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.

  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.

    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)?

  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???
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
to add-holistic-request@mLists.net


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