...

For every item of food there will be someone reacting to it adversely. The treatment is either find what it is and eliminate it from the diet or cure the sensitivity with homeopathy. The latter method is much more comprehensive and rewarding, if the correct remedy is found.

Jacob
For a concise guide to Homeopathy on line go to
http://www.demystify.com

Jennifer Rayburn wrote:
> The other day in one of my classes we were talking about ADHD. My teacher
> said that studies have proven that sugar and diet do not have a bad affect
> on someone with ADHD. I totally disagree with him. I was wondering what
> your thoughts were on this.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: ADD Mirman's "Is It Real?"
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 16:12:55 -0500

Somewhere I still have a copy of Diane Divoky's book, THE MYTH OF HYPERACTIVITY. Divoky's idiot idea was abso corrupt in the 60s and the notion that ADD or hyperactivity don't exist as clear entities is balderdash in 1999.

Let us just say that we can legitimately organize ourselves to help as ADD any child who scores at the 15th percentile or lower on a HAWTHORNE questionnare done by any three adults who know the child; who has a 15%ile or lower score on a TOVA (Test of Variables of Attention); has a lower than 16th percentile score on Symbol Digit, Trails B, WISC Arithmetic, or Information subtests and on any standard cancellation test.

I'd go to 25th %ile on kids whose IQ is greater than 120.

Attentional problems are absolutely misery producing and need to be addressed.

Actually, I am always concerned about any child who isn't interested in or can't play a game like XQuest or other well organized computer games.

I note that most fidgety Phils have EEG's with unusually high amplitude and that if you let them play computer games, their EEG amplitude comes down radically while they are playing. You don't need any subtle statistical tests to see the effect.

It is long years past the time we should be asking "Does ADD really exist?"

As in any other disorder, if untrained nonprofessionals are permitted to make the diagnosis by impulse and rumor or whim, then the slop is dangerous.

When I hear "his teacher wants him on Ritalin", I want his teacher in jail until his teacher learns the limits of her license.

There is a substantial body of well attested data which permits us to make a robust assessment, "This child has a problem of attention, which is pervasive, persistent and creates dysfuntion in the child." Lets fix it.

George von Hilsheimer, Ph.D., F.R.S.H.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Thank you Dr. Mirman

Hi! I want to thank Dr. Mirman for taking the time to provide practical ideas and resources for add/adhd treatment. I hope everyone takes the time to go to his web page at:

http://www.demystify.com/

There is a section on ADD/ADHD. In addition, there is an online book, "DEMYSTIFYING HOMEOPATHY: A Concise Guide to Homeopathic Medicine." For those who don't want to read a 200+ page book on the subject, this short, online booklet will answer most of your questions about homeopathic treatment.

I will have the archives of Dr. Mirman's presentation and followup questions available within a week.

Take care!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Jacob I. Mirman"
Subject: Re: ADD Thank you Dr. Mirman
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 00:01:41 +0000

Thank you, Mark
This was fun
Jacob

Udo Erasmus, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Mark Gold
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 00:57:18 -0500 (EST)

Hi!

I said that we would be having a Visiting Expert on essential fatty acids (EFAs) since it is both a popular and important topic when it comes to add/adhd and to health in general. I feel very fortunate that we will be visited by one of the world's foremost authorities on EFAs, Udo Erasmus. Mr. Erasmus is the author of the book, "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill." The bio below is the 1-1/2 page "About the Author" section of the above-mentioned book. (The "About the Author" section was probably written by the publisher.)

Udo Erasmus was born in Poland during the second world war to parents from Latvia and Estonia escaping from communists. His family fled to West Germany at the end of the war, and emigrated to Canada when he was 10 years old.

His parents, having endured the first world war and the bolshevik revolution during their childhood, and having lived through the depression during adulthood only to be caught in the middle of the second world war, moved to northern Canada where Udo and his four siblings grew up on 112 acres of bush land. Without television, telephone, or radio, nature was both his teacher and entertainer.

At 16, Udo began university studies in the sciences -- math, physics, chemistry, and biology. Eventually, he settled on zoology and psychology as his field of study, and specialized in genetics (under Canadian geneticist, educator, and environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki) and biochemistry. His papers in genetics were published in the peer review journal "Mutation Research."

At 25, Udo found the direction science was taking unacceptable -- it was increasingly used to control people rather than to help or free them, and geneticists talked about cloning super-races. Udo left the University of British Columbia and went in search of his mission. "I traveled, looked around for several years, and did all sorts of different jobs to get to know more about my society and the world. Eventually, I was poisoned by pesticides and, in search of self-help, re-discovered a childhood passion for health and healing."

He resumed studies, now focused on nutrition, health, and human nature. The first edition of this book ("Fats and Oils") was his PhD thesis in nutrition. His M.A. thesis in counseling psychology, entitled "The Nature of Human Nature," will also be published in book form, "when I'm satisfied with my understanding of the details. I want to let my experience of this topic mature a little longer."

Udo pioneered our understanding of the effects of fats, oils, and cholesterol on human health at a time when other writers were quoting wrong information from outdated sources. The result of his painstaking assembly of relevant research resulted in this landmark book, seminal in the field.

His technological innovations include: development of custom-made parts for existing oil presses to protect the oils being pressed from damage caused by light, oxygen, and heat; use of opaque containers for fresh oils to protect them from light; refrigeration or freezing of oils during transport to slow deterioration and shelf-dating of oils to warn consumers about old oils. The use of the name "flax" oil (to distinguish the fresh, unrefined oil made with human health in mind from "linseed" oil, which comes from the same seed but is a paint-grade, refined, rancid, industrial product previously offered for human consumption) was Udo's suggestion. He also helped to pioneer the fresh, unrefined hemp oil that has recently appeared on the market.

Udo has worked with professionals (doctors, pharmacists, dieticians, osteopaths, naturopaths, nutritionists, chiropractors, massage therapists, other healing professionals, educators, veterinarians, and researchers); consumer health organizations; individuals who want to become more educated in nutrition and health; manufacturers who want help formulating high quality products; and developers of machinery and processes for making products with health in mind.

As an authority on fats, oils, cholesterol, essential fatty acids, technology for pressing healthy oils, complete nutrient programs for human health, and other health topics, Udo has been invited to tour throughout North America and Europe. Since 1987, he has reached an estimated five million viewers, listeners, and readers. He is particularly appreciated for his detailed, precise, clear, and non-technical style.

Please join my in welcoming Mr. Erasmus to the ADD-Holistic discussion group! [clap, clap, clap!!!]

[NOTE: Mr. Erasmus won't actually join us until Friday.]

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: udoerasmus@aol.com [NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY EMAIL ADDRESS WHICH IS NO LONGER BEING USED]
Udo Erasmus Web Page: http://www.udoerasmus.com/
Subject: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Table of Contents

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
Processing
Sources of EFAs
W3:W6 Ratio
Supplements
Amounts
How to Use EFA-rich Oils
EFA Health Functions
EFAs and ADD/ADHD
Resources

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

EFAs are the fats that heal. These are substances that every cell must have, cannot make, and must therefore get from foods. No-fat diets eventually kill. Low-fat diets can make us sick. We cannot live without EFAs.

Our fear of the fats that kill has made us fat-phobic, and is depriving millions of EFAs.

Two EFAs exist. One, the omega 3 (w3) EFA, is alpha-linolenic acid (LNA). The other, the omega 6 (w6) EFA, is linoleic acid (LA). If we get enough of both, and the ratio between them is right, the body makes several derivatives with important functions from each. From some of these derivatives, the body makes hormone-like substances that regulate biochemical activities in all cells and tissues on a moment-to-moment basis. (see page 20 of FATS THAT HEAL FATS THAT KILL for a comprehensive diagram of EFAs, their derivatives, and hormones made from them).

Processing

Processing determines whether fats (and especially EFAs) are beneficial or detrimental to health. EFAs are chemically active, and are sensitive to destruction by light, oxygen, and high (frying) heat. These can turn the healing EFAs into killing toxic fats. To retain their healing properties, EFAs must be treated with care. The w3 EFA is 5 times more rapidly destroyed than the w6 EFA.

A quick stability comparison. Sugar, starch, amino acids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and fiber can be dried, powdered, and stored for years with little deterioration. Oils rich in EFAs, on the other hand, begin to spoil by light-enhanced oxidation (rancidity) within hours of exposure, and their rancidity can be smelled and tasted within a week or two of exposure at room temperature.

EFAs are a manufacturer's nightmare. The easiest way to create products with long shelf life is to remove EFAs. It is a main force that drives the low-fat food craze. The other main force that drives fat phobia and low-fat diets is 'experts' who know about the fats that kill, but are not clear about the fats that heal. They have not understood that most health problems that we blame on fats are actually due to destructive processing methods. Remember: Damage due to processing.

Our w3 intake has decreased to 1/6th its level in 1850. Our intake of the less sensitive w6 EFA has doubled in the last 100 years, mainly due to increased use of corn and safflower, oils very rich in w6, but containing no w3.

Sources of EFAs

Flax is the richest food source of the w3 EFA. High fat, cold water fish (albacore tuna, mackerel, trout, salmon, sardines) are good sources of w3 derivatives. We prefer fish (raw as sushi; or poached rather than fried) over encapsulated fish oils because of processing damage, rancidity (fish oils are 5 times more sensitive to destruction than LNA), and oil-soluble toxins in fish (liver) oils.

Sunflower and sesame seeds are good sources of w6 EFA. Almonds, peanuts, and olives also contain w6 EFAs but no W3s. Soybeans and walnuts contain lots of w6, and a small amount of w3. Most other seeds and nuts, such as pecans, macadamia nuts, and cashews, are poor sources of EFAs. One also gets w3 and w6 EFAs in fresh oils pressed from organically grown seeds, using special machinery for making oils with health in mind that was developed in 1987. Such oils are found in amber glass bottles, in the fridge, in natural food stores.

A blend developed by the writer for use in his work, contains 9 ingredients: flax, sunflower, sesame, rice germ, oat germ, unrefined evening primrose, medium chain triglycerides, lecithin, and vitamin E. It is protected from light by a box surrounding the amber glass bottle. Fresh EFA-rich oils have a 6-month shelf life under refrigeration, should be used within 4 to 8 weeks of opening, and must be frozen solid to attain a 3 to 5 year shelf life (oils shrink when they freeze, so the glass bottles will not break). Warning: Frying can make EFA-rich oils quite toxic.

W3:W6 Ratio

W3 and w6 EFAs compete for space on the enzymes that convert them into derivatives. If we get too much w6, we become deficient in w3; and vice versa.
A wide range of ratios keeps healthy people healthy. Inuit (Eskimos) had 2.5 times more w3 than w6 in their traditional diet. Italians had 4 times more w6 than w3. Neither suffered from fat-related conditions. Present-day diets a ratio about 20 times richer in w6.

In our work, we use a ratio twice as rich in w3 as w6. We arrived at this ratio by experimentation. We found that a ratio of 3.5 times more w3 (flax oil), makes people w6-deficient. The Inuit ratio, 2.5 times more w3, does not. Our 2:1 ratio gives superior therapeutic results, because many people are EFA-deficient because of low-fat diets, and almost everyone is w3-deficient because of absence of w3s from most commonly eaten foods.

Supplements

EFAs and their derivatives can be obtained in 3 main ways:

Mix and match oil seeds.
Mix and match oils made with health in mind.
Eat high fat, cold water fish.

Amounts

Because we could not live if glands and organs were deprived of EFAs, but dry skin is survivable, Nature's wisdom dictates that skin gets EFAs last. We use this fact as an indicator of optimum EFA intake.

Dry skin, or the need for moisturizers, creams, and lotions are indicators of less than optimum EFA intake. Optimum amount and ratio of EFAs leads to soft, velvety skin. Then we know that the rest of the body has the EFAs it needs. Optimizing EFA intake makes cosmetics unnecessary. I don't use any. At 56, people tell me that my skin is remarkably youthful looking.

Most adults need 2 to 5 tablespoons each day to reach optimum. Body builders use up to 7 or 8 tbsp/day. People with degenerative conditions go up to 10 tbsp/day. They lose weight, reduce joint pain, and experience improved energy levels using this much. I use 3 tbsp in summer, about 4 in winter. When the weather gets colder in fall, many people notice their skin gets dry. That's nature telling you: You need more oil.

Children should get EFA-rich oils proportional to weight. For example, if the parent needs 3 tbsp/day for soft, velvety skin and the child weighs one tenth of the parent's weight, the child should get one tenth of 3 tbsp/day.

How to Use EFA-rich Oils

EFA-rich oils made with health in mind are compatible with all foods: vegetables, proteins, starches, and fruit.

Use them in salad dressings; on steamed vegetables; in soups; in mashed potatoes or on corn instead of butter; mix in yogurt or protein shakes (athletes get their EFAs this way); mix 50:50 with butter or extra virgin olive oil to enhance the EFA profile of these two good but EFA-poor oils; on pasta; in cereals, in veggie juices; and layered on fruit juices (we call this an oil shooter: EFAs enhance the juice flavor, the juice gets more body, and the oil flavor disappears).

EFA Health Functions

EFAs increase energy level, stamina, and performance; speed recovery from fatigue; and speed healing of injuries. We have seen this benefit in strength and endurance athletes, in performance dogs and horses, in older people, in those with degenerative conditions associated with low energy levels, and those complaining of fatigue.
EFAs are the best kept secret for beautiful skin, hair, and nails. Soft, velvety skin; tan better and burn less; helpful in eczema, psoriasis, and acne; are useful for sweating out oil-soluble toxins through the skin; protect from the toxic effects of pesticides in tissues; and improve skin, hair coat, feathers, claws, hooves in dogs, cats, horses, birds, and other animals.
EFAs improve digestion by slowing stomach emptying time; suppress appetite; reduce cravings for sugars, starches, and non-essential fats; make withdrawal from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco easier; support healthy bowel flora; prevent leaky gut and food allergies; enhance food flavors; and improve the absorption of oil-soluble phytonutrients from vegetables and other foods.
EFAs are required by all glands and organs; required for insulin function, testosterone production, serotonin production; required for liver and kidney function; improve thyroid function; are required for lung function; EFAs provide glands and organs with the energy these highly active tissues require for their functions.
EFAs decrease several cardiovascular risk factors; lower high triglycerides; lower high blood pressure; decrease platelet stickiness, making stroke, heart attack, and embolism less likely; EFAs sometimes help, but are not reliable, to lower cholesterol levels.
EFAs are required for wound healing.
EFAs decrease inflammation.
EFAs reduce water retention (edema).
EFAs dampen the over-response of the immune system in auto-immune conditions.
EFAs protect our genetic material (DNA) from damage.
EFAs have anti-tumor properties.
EFAs are required for mineral transport and mineral metabolism; prevent loss of bone minerals, and thereby keep bones strong and help prevent osteoporosis; work against protein-induced mineral loss.
EFAs are required for protein metabolism; protein without EFAs becomes toxic.
EFAs are required for hemoglobin production, cell growth, and cell division.
EFAs reduce body fat; fat reduced under skin in body builders, to they get the 'shredded' look; 30-50 pounds of fat reduction/year in obese people on 3-5 tbsp of EFA-rich oil; sometimes up to 10 tbsp/day.

NOTE: w3 EFAs do a better job than w6 EFAs on most of the above points. However, w6 deficiency from over-emphasis on w3s must be avoided, because w6 deficiency leads to deterioration of every cell, tissue, gland, organ, and system in the body. That is why getting the w3 to w6 ratio right is so important for health.

EFAs and ADD/ADHD

Three related areas of EFA functions are particularly important with respect to ADD/ADHD. These are: brain, women's health, and pregnancy. Most children with ADD/ADHD do not require Ritalin. In a fat-phobic world filled with junk foods, most kids do not get the EFAs they need for optimum brain function. Clearly, children should be given the essential nutrients required for brain function before drugs are even contemplated. Of these nutrients, w3 EFAs are the most likely to be lacking. Deficiency of either w3 or w6 EFAs is known to lead to changes in behavior. This has been known for years.

In addition to EFAs, the brain also requires several vitamins and minerals, as well as proteins. If the brain ain't made right, behavior cannot be expected to be normal.

EFAs are required for brain development and brain function. At 60% fat, the brain is the fat-richest organ in the body. We are fat-heads. It's a compliment. EFAs elevate mood and lift depression; bring calmness (in dogs, cats, horses, children, and adults); improve the ability to deal with stress and reduce the tendency to get stressed; improve focus; improve motor co-ordination; improve strength; speed learning; increase intelligence; improve visual acuity and color perception in older people; calm down hyperactive (ADD and ADHD) kids; make juvenile delinquents unresponsive to counseling counselable; make violent criminals less violent; decrease hallucinations in schizophrenics; improve Alzheimer's and senile dementias.
EFAs are vital for women's health; women are depleted of EFAs because child's brain draws them from her body; each child gets less EFAs than the preceding child; researchers suggest that's the reason why on average, oldest children have the highest IQ; why on average, younger children in large families have more developmental and behavioral problems; a main reason why women get post-partum depression; and the main reason why women get more depression, inflammatory, and auto-immune conditions than men do; most women in North America have no reliable source of the missing EFAs in their food supply; it is vital that they get them, both for their own health and the health of their children.
In animals, EFAs have been shown to result in less difficult pregnancy, easier delivery, larger litters, healthier mothers and offspring, better milk production, quicker maternal healing, more activity and exploration in offspring (sign of intelligence); shown in dogs and horses; also true in mothers who enrich their food intake with EFAs.

Resources

EFA Supplements:

Fresh high fat, cold water fish: salmon, sardines, mackerel, rainbow trout, albacore (white) tuna;
- widely available;
- better steamed or poached than fried or canned;
- oil-richest part is meal along belly, around fins, and behind gills, as
- well as (gasp!) brain and eyeballs (retina);
- fish provide the EFA derivatives (w3:docosaheaxaenoic acid or DHA; w6: arachidonic acid or AA) specific to brain function;
- the oils in fish are fast-acting;
- easily spoiled by heat, light, and oxygen;
Encapsulated fish oils: use with caution;
- processing damage makes fish oils smell and taste 'fishy', which is rancidity, and fresh fish does not smell or taste 'fishy';
- fish oils are usually heated to high temperature to clean them up, resulting in changed molecules that can be toxic;
- the care needed to make fish oils with health in mind has not yet been taken;
- fish oil EFA derivatives are 5 times more rapidly destroyed than LNA, the already highly sensitive w3 EFA;
- fish oils can contain substantial levels of highly toxic polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs), cancer-causing industrial chemicals;
- fish liver oils are most likely to be ontaminated;
- from processed fish oils, you get benefits along with an uncertain degree of toxicity;
Seeds: mix and match organically grown flax, sunflower, and sesame seeds;
- seeds are about one third to one half oil, the rest is mostly protein and fiber, with some minerals also present;
- flax is the only rich source of w3;
- many seeds contain w6;
- soybeans and walnuts contain both EFAs, but are much richer in w6;
'Udo's Choice' Perfected Oil Blend:
- provides both EFAs, but is richer in w3s;
- is packaged in brown glass protected from light by a box, refrigerated in natural food stores;
- contains everything you need from oils (9 ingredients) and nothing you should avoid;
- made by processes designed to protect EFAs from damage;
- the blend provides the starting material from which the body makes the EFA derivatives, as well as 'minor ingredients' with major health benefits;
- minor ingrdients are removed when oils are refined and deodorized into colorless, odorless, tasteless commercial oils;
EFA derivatives from fish oils do not retro-convert to the EFAs themselves, which are important in cell membrane functions, but the body will convert EFAs into the derivatives that fish oils contain; oils from fresh fish can be used in additon to the blend;

Reading:
Erasmus, Udo. Fats That Heal Fats That Kill.

Further Information:
1-800-446-2110

[ Web Page: http://www.udoerasmus.com/ ]

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:35:08 -0700 (MST)
From: mgold@tiac.met
Subject: ADD Responses From Dr. Erasmus

Hi!

I will be forwarding the responses from Dr. Erasmus to the list. He is been very busy with various requests and wasn't able to get to the responses until last night. He will be travelling to Europe, so we cannot ask him any more followup questions for now.

Because Dr. Erasmus gets so many questions (often the same questions), he asks that people interested in issues related to EFAs read his book, "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" first, because many of the common questions (e.g., cooking with oils, etc.) are answered in the book in detail.

One other thing, there is a slight backlog of posts that need to be sent to the list. I will forward most of those to the list tonight and tomorrow morning. Sorry for the delay!

Best Wishes, - Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 09:01:04 -0700 (MST)
From: Dean Mouscher
Subject: RE: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 09:56:14 -0600

Dear Dr. Erasmus:

I find that when I take 240-300 mg daily of GLA (from borage seed oil) my concentration and memory improves. Yet I worry that such a high intake of GLA is not natural and may throw something out of balance, which is why I go off the GLA frequently for extended periods. Please comment.

Also, I've seen research indicating that nutritional status at conception is more important than diet during pregnancy. We're planning a second child. How long, in your opinion, should my wife take Udo's Choice oil in order to rebuild fatty acid stores before conceiving for the second time (she's still breastfeeding number 1)?

Thanks,
Dean

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:36:13 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: RE: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Dean:

David Horrobin, the developer of Efamol evening primrose, who inspired most of the work on evening primrose and GLA, recommended a maximum of about 60 mg of GLA, from 12-500 mg capsules of that oil. I do not use borage oil, but doubt that the amount you take would cause you great harm, since it would only involve about 1500 mg of oil. I say that because GLA (the w6 derivative) and LNA (the w3 essential fatty acid) are quite similar in their chemical activity, and I use about 25,000 mg of LNA per day.

Some researchers doubt our need for GLA, based on studies that indicate that the body does the conversion of LA to w6 derivatives from infancy to old age.

The key is that the ratio of w3:w6 should be between 2:1 and 1:5 for healthy people. More towards 2:1 if w3s have been neglected in the diet. Other than that, it is good to keep anti-oxidant levels high, by eating lots of green foods; taking the usual pill ones: A, C, E, selenium, and zinc; and taking herbs like ginkgo, milk thistle, lipoic acid, etc. You don't need them all, but should have both water-soluble and oil-soluble anti-oxidants in your diet.

If your intake of essential fats keeps up with its loss to the unborn child and to the infant through breast milk, then the timing of pregnancies is not dependent on essential fat intake. We have seen this consistently in animal work.

The key is to get optimums, which we measure by skin feel. Dry skin means you're not getting enough. The need for moisturizers, creams, and lotions is another indicator.

For adults, 2 to 5 tablespoons/day is usually right to get this done. For the brain, the w3 essential fatty acid must be converted into DHA. This should not be a problem at the 2 to 5 tablespoon level if the oil is 2:1 in favor of w3. Alternatively, fish provides DHA without the need for conversion.

Alcohol depletes DHA dramatically, one reason why drinkers should eat fish, and pregnant women should avoid alcohol.

Two years or more between children is an accepted standard. This time gives the mother time to get rested after the hectic time of having a new-born, and gives the new-born enough of her attention for long enough to feel comfortable in the world.

Hope this helps.

