Posts Tagged ‘ADD’

Image from: www.123rf.com

Will avoiding food additives

help my child avoid ADHD or LD?

(ADHD = Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; LD = Learning Disabilities)

A distraught mother brought her son to me one day.

“He’s driving himself and me crazy,” she said.

“In what ways?” I innocently asked.

“He can’t seem to stick to anything. He’s disorganized at home and he’s disorganized at school and he’s disorganized at sports. He’s disorganized everywhere.”

“What have you tried to do to help him?” I queried.

“Yelling at him doesn’t help,” says Mom.

Mom is right.

Moms are always right. (Even when they’re wrong, they’re right.)

Do food additives hurt us?

Of course. The real question is, “How much?”

The Mom said she’d heard that food additives can mess up the brain’s ability to think and organize.

“Is this true?” she asked, wringing her hands (as Moms sometimes will do when pressed to the wall).

“I don’t want to be a food policeman!” she blurted.

“Ya!” blurted her boy.

So what did I say to help Mom?

Here’s the answer:

It depends upon your individual child.

Right?

You know this.

“Why don’t you try and see what happens?” I suggested to Mom.

“Trust your gut instincts. Trust your Mom intuition,” I encouraged her.

“Ya!” blurted the boy.

She did. He did. They both began to settle down.

It isn’t a miracle.

It is just common sense to check out some things that are “getting to” your child.

Here is the first grand secret…

1. Your child is not a statistic.

Suppose an ADHD expert says that avoiding food additives is not the way to go:

“It helps only 5% of children with ADHD or LD (learning disabilities).”

A discouraging statistic, right?

What if your child is among that 5%?

See?

Your child is not a statistic.

Here is the 2nd grand secret…

2. “Science” and “the research” are not about your child

“Science” and “research” have their own agenda.

What if “science” and “the research” show that that food additives do not harm us in any significant way.

Who funded the study?

Probably the people who manufacture the food additives.

Or their advocates or friends.

Or maybe the study was “objective” and “neutral?”

It doesn’t matter.

Either way, your individual child is what counts, not “science” and “the research.”

It’s about “what works” for your child, not what some third party says.

And here’s the 3rd grand secret…

3. You have to do more than just one thing to solve ADHD or LD (learning difficulties).

Yes, cut out the food additives if you can. Many of them are poison to the mind, regardless of whether they make ADHD or LD worse.

And then go onwards to check out all kinds of things (especially the “controversial” stuff).

Controversial simply means that strongly differing opinions are strongly held, regardless of the truth.

(a) Baroque Music (gentle; one beat per second approximately)

(b) Not rock music (unless the goal is to motivate the body to move more, to take “action,” to dance)

(c) Vigorous exercise–see previous blog post on this website:

“Exercise miracles.” – Doc Meek

(d) Behavioral training (there are some good practical programs out there)

(e) Love ’em (even if they’re driving themselves and you crazy)

(f) “Passive” therapy (audio programs using headphones that the child wears while resting, sleeping, studying, or actively doing things)

(g) Prayer (it doesn’t matter whether you believe in a Supreme Being or not; prayer/meditation can be a humbling, calming experience)

(h) Your imagination (“Imagination trumps knowledge,” Einstein said, and he’s right)

(i) Your child’s imagination (you’d be pleasantly surprised!)

What a renowned expert ADHD MD said:

“There is only one proven way to treat ADHD: Ritalin.”

Nonsense.

Myself and others have helped thousands of ADHD and LD sufferers to improve significantly without medication, and sometimes with a medley of effective efforts including medication.

One of these success stories could be your individual child.

Right?

Doc Meek, South Jordan, Utah, USA, Wed, Aug 13, 2014

P.S. If you want to read what a really sensible expert ADHD MD says:

Read Healing ADD by Dr Daniel Amen (and of course, he’s “controversial” and he’s also effective).

Dr Amen has helped thousands and thousands of Moms and children with ADHD and LD to better lives.

He identifies 7 different types of ADHD and recommends 7 different customized approaches, with a huge array of  suggestions,  including simple “do’s” and “don’t’s” that can be done at home, natural supplements, behavioral modification, and medication.

 Can Fish Oil Help My Struggling Child?

Parents often ask if fish oil can help their child struggling with learning difficulties. I like to tell them the “bigger story” from my colleague, a doctor of environmental medicine. Let’s call him Dr. Child.

Dr. Child says, “In general, any good nutrients that help the body can potentially help the brain as well.”

“Fish oil can be a good body and brain helper. Here is why.”