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 09:04:23 -0700 (MST)
From: randy1@ibm.net
Subject: ADD For Dr. Erasmus

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 23:28:30 -0600

Sir: I'm a Biochemistry student at Kansas State University, and I started studying biochemistry formally at age 33; my love for "alterna- tive" medicine came from my Grandfather, who used to traipse the hills of Virginia in search of herbs and roots for sale to the local physi- cians and healers. I add these facts because if I don't, you might miss something of my character. Please be warned that I am quite the rambler!

My concern is that very little is taught about the importance of EFA's, even in a biochemistry curriculum. Of course they are mentioned; their conversion to other molecules is stressed; however, most of the discus- sion centers around arachidonic acid (also known as eicosapentenoic acid or EPA)and its derivatives. Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) are considered in more detail; gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is mentioned mainly in terms of a "structure to memorize," and as an in- termediate.

I know (through a little detective work outside of class) that LA (w-6) can be converted into GLA (still w-6 but with 3 unsaturations versus 2 for LA) but that neither of them can be converted into alpha-linolenic acid (LNA; w-3). I also know that GLA (and thus LA) is a precursor of EPA (w-3 with 5 unsat.) and thus of series-3 prostaglandins (PG3), as well as of PG1 and PG2, HPETE, series-4 and series-5 leukotrienes (LKT-4 & LKT-5), thromboxanes (THX) and prostacyclins (PCyc).

Since LNA cannot be converted back to GLA, it can feed only (directly) into PG3 and EPA, which we could make starting with simply LA.

Why do we even need large amounts of LNA, since we truly need only the small amount required directly for membranes? (I can't seem to find much information on LKT-1, 2 or 3; do we also need LNA for their syn- theses?) One would guess, as well, that LA can be converted to doco- sahexenoic acid (DHA; w-3 with 6 unsaturations).

It would seem to me that larger amounts of linoleic acid, with small amounts of LNA, would be sufficient for older children and adults.

I myself use flax/borage oil as a source of LA, LNA, and GLA as well as some oleic acid (w-9). I also use olive oil as a flavoring (after the cooking is done or over a cold salad), and fish oil as a direct source for EPA (which biases leukotrienes toward LKT-5 and prostaglan- dins toward PG3's which are less inflammatory than LKT-4's and PG1 and PG2; and which can inhibit THX-2 formation leading to some reductions in hypertension, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides - i.e., LDL - and neutrophil - white blood cell type - aggregation) and DHA (whose precursors in the human body, functions and physiological effects I am only beginning to unearth).

Do you have any insight on DHA and the human [especially AD(H)D] con- dition? Several in our group have mentioned the high levels of DHA found in human breast milk and the "recently" available microalgae pre- parations. Do you have an opinion on using microalgae for DHA and some preparation besides fish oil or sushi for EPA?

CAN I RAMBLE or WHAT! Thanks for your time, and thanks for joining our group! (and if you need a research assistant in the next five years or so, I'd REALLY like to know!)

Randy Fields

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:36:42 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD For Dr. Erasmus

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear rambing Randy:

If you look on page 20 of my book, you will find an overview of the w3 and w6 essntial fatty acid families. You will see that your understanding of the story is slightly mixed up. You convert w6s into w3 derivatives, and that is not done in nature.

There's good research showing that DHA is helpful in ADD/ADHD. We also get good feedback on the benefits of LNA in ADD/ADHD, although there's little published research on LNA. Red-brown algae do provide DHA. My concern is always the processing damage done to oils when they are steam distilled to clean them up.

Regarding other sources of EPA, you can find EPA in Chinese water snake (20% of the oil is EPA), and rattlesnake (which is about 8% EPA). I'm not sure it is the alternative you're looking for. If you obtain enough LNA, the body will make EPA from it.

Good luck hunting rattlesnakes.

Regards

Udo

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:38:12 -0700 (MST)
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Dr. Erasmus

Dr. Erasmus,

Thank you very much for your detailed opening post. You have provided an enormous amount of useful information! I have a few questions I was hoping that you could answer.

You mentioned the essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend which has been manufactured, packaged, and stored to protect the EFAs and has a balance of w3 and w6 EFAs to avoid deficiences. If a reader cannot find this product at their local health food store, what is the best way to order the product?
From what I understand, there are certain key nutrients which play a significant part in converting w3 and w6 EFAs into derivatives used by the body to promote health. Which of those nutrients do you think might be important for supplementation by persons with ADD/ADHD? Does Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend provide some of these nutrients?
A growing number of people are avoiding certain carbohydrates (because of insulin response) and using a higher [saturated] fat, low-carb diet to lose weight, control ADD/ADHD, control diabetes, etc. While I have seen some people have successes in certain areas using this tact, but I still have some major concerns.

In your experience, can a nutrition plan which stays away from foods high in saturated fats, but adds EFAs in food and EFA supplements produce some (or all) of the same positive effects as far as weight loss, diabetes control, ADD/ADHD improvement, etc. as seen in some of the low carb diets? Or perhaps some reduction of certain carbs and addition of EFAs might be warrented for some people.
I am seeing a large increase in popularity of smoked fish products at large health food stores such as Whole Foods Market. Would a 4 oz package of smoked salmon have the same benefit from the DHA fatty acid as a similar amount of cooked salmon? Does cooking or smoking destroy some or most of the DHA?

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge with our ADD/ADHD Internet Discussion Group!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:37:33 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Questions for Dr. Erasmus

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Mark:

Order Perfected Oil Blend directly by calling Flora, Inc., the company that makes it. Their number is 1-800-446-2110. They can also provide the book if you cannot find it.
The minerals and vitamins needed to convert essential fats into their derivatives include vitamins B3, B6, and C, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, and zinc. All these, and the others that we should get for other reasons can be obtained by using a good multi-mineral, multi-vitamin. I use high dose ones. There are several good brands, including Nature's Plus, Twin Labs, and several others.
You get even better results in ADD/ADHD and weight management using oils rich in essential fats than you do with saturated fats. This is because essential fats are required for brain development and brain function, and they increase metabolic rate and energy level (make you feel more like being physically active); lift depression (so you're less likely to overeat); decrease inflammation (so your tissues release water which is then dumped by your kidneys); suppress hunger, appetite, and cravings (by giving you essential nutrients that most people with weight problems avoid); and more.

Most overweight people are fat-phobic carbohydrate junkies. They need to understand that fats do not make you fat, but sugars, carbohydrates, and sweet fruit do.

They need to increase their intake of green foods, make sure they get good proteins and good fats, both of which provide essential nutrients that the body cannot make, and need to lower their carb intake.

Doing this, we get 30 to 50 pounds weight reduction consistently in a year on 3 to 5 tablespoons per day, and have had as much as 80 pounds in 6 months on 3 tablespoons.

Also, carbs interfere with insulin function, and essential fats are required for insulin function.
Raw (sushi) is better than poached, is better than fried or smoked. One reason for smoking fish is that smoke flavor hides rancidity that occurs as fish is kept for longer periods of time.

Fresh fish is always best. That's why the saying: Eat things that spoil. Just eat them before they do.

Thanks for the introduction to the net way of doing things.

Regards

Udo

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:44:31 -0700 (MST)
From: PARRJL@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 12:46:47 EST

Dear Dr. Erasmus:

I currently give my 2 y/o and 7 y/o 1 tbsp. of Flax Seed Oil per day. I also have a 4 month old and was wondering if it was too early to start her on Flax oil? If not, at what dosage? My son has psoriasis and since I started giving him the Flax oil, it is almost completely gone.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

Lisa

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:38:35 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Lisa:

If you breast feed and are taking essential fats, your child will get them through your breast milk.

If you feed solid foods, you can add a capsule or a few grams of oil to it. Formulas are always short on essential fats, enzymes, and good bowel bacteria. All three should be added to the formula.

You did not say that you are taking flax oil. It was the first oil I developed, in 1987, after I learned the story of fats. I found that flax oil made me w6-deficient after several months of exclusive use. I get quite a few reports: Flax oil made my skin really nice at first, but now it doesn't work anymore.

If that happens, it is because the skin has become w6-deficient. That is why I developed the blend in which the w3:w6 ratio is 2:1 instead of flax's ratio of 3.5:1.

So, if flax oil loses its effectiveness, get the balance between w3 and w6 back by using more w6 oil, which sunflower and seasme oils supply.

Regards

Udo

Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 20:13:51 -0700 (MST)
From: Diana Algarin-diaz
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post (Udo Erasmus)

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 23:05:55 -0500 (EST)

Greetings
Great information. Thanks!
Always, Diana

Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 10:23:20 -0700 (MST)
From: Sharon Morrissey
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert query

Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 21:55:52 -0200

I have a question for our visiting oils expert----one that's driving me crazy.

for many years I've had the symptoms of efa deficiency, as described in the introdustory post, as well as ADD. every time I try to increase my efa intake, whether it be pure flaxoil or Udo's blend, which I have stocked in my freezer----my metabolic rate slows to a crawl. I am usually a slow oxidizer and any fats slow me down even further.

If you've got any ideas toward resolving this dilemma they will be greatly appreciated!

thanks in advance,

Sharon

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:38:01 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert query

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Sharon:

I cannot answer your question without more information about your case. W3 fatty acids usually increase metabolic rate rather than decreasing it. They do so by improving circulation (make red blood cells more flexible so they sneak through our cappillaries more easily, improving delivery of nutrients and oxygen to our tissues). They also increase oxygen metabolism, metabolic rate, energy levels, and stamina. They speed recovery after fatigue.

If you want, we could pursue your question more deeply by phone when I return from Europe end of May.

Regards

Udo

Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 19:30:00 -0700 (MST)
From: "John V DOMmisse, MD"
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert query

Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 11:18:34 -0700

Sharon,
It seems that Udo Erasmus is no longer on this List, so I thought I would jump in with my 2c-worth: Since essential oils are not known to slow metabolism, I wonder whether you have a significant metabolism problem, unrelated to oils but possibly just made slightly worse by them. The commonest low-metabolism problem in the US is undiagnosed and under-treated hypothyroidism, in my opinion (I have treaed probably 1000 hypothyroid patuients by now, over the past 11 years).

The testing that MUST be done, and virtually never is done, is a sensitive TSH, a FREE-T4, and a FREE-T3 serum level. There are other T4 and T3 levels but these are the only accurate ones. Then there is also the matter of interpretation. If you would like to pursue this avenue and let me know what the meaning of these levels would be in your case, I will respond (with my opinion) again.

John DOMmisse, MD, FRCPC

Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 19:28:07 -0700 (MST)
From: Diana Algarin-diaz
Subject: Re: ADD Questions for Dr. Erasmus

Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 01:07:38 -0500 (EST)

Greetings
I owned a store, Tierra'Dentro, years ago and used to carry all of the Udo's product. Ask the owner of any store if they don't have his products. I knew about it because a customer requested it.
Always, Diana

Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 19:29:38 -0700 (MST)
From: PARRJL@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD

Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 23:28:46 EST

I cook in Olive oil. Does heating olive oil turn it into a toxic substance? What oils are safe to heat? Lisa

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:28:03 -0700 (MST)
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Re: ADD

> I cook in Olive oil. Does heating olive oil turn it into a toxic
> substance? What oils are safe to heat? Lisa

Lisa,

I forward this to Dr. Erasmus to answer. Hopefully he'll get to it soon. Dr. Erasmus' book ("Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill") has an excellent section on cooking with oils, including which oils are safest to use and cooking techniques that prevent toxic changes to oils.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:30:07 -0700 (MST)
From: srjarv@webcntrl.com
Subject: Re: ADD

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 09:51:47 +0000

>I cook in Olive oil. Does heating olive oil turn it into a toxic
>substance? What oils are safe to heat? Lisa

I just came from a adhd conference, a large part of which was devoted to nutrition. The vote there is olive oil is good, but sesame oil is best because it can reach higher temps then other oils before it changes its structure, making it toxic. Rachel

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:30:47 -0700 (MST)
From: George von Hilsheimer
Subject: Re: ADD

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 12:48:26 -0500

No oils are safe to overheat! As a matter of fact, raw or sparely and gently cooked is always better than overcooked. Olive oil is ok for cooking, just don't deep fry in anything, and use less rather than more. GvH, Fellow Int College Applied Nutrition (1973)

At 07:29 PM 3/20/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I cook in Olive oil. Does heating olive oil turn it into a toxic
>substance? What oils are safe to heat? Lisa

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:39:02 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Lisa:

There's research that indicates that when olive oil is fried, it loses all of its breast cancer protective properties. Frying correlates with more cancer and more cardiovascular disease, and I believe it also increases inflammation and makes irritable bowel problems worse.

That's why I recommend frying in water. In other words, steam, poach, boil, pressure cook. Then add good oils made with health in mind after the food is on the plate. That we you're not playing Russian roulette with health. Russian roulette is not safe just because 5 chambers are empty.

Regards

Udo

At 09:32 PM 3/20/99 -0500, you wrote:
>From: PARRJL@aol.com
>Subject: Re: ADD
>Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 23:28:46 EST
>I cook in Olive oil. Does heating olive oil turn it into a toxic
>substance? What oils are safe to heat? Lisa

Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 12:48:35 -0700 (MST)
From: 1lls0081 <1lls0081@unixstew.tstc.edu>
Subject: Re: ADD Canola

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 23:47:23 -0600

oils "Oils Vegetable and Animal - Health Risks from Processed
Foods and Trans. Fats: Enig, Ph.D."
#http://www.healthy.net/library/articles/passwater/enig01.htm#

oils coconut oil and aids
#http://www.execpc.com/~keephope/report14.html#

Mary Enig is someone that I wish we could get as a visiting expert. I would love to host some of her articles on my web site as well!
Laura
aka The Pied Piper

Lee Hunter wrote:

> Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 12:22:48 -0500
> >Considering the fact that there does not seem to be any kind of non animal
> >based oil that is as good as the animal based oils, I am not interested in
> any
> >other type of oil except possibly olive.

Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 12:47:01 -0700 (MST)
From: mgold@tiac.met
Subject: ADD Canola (Rape Seed) Oil

Dr. Erasmus,

It is my understanding that canola oil is being used more and more frequently due to its low cost. I see it frequently in packaged and prepared foods at my local Whole Foods Market.

There has been quite a bit of concern about the health effects of canola oil, particularly the genetically-engineered (GE) varieties. The GE varieties grown in North America are grown with highly toxic, teratogenic herbicides glufosinate and Bromoxynl (just approved in Canada). The European Union has been trying to avoid the unlabelled GE canola oil from the U.S. and Canada and has been purchasing their canola oil largely from Australia. Australia can certify that their oil is not genetically-engineered. I have enclosed one statement from an expert after my signature line.

Question: Do you know whether the major North American health food store chains that use canola oil (e.g., Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Markets) source their canola oil from non-genetically-engineered varieties. Are their sources for organic canola oil in the U.S. or at least sources for non-organic canola oil growth without the use of the above-mentioned herbicides. Any thoughts that you have on the canola oil issue would be greatly appreciated!

- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/

BEGIN ENCLOSURE

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 16:34:10 -0500
From: joe cummins
Subject: B-GE: birth defects in GM canola in Canada

March 17, 1999
Prof. Joe Cummins
738 Wilkins Street
London, Ontario, N6C4Z9 Canada
e-mail: jcummins@julian.uwo.ca

Canada Approved Genetically Modified Canola Tolerant to an Herbicide Causing Birth Defects

Canada has approved genetically engineered canola patented by the multinational chemical company Rhone Poulenc for their herbicides Bromoxynl and Ioxynil. The herbicide Bromoxynil has a history of controversy in its use after it was found that it caused birth defects in rats and mice. Its use on cotton in the United States was a source of controversy while in Canada (where government departments of Agriculture and Health take multimillion dollar payments from chemical companies) the herbicide was quietly approved and used extensively to control weeds in grain crops that are innately tolerant to the herbicide. Bromoxynl tolerant canola can be rotated with grain on land treated with the herbicide which is very persistent in treated soil.

Residues of the teratogenic herbicide are likely to accumulate in the harvested canola oil and in the cattle and pig food from the residues recovered from pressing canola seed to recover oil. Such pressing residues have also been used as fertilizer on organic farms a procedure that should be reviewed on the basis of transferring genetic modifications and teratogenic herbicides. Biotechnology noted that there was a very high likelihood that the herbicide tolerant gene would be transferred to unpatented canola and to at least seven wild plant species but the transfer to wild plant was a minimal threat as the resistant species could be controlled by other herbicides as they became weeds. The impact of use of the genetically modified crop on biodiversity was given brief discussion with no data and no fundamental knowledge of biodiversity.

Another genetically modified canola, Liberty Ready, also employs a highly teratogenic herbicide glufosinate. Importers of canola oil or animal feed from pressed seed should be made aware of these developments and that the products are not labeled. Clearly the Canadian approval process bears the stamp of the millions of dollars from chemical companies.

The information on approval of Bromoxynil resistant canola was from Plant Biotechnology Canada August 19,1998

END ENCLOSURE

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:40:53 -0700 (MST)
From: udoerasmus@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Canola (Rape Seed) Oil

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:45:03 -0800

Dear Mark:

If the genetically engineered canola has just been approved, then it is not likely to be in canola oil used in health food stores. Yet.

Canola has an interesting situation. If it is made with health in mind, it tastes puky. Oil plus mustard taste from glucosinolates that are part of the seed. If it is refined and deodorized, it has sustained some damage. Most of the canola used in prepared foods in all markets is refined and deodorized. It has been treated with sodium hydroxide, phosphoric acid, bleach, and high temperature. That's enough for me to avoid it. So I don't even get to the other, more modern way to screw up the food supply. I avoid canola altogether.

I use the organically grown oils only. I use some extra virgin olive oil. I eat sushi. I like my food fresh, as little processed as possible. That way I avoid a lot of stuff.

The development of genetically engineered plants is a zoo of unknowns. I do my best to avoid it. In Eurpoe, the health food trade will not use North American lecithin, because Lucas Meyer will not guarantee it to be made from GMO-free soybeans. The lecithin we use in the blend comes from Europe, the only source of GMO-free soybeans we could find.

I don't know much more than that about this. It's looking to become a bigger and bigger issue on environment and health. "You can shit in your nest for only so long before you're nesting in your shit." That for me, sums up the environment issue. If we poison our environment, we automatically poison ourselves, because we keep eating the environment. It's our food. If nothing else, Mark, if we make the best possible food choices, we'll outlive them.

Regards

Udo

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 15:28:37 -0700 (MST)
From: mgold@tiac.met
Subject: ADD Dr. Erasmus

Hi!

I want to thank Dr. Erasmus for taking the time to answer the questions put forth by members of the ADD-Holistic discussion group! I had been completely unaware of the problems with even non-genetically-engineered canola oil. I will stick with unrefined oils for EFAs.

I usually do not repeat a plug for books by Visiting Experts, but I do want to say that Dr. Erasmus' ("Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill") book has allowed me to not only help myself, but to help others who were clearly suffering from EFA deficiencies. It is a great resource to have on hand as it answers most of the common questions. Also, I have noticed positive effects from "Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend" (www.florahealth.com / 1-800-446-2110).

I will have the archives of the visit up in a couple of days at:

http://www.holisticmed.com/add/#experts

Take care!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/

John E. Upledger, D.O. O.M.M.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Introduction

I would like to welcome to our group one of the most innovative and respected practitioners of Holistic Medicine, Dr. John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M. Dr. Upledger has had extensive experience successfully treating a wide variety of diseases and disorders (including ADD/ADHD) using techniques which he developed over the last several decades. Dr. Upledger has trained thousands of practitioners who have gone on to become effective practitioners and, in some cases, develop their own modalities based largely on Dr. Upledger's work.

Please join me in giving Dr. Upledger a warm welcome! [Clap, clap, clap!]

Dr. Upledger will email his opening post on Monday. Please see his bio below. - Mark mgold@tiac.net

Official Bio

JOHN E. UPLEDGER, D.O., O.M.M.
------------------------------
Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy
Academic Fellow of the British Society of Osteopathy
Doctor of Science, Medicina Alternativa

Specialties

Osteopathic Manipulation
CranioSacral Therapy
SomatoEmotional Release
Preventative Medicine
Acupuncture

Textbooks

CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy II - Beyond the Dura
SomatoEmotional Release and Beyond
Your Inner Physician and You
A Brain is Born: Exploring the Birth and Development of the Central Nervous System

Dr. John E. Upledger is the President and Medical Director of The Upledger Institute, Inc. Dedicated to the natural enhancement of health, the Institute is recognized worldwide for its groundbreaking continuing-education programs, clinical research and therapeutic services.

Throughout his career as an osteopathic physician, Dr. Upledger has been recognized as an innovator and leading proponent in the investigation of new therapies. His development of CranioSacral Therapy in particular has earned him an international reputation.

Dr. Upledger has served on the Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Part of the council's responsibilities are to advise the Office of Alternative Medicine about promising treatment methods, and to identify issues that concern this emerging field of medicine.

Although much of his experience has been garnered through private clinical practice, Dr. Upledger served from 1975-1983 as a clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University. During those years he supervised a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers in experiments testing the existence and influence of the craniosacral system.

The results of those scientific studies explained the function of the craniosacral system and its use in evaluating and treating poorly understood malfunctions of the brain and spinal cord. Dr. Upledger went on to develop and refine CranioSacral Therapy and other complementary modalities, which are now taught worldwide to a diversified group of healthcare professionals through The Upledger Institute's educational programs.

Dr. Upledger later established The Upledger Foundation to reach out to those less fortunate physically, mentally and financially to help improve their life experiences. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to the ongoing research and development of new therapeutic applications, and the establishment of community-outreach programs that enhance total health.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: uihealthplex [Note: Please do not send questions to clinic@upledger.com. Instead, see the phone and web page resources at the end of this email.]
Subject: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 11:01:25 -0400

Dear Discussion Group Members:

I specialize in CranioSacral Therapy. This is a very soft touch, hands-on treatment method that requires 30-60 minutes per session. It is non-invasive, non-traumatic, non-threatening and virtually risk-free.

I began working with brain dysfunctioning children of all types in 1975 at Michigan State University. I was a clinician-researcher in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomechanics. CranioSacral Therapy was the focus of our "hard science" research. We developed a children's clinic to put CranioSacral Therapy to work for afflicted children and to investigate the efficacy of the method.

We applied CranioSacral Therapy with good success in children with hyperkinesis and attention deficit problems, speech and motor problems, dyslexia, autism, seizure disorders and Down's syndrome. We have continued to use CranioSacral Therapy is such children until today, nearly 25 years later, because in many cases it is very successful. Any of the above mentioned problems, with the exception of Down's syndrome, may have different or multiple causal factors. We have observed that dysfunction of the craniosacral system is frequently involved. We evaluate the craniosacral system and if we find a problem we attempt to correct it. The attempt at correction is usually successful.

In our experience, about 60% of ADD children have craniosacral system dysfunction as a predominantly contributing factor. When therapy is successful, the results are most often dramatically positive. For instance, it is very common for the hyperactive child to relax and fall asleep on the treatment table after the correction is made.

An even higher percentage of dyslexic problems are secondary to craniosacral system dysfunction than in ADD - I would estimate about 80%. Craniosacral system corrections, however, are more difficult in these cases. When successful, though, the results are very dramatic.

I treated one 15-year-old boy who was reading on a 4th grade level who advanced to a 10th grade level in three weeks after the correction to his craniosacral system was made. The other brain dysfunctions mentioned are more variable in their etiologies. However, when craniosacral system problems are correctly discovered and treated, improvement almost always follows.

Down's syndrome is genetic, but our experience shows that CranioSacral Therapy can bring about functional improvement. I treated a Down's child who received his first CranioSacral Therapy session 10-days post partum. I have treated him using three or four consecutive treatment sessions approximately every six months since then. Presently he is five years of age and has tested out slightly above average in intelligence. His social skills and attitude are excellent and he is presently participating in a traditional school program where his peers are unaware of his diagnosis.

Since CranioSacral Therapy is non-invasive and of such potential benefit, it seems worth the effort to have an evaluation and some corrective treatments for any type of brain dysfunction in children or adults. The worst thing that can happen is nothing. The best that can happen is for the child to reach full potential.

I am happy to answer any follow-up questions you may have this week. Please email your questions directly to your group email address.

Sincerely,

John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
President and Medical Director
The Upledger Institute, Inc.

Resources pertaining to CranioSacral Therapy, and SomatoEmotional Release are available from The Upledger Institute.

For an in-depth, yet highly readable discussion of CST from theoretical, clinical and anecdotal points of view, see Dr. John Upledger's book Your Inner Physician and You (North Atlantic Books, 1997, $14.95) available in selected book stores or directly from The Upledger Institute.

Another of Dr. Upledger's publications, a breakthrough book that empowers parents with knowledge to help them make practical decisions concerning the health of their children, is A Brain is Born (North Atlantic Books, 1996, $45.00). It crosses the boundaries of many disciplines, including embryology, obstetrics, pediatrics, neurology, and CranioSacral Therapy. Also, available in selected book stores or directly from The Upledger Institute.

To find a practitioner:

The International Association of Healthcare Practitioners (IAHP) publishes a directory of more than 38,000 healthcare practitioners and their professional designation, telephone number and listing of the IAHP- recognized courses they have completed. The cost of the directory is $7, plus $3 for shipping and handling within the United States. Additional charges apply to international orders. To order or for more information, call Educational Services at 1-800-311-9204, extension 9944.

For information on healthcare continuing education workshops for professionals and educational materials (Modalities include Upledger CranioSacral Therapy, SomatoEmotional Release, Mechanical Link, Visceral Manipulation and related techniques in addition to Neuromuscular Therapy.):

The Upledger Institute, Inc.
11211 Prosperity Farms Rd. D325
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410-3487
Phone: 1-800-233-5880, extension 9945
Fax: (561) 622-4771
Home page: http://upledger.com
E-mail: upledger@upledger.com

For patient information on Upledger CranioSacral Therapy or clinical services:

The Upledger Institute HealthPlex Clinical Services
11211 Prosperity Farms Rd. D-223
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410-3487
(561) 622-4706 Phone
(561) 627-9231 Fax
Home page: http://upledger.com
E-mail: uihealthplex@upledger.com

To: "'add-holistic@mLists.net'"
From: "Rossello, Mary M."
Subject: RE: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 15:35:14 -0400

Hi Dr. Upleger. I had a childhood accident in which I was hit by a flying baseball bat (watching a game - not even playing) at the base of my skull and ear. I was six years old when this happened and almost died as a result of the injury. I believe I was ADD as a child but was never diagnosed and barely managed to function at school. I often wondered if my ear accident was the cause of my inability to concentrate on any one thing, especially school. I started chiropractic care in 1986 for headaches and pain I was having at the base of my skull over the years. It has helped me to a degree, but I continue to go once a week feeling pain again only three days after every adjustment. Do you think I would benefit from CranioSacral Therapy?

Approved: addadd
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: uihealthplex upledger.com>
Subject: RE: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 14:30:56 -0400

Dear Ms. Rossello:

Yes, most likely you would benefit from CranioSacral Therapy. The base of the skull is where we find craniosacral problems that relate to problems of hyperactivity and attention deficit. The muscles of the base of the skull and their connections to the meningeal membranes have to be lengthened and released from being overly contracted.

Sincerely,
John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
JEU/adb

To:
From: "laura wrensen"
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 16:18:11 -0400

What exactly is Cranio Sacral Therapy?
Laura

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 14:36:22 -0400
From: uihealthplex
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger

Dear Laura:

CranioSacral Therapy, and its benefits, are explained at length within our website.

Please refer to our website, http://www.upledger.com/ - select "CST Benefits" and then select "Discover CST".

Sincerely,
John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
JEU/adb

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 12:35:53 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Question for Dr. Upledger

Dr. Upledger,

Thank you for being the honored Visiting Expert on the ADD-Holistic discussion group. I have two related questions that would help me and perhaps others on the group.

As you know, there are numerous courses taught to practitioners by teachers of the Upledger Institute (in various parts of the US & Canada):

CranioSacral I & II
CranioSacral Therapy for Pediatrics
Advanced CranioSacral
SomatoEmotional Release I & II
Visceral Manipulation I & II & Advanced
Zero Balancing, Feldenkrais, Acupressure
etc.

When the looking for a practitioner to treat children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD (or Autism), which Upledger training classes should the practitioners have? Or, is it the case that any practitioner who has taken CranioSacral I & II can successfully treat children with ADD/ADHD?
When treating adults diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, I wonder if the techniques such as Visceral Manipulation and SomatoEmotional Release may play a more important role than for children, and if that is the case, it may be useful to seek out a practitioner with these skills.

Thank you for your assistance.

P.S. -- As soon as I finish my first year in training of another modality (by the Spring), I will be taking Upledger courses. I can't wait to start!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: uihealthplex
Subject: Re: Question for Dr. Upledger
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 17:11:35 -0400

Dear Mark:

I would recommend Advanced CranioSacral Therapy to be sure. A good student who has completed CranioSacral Therapy Level II has the structural techniques to do it but may lack the expertise to go further if the situation demands.
There is a good possibility that the ADD/ADHD child will have complicating factors that may require SomatoEmotional Release and/or Visceral Manipulation.

You're welcome and I hope you enjoy the courses.

Sincerely,

John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
JEU/adb

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: nourish@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:50:55 -0500 (CDT)

Dear Dr. Upledger, thanks for making yourself available for questions. I have a few regarding the cranio-sacral therapy you do.

What is the average amount of treatments that an adult with ADD should except before any significant changes are felt?
What course of action do you recommend in difficult cases when no change is brought about?
Generally, when would you stop treatment if a client is non-responsive - after how many sessions?
To what extent does ADD in your opinion correlate with closed head injury and post- concussive syndrome?
What role does birth trauma in your opinion play in the development of ADD?
You say that dyslexia is more difficult to treat than ADD. Why, and how in terms of the cranio-sacral system is dyslexia different from ADD?
What is your opinion of Dean Howell's NCR? How does NCR - neurocranial restructuring - in your opinion compare in efficacy to cranial sacral therapy for ADD type conditions? Are there to your knowledge any dangers in this technique?
Cranial work done by osteopaths - how good is that for ADD and how does it compare to cranio-sacral work?
Have brain-imaging technologies such as spect scans and qeegs ever been used to determine what positive changes in brain function cranio-sacral therapy is able to bring about?

Yours sincerely, Peter Brandt

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: uihealthplex
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 17:22:11 -0400

Dear Mr. Brandt:

I will answer your questions in the order they were posed:

> - What is the average amount of treatments that an adult with ADD should
> except before any significant changes are felt?

1) 5 to 10 treatments.
> - What course of action do you recommend in difficult cases when no change
> is brought about?

2) If cranial corrections are made and no change in behavior occurs
CranioSacral Therapy probably will not help.

> - Generally, when would you stop treatment if a client is non-responsive -
> after how many sessions?

3) 10 sessions.

> - To what extent does ADD in your opinion correlate with closed head
> injury and post- concussive syndrome?

4) Depends on the locale of the injury -- the occipital base seems to correlate with ADD/ADHD.

> - What role does birth trauma in your opinion play in the development of
> ADD?

5) A very large role. Occipital hypertension is a common birth trauma and a strong contributing ADD/ADHD factor.

> - You say that dyslexia is more difficult to treat than ADD. Why, and how
> in terms of the cranio-sacral system is dyslexia different from ADD?

6) Dyslexia is usually related to right temporal bone which is harder to correct.

> - What is your opinion of Dean Howell's NCR? How does NCR - neurocranial
> restructuring - in your opinion compare in efficacy to cranial sacral
> therapy for ADD type conditions? Are there to your knowledge any
> dangers in this technique?

7) I do not have enough knowledge on NCR to evaluate or critique it fairly.

> - Cranial work done by osteopaths - how good is that for ADD and how does
> it compare to cranio-sacral work?

8) It depends on the osteopath - CranioSacral Therapy is more of an art, cranial osteopathy is more structurally focused.

> - Have brain-imaging technologies such as spect scans and qeegs ever been
> used to determine what positive changes in brain function cranio-sacral
> therapy is able to bring about?

9) Not yet, but it is in the consideration/funding stages.

Hope these answers are helpful,
John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
JEU/adb

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 14:07:06 -0500
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: msachsman@acadia.net (Marly Sachsman)

I work in the early intervention field in Maine with children with a variety of neurological challenges. As a speech/language pathologist I typically work as part of a transdisplinary team with children with severe delays and developmental challenges. I feel greatful to have a number of colleagues who are very open minded and we leave no ideas unexplored when it comes to facilitating the well being of the children we work with. Unfortunately the physicians we work with are openly condeming techniques such as Craniosacral therapy, Wilbarger brushing protocol, energy work etc. Could you possibly recomend some literature with the types of facts and figures that might help us elicit the support of more physicians. The information of course would need to be rather consise if I were to get them to read it. I respect your work. I find families to be very open to these nontraditional therapies. However, it is very challenging to them when they go to their physician or neurologist to have these treatments condemed. HELP. These parents are dealing with enough stress without there being disagreement among providers. Often times the physicians are controlling the referrals as well. Open to suggestions.Thank you.

Marly Sachsman,M.A.,CCC
Speech/Language Pathologist

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: uihealthplex
Subject: ADD Re: CranioSacral Therapy Literature
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 13:48:47 -0400

Dear Marly:

I have two areas of resources to suggest for you. The first is a research monograph that I compiled which is available from us in hard copy (to order please call toll-free 800-233-5880). We have also made this monograph accessible through our website at no charge. To view/print it access our website (www.upledger.com), select "Articles & press releases," then select "Educational, research and human interest articles" and select "Research and Observations Support the Existence of a Craniosacral System." This is the research monograph.

The other suggestions I have are contained within the first textbook, "CranioSacral Therapy." You will find the following listed in the back of the textbook: Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Appendix I and Appendix J.

I hope these are helpful for you.

Sincerely,

John E. Upledger, D.O., O.M.M.
JEU/adb

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 07:11:05 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: janefaus@juno.com
Subject: Re: ADD CranioSacral Therapy Literature

When I read your message, I could not resist responding. My colleagues and I come up against this problem all the time. We work with the nonprofit Feingold Association of the US, helping families determine if certain foods / food additives are having a negative effect on their child. Fortunately, we are able to provide copies of the double blind, placebo-controlled studies that support our work.

I write the newsletter for the Association and am beginning work on an article about one of our member families. (The husband is an MD) They have had dramatic results with their son, who had major speech deficits. They tell me his therapist, who is a leader in your field, was very impressed with the fast and significant improvements. If you like, I would be glad to provide a copy of the (October) newsletter when it is completed. (I would need a snail mail address.)

Jane Hersey

PS Cranial manipulation helped my daughter a great deal.

To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD CranioSacral Therapy Literature
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 12:05:15 EDT

I am convinced that for some children, craniosacral is a piece or all of the pie for ADD children. Please send me copies of any literature you have on that which is scientific.
Many thanks for your help.

8179 E Del Cuarzo
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

From: ADDInquir@aol.com
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 23:58:17 EDT
Subject: Re: ADD Visiting Expert Introduction
To: add-holistic@mlists.net

Dear Dr. Upledger,

Please familiarize yourself with our website www.addgroup.org We are a non-profit organization that helps people find non-drug solutions for ADD, ADHD, Learning and Developmental Delays. If you have an interest in our Resource list we can fax you an application. Call (212) 769-2457 or e-mail your fax to addinquir@aol.com
Thanks
ADD Action Group

From: DrRappMD@aol.com
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 11:07:10 EDT
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Email from Dr. Upledger
To: add-holistic@mlists.net

DEAR SIR:

WHO ARE THE UPLEDGER DISCIPLES IN THE PHOENIX AREA. I HOPE TO START SOME CENTERS WHERE MANY ADD CHILDREN WILL COME AND WOULD LOVE TO LET HIS METHODS BE USED FIRST, AND WE'LL SEE HOW MANY ARE HELPED.
MANY THANKS
DORIS J RAPP MD

George von Hilsheimer, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 22:35:26 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Introduction

Our expert for the next week is "Dr. Von", George von Hilsheimer, whose Ph.D. was earned at the Saybrook Institute. He is the author of Allergy, Toxins and the LD Child (which will be available at his new website next week!) previously published by Academic Therapy; he is also the author of How To Live With Your Special Child, Acropolis Books, 1968, alas, out of print; and Is There A Science of Behavior, Humanitas Press, 1966 (which he says you may obtain by sending a mere $2.50 postage to 125 S. Swoope Ave, #109; his book, Brief Therapy is published at www.eegspectrum.com/books/vonh available as shareware for $5.00 and will soon be available on his own not yet open website.

"Dr. Von" is listed in Who's Who (and in the specialty issues, WW in Medicine, and WW in Science and Engineering). Dr. Von is most famous for having run the world reknown Summerlane School in North Branch, New York; and the Green Valley School in Orange City, Florida, and for People, Inc., an international social service organization sponsored by The Realist magazine in the '60s.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Von to the group to share his decades of knowledge and expertise! [Clap, clap, clap!] Dr. Von's opening post will be sent on Monday. Stay tuned!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 22:10:15 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: drvonh@mindspring.com
Subject: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

Barbara Pyne asked me to tell you what it is I do which seems to work so well with children. She especially wanted me to tell you what was it that worked so well with her ADHD stepson, Brandon, several years ago.

ADHD KIDS ARE DIFFERENT
First you ought to know that many observers of children for many years have reported that ADHD children have more barely noticeable physical oddities than children who don't have ADHD. If you want to know about these minor physical anomalies (MPA) then look for ALLERGY, TOXINS AND THE LEARNING DISABLED CHILD, which is on the same website where you found this article.

MOST ADHD KIDS ARE ALLERGIC
Some of the ways in which ADHD kids differ are that they are more often fairest of the fair, and blonde blonde. This is not to say that all blonde fair folk are ADHD. In fact, I first heard this observation from Ed Binkley, M.D. talking about allergic kids. All of the the physical anomalies which are more often seen in ADHD kids, are also more often seen in allergic kids. In fact, most ADHD kids are allergic, but most allergic kids are not ADHD.

Do these physical markers mean that ADHD is inherited? No! Not at all. These markers are a function of stress before, during, and after pregnancy. The stress is usually nutritional, but good old shake-rattle- and-roll social stress will do the job as well. Mommies of ADHD children were stressed out, poorly nourished and often were not happy.

It does mean that the meat your child is made of isn't as efficient as the meat out of which a less stressed child is made.

So your first and best tool for working with your ADHD child is a large spiral notebook, and a good pencil. Yep! Notebook and pencil.

You can't do the best job with an allergic child, or with an ADHD child unless you keep a daily journal, continually charting the child's behavior. Since 4 of 5 ADHD children are boys I'm going to start saying "he", "him" and "his" but none of these bits of advise are any different for little girls.

A child may pass formal allegy tests over and over again, and still prove, by commonsense exposures and challenges to be allergic to foods and substances which sneak past the formal medical test. Never forget, you want to help your child, not a test.

If you chart his behavior you can begin to pick up patterns of misbehavior which follow eating certain foods, occuring in patterns (like just before meals), or in certain places (school isn't always horrible just because of bad teachers, sometimes its a toxic waste dump).

The daily chart of behavior which records every place your child goes and every food that he eats, and every unusual thing which occurs, as well as his behavior is the basic tool for helping your child. Be faithful.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR
A few days ago I received a nice email from my nephew's wife. I had been presumptious and send a letter "I know you didn't consult me but I could not but notice Jerry's (not his real name) behavior when we were all together for Father's Day."

What I had noticed was that they were having a very hard time while he was being a spectacular brat. Of course, he is a fair, sandy haired boy with big circles under his eyes. Dr. Tintera, 40 or 50 years ago remarked that people who suffer from low blood sugar are often fairest of the fair and have big dark circles under their eyes. Ed Binkley remarked these same facts in allergic children. You'll find a whole bibliography of folk who have found these and other anomalies in ADHD children.

When we started dinner Jerry was a monster, but by the time we finished he was a fairly nice kid, and he remained so until they left. I suggested that they feed Jerry food every two hours, no matter what. And, when he starts getting cranky, stick some food into his mouth. Mamma wrote me back that I was Doctor Wonderful, regular snacks worked better than the Ritalin and he had stopped having his seizures.

Most ADHD kids are out of fuel within 4 hours of eating, and need to be fed more often. Many small meals.

Of course, ADHD kids should have diets which are primarily free of any food forbidden to a diabetic.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MAGIC?
Ok! Ok! I just wanted to be certain that you knew that almost all ADHD kids have biological problems and that you must take care of these problems and that will make the magic even better.

Barbara brought her step-son to me a few years ago - she was being step-mom to three and mom to a new baby girl, and Mr. Brandon was swinging from the trees. Whew!

For forty separate sessions Barbara came in with Brandon and we took a thick mousse, dabbed it into a tiny gold plated cup, and fixed it to Brandon's scalp. I draw a line from one ear hole to the other, and 1/3 of the way up goes one cup (the spot is known as C-3 on the left, and its twin is C-4 on the right). A clip goes on his ear and holds some mousse in two cups against his skin, this is the ground wire.

One computer screen shows Brandon some games - Pac Man, a skipping stone with boxes, a boat fleeing a volcano, and a road across a desert where you can get a space ship to fly over you. When Brandon's brain makes stronger "sit still and pay attention" signals, than "fogg out and be a jitterbug" signals then Pac Man goes forward.

In the meantime, I'm sitting back at a second computer, which is also working on Brandon's brain signals. I can see in great detail what is going on in his brain. I adjust the task so it is always just within his capacity. He hits the target 75-85% of the time, and the "fogg" steals points only about 15% of the time. I stay alert and work fairly hard to be certain that his success level is high enough to encourage fast learning.

Notice that I said 'learning'. Unlike medicine we don't burn, slash or poison. We simply let the brain know "THAT'S IT! THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO! And train it to work happily. This is not treatment.

Barry Sterman, a California psychologist, is still a young man (by my standards!) and he was the first to show us how to do this. Dr. Sterman had been asked to study the problem of perfectly healthy pilots flying perfectly good planes into the ground. Well, he figured it was better to risk cat's than more pilots and so he did the work with cats.

By accident Dr. Sterman discovered that the cats he trained the way we now train kids didn't have seizures and die when they were given hydrazine in doses that kill almost all cats. The first work with humans was done with epileptics who had no benefit from medicine. Then D.A. Quirk did 25 years work with violent felons, keeping 85% of them from repeating their crimes (compared to only 2% in most prisons). Joel Lubar, a professor at the University of Tennessee, began working with with ADHD children in 1990. Today, in 1999, thousands of practitioners are helping tens of thousands of children.

Some children absolutely lose all their symptoms in 40 or so sessions of EEG training. A few need continuing training because they have Tourette's Syndrome or some other hard to fix problems. Everybody, of course, will benefit from good diet, avoidance of poisons, and elimination of allergens. Even when the allergy isn't fixed, the allergic patient who completes EEG training has a happier, healthier life.

I, myself, have been working with ADHD kids since I graduated from college in 1956. I began working with EEG biofeedback in the 60's - in fact I had a company which made and sold EEG instruments. I began copying the work Sterman pioneered in 1970.

In all those years I have never heard of anyone who was harmed by EEG biofeedback - one occasionally hears about a bad session but I've never seen one. There has not been one single malpractice suit against an EEG practitioner.

In my own practice I have experienced three failures. These three boys were seriously ill with more problems than ADHD. The three families did not continue for the number of sessions I had told them in the beginning the boy would need.

I have had one boy be completely restored in only 10 sessions, but I had had a good result with his brother in 20 sessions before him. The parents were poster parents for good care. I have had perhaps 10 boys done in 20 sessions and half of these have been this year for reasons which I can't figure out. About half are done in 40 sessions and I have one little guy who took 120 and another took 150. In both cases, I had worked with older children and the parents, and had good results in shorter time. In both cases the boys were .... horrible! I had thought that the only ethical course might be just to strangle them! One of them turned into a little charmer, and I still want the other boy back for 20 more sessions but he is doing well. His Mom has bipolar affective disorder. I fixed his Dad's life long spastic bowel pain in only 10 sessions (no pain after #4).

This "magic" method works on many other problems, but it was designed for ADHD. It trains the brain to stop the static and focus on life.

Dr. Von says that if you are interested in hyperactivity and attention deficit you must have a look at www.eegspectrum.com; www.ssnr.org; www.bfe.org; www.aapb.org as well as NEXT WEEK at his own website www.hyperactivekids.com.

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 22:44:02 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD add

Dear Cortoon,

No, the suggestions are not for weight.

You need to be certain the child is digesting well, so AbsorbAid or some other digestive enzyme

You need to be certain the child's intestinal ecology is good so L. acidophilus, remember you aren't a doctor so don't give 1 or 2 capsules, you are gardening (trying to get plants to grow in a hostile environment) so give 5-20 capsules and some acid food. If you don't have a book which tells you which foods are acid, write to me and I'll send you a list. But you ought to have LOTS of books on nutrition and if they don't include this info --- what good are they?

Children generally burn up more vitamins than adults so the child's need really ought to be higher than the adult requirement.

So you need a good multivitamin (I recommend Bronson's INSURANCE FORMULA).

Children do tend to need more zinc - and zinc often is more efficient than Ritalin for calming hyperactivity (REMEMBER! it needs to be given every 3 hours).

Children also need higher doses of ascorbic acid; but to work well the Vitamin C needs to be in the form of a mineral ascorbate. You can let the body do the work, or you can get them already in the form the child's body uses them (I recommend ALACER mineral ascorbate products).

All neurological problems, from more or less normal fatigue to epilepsy cause the body to require higher amounts of pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6). Never give B-6 without giving magnesium or you will have grumpy person.

Magnesium is self limiting because it is a laxative. So give just enough to soften the stool without causing a liquid bowel movement. It can't cause diarrhea but will cause one completely loose bowel movement. My dictionary says that diarrhea is excessive frequency AND looseness of stool.

Note that I don't always give exact doses. This is because a dose is a medical term, and for treating. This is nutritional advice and you need to become sensitive to your own family and to experiment and try various levels and to be informed. However, you should know that NO ONE has ever documented a problem from continual high doses of vitamins, despite many ghost stories. This includes the abominable ghost story recounted by a famous neurologists in one of his famous books - I am just recovering from pneumonia and can't remember but it made a good movie.

Two famous M.D.s have given very large doses of B-6 for many years, one for prevention of heart disease, and another for arthritis, with no problems.

I am drafting a website and you can have a look at it at http://home.mpinet.net/dkthomas/DrVon, you need the capitals I hope, tomorrow, to have it at its own site, www.hyperactivekids.com I will be posting nutritional advise and informational links there.

Good luck

-----Original Message-----
From: CORTOON@aol.com
Subject: ADD add
>You mention vitamins - dha, dmae etc - arent these sold in adult form -
>how much should a 6 year old get? My son has add and I am looking for
>anything besides ritalin to help him - your information is very
>interesting - but when I looked up your book - feed your kids well - is
>this for overweight children? My son definately doesnt need to lose
>weight - what do you suggest we do.
>cortoon

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 22:45:00 -0600 (MDT)
To: ADD-HOLISTIC
From: Barbara Mazor
Subject: ADD Dr. Von - what you said

Dear Dr. Von -

Thanks for all the contributions to this list. I am glad to hear that you are feeling better (and sorry to hear you were sick at all). Your presence was missed.

Anyway, last year you wrote the following regarding EEGfeedback
and I was hoping you could explain what you meant.

> The point is that body work, working your own body, as well as accepting
> stimulation of your own body, helps reintegrate the body. ADD is caused
> by brakes on in the brain, the brakes get taken off by any thing which
> creates the antagonist to the high amplitude slow frequency activity
> which is how the brakes function. Relaxation causes much fast frequency
> activity, flooding the brain; massage, tai chi, etc etc all cause the
> brain to be flooded with "excitation" which washes out the "inhibition".

> I put "inhibition" and "excitation" in quotes because they are four
> dollar professional works, braking and unbraking is clearer, more to the
> point and cost you less.

> Frequently a summer working on a ranch, a mountain climbing expedition,
> a season with a guru of any kind, a sailing adventure, any experience
> which is productive, wholesome, focused and requires high effort, can
> release the brakes in the brain and result in a resolution of the ADD.

So what does this mean? Is ADD a brain working "too much" or "too little."?

What are alpha, beta and theta waves? Do body work and other relaxations have similar effect to EEG feedback? Does the child concentrate on the video game? What if he just concentrates on something else? You have also mentioned in this list EEGfeedback as responsible for helping brain injured patients. Was this in conjunction with other PT/OT?

I hope you web-site doesn't have too many graphics. My Jurasic computer crashes on complex sites.

Barbara

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 21:28:48 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: DGLurvey@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Von - what you said

I not Dr. Von but I have successfully been thru EEG Biofeedback and my ADD has subsided. I now have full control of my Theta, where the ADD brain lives, (daydreams etc.), in other words my theta which was once out of control I can now control. My beta or focus, which is not active enough in ADD, is alive and healthy and under my control. Video games could help if the child or adult could learn to take that same focus away from the game. Bio feedback games, packman etc, are hooked up to the brain and when focus leaves the game stops. Unlike regular games.

I have gone from learning disabled to scoring over genius on IQ tests. It's been the ride of a lifetime.

Dennis

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 21:28:19 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD Chromium question

I always recommend chromium picolinate, you won't gain weight if you don't stop taking it!!!

George von Hilsheimer, Ph.D., Fellow, International College of Applied Nutrition (1972)

-----Original Message-----
From: Betts.Demott@clorox.com
Subject: ADD Chromium question
>I've seen so many different chromium compounds on the market. I have
>tried Chromium Picolinate but as soon as I stopped taking it, I gained
>weight. then I tried Chromium polynictonate and didn't notice much
>difference in ADD symptoms or weight. Can anyone speak to this?
>Thanks,
>Betts
>"Joyce, I read that chromium was great for controlling sugar cravings."

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 21:28:13 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Von - what you said

Well, I'm not on the www yet but look at
http://home.mpinet.net/dkthomas/DrVon needs the caps

and tell me what you think. That's the draft website.

Well, a brain working "too much/too little" is probably a misleading Question.

Brakes, as Pavlov called them, are essential. You have to brake the signals from the background to see what it is you are focusing on (same thing for touch and sound etc).

Where we have problems is when we are braking too much. Typically the hyper kid has big signals from 1-7 more or less. 4-7 is called Theta and is the range for daydreaming and creativity but also for zoning out and hyperactivity. So "what is it" is too simple.

I think "brakes" is a good concept. Little taps on the brakes keep the car from skidding, and little taps in the brain cause it to focus. When the brakes are on strongly, you are putting out very high amplitude slow waves and we call the condition "sleep", but then every 90 minutes you do very fast waves and lots of business goes on. You remain asleep, in fact harder to wake up than otherwise. Brakes are not pathological, just don't have them on when you are trying to accelerate from the red light.

All relaxation is exciting to the brain (understand that brain excitation isn't the same as being all up and bouncing because your favorite is coming to see you). Many folk make an error thinking of relaxation as leading to sleep, but the flow of calm excitation supples the brain and makes it fluent again and then sleep can do its restorative job.

What happens in ADHD is that the brain is half braked, not asleep but persistently half asleep. That's why Ritalin works, and that is why EEG biofeedback works.

When the brain is injured its response is huge amplitude of slow waves, like sleep, but not entirely restorative (that's what the brain is trying to do). So EEG training works - in my cases the OT and PT have been done long ago, and are not needed - when I'm director of rehab I'll do EEG biofeedback before any of other modes, and then they will be very useful.

If this isn't clear ask again. Dr. Von

Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 21:26:45 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD Re: New to List; Joyce's comment;Comment

Chromium deficiency has long been attested as a deranger of sugar metabolism. Any chromium ascorbate works like a charm - try Alacer Brand. Dr. Von

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 21:24:14 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

>Do these physical markers mean that ADHD is inherited? No! Not at all.
>These markers are a function of stress before, during, and after
>pregnancy. The stress is usually nutritional, but good old shake-rattle-
>and-roll social stress will do the job as well. Mommies of ADHD children
>were stressed out, poorly nourished and often were not happy.

Dr. Von,

Thank you very much for being the honored Visiting Expert! I have a comment and questions.

I know that a colleague of yours, Phil Bate, Ph.D. also mentions stress being associated with allergies or food reactions. I have noticed that for myself as well. When I first reduced and nearly eliminated my allergies, I was practicing yoga regularly. On the physical level for me, the stress wasn't so much a lack of nutrients (it seemed), but simply a significant amount of unbalanced meals of junk food, some overeating and inconsistent eating schedule.

>Some children absolutely lose all their symptoms in 40 or so sessions of
>EEG training. A few need continuing training because they have Tourette's
>Syndrome or some other hard to fix problems. Everybody, of course, will
>benefit from good diet, avoidance of poisons, and elimination of
>allergens. Even when the allergy isn't fixed, the allergic patient who
>completes EEG training has a happier, healthier life.

Here are a few questions I had:

Has it been your experience that the number of EEG training sessions required are significantly greater if a few weeks or so are not spent eliminating foods and chemicals that contribute to these behavioral changes? If that is the case, do you generally recommend working on eliminating such food/ chemical reactions first and setting up an EEG training session several weeks later?
I have seen discussions on various groups about EEG machines. I was wondering if you could take a moment to summarize your thoughts about:
- purchasing a machine vs. using a practitioner's machine
- how much training is needed to use the EEG machine correctly
- price considerations -- it's not free, but so many of your patients have had positive outcomes -- how to get the most "bang for your buck" so to speak.

>Dr. Von says that if you are interested in hyperactivity and attention
>deficit you must have a look at www.eegspectrum.com; www.ssnr.org;
>www.bfe.org; www.aapb.org as well as NEXT WEEK at his own website
> www.hyperactivekids.com.

It looks like your site is fully functional! Great!

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 21:24:31 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: DGLurvey@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Von - what you said

EEG Biofeedback took away my attention problems years ago. After a horrible breakup my doctor put me on Wellbutrin for depression. However the stimulant effect of the drug has helped also. It has made focus easier while it used to be some work some of the time. Now that I am winding down off Wellbutrin I find that that same focus is with me even on non-med days.

I have been training my self to focus on organizational issues. Keeping my desk clean and keeping myself cleaner. Because those things are part of my PTSD. I am making great progress. It's difficult to want to shower twice a day when you have claustrophobia.

Comments?

Dennis

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 12:25:46 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "John V DOMmisse, MD"
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

Mark (host), and Dr Geo. vonHilzheimer (visiting expert),

The subject of allergies causing ADHD and other neuropsychiatric conditions reminds me that, on Physicians' Online, a Dr Marshall Mandell has been telling the rest of us about his experience of curing numerous conditions, including ADHD with food-elimination diets. I believe he would have a great time interacting with this Mailing List, so I am copying this e-mail to him in the hope that he'll get it and respond to the Mailing-List. Unfortunately, this would just be the rare occasion when Physicians' Online is not responding and may be down temporarily, so I can't check his e-mail address, which I have on POL but not in my EarthLink address-book yet. So, if this address doesn't work for him, I'll correct it as soon as see POL is functional again.

John DOMmisse MD

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 12:26:16 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Joyce
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

Date: Sat, 09 Oct 1999 13:52:01 -0400

Hi everyone,

>>Mommies of ADHD children
>>were stressed out, poorly nourished and often were not happy.

I've heard that thought before. The MD that finally found and resolved our older sons problems, initially listened to my spouse and me describe the problems with our sons and then said something to the effect that "You are under a lot of stress, you need to take very, very good care of you and here's how to start." Although we had already eliminated almost all junk food out of the house, he eliminated the rest and added supplements. Of course, he didn't know, nor did I, that I was also ADD . His suggestions helped even if they did not resolve everything.

Joyce

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 14:14:56 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

By the way, my website, www.hyperactivekids.com is now up and running although the library shelves aren't full, yet. Lots of good stuff, though.

>1. Has it been your experience that the number of EEG training
> sessions required are significantly greater if a few weeks
> or so are not spent eliminating foods and chemicals that
> contribute to these behavioral changes? If that is the case,
> do you generally recommend working on eliminating such food/
> chemical reactions first and setting up an EEG training session
> several weeks later?

**************
Most practitioners are not willing to engage in the heavy wrestling that it requires to get parents to change diets radically. In my own case I advise parents to shape up, and tell them I'm not going to talk about it any more. But I make it clear that I think it is child abuse to be feeding a child junk.

I can't give you an answer to your question. Neither I nor anyone known to me has done a careful study. www.quackwatch.com would tell you that diet is unimportant and that Feingold and the rest of us are quacks. Well, I list quackwatch on my own website, because I want parents to make up their own minds. The editor of quackwatch is a retired psychiatrist, and his defenses of psychotherapy make me laugh - there is no evidence for going to a psychotherapist over a good friend, policeman, Sunday School Teacher, or your grandmother (Dawes, R.M. HOUSE OF CARDS, Free Press, 1994).

>2. I have seen discussions on various groups about EEG machines.
> I was wondering if you could take a moment to summarize your
> thoughts about:
> - purchasing a machine vs. using a practitioner's machine
> - how much training is needed to use the EEG machine correctly
> - price considerations -- it's not free, but so many of your
> patients have had positive outcomes -- how to get the most
> "bang for your buck" so to speak.

If you come to me with a child with a serious brain injury I always set you up in a program to get your own machine and spend a month training with me. You are going to have to do 1000 sessions and it doesn't make sense to buy from a practitioner. It isn't brain surgery, and if you will be careful, systematic and thorough, you will get good results. No one has harmed anyone by doing EEG biofeedback, although some report bad sessions. I've never seen a bad session in 40 years, but ......

I do not have universal experience, but I own and use the Neurocybernetics machine from EEG Spectrum, which has been reliable for 8 years; I have five 120a Autogen machines (the oldest is 30 years experienced!), and one A620 Autogen; I also have a Biocomp which does EEG and HEG but have only had it for a year. The all time winner for cost effectiveness is the F1000b from frank@focused-technology.com . I have used all my machines roughly every day, and all these companies and products are reliable. I typically use all of them on every client - each has an advantage. Some sessions are around the room to four stations.

In Orlando we are blessed to have the Stepping Stone foundation which makes machines available to seriously ill kids who live near Mickey Mouse. I have had no problems with even severely damaged children, and always good results.

In fact, one of my businessmen friends told me the best way to promote business was by calling your old customers. So, I foned the whole list. They all love me, and their kids are all doing well - didn't bring in any business, no one needed more work! EEG biofeedback is robust, safe and effective.

Dr. Von

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 14:13:46 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: ADD PTSD, things that work.

Dennis, have you had any sessions of TIR, Trauma Incidence Reduction, which is described in Gerbode's book, Metapsychology? I have had great success using Gerbode (although I hated his title, he seems to have given that up and focuses now on the TIR identity).

The method makes great sense and works readily.

I think there is a website etc.

You might also find someone who does Ericksonian interactive therapy. While practitioners are more prone to airy fairy posturing than the Gerbode trained workers Interactive can be a powerful tool.

Since Sterman started with C-3/C-4 SMR training, and was followed by Quirk doing the same with 2776 felons from 1970-1995 at Ontario Inst of Correction I have followed Sterman and added Quirk's use of temperature training (at the left index finger) and GSR training, in the model of Mary Cover Jones for reducing the effect of trauma (usurped by Wolpe as "Reciprocal Inhibition Therapy"). You can find Quirk's SCARS described at www.eegspectrum.com but look carefully, that site is jammed with good stuff! but needs a good librarian!!!

Good luck, Dr. Von

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 16:25:06 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Showell16@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von

Dr. Von,

Since reading your post I am seriously considering this with my son who is ADHD - almost 8. Of course, he is "less" adhd now that I am homeschooling him and have changed his diet and started supplements. Actually just the act of homeschooling him has increased his attention span and increased his reading skills dramatically.

My question is actually about my other son who is almost 12 who is Asperger's Syndrome and maybe be ADHD too - hard to tease some of it out. Do you know if biofeedback has helped children with Asperger's.

Thank you
Sharon Howell

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 20:01:46 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: ADD Asberger's Syndrome

Yes, EEG Biofeedback has a strong effect in autism and in Asperger's Syndrome.

If I were the parent of any child with a severe chronic brain illness I would obtain training, and then buy my own machine and train my child daily.

You can look at dozens of case histories at www.eegspectrum.com - it takes a bit of work to get through the enormous information there, but try hard. Well worth the effort and David Kaiser, Ph.D., the webmaster is a very kind and knowledgeable fellow.

You can look at my own www.hyperactivekids.com but I haven't got my Library shelves filled yet, still there is plenty of good info.

Good luck, Dr. Von

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 20:05:45 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: ADD Showering

My wife is the shower user in our house. I always take a tub bath, 1,2,3,4 who cares, much lest claustrophobic than the shower. You should add epsom salts to the tub water and alternate or mix with sodium bicarb. With kids adding sodium bicarb actually increases the vascularity of the brain. Ray Peat, Ph.D. has written a great deal on the value of sodium bicarb. The epsom salts is magnesium sulphate and reduces hyperactivity directly. Very relaxing and it is a good time for Dad to get the time he needs to be physically touching the kids every day.

Tub baths, ideal for ADHD. If any of you ever taught nursery school you know that water play calms the kids. Well an nice tub bath, esp with a couple of cups of epsom salts, and a cup of bicarb, really relaxes the kids and they sleep deeply with good restoration.

So don't shower, plunge!

Dr. Von
-----Original Message-----
From: ejg
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Von - what you said
>Yes--why do you want to shower twice a day??!!
>Unless you do physical work, maybe that's it. I take a shower
>every other day. Frankly, it's boring and just one more
>darned thing I feel like I "have" to do but don't

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 20:06:01 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: ADD Dr. Mandell, Allergies and ADHD

You can download my book, ALLERGY, TOXINS AND THE LD CHILD, from www.hyperactivekids.com and since you come from add-holistic I do forgive the shareware fee. I wrote this book about the time I met Marshall Mandell who is one of the greats of allergy, and who made many folk aware of the fair, tow headed, dark circles around the eyes, nose wiping hyperactive allergic child.

Dr. Von

-----Original Message-----
From: John V DOMmisse, MD
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von
>The subject of allergies causing ADHD and other neuropsychiatric
>conditions reminds me that, on Physicians' Online, a Dr Marshall Mandell
>has been telling the rest of us about his experience of curing numerous
>conditions, including ADHD with food-elimination diets. I believe he
>would have a great time interacting with this Mailing List, so I am
>copying this e-mail to him in the hope that he'll get it and respond to
>the Mailing-List. Unfortunately, this would just be the rare occasion
>when Physicians' Online is not responding and may be down temporarily, so
>I can't check his e-mail address, which I have on POL but not in my
>EarthLink address-book yet. So, if this address doesn't work for him,
>I'll correct it as soon as see POL is functional again.
> John DOMmisse MD

Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 20:06:29 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: ADD Exhausted parents

Exhausted parents are the rule. I just had a phone call from Patrick, whose picture as a 4 year old is in my book, ALLERGY, TOXINS AND THE LD CHILD, (free from the www.hyperactivekids.com ), he's 40 now and wanted to know what nutriments his newly pregnant wife should take. Note to grateful readers, Patrick flew my wife and me to Bermuda, and paid all our expenses, so that I could officiate at his wedding. Nice when gratitude is REALLY emphasized.

Anyone else wants a wedding done, I do wonderful weddings!

Anyway, his mother always grabs my hand and kisses it and says "You saved my life", which is probably true. Patrick was the original hellion but mellowed beautifully on amphetamine (in that early time I had to threaten his pediatrician with death to Rx amphetamine for a 4 year old, then he started giving it to all of his ADHD patients), and then was managed on diet - we never got around to doing EEG biofeedback on him, and didn't really start applying it to kids until about 1990.

You will find questionnaires for adults at my website.

Dr. Von

-----Original Message-----
From: Joyce
Subject: Re: ADD Opening post from Visiting Expert Dr. Von
>I've heard that thought before. The MD that finally found and resolved
>our older sons problems, initially listened to my spouse and me describe
>the problems with our sons and then said something to the effect that "You
>are under a lot of stress, you need to take very, very good care of you
>and here's how to start." Although we had already eliminated almost all
>junk food out of the house, he eliminated the rest and added supplements.
>Of course, he didn't know, nor did I, that I was also ADD . His
>suggestions helped even if they did not resolve everything.
>Joyce

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 21:41:43 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Showell16@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Asperger's Syndrome

DR. Von,
Thank you very much for your advice concerning my son. I'll take a look at the web sites.
Sharon in TX:-)

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 22:07:40 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Rich
Subject: ADD insurance issues

Hi,

Not sure if this is DIRECTLY within the scope of this forum, if not, then please ignore. Otherwise, here goes. Does anyone have any problems with regard to getting your insurance companies to pay for neurofeedback treatment? I got mine to pay for part of it. They paid 75% of the bill for 30 visits. However, from what I hear, it takes about 50 - 55 visits to see definite results. I've filed a grievance with the state of Oregon to get my insurance company to pay for an additional 20 visits. The state says this process takes around 60 days to complete. Gee, maybe my neurofeedback training will wear off by then and I can start over! (sorry, a tiny bit bitter here). I'm sure there are a lot of insurance companies that would not even contemplate paying for this. Nevertheless, I know they are not hurting for money and I think I should press this issue. My question is this: has anyone had a similar experience where you actually won against the insurance company?

Rich

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 22:02:11 -0600 (MDT)
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Re: ADD insurance issues

Rich, as a practitioner I always tell folk, "no one can tell you if your insurance covers this care. Get a referall from your primary, then I'll get an Rx from your highest ranking specialist." I find that if Mom (usually) or Dad will develop OCD and pursue and pursue and pursue, the company finally pays. However, yesterday we received a letter in the SIXTH year of care of a retarded schizophrenic man, "the benefits are denied for services in 1998 because the services were given before the date the policy beganthe policy has been in effect for 20 years, but the company has rejected and rejected on false bases every time. ". This company has used every rejection paragraph in their handbook. Insurance companies are in business to make money and some are utterly fraudulent. others are decent and straightforward. You never know.

You just have to dig in and fight. Dr. Von

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 15:02:21 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Introduction

Hi! Below is an introduction of this week's honored Visiting Expert. But first, I want to thank Dr. Von for providing us with detailed information related to successful ADD/ADHD treatment methods. Please feel free to check his web page at:

http://www.hyperactivekids.com/

Billie M. Thompson, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 15:02:21 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Visiting Expert Introduction

I am excited that one of the top experts on the Tomatis Method has agreed to be the honored Visiting Expert on the ADD-Holistic discussion group. The Tomatis Method has been used to successfully treat ADD/ADHD, autism, dyslexia, learning disabillities, and sensory integration and motor skills difficulties. It is one of the techniques recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil to treat ADD.

Billie M. Thompson, Ph.D., is Founder and Director of Sound Listening & Learning Centers in Phoenix, Arizona and Pasadena, California. Dr. Thompson received her doctorate in 1979 from Arizona State University and was trained and certified by the developers of the methods offered in the Centers, including Dr. Tomatis. She is a specialist in human development training who has spent 25 years in the educational and training fields. A pioneer in bringing the Tomatis Method to the U.S, she has hosted U.S. Tomatis training with Dr. A. A. Tomatis and edited the English translations of two Tomatis books, The Conscious Ear and The Ear and Language. With Don Campbell, Dr. Thompson hosted 2 week Power of Sound workshops from 1992-97. She is organizing US training for the Tomatis Method.

Recent national presentations include:

Pavlovian Society (1999)
Magic Ears Conference (New Mexico) 1999
CDIC (Children's Disabilities Information Coalition) 1999
New Jersey Association for Speech and Hearing 1999
International Alliance for Accelerated Learning 1998
International Listening Association 1998
National Music Therapy 1997
National Orff Schulwerk Conference 1997
Human Adaptation in Music 1997
Numerous presentations at national, state, and local Educational Training and Development Associations and Autistic Associations.

Dr. Thompson's opening post will follow later tonight (Monday).

From: Drbthmpsn@aol.com
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 03:25:22 EDT
Subject: RE ADD internet discussion group

ADD/ADHD Discussion Group

I often see children and adults who want to improve their focusing, attention, concentration, and learning abilities. Some of them are diagnosed ADD or ADHD. The solution offered in the Sound Listening & Learning Center since 1987 is called the Tomatis Method. It has a fifty year history in Europe. The results vary from person to person. It is a program of sound stimulation and consultation provided during daily sessions of 2 hours for three to four intensives of 15 days. Whereas the person's hearing is generally good, they have a problem with organizing what they hear. The results vary from person to person, and we work with all ages, toddler through elderly. We have worked successfully with hundreds of people with attention problems. Here are a few testimonials from adults, teenages, or parents of children who have done the program.

MS is an engineer who completed 60 hours of Tomatis training at age 37. He describes his experience during his participation.

At age 36 years, for as long as I could remember life had been a very scary place. This changed when my ears were opened after 30 years of being shut down to pitch levels that as a child were either emotionally threatening and/or scary. My life has changed in many ways thanks to the staff of the Sound Listening and Learning Center.

My new partner is a school teacher who noticed that I was pronouncing words incorrectly, I reversed numbers and letters. She thought I may have a learning disability. In the process of researching learning disabilities I found a book called Sensory Integration and the Child by Dr. Jean Aryes and a Reader's Digest article about a girl who had auditory problems which caused her to shut out the world. I determined from my research that I had a form of Sensory Integration (SI) problem, so I decided it was time to find a solution.

After many calls and repeating my symptoms many times, I located a Therapist who told me that my problem sounded like an auditory one and suggested I call the Sound Listening and Learning Center. After talking to the Sound Listening and Learning Center I decided to schedule a date to be tested to determine if their program could help me. My insight paid off. Testing showed that I had shut down to listening at the age of six and they could help with my limitation.

As I participated in a program that was tailor-made for my needs, my progress was monitored and adjustments made to my program as changes occurred. During my participation, I became aware of how different sounds made me feel inside and how these sounds stimulated many emotions which were unknown to me.

After completing 45 hours of training, I noticed some major improvements in my life. I began to look forward to the start of a new day. I found I could organize my time better which helps in problem solving. I could tolerate the sounds and movements of large crowds, which caused me great difficulties throughout my life. I found myself talking more and starting conversations with people any time I had the opportunity to do so. The world around me seemed to be much brighter and a more friendly place than I could ever have imagined. My balance improved and my handwriting improved, all because my ears were opened up to listening to myself for the first time. After I started listening to myself I found myself to be a very interesting person.

I completed 60 hours of listening training a couple of days after my 37th birthday. In the past on my birthdays I never really gave myself a gift before. This one was different because I gave myself the gift of being able to listen to the world with open ears is. In my opinion, this is the GREATEST GIFT anyone can give to himself.

The future seemed to take me to a feeling similar to being a child leaving home for the first time to seek adventures with other people. To seek adventures with other people, this is a new concept for me. Was I afraid? You better believe I was, although with my ears open I had the confidence to overcome any obstacle that life had to offer and come out a winner.

A year later MS wrote the following: It's been a year since I've had my ears opened up. A lot of major changes have occurred over the year. I'm able to tolerate crowds, which I had a major difficulty with before I came to Sound Listening & Learning Center. I'm actually doing public presentations, which I've dreaded all my life. I've noticed that my people skills have improved all the way down to a posture change. I really feel quite positive that a year later I'm still experiencing changes within my posture, my voice, and just my attitude for living. I think that it's really improved, being able to listen to the world at a normal level, other than with filtered or reduced hearing. My life has taken a massive change, changed enough that I'm going to get married for the first time in October.

9 year old Ryan was diagnosed with ADD was able to change from being a disruptive student to a contributing student. His parents described the changes he made.

Ryan had failed so miserably in school and had had so much negative pressure from peers that he decided that he was "stupid and worthless" and had all but given up. After taking the program at Sound Listening & Learning Center, he is a renewed child. He no longer walks with his head down, but looks up and stands tall. He is making mostly As and Bs. He is approaching people...and tries to make friends. Ryan read the most books in his classroom and won the gold medal. He is a much happier child because he can achieve personal goals. He was invited to try out for the school play this year.

A mother told about her daughter's experience with the Tomatis Method five years after she began it. Cindy continued to come to the center several times a year for follow-up work.

My daughter Cindy is now fourteen, a freshman in high school, and on the honor roll for the first time in her life! I think it's great, and she does, too. In fact, the Vice Principal at the high school (who knew her last year because she was also at her junior high school) called Cindy at home to congratulate her. Cindy was just floored that the Vice Principal noticed her achievement. When teachers and administrators notice these changes, the students really appreciate it.

Fortunately, all is going well now. But we were aware since kindergarten that Cindy had ADHD. We did not try medication because she would do okay without it. She could not easily do things children normally did at that age, such as put together puzzles and play Nintendo. She used short phrases and sentences and did not speak much. She held her emotions and feelings inside, not expressing them.

Following her participation in the Tomatis Method, I am amazed at all she can do now - reading so well, directions, puzzles, everything - that she just does it. She had not had to learn anything. That it was all there - this large vocabulary, sense of humor, reasoning - she hasn't had to learn it. It all was covered up and just had to be uncovered. How this must feel to her must be incredible and a little scary. That's how we felt about it. It is a little unsettling to have a new person in your home, and that's what she is. It is so wonderful. This is what I've been dreaming could happen to her. I knew there was more in there, but so many people have told me "She's fine; she does well in school." But at such a cost of so much effort and her feelings about herself because she knew there was so much more, too.

Over the last 50 years we have dramatically expanded our understanding of the effect of sound vibration and stimulation on human life. Researchers, educators, clinicians and healers have made the connection between sound and such human facilities as auditory processing, speech, social interaction, and the developmental process, among others. New theories about the role of the ear in learning, communication, socialization, and rhythmic movement have emerged as more sophisticated evaluation and diagnostic tools have been developed.

We have, in fact, seen an explosion of techniques and methods that can now be classified under the comprehensive umbrella of Sound Training. This emerging field, which includes many applications of sound stimulation, can positively impact the human nervous system and one's abilities to understand incoming sensory data and to speak and act appropriately. (1) Much of this sound-based knowledge builds upon the pioneering research and technology of French physician Alfred A. Tomatis, whose system is well documented by patents in the U.S. and worldwide.

There are now a variety of educational, training, and healing methods based on sound training that can accelerate language development and learning ability as well as impact one's confidence and social interaction as skills develop more quickly. Expanded educational applications will evolve in the future, along with other alternate sound-based technologies and methodologies aimed at improving human interaction and performance goals. Sound Training is an idea whose time has come. This appears obvious from the work now being done that is drawn, by bits and pieces, from the original sound training methodology and equipment. There now is a sizable group of professionals working with a variety of methods, materials, and machines of sound stimulation. Their goals include, but are not limited to, bettering or enhancing the following:

Neuro-developmental maturation (of speech, language, motor skills, etc.)
Communication skills (language-based, social, and business applications)
School learning skills and abilities
Attention and the organization of behavior
Social relationships and self-esteem
Foreign language learning
Musical applications for singers and musicians
Relaxation
Neurological rehabilitation for head injuries, strokes, etc.

The growing acknowledgement of sound training by both educational and clinical third party payees around the world also indicates an idea whose time has come. For example, in Germany and Switzerland, clinical applications of the Tomatis Method are covered under National Insurance. In the U.S., the state of Texas pays for the program for auditory processing improvement via a Medicaid waiver program called CLASS. The New Mexico Department of Education has funded programs for a group of 3- to 5-year-olds (described below). A federal court in Arizona awarded a mother a judgment against the Phoenix Elementary School District #1 that requires the district to pay for her son's program. Several school districts in California and a few other states have begun to pay for individual programs, including L.A. Unified, the largest school district in the U.S. Some insurance companies have paid for the program on the basis of individual needs for both children and adults. The Veterans Administration has paid for a few cases, as has the Arizona Department of Developmental Disabilities.

Likewise, sound training in our center has received national attention from media as diverse at the IEEE journal Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, TV programs including Sightings and Medical Breakthroughs, Tomorrow's Cures, Dr. Andrew Weil's Self-Healing Newsletter, Superlearning 2000 (2), The Definitive Guide to Alternative Medicine (3), The Out-of-Sync Child(4) , and Don Campbell's best-selling book, The Mozart Effect�(5). Sound training and its technology are based on the observations that 1) people of all ages can be trained to process incoming sound more effectively and that 2) many people have weaknesses or problems in their ability to process sound that affect them in a multitude of ways (1). Sound training also recognizes that listening ability is a foundation skill for people of all ages. There is a significant difference between hearing and listening. Listening is defined as the active ability, intention, and desire to focus on sounds we want to analyze and to reject the ones we do not want. Listening requires a neurophysiological capability as well as desire. Hearing is simply the passive reception of sound. When the listening process is disrupted, whether by accident, illness (such as chronic ear infections), or other trauma, many kinds of communication and learning difficulties can occur.

Sound training was originally used, nearly 50 years ago, with opera singers who could no longer produce certain sounds with their voices. The sounds missing from the singers' voices were also missing from their hearing. Drugs, the remedy of the day, often failed to provide an effective solution. Ammunitions factory workers who had suffered hearing loss from too long exposure to loud noises were being treated at the same time, and the similarities between their hearing tests and those of the opera singers were noted. This led to the "Tomatis Effect" hypothesis, independently confirmed at the Sorbonne in 1957, that the voice could only produce what the ear could hear. Two corollaries followed: 1) if the sounds are restored to the ear, they will be immediately restored to the voice, and 2) with sufficient conditioning of one's ear to one's own voice heard with a good quality, the changes can be maintained and strengthened. Many of the opera singers' children took the sound training, followed by other parents and children who noticed the improvements gained through sound training and who wanted to know if it might help them, too. Over the last half century, the methodology and accompanying technology expanded to many applications in several fields, in particular, the following broad areas: education, clinical, personal growth, music, native language, and foreign language.

A sound training program stimulates the ear and develops inner motivation to listen, right audio-vocal control, a supportive listening environment, and the ear-voice relationship essential to receive and self-monitor speech and the singing voice. The sound training includes multiple proprietary components of equipment and materials, special earphones for bone and air conduction, Listening Test Machine for giving a Listening Test), enhanced recordings (music tapes/CDs, including Mozart, Gregorian Chant, and a variety of active voice tapes), and program protocols for machine settings and tapes to use with different types of applications and individual users.

The most essential part of the sound training is the patented device (several versions exist), which is connected to a good quality tape player or other media that allows a full range of frequencies normal to human hearing to be heard. The device can filter recordings of music and voice; the sound travels through two channels, with different settings. A gating mechanism alternates the sound between the channels when it reaches a specific intensity. The sound is delivered through special earphones with bone and air conduction. A new sound training device will soon be announced. It is portable, uses the music of Mozart, Gregorian Chant, and folk songs, and also includes the functionality to allow the listener to do active repetitions, such as words, phrases, humming, and songs. Each of its fields of application has three levels: Developmental, Competency, and Proficiency/Professional. The three levels are each a combination of the degree of proficiency in respect to the application [reading, writing, etc.] and the length of the sound training work already done. Listening protocols are designed to educate the ear to its full functions as a receiver, discriminator, and energy generator. The right ear is trained to be the leading or dominant ear to make for the most efficient and direct processing of speech by the speech centers in the left hemisphere of the brain. Through a microphone connected to the equipment, one's ears can receive good quality audio-vocal feedback of one's voice. Sound training continues to evolve as technology changes.

The sound training begins with an Initial Assessment (IA) to identify listening strengths and weaknesses. The assessment (including a battery of tests, a detailed review of history, observation of the person, and a consultation to review the results) typically requires one to two hours. A trained professional works with the adult or family of a child to define appropriate goals and determine the most appropriate length and type of listening training for an individual's specific needs. If an individual is unable or unwilling to complete the test battery, the trained professional may still recommend a sound training program based on a comprehensive understanding of the person's needs, which is gained during the IA. Individuals typically listen from one to two and one-half hours daily to unfiltered and/or filtered music and voice processed through the equipment in order to achieve specific goals. While listening, individuals participate in creative activities such as drawing or painting, putting puzzles together, playing games, conversing, or simply relaxing. Many of the activities help to integrate reflex and tactile sensory systems.

The listening program has both passive and active phases provided over several intensives. One goal of the passive phase of listening is to encourage creativity and experimentation with new activities. During the passive phase, the individual listens to sounds, primarily the music of Mozart, which stimulates the development of thinking and rhythm abilities, and Gregorian Chant, which possesses stimulating overtones. Children hear songs and stories that stimulate their curiosity and reintroduce the rhythm and intonation patterns of their native language or one they are trying to learn.

During the active phase, the individual speaks into a microphone as his or her voice is played back to his/her own ears through the special headphones so that it can be heard with a good quality and it can condition the ear to retain the effects. The individual may be asked to sing, hum, repeat words, phrases and chants, and read aloud with music. The conditioning of one's ear to one's voice heard with a good quality is an essential part of the program. The active work can progress from basic sounds and speech for some children with developmental and learning disabilities to the highly effective, self-monitored oral activities of professional speakers, singers, actors, musicians, salespeople, and others who depend on their voice to earn a living. The internationally known French actor Gerard Depardieu described his experience with sound training as helping him organize his thinking, improve his speech, and eventually achieve his world-renowned acting abilities (6).

A minimal program typically includes two to four intensives covering a total of 60 to 90 hours of Sound Training. The first intensive is usually 30 hours. Three to six week breaks for integration of changes separate the first two to three intensives. With persons who have significant difficulty with language, for a variety of reasons, the program can typically extend to 200 hours or more (using additional intensives of 16 to 30 hours several times a year) to assist the individual to further improve abilities and maintain effective skills. The continued intensives are necessary for some presenting problems in order to provide sufficient conditioning to achieve the desired breakthrough behaviors. The initial intensives provide the foundation upon which is built the basis for rapid change. Caity's experience (7) provides a good example of someone whose major changes did not show up until after 75 hours of Sound Training. Caity has some changes that were very positive throughout her training, and when she sang during the first part of the program, all of her voice range in the middle language range was mostly missing. That changed and was analyzed by several music therapists from pre and post videotaped singing sessions observing Caity sing.

The sound training basically trains or conditions the ear until the individual is capable of retaining the benefits without the training. The equipment does not become a replacement for one's own good listening; instead, it becomes the conduit for the education, or re-education, of one's ears to their greatest potential.

The Consultant provides meetings throughout the program, teaching effective communication, social interaction, and accelerated learning strategies to use with one's newly enhanced listening. Meetings with families provide effective strategies for individual support within the group and consistent structure for children so they can develop their abilities to a high level. Those who wish to learn more about this program or others who use it can visit our website and www.soundlistening.com and an American website at www.tomatis.com. Our center provides outreach programs in other locations where there is sufficient interest.

I am very happy to answer questions if you e-mail me at drbthmpsn@aol.com or info@soundlistening.com. They can be about the Tomatis Method or about availability in your area. One book by Tomatis is available in English, and is the first book he wrote. The Ear and Language was updated in 1996 before publication.

From: Showell16@aol.com
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 09:09:14 EDT
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Dr. Billie Thompson (Tomatis Method)
To: add-holistic@mlists.net

Dr. Thompson,
Is this method the same as what is called Auditory Training like in the book by Annebell Stahli that is autistic?? If not, what are the differences. I have a Asperger Syndrome(high functioning autistic) son and a ADHD son.
Sharon in TX

From: Drbthmpsn@aol.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 00:23:29 EDT
Subject: Re: ADD-Holistic Question #1

Hi Sharon,
Tomatis and AIT are not the same. I describe differences in an article published 3-4/99 in the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology called "The Emerging Field of Sound Training." There are a number of differences. Tomatis holds all the patents in the field. The program provides a developmental process. It takes at least 60 to 90 hours to establish a good, foundation in language and some motor planning. Increased socialization occurs in most cases. Language emerges and the child listens to his/her own voice through the Tomatis machine, so that it is heard as a good quality sound. The training for Tomatis is at least 6 weeks. It is 4 days for AIT. We are working with listening, or how what is heard is organized. AIT focuses on hearing perception. In my experience, Tomatis does all and more than AIT. Berard who developed AIT was a client of Tomatis first, then a colleague, and then decided to develop his own machine, using some components no longer under patent protection. The patented features still active in the Tomatis Method are delivery of sound through headphones with bone and air conduction with a delay between these and the active voice work. Tomatis uses Mozart, Gregorian Chant, and often the filtered mother's voice to provide the sounds of language as the child first heard them and used them to organize the brain. There are many differences. If you want more information, you can contact me directly, go to my website, soundlistening.com, or call 602-381-0086.

We work with many high functioning autistic and ADHD kids. Some go into gifted classes to develop those gifted areas. Our first step is to test the children, and if we cannot do this with the standard battery (many autistic and young children fit this category), then we start them with a program to create a foundation of sound upon which language and organized use of information can be built. It's very amazing to watch. For example, a Phoenix mom won a federal law suit last year and her son gained 2 yrs 9 months in language ability in a duration of 9 months. He had lost ground before that and was at less than 1% in language competency before we started to work with him.

With ADD and ADHD, the children get more focused and organized by getting more balanced in their whole system.

Thanks for asking the question.

Billie Thompson

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 07:59:00 -0600 (MDT)
To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Dr. Thompson

Dr. Thompson,

Thank you very much for your presentation!

One thing that struck me about the some of the case histories presented is that there was a significant transformation of the child or adult, not only just an improvement in ADD/ADHD symptoms.

Below are a few questions that I am forwarding to you. Sorry about the delay in forwarding these questions to the list.

For a person who might be unsure if they want to try the Tomatis Method, are lists of 1- or 2-day presentations / workshops in various parts of North America where one can learn more details about the method and meet others who have had success in using it? Or is it simply better to try and locate the closet Tomatis Center and speak to them about workshops.
It sounds like most of the work/play with the Tomatis machine is done at home. Is it the case that the machine is usually rented? Or is it purchased? Or maybe I am misunderstanding and the practice with the machine is done in the practitioner's office. If the practice done primarily at home, how often does the child or adult go in for followup evaluation?
I noticed a web page with addresses of Tomatis Method centers at http://www.tomatis.com/addresses.html Are there practitioners of the Tomatis Method that are not listed in that section? Is the best way to find the closest practitioner by contacting one of the Centers on the above-mentioned web page?

As an aside to ADD/ADHD....
I would be intersted in trying the Tomatis Method for improvement in my vocal and singing abilities. Is there a Center in the New England area (Southern New Hampshire) that has experience in this area?

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net
Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 18:40:47 -0600 (MDT)
To: mgold@tiac.net
From: Drbthmpsn@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD-Holistic Questionsv
Hi Mark,
Here are the answers to your questions.

The Tomatis program is done in a certified center. The equipment from Tomatis International is not portable at the present time. Nor is it rentable.There are plans for portable, but not available now. There are some people who have taken portions of the method and reference it as theirs is Tomatis, but it is not.

Regarding other Tomatis centers, most of those listed in tomatis.com were people trained by Tomatis, though not all are currently certified by the International organization. You could find someone closest to you. The Amherst center in MA is closest to you. Also, I am doing outreach programs in the Boston area. In fact, I am at this moment in Boston (through this Thursday) finishing up a group of listeners and doing Initial Assessments this week for others who want to start in the new year. I have worked with some professional singers, mostly in CA. There has been interest in Boston from some music teachers at the university, though they typically lack funds to do it. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll let you know when I'll be in Boston next year.

I have a program for curious professionals who want to know more about the program without commiting to 60 hours of training. It includes 2 days of listening following an Initial Assessment. It's called Ear Voice Connection. The cost is $350 in Phoenix and Pasadena. I don't know if the other centers offer this or not. The cost of the Initial Assessment in Boston through our outreach program was itself $350. If you wanted to do something this week and you could work with my schedule, you could do the Initial Assessment and two hours of listening on the same day (only one trip to Boston) for $150. The discount is a professional courtesy for the opportunity you gave me. My cell phone is 602-549-4077, if you want to do this. I'm in Waltham off the 128 at exit 27A.

Thanks, and Let me know if there are other questions to respond to. It did not take too much time.

Billie Thompson

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Pamela J. W. Cain"
Subject: Tomatis -- CAPD eval??

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 07:33:17 -0400

Hi,

I have a 8 yr old daughter who has attention issues (I am still waiting for an ADD diagnosis). We assessed her for central auditory processing disorders and we found that she did not exhibit difficulty in this area. (Normal hearing thresholds, also.) However, she frequently "zones off" and does not absorb essential information. Following directions is problematic. Currently, academics are fine, but behavior (out-of-seat, excess movement, etc.) is not acceptable for a classroom. She needs constant redirection/ focusing on the activity. Homework takes an inordinate length of time.

It sounds like this Tomatis program is geared for remediation of CAPD (central auditory processin disorder) rather than attention issues. What is the effectiveness of this program when you take out the subjects with CAPD? Would a child presenting with normal processing abilities benefit from a "listening program."

I am a speech-language pathologist. Hence, I am also interested in how comparable this program is to Fast ForWord (a phonemic awareness computer program). If you are not familiar with this, it also addresses pitch discrimination, phoneme discrim, and skills for following directions.

Thank you in advance for your answer.

Pamela J.W. Cain
-Peace Be With You
pjwcain@mindspring.com

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Drbthmpsn@aol.com
Subject: Re: Tomatis -- CAPD eval??

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 03:06:09 EDT

Hi Pamela,
I'm emailing you directly and also to the group to answer your question.

The Tomatis program is much broader and comprehensive in scope than the FastForword program. I did that training so am familiar with it. In general, when a child has completed Tomatis and then done FF, they do much better much quicker.

We deal with problems of listening, not just CAPD problems. The best way to determine if the Tomatis program would be helpful is to look at the symptoms of listening problems (you can see our site at soundlistening.com) or call for a checklist ana other info at 602-381-0086. The problems with maintaining attention include a focus more on one's own thoughts than on what is coming in from the environment outside. The training is often helpful for this. Most of our clients have normal hearing. Many of them work very hard to do homework because they have difficulty integrating information. This involves the vestibular processing, which is improved by the Tomatis Method. The vestibular system is the major integrator of our sensory system. The other two major integrators are vision and the cochlea. If we change the ability to organize information, we effect many aspects of processing. I will be available to answer your questions if you want to call the office. We do some outreach programs in different areas of the US and can let you know if we will be in your area if you forward your address and phone.

Thanks for the questions. I hope this has helped answer them.

Billie Thompson

Thom Hartmann

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Visiting Expert Introduction

It is an honor to introduce our next ADD-Holistic Visiting Expert, Thom Hartmann. The experienced Holistic Medicine practitioner looks at a disease or dysfunction in several ways (physical influences, psychological influences, family and social systems, etc.). Mr. Hartmann will be exploring some very important, but often ignored ways to look at people diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. I encourage reading completely through his opening post that will follow later today.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Hartman to the ADD-Holistic discussion group! [clap, clap, clap!]

Biography of Thom Hartmann

Thom Hartmann s books have been written about in Time magazine and he has been on numerous national and international radio and TV shows, including NPR s All Things Considered, CNN, and BBC radio. He has been on the front page of The Wall Street Journal twice, has spoken to over 100,000 people on four continents over the past two decades, and one of his books was selected for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. A best-selling and award-winning author, he is also rostered with the State of Vermont as a psychotherapist, and a licensed and certified NLP Practitioner and NLP Trainer.

Over the past twenty years, he has worked with hundreds of ADD and hyperactive children and adults. In 1978, he and his wife Louise opened the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV), a residential treatment facility for children on one hundred and thirty-two wooded acres on Stinson Lake in New Hampshire. The Children's Village is based on the family model of the international Salem program located in Germany.

As executive director of NESCV for five years, Hartmann worked with numerous psychologists and psychiatrists, social workers and courts, and hundreds of children and parents. He taught parenting classes, helped train child-care workers, was co-founder of the New Hampshire Group Home Association, and worked closely with that state's governor to develop programs for children in crisis.

NESCV specializes in providing previously institutionalized children with a family model, non-institutional setting, and works, usually, without drugs with children who have nearly all been in some form of drug therapy. It was the subject of three major reports on National Public Radio's All Things Considered afternoon news program, as well as feature articles in Parenting, Prevention, East-West, Country Journal, and over a dozen other national publications and newspapers. In 1998, NESCV will be opening The Hunter School, a residential school for ADD/ADHD children (for more information, call 603 786-9427).

Hartmann also worked with the international Salem program based in Europe to set up famine relief and other, similar programs in Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia, and lived with his family for a year in Germany at the international Salem headquarters. In Uganda, in 1980 (just months after Idi Amin was run out of the country), he entered a war zone and negotiated with the provisional government for land to build a hospital and refugee center, which is still operating and seeing an average of over five hundred patients a day. He has helped set up similar programs in several other countries, most recently traveling to Bogota, Colombia.

From 1972 to 1978, and 1987 to 1991, he taught concentration and meditation techniques through a series of weekly classes, and spoke on these subjects at numerous conferences in the United States and Europe.

As a journalist, Hartmann spent seven years as a radio and television news reporter during and immediately after his college years, and has been published over two hundred times in more than fifty different national and international publications, ranging from the German version of International Business Week and The Christian Science Monitor, to Popular Computing, for which he wrote a monthly column for two years. At one time he was Contributing Editor to, and a columnist for, seven different national magazines, and is the winner of the prestigious Jessie H. Neal award for excellence in reporting. His monograph about dietary intervention in the hyperactive syndrome was published in 1981 in The Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, and one of his short stories won a national award. One of his books (Think Fast!) was selected for inclusion in the permanent exhibit on information technology in medicine at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

Additionally, Hartmann has successfully started seven businesses, one of which made the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Enterprises he has started (and, with two exceptions, later sold) include an advertising agency, a newsletter/magazine publishing company, an herbal tea manufacturing company, an international travel wholesaler and travel agency, a training company presenting seminars nationwide, an electronics design and repair company, and a company which sells computer peripherals. He has published nine nonfiction books and written nine novels, is both a licensed pilot and a licensed private detective (neither of which he practices), and a former skydiver.

The founder of the Michigan Healing Arts Center, and a student of "alternative" medicine, he received a C.H. (Chartered Herbalist) degree from Dominion Herbal College, an M.H. (Master of Herbology) degree from Emerson College, and a Ph.D. in Homeopathic Medicine from Brantridge in England (his Ph.D. thesis was published in a national-circulation magazine in the United States, and these degrees qualify him to practice homeopathic and herbal medicine in England, Canada, India, and several dozen other countries). He completed a residential post-graduate course in acupuncture at the Beijing International Acupuncture Institute, the world's largest accredited acupuncture teaching hospital, in Beijing, China, in 1986. He is also a certified and licensed NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) Practicioner and Trainer, and rostered as a Psychotherapist by the State of Vermont.

A student of technology, he held a radio and TV station broadcast engineering license from the federal government, is a former amateur radio operator, a Certified Electronics Technician, and a former engineer/technician for RCA. He currently holds contracts with CompuServe to supervise and operate the Desktop Publishing and DTP Vendor Forums, Office Automation Forum, ADD Forum, International Trade Forum, and half a dozen others. In this capacity, he daily helps serve the needs of CompuServe's millions of members, and can easily be reached online at "Thom@compuserve.com". His books about ADD, business, and spirituality are available in bookstores nationwide.

In the marketing and advertising field (his specialty), he is currently president of Mythical Books, sold in 1997 an advertising agency and newsletter publishing company, has worked as a consultant to dozens of US Government agencies and hundreds of companies, and has taught seminars on advertising and marketing to over ten thousand companies and individuals in the past fifteen years. His clients include over four hundred seventy of the Fortune 500 firms, and he has been a keynote speaker to groups ranging from a Hong Kong banker's meeting, to a symposium on international travel sponsored by KLM Airlines and American Express in Amsterdam, to the California Teachers Association's annual conference. He has spoken to over 100,000 people on four continents.

An inveterate traveler and sometimes a risk-taker, Hartmann has often found himself in the world's hot spots on behalf of the Salem organization or as a writer, a situation which causes his friends to sometimes wonder aloud if he works for the CIA (he does not). He was, for example, in The Philippines when Ferdinand Marcos fled the country; in Egypt the week Anwar Sadat was shot; in Uganda during the war of liberation by Tanzania; in Hungary when the first East German refugees arrived; in Germany when the wall came down; in Peru when the Shining Path first bombed the presidential palace; in Beijing during the first student demonstrations; in Thailand when they were briefly invaded by Laos, then again when the military coup of 1991 occurred, then again when the military were thrown out in 1992; in Barbados during the recent anti-government strikes and shutdowns; in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia, during the spate of killings of presidential candidates; in Israel, in the West Bank town of Nablus, the week the Intifada started there; on the Czech border the week Chernobyl melted down; in Kenya during the first big wave of crackdowns on dissidents; and in Venezuela during the 1991 coup attempt. He has been successful in avoiding some disasters, however. For example, he was out of the country when George Bush picked Dan Quayle as his running mate.

Born in 1951, he is the father of three children aged sixteen to twenty-four, and has been married to his wife, Louise (a brilliant, very patient, and non-ADD woman), for twenty-five years.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

"Good Science" and the Wounding of America's Children
by Thom Hartmann

At a recent national convention on ADHD, one speaker suggested "good science" argues that ADHD is entirely a pathological condition, a genetic illness, and that there is no value whatsoever in a person "having ADHD." Anybody who may seek to offer hope to ADHD children or parents was accused of telling "stories," the citation again being "good science." The speaker suggested that ADHD is purely a genetic defect; the neo-Darwinist theory being that sometimes genetic problems are simply "weaknesses in the evolution..." and that, "qualities of ADHD place individuals at the lower tail of an adaptive bell curve...."

If this is true, then perhaps we should all just throw up our hands and put ourselves in the care of the pharmaceutical industry, which has been more than generous to many who put forth the above assertion. If not, then the very word "science" itself is being twisted in a dangerous way, reminiscent of how the Eugenicists and Germans used "science" earlier in this century to justify "correcting genetic deficiencies" in the human race.

Which is the case?

True "good science" understands three primary ways a researcher can devise a study to prove pretty much whatever he wants. These methods involve what are called "sample bias"; "experimenter bias" (or "experimenter effect," or "the Heisenberg Principle"); and "model bias" or defects in the actual structure of the experiment itself or the conclusions drawn from it. Let's take a very quick look at how badly most of the supposed "good science" that calls itself "research" into ADHD has been contaminated by these various problems.

Sample Bias

If we wanted to find out what type of people were generally driving cars in, say, New York City, an easy way to do the study would be to approach the New York Police Department. "Let us put a psychologist in the back seat of every police car for two weeks," we could ask, "and whenever the cop stops somebody or arrests somebody, our psychologist will jump out with a clipboard and pen and interview the subject, taking detailed notes."

What would we find? To the no-doubt horror of people living in New York (and the delight of those in Los Angeles), we could "scientifically prove" that virtually all New York drivers studied had committed some sort of crime, these ranging from minor traffic infractions to murder. More than eighty percent were at risk for jail time if they didn't appear in court or pay a fine within a few weeks. Ninety percent had bad or sullen attitudes. Fully fifteen times the population of "normal drivers" (not stopped by the police) were engaged in some sort of active criminal behavior, such as speeding away from a bank robbery or carrying drugs or fleeing the scent of a crime. The picture would be grim, indeed, because the entire study had been done from the back seat of police cars.

Similarly, many of the studies of ADHD individuals have been done from the back seat (metaphorically) of mental institutions; the back seats of the offices of psychiatrists, psychologists, or psychotherapists; the back seats of the youth criminal justice system; or the back seats of counselor's or special education teacher's offices. Those identified to participate in the study in the first place were those who were already crashing and burning, already in crisis, already identified by themselves or somebody else as a person with a problem.

This is sample bias at its worst, and if it weren't so tragic that people take them seriously, many of these purported "studies" of ADHD individuals would be laughable.

Experimenter Bias

David Reilly, M.D., reports on a study done at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, from 1987 to 1990. During this study, a group of asthma patients were given "a new asthma drug" over a period of several months. The patients thought they were getting medications at all times (although realized they were participating in some sort of medical study). The first month the doctors gave the pills, they (the doctors) thought there was a fifty percent chance the pills they were passing out contained some sort of drug, and a fifty percent chance they were handing out placebos (sugar pills), although the doctors themselves didn't know which was which or who was getting which. The reactions from the patients varied, but were not dramatic. The next few weeks, the doctors were told that all of the pills they were passing out contained drugs. The responses of the patients were so sudden and so dramatic that one claimed to be cured of his asthma, whereas another had such a severe and life-threatening asthma attack within minutes of administration of the drug that he threatened to sue the hospital and university supervising the study for giving him such a dangerous experimental drug.

Interestingly, there were never any drugs involved in the study whatsoever: at all times, the pills passed out were placebos. But when the doctors were certain that all of the pills they were passing out were drugs, the patients began to react much more strongly to the sugar pills than they had when the doctors were unsure about whether the pills contained drugs or were merely placebos.

A similarly dramatic study was published in the British medical Journal Lancet in 1985 by Gracley, Dubner, Deeter, and Wolksee. Titled, "Clinicians' expectations influence placebo analgesia," this study found that when doctors thought they were giving out powerful pain drugs (to people really in severe pain) the patients' pain usually dropped, sometimes even more dramatically than under morphine. On the other hand, when doctors gave real painkillers but thought they were passing out sugar pills, patients' pain often wasn't significantly diminished, even though the painkillers were among the most powerful in existence.

Over the years, many similar studies have been done, always with similar results, and have been printed in publications ranging from The Journal of the American Medical Association to the British Medical Journal to Psychoneuroimmunology to Clinical Psychology Reviews.

In the field of education, numerous similar studies show the power of experimenters' or patients' expectations. Classics include studies where teachers are told they have bright or slow students and the students perform to the teacher's expectations, or the famous classroom experiment where children were told that blue eyes indicated higher intelligence or status and brown eyes lower, and within days the children had socially reorganized themselves.

In physics, this is referred to as The Heisenberg Principle: the observer will always have some effect on the experiment, and the mere act of being observed alters the way things are, thus changing the outcome of the study. At least in physics, scientists understand this: some "scientists" appear to have missed that week of science class, or perhaps never studied the scientific method at all.

Thus, we have studies where children are "identified" at an early age as having a "disorder" and being "deficient." They, or their parents, or their teachers, or all, are told of the child's "deficit." And then these children are "observed" over time to determine their "outcome."

If such research weren't so destructive, it would be comedic. The sad fact is that if a control group of "normal" children were to be introduced to the study, and these fully "normal" children were told they had a brain "deficit" that was a psychological "disorder," and their parents and teachers were similarly informed, and they were then observed for a number of years, the damage that would be done to the "normal" children by this change in their self-story is so obvious and predictable that the experimenters could find themselves in jail for child abuse. Certainly such a study of "normal" children would never pass a research review board...yet we routinely inflict this on "disordered" children.

Model Bias or Experiment Model Defects

This area is the most pernicious and destructive of all among the so-called "scientific" studies of ADHD children, precisely because it's so transparent that most people never even realize it's present.

The basis of virtually all of the arguments put forward that ADHD is purely a defect rest on research done among public schoolchildren in the United States, or of adults who were students of American public schools.

While education for the first six thousand years of our civilization was most often a mentorship and interactive process, in the past 170 years it's become something that even University of Virginia founder Thomas Jefferson would not recognize.

For example, in the early years of education teachers were expected to develop personal relationships with their students. If you were a student of Rembrandt, you got to know him and he got to know you. Or Hippocrates, or Pasteur, or Leonardo da Vinci. Even today, this is the primary model of graduate school, particularly when people are working on their Ph.D. or the latter years of their M.D. degrees.

However, in the 1800's several changes were made in our schools. First, in the 1830's, the German schools introduced the notion that children must ask the question, "May I ask a question?" before they could ask a question. This two-step process or raising one's hand and then being called on was inserted into German education to produce children more fearful and respectful of authority figures. (And, apparently, it worked.)

Second, in the 1880's, a Cambridge instructor named William Farish earned the distinction of being the world's first and most famous lazy (or profitable) teacher. The industrial revolution was well under way by this time, and Cambridge was experimenting with the idea of paying teachers piece-rate (per student) instead of salaries. It increased the productivity of factory workers, went the idea, so may increase the productivity of teachers as well. But Farish was also stuck in a six-thousand-year-old system of education where teachers were expected to get to know their students well enough to know if the students understood the material being taught. That took time and work. There had to be a way, Farish reasoned, to turn children from pupils and students into items on an assembly line. If they could be somehow organized into "learned" and "hasn't yet learned" categories by an objective measure, then Farish wouldn't have to take the time to get to know them. And so he invented grades.

The invention of grades and standardized testing by Farish in the 1880s so increased his income (he could "teach" nearly three times as many students, so his piece-rate pay skyrocketed) that other teachers stampeded to follow. Grades became a major fad in England, moving to the United States by the turn of the century and becoming firmly entrenched by the 1920's.

Thomas Jefferson, educated in the 1700's, never had to raise his hand and never took a test to determine his grade.

Between these two major changes - the sit-down-shut-up-raise-your-hand-to-speak German invention and the measurement-of-knowledge-with-paper-and-pen-instead-of-by-another-person-ge tting-to-know-you - schools were transformed from the Jeffersonian ideal of a theatre of ideas and interaction into the Henry Ford ideal of an assembly line. And, as with Ford's factories, any product on the assembly line that wasn't "Grade A Standard" had to be pushed off the conveyor belt and dumped into the trash bin, or else rebuilt by a different group of workers whose job was to repair "defective goods."

Many people alive today remember the fate of left-handed children in many schools earlier in this century. In my father's time, many left-handed children literally had their left arms tied to their bodies during the first few years of school so they could learn to write "properly" with their right hands. They were, of course, suffering from what was believed to be a defect of brain wiring: left-handed disorder. I remember a friend, now in his late 70's, telling me with tears in his eyes what a humiliating and painful experience it was to be so segregated from his peers, what a struggle it was to try to cut paper for art class or learn good penmanship, and how he was labeled a "slow learner" because he was focusing so much of his energy on trying to use his right hand.

While it's obvious to us all what a wounding experience not fitting into those schools left-handers had, most miss entirely how painful it is for ADHD children in today's public schools. The brains of ADHD children are not wired to be good items for an assembly line, and they don't fit into the factories that our schools have become.

So should it surprise anybody that a study of them would find that in these factory schools they don't perform as well as their "normal" peers?

Again, the experiments are so pathetically designed that it's astounding anybody would dare call them "science." The "control groups" are "normal" students - those whose brains are wired in a way that allows them to sit on the assembly line for 12 or more years with no problem at all. The researchers say they're measuring the abilities of one group of students against another, that there is only one major factor being tested.

How sadly naive. What's really being measured is the school, not the students.

What's being demonstrated by this so-called "good science" is that our public schools will work fine for one group of kids, but will wound another group of kids (those we call ADHD) so badly that they'll end up at risk for drug abuse, develop attitudinal and self-esteem problems, and spin into a free-fall of dysregulation and despair.

If the "control groups" in these studies were ADHD students in private school environments, or homeschooling ADHD kids - who were never wounded by public school, even in their early years - then the results would be much different. As psychologist and former psychology professor Dr. Stephen Larsen points out from the experience of his own two children, "Public schools wound kids who are not what we call 'average,' and that wounding can be severe and lifelong. Get those kids out of public schools and into a true learning environment and they will outperform any norm you can measure them against."

Ask any parent whose gone through the process, who's watched the wounding of their child because he wasn't a "standardized product" for the factory of "standardized education" and then seem him blossom in a private school, charter school, or homeschooling environment, and you'll hear the same story: ADHD children can succeed. And when their childhood self-esteem isn't destroyed by so-called "experts" telling them that because they're not just like every other car on the assembly line they have a "deficit" and a "disorder," it turns out it is possible that these ADHD children can grow up to be highly functional and successful adults.

Summary

Far from showing America has an army of genetically defective children, "good science" has proven that we have a severely dysfunctional educational system. Between one and three million children in the United States alone must daily take psychoactive drugs ranging from stimulants to antidepressants just to rewire their brains enough that they can stay on the conveyor belt. Another several million require "educational intervention," and over one million have given up on the public schools, turning to homeschooling. (This is the first time in history that more children are being homeschooled for academic reasons than for religious reasons.) The system is broken, and out of that brokenness has come an army of so-called experts who perform what they call "research" on these children to prove their "defects," and a billion-dollar "therapeutic" industry supplying the children wounded by our dysfunctional schools with diagnosis, therapy, special education, and drugs.

We must confront a difficult question.

When my son couldn't succeed in a public school without taking drugs because he had a "disorder" called ADHD, yet this same child jumped two full grade levels in a single year without medications in a private school where children didn't have to raise their hands and emphasis was on mentoring and teaching instead of testing, I realized I'd been asking the wrong question. It wasn't, "What's wrong with my son?" Instead, if the disorder existed when he was in the public school, but vanished in the private school, then where was the disorder? Concluding the disorder was in the school and not the child, we homeschooled his younger sister for her high school years, and this "bad student" completed four years of schooling in two years, never working more than two hours a day, and began college at the age of sixteen. She, too, had been told she had a disorder, and again I had to ask myself, "Where is the real disorder?"

I believe it's critically important that we all ask our "scientists" and ourselves the same question. Then we can get on with taking education back to the model that worked so well for six thousand years, but has recently been twisted into a destructive and wounding machine by the belief that cars on assembly lines and children in schools are essentially the same thing.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann addendum

Hi!

I was supposed to tack on Thom Hartmann's web page resources, but forgot. The following web page points to Mr. Hartmann's ADD Books and training information:

http://www.thomhartmann.com/
Please feel free to post any questions you have related to his work or his opening post.

Best Wishes,
- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: Showell16@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 10:29:06 EST

In a message dated 11/1/99 9:28:51 PM, THOM@compuserve.com writes: < >>

Hi Thom,

Happy to have you this week. I could not agree more with the above paragraph. This is why I am now homeschooling my boys Brian - 8 adhd and Mike - 12 Asperger's syndrome. Brian has learned to read and read well now that he is in a loving, supportive environment that meets his needs!!!!! I have read several of your books and I have thoroughly enjoyed them! I especially like the idea of thinking of our kiddos or ourselves not in the deficit or disorder model - I hate those words!!!! I refused to turn my children over to the drug companies and the public schools to ruin their chances of a good future. The public school of course wanted my Brian on drugs. I do have my Asperger's child on some very low dose meds but only until I can finish adding the dietary and supplement changes to his world! Thanks again Thom for your great work !
Sharon in TX:-)

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 08:48:45 -0500

Message text written by Mark Gold
>I especially like the idea of thinking of our kiddos or
ourselves not in the deficit or disorder model...<

Thanks! I think it's important for us to acknowledge that those of us and our kids who share this brain wiring or these personality characteristics are different from those who easily succeed in schools or factories. However, I, like you, disagree with using very powerful words like "deficient" and "disordered" to tell children to apply to themselves. I prefer to tell my son that he and I are "Hunters stuck in a world that's been taken over by Farmers."

Thom

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: srjarv@webcntrl.com
Subject: To Thom Hartman

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 21:41:21 +0000

Hi Thom,
Great to see you on the list. I have been hear quite some time. I have not posted though in months. I mostly just read when there's time. I attended the whole day conference you had in Chicago this past summer, and thought I would take this opportunity to say Thanks for such an experience. I wrote to you long ago when the Adda conference was originaly cancled hoping that if they rescheduled, you would be there. And sure enough, I counted on meeting and getting the oppourtunity to hear you for such a long time. It is unfortunte that I suffered from such sever tooth pain that day, and spent the whole with a heating pad attached to the side of my face. But I would tell anyone to go to great lengths to have the opportunity, to hear your powerfull message, since reading your books, and hearing you speak my life, my son's, and my family's life is changed forever. The world needs to take another look at "what is add" and "why" I think if they ask you they will have the TRUTH and the only answer the world needs. Let's treat these people like the rest of us what's to be treated, Normal.
Somehow I am sure Thom that I will see you again.
Rachel Jarvey,
Marinette WI

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: To Thom Hartman

Thanks, Rachel - I'm glad the all-day NLP/ADHD training I did was of value to you! Now, "tag - you're 'it'," it's your turn to share the message with someone else!

Best regards,

Thom

To: ADD- Holistic List
From: "Dr. Gary Erkfritz"
Subject: ADD Hi, Thom

Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 07:20:14 -0800

Thom,
Thanks for joining the list. Interestingly, I just purchased a couple of your books last week, but I haven't had time to get into them yet. I was at your webpage and I know you speak of the concept of children being "hunters" or "farmers." I remember a book from a while back that introduced that concept -- I believe it was initially printed in 1952, but the author escapes me at present (many senior moments these days). Anyhow, would you be kind enough to elaborate on this concept?
Thanks.
Gary

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: Hi, Thom

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 10:05:19 -0500

Hmmm... dunno about any writers from the 50's (or any other time) who wrote about ADHD and "hunters and farmers." (In fact, ADD as a category didn't exist until the 1980's, as I recall.) But regarding my take on it, here's a clip from "Focus Your Energy," a book I wrote a few years ago:

Throughout pre-history, virtually all humans on the planet were members of hunting societies. Then, 10,000 years ago, anthropologists tell us that humanity experienced the agricultural revolution: on several continents people began herding animals or planting crops, settling down, and creating farming societies. This led to a huge expansion in the number of people on the planet, and, like with the industrial revolution, was the force behind the creation of a whole new type of human culture.

But those early, pre-agricultural-revolution hunting societies probably had an unique lifestyle, quite different from that of the farming societies to come and from modern-day culture. There was certainly a different set of cultural norms, and a vastly different type of personality was necessary for survival.

When viewed in an anthropological or historical view, the criteria for diagnosing ADD could also be seen as characteristics which would be survival skills for a person in a hunting society.

For success in the field, forest, or jungle, a hunter must be easily distractible, constantly scanning his environment. He must be able to juggle many tasks or pursue many possible prey at the same time. He must feel unafraid of taking risks, as risk is the daily life of a hunter. If, after starting after one animal, he sees a better opportunity, he must then quickly (impulsively) have the ability to make the decision to alter course and pursue the new prey. A sense of impending doom would keep him aware at all times of the possibility of predators, and on alert against them. And he would thrive on the adrenaline high of the hunt, while finding boring tasks like cleaning his living area to be so tedious that he'd procrastinate when faced with them. His sense of time would be either very fast or very slow, he'd be either excited or bored "just by life at the moment." Characteristics of a Successful Hunter

As you can see from the above analysis, the most successful hunters of the past (and the present, for that matter) would be classified as ADD by modern psychologists. And there's growing evidence that, consistent with Darwin's theories, these tendencies are passed from generation to generation, ensuring the survival of future hunting societies. There's even a specific gene which some researchers believe may "cause" or affect some percentage of ADD cases. It was first identified several years ago in association with alcohol and drug dependence, and is referred to as the D2A1 variant. It can apparently be transmitted by either the father or the mother, and travels from generation to generation.

Farmers, on the other hand, faced different challenges. To live successfully in an agricultural society, a farmer must endure long stretches of boredom, and stay put in one place. It takes months for crops to grow, and farmers spend much of that time in tedious tasks of picking bugs off plants or pulling weeds. They may develop good auditory-processing skills through hours of sitting with other farmers and talking to pass the time while the crops grow, or during the winters when the crops are in storage. Their communities would be more social and interdependent. They cannot afford to be easily distracted, restless, or impulsive: if an impatient farmer were to pull the seedling out of the ground every few days to see how it was growing, it would die. And the Hunter's sense of doom would have to be replaced by a calmer sense of quiet confidence that even though the soil hasn't moved in a week, those seeds are germinating and will eventually break through. A Farmer's sense of time must be linear and even, and he's only excited or bored when confronted with a truly exciting or boring situation. Unlike a Hunter, he doesn't constantly feel the restive push to hunt, the persistent alert for danger, the internally created sensations of boredom or excitement.

Just as we now have people with all shades of skin, eye color, hair color, etc., as the result of the past years of genetic intermixing, we've also now produced an "averaging" of these two Hunter and Farmer traits, and this has become our "normal" person. But there still remain among us those who are, to greater or lesser degrees, the overfocused Farmers, and the highly-distractible Hunters. Why are there so few Hunters?

In 1981, when I first put forth the concept that the "symptoms" of ADD might be vestigial survival skills handed down to us from primitive hunting societies, it was largely a leap of logic. There is solid evidence that ADD is genetic, and certainly other genetic conditions that are liabilities in modern society were adaptive and aided survival in more primitive societies (such as Sickle Cell Anemia, which offers some resistance against malaria). But, if the "hunting gene" was useful for survival of people with it, why have hunting societies largely died out around the world, and why is ADD seen only among 5 percent to 20 percent of the population, instead of 50 percent or some other number?

Now I believe we've found the answer to even that last detail.

There's a remarkable research effort summarized in an article in the February, 1994 issue of Discover magazine that discusses how hunting societies are always wiped out by farming societies over time. It points out that fewer than 10 percent of hunting society members will normally survive when their culture collides with an agricultural society. And it has nothing to do with the hunter's "attention deficits," or with any inherent superiority of the farmers.

The authors traced the root languages of the peoples living across central Africa. They found that at one time the area was dominated by hunter-gathers: the Khoisans and the Pygmies. But over a period of several thousand years, virtually all of the Khoisans and Pygmies, the "Hottentots" and the "Bushmen" as they've been referred to in Western literature, were wiped out...and replaced by Bantu-speaking farmers. Two entire groups of people were destroyed by the millions, rendering them nearly extinct, while the Bantu-speaking farmers flooded across the continent, dominating central Africa.

The reasons for this startling transformation are several.

First, agriculture is more efficient than hunting in terms of generating calories. Because the same amount of land can support up to ten times more people when farming than if they're hunting, farming societies generally have roughly ten times the population density of hunting societies. In war, numbers are always an advantage: particularly in these ratios. Few armies in history have survived an onslaught by another army ten times larger.

Second, diseases such as chicken pox, influenza, and measles, which have virtually wiped out vulnerable populations (such as Native North and South Americans who died by the thousands of measles when they were exposed to this disease by invading Europeans), began as diseases of domesticated animals. The farmers who were regularly exposed to such diseases developed relative immunities. While measles would make them ill, it wouldn't kill them. Those with no prior exposure, however, would often die. So when farmers encountered hunters, they killed them off just by the exposure to their diseases.

And finally, agriculture provides physical stability to a culture. The tribe stays in one spot, while their population grows. This provides them with time to specialize individual jobs: some people become tool- and weapon-makers, others build devices which can be used in war, and create governments, armies, and kingdoms. This gives farmers a huge technological advantage over hunting societies, which are generally more focused on day-to-day survival issues.

While the article points out that "that's not to say that farmers are happier, healthier, or in any way superior to hunter-gathers," it does go on to show how their greater numbers, immunity to disease, and specialization of jobs will always enable (and, ultimately, cause) them to destroy the hunting societies with which they come in contact.

So now we have an answer to the question: "Where have all the Hunters gone?" Most were killed off, from Europe to Asia to Africa to the Americas. Those who survived were brought into farming cultures (either through assimilation, kidnapping, or cultural change) and became the ancestors of that 5 percent to 20 percent of the gene pool with ADD in Western society.

To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: JoAgue@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 14:51:31 EST

Thom

For a few years now we have been trying to get other school personnel to look at all students in the Hunter/Gatherer model. Schools need to accept that we live in a hunter's world these days and the agrarian society of yesterday is rapidly coming to a close. So return kids to play, recess and PE and let them finger paint in Kindergarten for Pete's sake. As adults we can choose careers in which we succeed because we don't have to be strapped to a chair. So much for teaching kids how to survive in the "real world".

Jo

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Questions for Thom Hartmann

Thom,

I was hoping that you would answer a few questions from myself and that perhaps would interest the group as well.

Your opening post discussed the crucial importance of changing the education model. I believe you suggested home schooling and private schools.
- Are their particular things to look for in private schools that parents on our group could look for that would make the more beneficial (less detrimental)?
- Do you know of a list of schools (public or private) that fit the model you describe?
- If public school is the only choice at the moment, do you know of any suggestions that might improve the situation.
If the answers are in one of your books, please let me know.
There are various factors discussed when a person is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Some of those factors include the effects of labeling a person as deficient or dysfunctional, diet, education system, toxic exposure (pre-natal, post-natal), genetic tendencies (e.g., hunter/gatherer), family/social issues, etc.

Am I correct in assuming that your experience is that changing the education system on an individual and societal basis and avoiding negative labels have had significant positive effects. Personally, I admire your efforts and think they have and will benefit many, many people. But how does your view of ADD/ADHD diagnosis relate to some of the other items mentioned above?
Given you long experience working on the issue of ADD/ADHD, I was hoping you might be able to give some of the people on the group a few practical steps that could be used to help our society realize the changes you have deliniated.

Thank you again for being the Visiting Expert!

Best Wishes,

- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: ADD Questions for Thom Hartmann

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 09:40:36 -0500

Thanks, Mark. Yes, the major things to look for are small classrooms and a school which places more emphasis on self-esteem and critical thinking than on rote memorization and "discipline" or "structure." At least in my experience. I think in my previous answer I've addressed most of your other questions. Sorry for the gap in my replies: I was speaking at a conference in Montreal yesterday; leaving for another in Boston in a few hours...

Thom

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Dr. Gary Erkfritz"
Subject: Re: ADD Re: To Thom Hartman

Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 20:22:50 -0800

Thom,
I am a certified NLP practitioner, certified by John Grinder. Admitedly, it's been a number of years since I've really practiced NLP, but I'm really interested in how you have applied NLP to the ADHD situation. I assume that you do trainings based on the note below. How do I find out when you are giving these??
Gary

Thom Hartmann wrote:
> Thanks, Rachel - I'm glad the all-day NLP/ADHD training I did was of value
> to you! Now, "tag - you're 'it'," it's your turn to share the message
> with someone else!
> Best regards,
> Thom

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: ADD Re: To Thom Hartman

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 09:40:38 -0500

I don't think I have any scheduled right now, but it's possible I'll be doing something like this for ADDA at their conference next May. You may want to contact their director, Dr. Peter Jaksa, at DrJaksa@aol.com to find out. Other trainings are on my web site at www.mythical.net/tour.html although I've been radically cutting back so I can get more writing done...

Thom

To: add-holistic@mlists.net
From: Tommfriend@aol.com
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 17:16:39 EST

The hunter waiting very alert quiet and physically relaxed is not what I see when I see an ADD child. Tomm

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann

Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 09:40:32 -0500

Tomm,
(quoting here from chapter 4 of ADD:ADP):
Many thoughtful people on all sides of the ADD issue have asked me this question. One of the most articulate put it quite succinctly when he said that if he'd been alive 10,000 years ago he would have been doomed because "I'd forget to take my spear with me when we left for the hunt!"

Others have taken pains to point out to me the necessity of organized cooperative action for most primitive hunting parties. The ideal of a hyperactive loner going through the woods looking for dinner doesn't at all characterize how most anthropologists describe primitive (or today's) hunter/gatherer methods.

At first glance, it would appear that these considerations blow a hole in the hypothesis that modern people with ADD are carrying around a remnant of hunter/gatherer genetic material. It lends credibility to the notion that ADD is, in fact, a "disease" or at least "not normal," and may not have ever been "normal" in human history.

But that overlooks a critical issue: cultural context, the effect of what we learn to believe about ourselves as we're growing up.

Cultural anthropologists are quick to point out that it's extremely difficult for any one culture to clearly view another. We instinctively assume when observing their behaviors that they're motivated in the same ways we are, that they behave the way they do for the same reasons we would if we were in their situation, and that they share our assumptions about how the world works and humanity's role in the world.

This is a dangerous error, which even tripped up Margaret Mead when she was writing Coming of Age in Samoa. Since her well-intentioned but well-publicized error, few anthropologists would make this mistake. But it's easy for somebody untrained in the field.

The problem, essentially, is that most people, when thinking of "primitive times," imagine themselves running around in the woods wearing animal skins and carrying a spear. In their mind's eye, they transport a twentieth century person back into a fantasy past. But these "Connecticut Yankees in King Arthur's Court" don't represent what it was like to grow up in those times; they arrive in a different era complete with all our acculturation, carrying along all the damage done to them by our culture. They haul along the preparations we've received for a Farmers/Industrialists life, but utterly lacking preparation for a Hunters/Gatherers life.

The fact of the matter is that people in hunter/gatherer tribes live very different lives than we do, and therefore grow up to be very different persons from us.

ADDers are damaged by growing up in our society, not in hunting cultures

Cultural anthropologist Jay Fikes pointed this out to me when we first discussed the idea of hunters and farmers as an explanation for many modern psychological differences among people. His research showed that individuals living among the historically agricultural Native Americans, such as the Hopi and other Pueblo Indians, are relatively sedate and risk-averse. On the other hand, Fikes said, members of the hunting tribes such as the Navajo are "constantly scanning their environment and are more immediately sensitive to nuances. They're also the ultimate risk takers. They and the Apaches were great raiders and warriors."

Navajo children grow up in a society of Navajo hunter and warrior adults (at least they did before we conquered them, destroyed their culture, shattered their religions, stole their land, and murdered most of their citizens). The Navajo raised their children as hunters and warriors. Until we arrived with horses and guns, they were extraordinarily successful, and had survived as an intact culture for thousands of years longer than we have.

But we today are not a society of hunters, raiders, and warriors. We are farmers, office- and factory-workers. Therefore, we punish and discourage hunter and warrior behavior in our children and adults.

When people grow up being punished for being the way they are, they become damaged. They think of themselves as misfits and incompetents. They lose their own personal power, become shaken and fearful, and develop a variety of compensating behaviors-many of which are less than useful.

What you-the parent, teacher, counselor, or physician-what you tell the ADD child about himself can have a decisive effect. Children respond very differently to being told "This is how you work" instead of "You just don't work right."

To think that these modern ADD people-damaged, shaken, hurt, and weakened by growing up in the wrong time and culture-could somehow solve all their problems by simply transporting themselves back to some mythical prehistoric hunting era is a fantasy. It wouldn't work. They weren't raised and trained to survive in that environment; they weren't taught to channel their energies into being hunters and warriors.

Instead, they were spanked and slapped, told to shut up and given detention, and-the ultimate insult-told that they are damaged goods and have a brain disease worthy of the labels "deficit" and "disorder."

Hunters are both born and made.

Every type of culture puts enormous amounts of effort into educating and inculcating cultural values into their citizens. That's how it becomes a culture.

In hundreds of ways, we are daily taught and reminded of what is expected of us, what the limits and boundaries are, and what are appropriate and inappropriate goals and behaviors. Most of this teaching is so subtle we're totally unaware of it - a glance from a stranger when we talk too loud in a restaurant, for example - but our days are filled with it. It shapes us and molds our beliefs, our assumptions, and ultimately our reality.

We come face-to-face with these differences when we encounter other cultures. I remember my shock and dismay at discovering, the first time I was in Japan negotiating on behalf of my company, that I had committed dozens of major cultural blunders in my interactions. Even more shocking confrontations occur when we meet people from far disparate tribes: I remember how odd I felt when, deep in the jungle of central Uganda, I stood in a village of people who were mostly naked. My jeans, shoes, shirt, and carried jacket seemed an oddity to them, and began to seem that way to me after a few hours.

And so we train our young. We reinforce and strengthen in them those behaviors, assumptions, and beliefs that we find useful as a society, and we discourage or crush in them those that are not useful or even counterproductive to the orderly flow of our culture and its work.

Farming societies teach their young how to be good farmers. Hunting societies train their children in the ways of the hunt. Industrial societies raise their children to be good factory workers. Warrior cultures teach warfare to their children.

By the time a young man in the Ugandan Ik hunter/gatherer tribe is ready to go out on a hunt with the men, he has been trained his entire life for that moment. He's played at it virtually from birth. He's had a personal mentor for half his lifetime, an adult who has taught him the lore of the jungle and the prey. He's practiced for thousands of hours. He may be high-energy, impulsive, distractible, and a risk-taker, but he is also a brilliant and proficient hunter, a master killing machine. He has been trained from his first steps to focus and concentrate that wild energy on this one task, and to exploit and use his scanning and quick-thinking and love of adventure to cooperate with the other men in the jungle to bring home dinner.

In this context, you can see how na�ve it is to ask if a "person with ADD" (which is, after all, a "disorder" defined only by, and unique to our culture) could succeed in a hunting/gathering society.

There's little doubt that a child who's had his ego bashed from thirty different directions since he was little, who's spent his life being told "don't be that way" and "sit down and shut up," whose only well-honed hunting skill is finding MTV with his remote control, would fail in the jungle. Anyone who's always been told they're no good will lack confidence and will fail to perform.

This was perfectly illustrated by a story in Newsweek in 1994. It was an account of an ongoing study of a group of now-adults with ADD who were diagnosed as having ADD in elementary school in the 1960s: some had significantly lower outcomes in life than people not diagnosed with ADD.

But nowhere in the study, or the article, was it mentioned that only the ADD subjects were told they were "disordered" and required to take drugs for their "mind sickness" while still children.

For the study to have statistical validity, a matching population of non-ADD children would have to have been treated the same way, and their outcome would have to be compared against the ADD population.

Of course no ethical researcher would dare take a perfectly ordinary child and tell him such things: too many past studies in the field of psychology have shown how destructive the outcome could be. But that's exactly what we've been doing with our ADD children.

If that same child with the bashed ego had been born into a hunting tribe, so that his traits were developed instead of being beaten out of him, he may well have turned out to be the mightiest of their warriors, the most brilliant of their hunters, the wisest of their elders.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Thom Hartmann

Hi! I want to thank Thom Hartmann for taking time out of his schedule to be the honored Visiting Expert on the ADD-Holistic discussion group. Thank you!

Please visit his web page at:

http://www.thomhartmann.com/

Best Wishes,

- Mark
mgold@tiac.net

Holistic Healing Web Page
http://www.HolisticMed.com/

Home of ADD/ADHD Holistic Mailing List
http://www.HolisticMed.com/add/
Send the message: subscribe
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net

Approved: addadd
To:
From: "George von Hilsheimer"
Subject: Late response to Hartmann

Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 10:46:54 -0500

I have to confess that I haven't read Hartmann's books, but his essay here is accurate and insightful. The cursorial lonely hunter may not be the major method of hunting in hunter/gatherer societies; but this is another generalization error, actually worse than Margaret Meade's juvenile pufferies. The suggestion that the ADD/hunter would forget his spear could only be made by someone who hasn't observed ADD kids at the tasks at which they are highly successful.

The main issue is that ADD kids are barraged in our society with "you are flawed" messages. Stop doing it! Right on! Thom!

George von Hilsheimer, Ph.D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: Re: ADD Opening Post from Visiting Expert Thom Hartmann
> Many thoughtful people on all sides of the ADD issue have asked me this
>question.
>....

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Rich
Subject: ADD Neurofeedback [Repost]

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 20:43:54 -0600

Thom,

My name is Rich, I lurk to this list sometimes.

I first heard about Neurofeedback while reading Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception.

A damn good book by the way.

I finished the bulk of it in the time it took my flight to go round trip from St. Louis to Portland Oregon(I hate flying and welcome any distraction, but I digress).

My question to you is this:

Has your opinions regarding Neurofeedback as a form of treatment for ADHD changed at all from when you wrote ADD: A different perception?

thanks,

Rich

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Thom Hartmann
Subject: ADD-Holistic: Final Question

Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:50:16 -0500

>>neurofeedback<<

Yes. I've attended several EEG conferences, and am increasingly impressed by the quality and results of the research. I also bought a machine and tried it myself. I'm personally convinced that it's a powerful and useful therapeutic modality for attentional training...

Thom

Roger Masters, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 14:37:39 -0700 (MST)

Hi!

I am very pleased to introduce our Visiting Expert, Roger D. Masters, Ph.D. Dr. Masters is Nelson D. Rockefeller Professor Emeritus in the Dartmouth College Department of Government. He heads the Dartmouth Foundation for Neuroscience and Society. For several decades he has researched the causes of violence and other dysfunctional human behavior such as ADD, ADHD, drug abuse and the like. His viewpoint, which has been published widely, is that toxins in the environment have subtle effects on brain and neural functions which are ultimately manifested in behaviors which many social scientists and politicians prefer to attribute to social dynamics.

Dr. Masters presented a groundbreaking study related to lead and silicofluorides at the recent 17th International Neurotoxicology Conference ( "Children's Health and the Environment," Little Rock, Arkansas, October 17-20, 1999). I feel fortunate that Dr. Masters has agreed to take some time to help us better understand the behavioral effects of lead and other toxins. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Masters to our online discussion group! [Clap, clap, clap, clap!]

Dr. Masters' opening email will be sent out tomorrow (Monday).

Below are a few relevent excerpts from his Curriculum Vitae:

Education:

Behavioral Research (1995-1998)

Awards:

Work in progress: Analysis of neurotoxicity associated with pollution, poor diet, and lifestyle as risk factors in vi` crime, health, and social behavior.

Publications:

Editor and co-translator, Rousseau's First and Second Discourses (New York: St. Martin's, 1964)
The Nation is Burdened: American Foreign Policy in a Changing World (New York: Knopf, 1967)
The Political Philosophy of Rousseau (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968)
Editor, Rousseau's Social Contract, with Geneva Manuscript and Political Economy (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1978)
Co-Editor with Margaret Gruter, Ostracism: a Biological and Social Phenomenon (New York: Elsevier Science Publishers, 1986)
The Nature of Politics (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989)
Co-Editor with Christopher Kelly, Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques; Collected Writings of Rousseau, Vol. 1 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1990).
Co-Editor with Glendon Schubert, Primate Politics (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1991); paperback, with new Preface (University Press of America, 1994).
Co-Editor with Margaret Gruter, The Sense of Justice: Biological Foundations of Law (Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1992)
Co-Editor with Christopher Kelly, Rousseau's First Discourse and Polemics; Collected Writings of Rousseau, Vol. 2 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1992).
Co-Editor with Christopher Kelly, Rousseau's Second Discourse. Polemics, and Political Economy; Collected Writings of Rousseau, Vol. 3 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1993)
Beyond Relativism: Science and Human Values (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1993)
Co-Editor, with Michael T. McGuire, The Neurotransmitter Revolution (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1994)
General Editor, Gruter Institute Reader: Biology, Law, and Human Behavior (Computerized Database for Customized Books of Readings; New York: McGraw Hill [Primis])
Co-Editor with Christopher Kelly, Rousseau's Socal Contract, Essay on the Virtue of Heroes, Geneva Manuscript; Collected Writings of Rousseau, Vol. 4 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1994)
Co-Editor with Christopher Kelly, Rousseau's Confessions, Collected Writings of Rousseau, Vol. 5 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1996)
Machiavelli, Leonardo, and the Science of Power (University of Notre Dame Press. 1996)
Fortune is a River: Leonardo da Vinci and Niccole Machiavelli's Magnificent Dream to Change the Course of Florentine History (New York: Free Press, 1998). Paperback edition, New York: Plume, 1999).

Over 150 scholarly articles and journalistic essays in English, French, and German, including contributions to Quarterly Review of Biology, Ethology and Sociobiology, American Political Science Review, World Politics, Politics and Life Sciences, Environmental Toxicology, International Journal of Environmental Studies, etc.

Neuroscience, Toxic Chemicals and ADD/ADHD

Roger D. Masters

Dartmouth College

Most current discussions of ADD/ADHD have paid insufficient attention to recent work in cognitive neuroscience. The education establishment, the medical community, and the public at large often seem to believe that each of these conditions is a single category for which drug therapy (e.g., with ritalin) is the normal response. I believe this is superficial and, indeed, dangerous for two reasons. First, among the many sources of the behaviors associated with ADD and ADHD are the exposure to and uptake of lead and other heavy metals that are toxic to brain cells. Realization of this evidence has clear implications for treatment. Second, the biological or psychological effects of a prolonged course of drug therapy with ritalin or other comparable treatments are, to my knowledge, unknown. Although numerous specialists have privately agreed with this concern, it is rarely emphasized in the press that the nearly ubiquitous reliance on drug treatment without long-term testing may be risky for some if not most children.

These points are related, since there is an alternative approach to the portion of the ADD/ADHD population whose symptoms are the result of heavy metal neurotoxicity.

First, the issue of etiology. There is little question that the frequency of ADD/ADHD has greatly increased in recent years (though some still pretend it is simply more visible than in the past). I saw one report from Milwaukee that suggested as much as a doubling in ADD/ADHD cases over the last decade. Such large increases usually do not come from increased visibility of a genetic condition that influences a fixed percentage of children.

One factor that can explain this is heavy metal absorption in the brain (Minder, et al., 1994; Needleman, 1999). Although not all studies confirm the association (e.g., Kahn, Kelly, and Walker, 1995), Tuthill (1996) also found that a large proportion of ADHD children in one Massachusetts community had absorbed high levels of lead. Others have suggested similar effects of manganese toxicity. In animal studies, moreover, impulsive responses are significantly increased by lead exposure (Brockel and Cory-Slechta, 1997).

Mechanisms that can explain this associated are also known. Lead is known to downregulate several neurotransmitters, including dopamine and glutamate; manganese downregulates serotonin (Bryce-Smith, 1983; Needleman, 1991, 1996). In addition, these heavy metals have effects related to the crucial role of calcium, which functions as a neurotransmitter and co-factor in many brain systems.

Uptake of heavy metals from the environment is increased by dietary deficits in calcium, which is a divalent cation -- that is, an element with a positive ionic chage of 2. Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and manganese are also divalent cations, so they can occupy sites on or in neurons normally occupied by calcium. Hence heavy metal neurotoxicity both downregulates essential neurotransmitters, including those required for impulse control, and reduces the normal effect of calcium (Aschner & Kimelberg, 1996; Masters, Hone and Doshi, 1998).

It takes only a brief look at a textbook in cognitive neuroscience to see how important these effects can be. For example, the inhibitory function of the basal ganglia relies in part on dopamine, which is downregulated by lead (e.g., Gazzaniga, et al., 1998: pp. 413-420). And calcium plays a key role in the hippocampus, essential to the basic learning process known as "Long Term Potentiation" or LTP (Gazzaniga, et al., 1998: pp. 283-288). Not surprisingly, ADHD has been linked to deficits in dopamine function (Cook, et al., 1995).

Hence there are plausible explanations for the observation that heavy metals could account for a substantial portion of ADD/ADHD cases, especially since early lead exposure is so widespread and damaging to children (Aschengau, et al, 1993; Bellinger, et al., 1994; Mielke, 1998; Levitt, 1999). In one early study by Chisholm, although said to be flawed by many neuroscientists, chelation improved the symptoms of a small number of ADHD children with high lead levels. More work is badly needed in this area, since lead chelation might replace drug treatment for a subset of ADD/ADHD cases.

Another major approach, focusing on prevention, is suggested by research that I have been conducting with Myron Coplan. We have found that lead levels in children are significantly increased by exposure to water treated with either fluosilicic acid or sodium silicofluoride. These "silicofluorides" (which are used for over 94% of the water fluoridation in the U.S.) have never been fully tested, though early studies in the 1930's showed substantial differences in metabolism between sodium silicofluoride and sodium fluoride (the chemical used in tests of fluoridation safety by supporters and critics alike, even though it is employed in only about 6% of American water fluoridation).

In general, silicofluorides enhance the uptake of lead from old houses or public water supplies, particularly among the poor and minorities whose diets are insufficient in calcium and other essential minerals.

Reanalyzing a Massachusetts survey of lead levels in 280,000 children (Bailey et al., 1994), we found significantly higher lead levels in SiF treated communities, controlling for other risk factors for lead toxicity (Masters and Coplan, 1999). This finding has now been confirmed using the national sample in NHANES III as well as in a sample of over 120,000 children from New York towns of 15,000 to 75,000 population (Masters, Coplan, and Hone, 1999).

By reanalyzing a NIJ sample of urinalysis of over 30,000 criminals in 24 cities, we have also found higher rates of alcoholism, substance abuse and crime to be associated with SiF usage (Masters and Coplan, in press). Indeed, in the communities covered by our other studies, we also see more crime and alcoholism associated with SiF usage. Since Manuzza (1989, 1998) and others have indicated that there is a correlation between hyperactivity and criminal behavior, these associations are probably linked elements of a pattern of weakened impulse control.

We are actively seeking information on ADD/ADHD rates, and would appreciate any reliable geographic data that would allow us to compare numbers of children receiving drug treatment and/or special education services in communities using different approaches to water treatment. (For a sample of 16 towns in New York, we found that the percent of enrolled high school students reported by the school nurse to take medication for ADD/ADHD is 38% higher where SiF is in use, as compared to non-fluoridating communities of similar size).

We would welcome collaboration with any researchers who have relevant data. It may well be, for example, that OTHER environmental factors are associated with higher rates of ADD/ADHD. Given the importance of the issue, it is rather astonishing that so little geographic data has been collected. And since neurotoxicity is probably one of the etiological pathways (along with early developmental insults of other sorts and probably genetics), such ecological data would be especially valuable.

NOTE: For copies of our publications, please send an e-mail request with your address to: Suzanne.Saxton@Dartmouth.edu

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aschengau, A., Ziegler, S., and Cohen. 1993. "A. Quality of Community Drinking Water and the Occurrence of Late Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes," Archives of Environmental Health 48: 105-113.

Aschner, M. and Kimelberg, M. 1996. The Role of Glia in Neurotoxicity. Boca Raton,FL, CRC Press.

Bailey, A.J., Sargent, J.D., Goodman, D.C., Freeman, J., and Brown, M.J. 1994. Poisoned Landscapes: The Epidemiology of Environmental Lead Exposure in Massachusetts Children 1990-1991. Social Science Medicine 39: 757-776.

Bellinger D et al, "Pre-and Postnatal Lead Exposure and Behavior Problems in School-Aged Children", Environmental Research, v 66 (1), p 12-30, (July 1994)

Brockel, Becky A., Cory-Slechta, Deborah A. "Lead, Attention, and Impulsive Behavior: Changes in a Fixed-Ratio Waiting-for-Reward Paradigm", Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior , June 1998,Vol.60, No. 2: 545-552.

Bryce-Smith, D. 1986. " Environmental Chemical Influences on Behaviour and Mentation," Chemical Sciety Review, 15, 93-123.

Cook, E. H Jr.,et al. 1995. "Association of Attention Deficit disorder and the dopamine Transporter gene. "American Journal of Human Genetics,56,

Gazzaniga, Michael, Ivry, Richard B. and Mangun, George R. 1998. Cognitive Neuroscience. New York: W. W. Norton.

Kahn, CA., Kelly, PC., Walker, WO. 1995. "Lead screening in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developmental delay", Clinical Pediatrics,, Sept 1995, Vol 34, No. 9: 498-501.

Minder, Barbara, Das-Smaal, Edith A., Brand, Eddy F. J. M., Orlebeke, Jacob F. 1994. "Exposure to Lead and Specific Attentional Problems in Schoolchildren", Journal of Learning Disabilities , June/July 1994, Vol. 27, no. 6: 393-398.

Levitt, Miriam. 1999. "Toxic Metals, Preconception, and Early Childhood Development," Social Science Information, 38: 179-201.

Manuzza, S., et al. 1989. "Hyperactive Boys Almost Grown Up," Archives of General Psychiatry, 46: 1073-1079.

Manuzza, S., et al., 1998. "Adult Psychiatric Status of Hyperactive Boys Grown Up," American Journal Of Psychiatry 155: 493-498.

Masters, Roger D. and Coplan, Myron. J. 1999a. "Water Treatment with Silicofluorides and Lead Toxicity," International Journal of Environmental Studies, 56: 435-449.

Masters, Roger D. and Coplan, Myron J. 1999b. "A Dynamic, Multifactorial Model of Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Crime: Linking Neuroscience and Behavior to Toxicology," Social Science Information. In press.

Masters, Roger D., Coplan, Myron J. and Hone, Brian T. 1999a. "Silicofluoride Usage, Tooth Decay, and Children s Blood Lead," Poster Presentation, Environmantal Influences on Children: Brain, Development, and Behavior, Conference at New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY, May 24-25, 1999.

Masters, Roger D., Coplan, Myron J. and Hone, Brian T. 1999b. "Heavy Metal Toxicity, Development, and Behavior," Poster Presentation, 17th International Neurotoxicology Conference, Doubletree Hotel, Little Rock, ARK., October 17-20, 1999.

Masters, Roger D., Hone, Brian T., and Doshi, Anil. 1998. "Environmental Pollution, Neurotoxicity, and Criminal Violence," in J. Rose., ed., Environmental Toxicology (London: Gordon and Breach), pp. 13-48.

Mendelsohn, Alan L.; Dreyer, Benard P.; Fierman, Arthur H.; Rosen, Carolyn M.; Legano, Lori A.; Kruger, Hillary A.; Lim�, Sylvia W. and Courtlandt, Cheryl D. 1998. "Low-Level Lead Exposure and Behavior in Early Childhood" Pediatrics, Vol. 101 No. 3 March 1998, p. e10.

Mielke, H. 1998. "Lead in the Inner Cities," American Scientist, 87:62-73.

Needleman, Herbert L., ed. 1991. Human Lead Exposure. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Needleman, Herbert L., et al., 1996. "Bone Lead Levels and Delinquent Behavior, JAMA 275: 363-69.

Needleman, Herbert L. 1999. "Environmental Neurotoxins and Attention Deficit Disorder," Presentation at Conference on Environmental Neurotoxins and Developmental Disability, N. Y. Academy of Medicine, New York (May 24-25, 1999).

Tuthill, R. W. 1996. "Head Lead Levels Related to Children s Classrooom Attention-Deficit Behavior," Archives of Environmental Health, 51: 214-20.

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "Dr. Gary Erkfritz"
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 14:16:52 -0800

Dr. Masters, the first thing I'd like to know if how and why you made from government to toxicology? That must be an interesting story.
Gary

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 22:29:32 -0700 (MST)

>To: add-holistic@mLists.net
>From: "Dr. Gary Erkfritz"
>Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!
>Dr. Masters, the first thing I'd like to know if how and why you made
>from government to toxicology? That must be an interesting story.

I was trained as a political philosopher (studying with Leo Strauss at Chicago), and working primarily on Rousseau. In 1968 I decided to look at modern biology and evolutionary theory (because Rousseau claimed that humans descended from -- or were originally -- primates like gorillas or chimpanzees). One thing led to another and I spent years on the biology of behavior (focusing on experimental studies of the nonverbal displays of presidential candidates and their effects on voters). IN 1989, published THE NATURE OF POLITICS (with both this empirical work and theoretical discussion). See also BEYOND RELATIVISM and MACHIAVELLI, LEONARDO & THE SCIENCE OF POWER). I then did a good deal of work with lawyers on biology and law, which led to a request from the Commissioner of Corrections of Vermont (where I live) that I study brain chemistry and crime. Since I'd done a book with Michael McGuire on serotonin and social behavior (including low 5HT and aggressive behavior), I agreed. That led to a meeting where I met an independent researcher who was studying manganese toxicity and crime. I originally thought the idea nonsense, set out to disprove it with EPA Toxic Release data, and confirmed it! I also began to study lead, and that resulting in the question from Myron Coplan if I had ever studied fluoride as a toxin. One thing led to another, including several grants, and now I'm over my head!

roger masters

To:
From: "Dale Goudey"
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!

Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 10:23:00 -0800

Dr. Rodger Masters,

>One thing led to another, including several grants, and now I'm over my
>head!

If you ever start to see daylight, please consider looking into the toxic plight of kids with autism. There are SPEC scans of children with autism which imply that autism is the same thing as ADD/ADHD, only worse. See this site. www.nids.net Many of the kids have a damaged sulfur detoxification pathway. One toxin that can cause this is mercury, which crosses the placenta. Some of the children are being chelated to remove this toxin.

Polly

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU (Roger D. Masters)
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!

Date: 16 Nov 1999 14:47:24 EST

I would be very happy to work WITH you (or anyone else) on the environmental factors associated with Autism. I've been trying for some time to locate geographic data on rates of incidence. If you know of any sources, they would be invaluable.

I've been conscious of possible neurochemical links to autism ever since a dermatologist explained that rubbing the skin releases nitric oxide (which functions as a muscle relaxant). I had the hunch at the time (based on hearing an interview with Temple Grandin) that this mechanism might explain the use of pressure on the skin which she (and others) have found to be effective.

If there are neurochemical dysfunctions involved, then of course neurotoxicity is a possible candidate for etiology. In many cases, of course, more than one neurotoxin (alone or in synergistic interaction) is often responsible for the symptoms. This makes the analysis VERY difficult, but if one starts out expecting complexity, it is easier to find.

If anyone knows a source of funding for this research, I am President of a small foundation (as yet, we have no money, only dreams) that can serve as the basis for grants. I'm also happy to recruit Dartmouth undergraduates to help with the research (they can be extremely good). My principal problem is the limitation of my own time. However, since I have a colleague with an autistic child, I have a personal incentive to help.

roger masters

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "John V DOMmisse, MD"
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!

Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 23:10:46 -0700

Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU wrote:
> .... > meeting where I met an independent researcher who was studying
> manganese toxicity and crime. I originally thought the idea nonsense,
> set out to disprove it with EPA Toxic Release data, and confirmed it! I
> also began to study lead, and that resulting in the question from Myron
> Coplan if I had ever studied fluoride as a toxin. One thing led to
> another, including several grants, and now I'm over my head!

Dr Masters,
Have you come across Steven Schoenthaler's work on nutrient deficiencies and juvenile delinquency, violent behavior, etc.? I believe he is still at the U of Ca at Stanislaus, a PhD in psychology who has ventured into nutrient biochemistry and behavior.

John Dommisse MD

Nutritional & Metabolic (Tele)Medicine
http://www.galaxymall.com/health/Nutrnl_Mtblc
Tucson,AZ,USA 85718-5892 Fax 520-577-1743 Ph.-1940

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU (Roger D. Masters)
Subject: Re: ADD Introduction of Visiting Expert!

Date: 16 Nov 1999 14:49:27 EST

Yes. Schoenthaler's work was among the first that I noted (see the chapter with Hone and Doshi in J. Rose, ed., ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Gordon & Breach, 1998). More generally, this type of research - esp. with the use of head hair analysis for a broad spectrum of toxins -- is extremely useful as a means of monitoring toxic uptake.

roger masters

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: "John V DOMmisse, MD"
Subject: Re: ADD: Neuroscience, Toxic Chemicals and ADD/ADHD

Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 22:51:15 -0700

Prof. Masters,
I applaud your reference-based exposition of this subject. I attempted the same approach in a paper that is published only on my website (I haven't had the time to submit it anywhere); if you have the time, I'd appreciate your taking a quick look at it and letting me know what you think of it. I don't recall but hope that at least one of my references is to your work!

John Dommisse

John V DOMmisse MBChB(CapeTown), FRCP(Canada)
Nutritional & Metabolic (Tele)Medicine
http://www.galaxymall.com/health/Nutrnl_Mtblc
http://Thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa092299.htm
1840 E River Rd, Ste 210
Tucson,AZ,USA 85718-5892 Fax 520-577-1743 Ph.-1940

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU (Roger D. Masters)
Subject: Re: ADD: Neuroscience, Toxic Chemicals and ADD/ADHD

Date: 16 Nov 1999 14:52:44 EST

I would be very happy to look at your paper.

roger masters

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: Questions for Visiting Expert

Dr. Masters,

I have several questions. Your thoughts would be helpful to me and I believe would interest list members as well.

If I remember correctly, some of the the earlier studies related to lead and behavioral effects were criticized because socioeconomic factors were not factored into the calculations. In other words, some people said that ADD/ADHD was more common in families with lower socioeconomic status. Higher lead exposure was also more common in families with lower socioeconomic status. Therefore the lead-ADD connection might just be a coincidence.

It is my understanding that Tuthill, R.W. put this criticism to rest by controlling for socioeconomic factors, thereby showing a connection between lead exposure and ADD.

Is this your understanding of the issue? Are there any other recent studies that controlled for socioeconomic status?
I have heard that some common sources for lead exposure include lead in soil dust, lead paint dust (including exterior paint), pollution from factories, lead dust on hands during food preparation, ????.

Are there any steps that families can take to reduce their likely exposure to lead? We have many parents on our discussion group and any practical steps or ideas to consider would be extremely useful.
Are there any steps that families can take to reduce their changes of overexposure to manganese?
There are some people who might consider EDTA chelation for lead. I am aware a study led by Dr. Boyd Haley of the Univ. of Kentucky showing potential adverse effects on the brain from EDTA chelation with concurrent exposure to mercury (Hg) from food, mercury amalgam fillings, endogenous Hg, etc. I have heard from a third party that Dr. Haley suggests avoiding EDTA chelation until mercury urine measurements are below a certain level. (I haven't spoken with Dr. Haley myself.)

On the other hand, I believe that EDTA chelation is often given with various nutrients (e.g., magnesium) that may help to protect the brain during chelation.

Large-scale use of EDTA chelation in children would concern me not only for possible clinically-obvious effects, but potential subtle effects. On the other hand, maybe the positive of chelation would outweigh any risk.

Anyway, I have included the abstract at the end of this email and would be interested in your thoughts on the subject.
I have read that a significant portion of lead in blood is from recirculated lead that was in the bones (from previous exposure). Do you know if EDTA chelation helps remove lead from the bones?
Are you aware of any nutrients that would tend to reduce the toxic effects of lead or manganese? Or, are their specific nutrient *deficiencies* that would tend to increase the toxicity of lead or manganese.

Abstract Mentioned Above

Duhr EF, Pendergrass JC, Slevin JT & Haley BE

HgEDTA complex inhibits GTP interactions with the E-site of brain beta-tubulin.

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 122(2):273-280
(1993)

ABSTRACT: "We have found that EDTA and EGTA complexes of Hg2+, which conventional wisdom has assumed are biologically inert, are potentially injurious to the neuronal cytoskeleton. Tubulin, a major protein component of the neuronal cytoskeleton, is the target of multiple toxicants,including many heavy metal ions. Among the mercurials, inorganic mercuric ion (Hg2+) is one of the most potent inhibitors of microtubule polymerization both in vivo and in vitro.

In contrast to other heavy metals, the capacity of Hg2+ to inhibit microtubule polymerization or disrupt formed microtubules cannot be prevented by the addition of EDTA and EGTA, both of which bind Hg2+ with very high affinity. To the contrary, the addition of these two chelating agents potentiates Hg2+ inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Results herein show that HgEDTA and HgEGTA inhibit tubulin polymerization by disrupting the interaction of GTP with the E-site of brain beta-tubulin, an obligatory step in the polymerization of tubulin.

Both HgEDTA and HgEGTA, but not free Hg2+, prevented binding of [32P]8N3GTP, a photoaffinity nucleotide analog of GTP, to the E-site and displaced bound [32P]8N3GTP at low micromolar concentrations. This complete inhibition of photoinsertion into the E-site occurred in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion and was specific for Hg2+ complexes of EDTA and EGTA, among the chelating agents tested. Given the ubiquity of Hg2+ in the environment and the widespread use of EDTA in foodstuffs and medicine, these mercury complexes may pose a potentially serious threat to human health and play a role in diseases of the neuronal cytoskeleton."

**************

Mark D. Gold
mgold@tiac.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU (Roger D. Masters)
Subject: ADD Re: Questions for Visiting Expert

Date: 16 Nov 1999 15:01:57 EST

FOR SIMPLICITY, MY ANSWERS ARE IN CAPS AFTER EACH QUESTION.

> It is my understanding that Tuthill, R.W. put this criticism
> to rest by controlling for socioeconomic factors, thereby showing
> a connection between lead exposure and ADD.
> Is this your understanding of the issue? Are there any other
> recent studies that controlled for socioeconomic status?

OUR WORK HAS CONSISTENTLY CONTROLLED FOR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AND FOR OTHER ECOLOGICAL FACTORS (E.G., THE PRESENCE OF OLD HOUSING, INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION, EDUCATION, ETC. AS WELL AS RACE, AGE, AND SEX). THIS IS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE FIND WHAT STATISTICIANS CALL "INTERACTION" EFFECTS: X (FOR EXAMPLE, SILICOFLUORIDE TREATED WATER) IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BLOOD LEAD IF AND ONLY IF THE CHILD IS IN A TOWN WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OLDER HOUSING, AND/OR A HIGH FIRST DRAW LEAD LEVEL. THESE INTERACTIONS REFLECT CHEMICAL MECHANISMS IN THE TOXIN (THIS CASE SILICOFLUORIDES) THAT ENHANCE THE UPTAKE OF ANOTHER TOXIN (IN THIS CASE A DIVALENT CATION LIKE LEAD, WHICH THEN CHANGES NEUROTRANSMITTER FUNCTION).

> Are there any steps that families can take to reduce their likely
> exposure to lead? We have many parents on our discussion group
> and any practical steps or ideas to consider would be extremely
> useful.

I KNOW THAT THE ISSUE OF LEAD PAINT REMOVAL IS HOTLY CONTESTED, WITH MANY EXPERTS FAVORING "CAPPING" THE PAINT. THE FIRST AND SIMPLEST DEVICE, AND IT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED *URGENTLY* EVERYWHERE, IS TO PROVIDE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS, ESP. ALONG WITH VITAMIN D. UPTAKE OF HEAVY METALS WITH AN IONIC CHARGE OF 2 (THAT IS WHAT IS MEANT BY "DIVALENT CATION" ABOVE) ARE OFTEN SUBSTITUTED FOR EACH OTHER ON THE SURFACE OF NEURONS OR INSIDE THEM; IF CALCIUM LEVELS ARE ADEQUATE, LEAD UPTAKE (OR MANGANESE UPTAKE) IS LOWER OR ABSENT. LITHIUM HAS AN EFFECT LIKE CALCIUM, BY THE WAY.

A SECOND ISSUE IS WATER. USE BOTTLED WATER FOR BABY FORMULA. FILTERS ON FAUCETS. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL THE HIGHER UP IN A BUILDING AN APARTMENT IS LOCATED: TOP FLOORS ARE ALWAYS WORSE.

LEAD IN SOIL IS A PROBLEM (THE WORK OF HOWARD MIELKE) BECAUSE LEAD TASTES SWEET, AND KIDS LICK THEIR FINGERS.

>3. Are there any steps that families can take to reduce their changes
> of overexposure to manganese?

AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, THE PROCESS IS SIMILAR FOR LEAD AND MANGANESE.

>4. There are some people who might consider EDTA chelation for
> lead. I am aware a study led by Dr. Boyd Haley of the Univ.
> of Kentucky showing potential adverse effects on the brain
> from EDTA chelation with concurrent exposure
> to mercury (Hg) from food, mercury amalgam fillings, endogenous Hg,

I AM SIMPLY NOT WELL-ENOUGH INFORMED TO MAKE A SCIENTIFIC JUDGMENT

>5. I have read that a significant portion of lead in blood is
> from recirculated lead that was in the bones (from previous
> exposure). Do you know if EDTA chelation helps remove lead
> from the bones?

ASK HERBERT NEEDLEMAN AT U OF PITTSBURGH

>6. Are you aware of any nutrients that would tend to reduce the
> toxic effects of lead or manganese? Or, are their specific
> nutrient *deficiencies* that would tend to increase the toxicity
> of lead or manganese.

SEE ABOVE

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: ADD Dr. Master's Current Focus
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 20:57:57 -0700 (MST)

Dr. Masters,

You alluded to current interestin your CV related to "neurotixicity associated with pollution, poor diet, and lifestyle risk factors...."

Can you tell us a little bit about this effort? Will it involve new surveys of diet, pollution, lifestyle, and behavior, or do you plan to do a meta-anaylsis of existing scientific literature?

By the way, for everyone else on the group. The work Dr. Masters is doing is very important (in my opinion) in furthering our understanding of the contributing factors to behavioral changes. If any of the organizational representatives or others on the group know of either 1) funding sources for Dr. Masters' foundation or 2) reliable geographic incidence data for ADD/ADHD or Autism, it would be helpful to forward that information to Dr. Masters.

- Mark D. Gold
mgold@tiac.net

To: add-holistic@mLists.net
From: Roger.D.Masters@Dartmouth.EDU
Subject: Re: ADD Dr. Master's Current Focus

Date: 22 Nov 1999 09:41:35 EST

Thanks for your kind words. Our next papes will focus on the risk factors that are linked to lead uptake in the samples of NHANES III and New York: in both cases, we find that silicofluoride water treatment significantly enhances the effect of all risk factors.

A future goal, as soon as we get these papers completed, is to locate and analyze geographic (or time-series) data on such factors as drug usage to treat ADD/ADHD. It has seemed to me that if we can locate such data, it might provide a clear way of analyzing whether environmental toxins play a role in disease incidence.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance,

roger masters

Jane Hersey

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Steve Waldstein

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Doris Rapp, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Arthur E. Munyer, CMT

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Russell L. Blaylock, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Jonathon Alderson

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Phyllis J. Mullenix, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

SAY GOODBYE TO ADD AND ADHD

What is ADHD? And where did it pop up all of a sudden? Is it another 21st Century illness?

What are the signs of ADHD?

Alternative Treatments and therapies

What is NAET?

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR ADHD USING NAET ?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It sounds like a magic or too good to be true, Isn't it?

COMMONLY SEEN ALLERGENS IN ADHD

Sonia Sumar

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Mark Ungar

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Ruth Hunter

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Dr. Fred Pescatore

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Jacob Mirman, MD

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Udo Erasmus, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Processing

Sources of EFAs

W3:W6 Ratio

Supplements

Amounts

How to Use EFA-rich Oils

EFA Health Functions

EFAs and ADD/ADHD

Resources

John E. Upledger, D.O. O.M.M.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

George von Hilsheimer, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Billie M. Thompson, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Thom Hartmann

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Roger Masters, Ph.D.

Presentation + Questions & Answers For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
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Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

Presentation + Questions & Answers
For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/

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For ADD-Holistic Discussion Group
http://www.HolisticMed.Com/add/