“The important component for the brain is the DHA in the fish oil.”

It’s the DHA we are looking for

DHA? Docosahexaenoic acid: an omega-3 fatty acid present in fish oils.

DHA can also be found in krill oil and is available from certain algae as well.

Dr. Child says that DHA (not necessarily the EPA) us the key to brain health.

EPA? Eicosapentaenoic acid: an omega-3 fatty acid present in fish oils; also good for you but it is not the quintessential component for brain health that DHA is.

Dr. Daniel Amen (his actual name) in his book “Healing ADD” says that you need a fairly high dose if DHA to be effective. To heal ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) requires at least 2,000 mg of DHA, plus other considerations.

It’s not enough to put the good stuff in;

we need to get the bad stuff out

Dr. Child reminds us that some fish and some fish oils are contaminated with mercury,  and so we need to be alert to make sure the product we are choosing for our child is clean.

Dr. Child also reminds us that in addition to putting in good brain micronutrients, we need to test to see if existing levels of brain toxins (like mercury and lead) are present in the brain already, since “the bad stuff  interferes with learning no matter how much good stuff you put in.”

Glutathione can help the brain heal

A gentle place to start in removal of heavy metals from the brain, says Dr. Child, is to use glutathione, since it is a substance the body is already using to help clean unwanted debris from human cells, and it is effective in cleaning out brain cells.

The glutathioine supplement must be the liquid liposomal form of glutathione however as regular glutathione is mostly destroyed in the digestive process.

Liposomal means that the glutathione is packaged in a lipid (fatty) molecule so that the glutathione has access to the cell at the cellular level.

Stronger measures may be needed

if mercury or lead levels are high

in the child’s brain

Extra measures should be supervised medically.

Environmental medicine have had good success removing mercury and lead using oral detoxifiers such as DMSA and EDTA, respectively, which chelate (bind to metals) and help to remove them from the body and brain. 

DMSA? Dimercaptosuccinic acid: used to remove mercury and other heavy metals.

EDTA? Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid: used to remove lead and other heavy metals.

Dr. Child advises that IV (intravenous) chelation should be used only as a last resort. It is usually better to remove the heavy metals and other brain toxins slowly and gradually over time, using gentler oral detoxifiers.

Doc Meek, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA, May 13, 2014

Wednesday, November 24, 2010. Today I am grateful for David Perlmutter, M.D., a Board-Certified Neurologist with a worldwide practice centered in Naples, on the west coast of Florida.

Images and text below from Dr. Perlmutter’s website: http://www.perlhealth.com

“Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten”

by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM Learn More »

“The Better Brain Book”
 
by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM Learn More »

Dr. Perlmutter works innovatively with a wide variety of neurological and nutritional issues and preventive medicine, including helping adults and children overcome learning problems.

This  makes him a hero in my eyes, as I have been helping adults and children triumph over learning difficulties for more than 30 years now.

Thank you, Dr. Perlmutter, for inspiring hope for children and parents and others!

Doc Meek, Wednesday, November 24, 2010, at the Super 8 Motel in Dania Beach, Florida (on the east coast of Florida, opposite Dr. Perlmutter’s office on the west coast at Naples).

J. Collins Meek, Ph.D. (Doc Meek)
“What if you are smarter than you think?”
Learning Specialist https://docmeek.com

For brain health, ensure heart health (short video):
http://www.amiraclemolecule.com/themeekteam
More on heart health http://www.themeekteam.info
Ph (801) 971-1812 (Jeannette); Fax [801] 282-6026

THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE, INC.
CANADA: P.O. Box 3105, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2T1
TONGA: Mele Taumoepeau, P.O. Box 60, Nuku’alofa
USA: 3688 W 9800 S, #138, South Jordan, UT 84095

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

Thursday, August 12, 2010. Today I am grateful that I have had more than thirty (30) years of great experience with almost all aspects of education and learning. They call me the “the brain guy.” – Doc Meek

People are always asking me questions about teaching, learning, and how the brain operates. And how the school systems operate.

I am delighted to answer any and all questions! 😮

So this is an open invitation to all of you who are parents, teachers, students, or educational administrators:

“Ask me anything”

I learned that phrase from my internet mentor, Connie Ragen Green. She teaches people how to be a business success on the internet, like she is. She is a great teacher/learner. Kind, considerate, and patiently able to explain answers to all questions, including the “dumb questions” people are almost afraid to ask. That’s Connie.

“There are no dumb questions, ” Connie says, and she practices what she preaches. And she keeps learning. She never stops learning. I think that is one reason she is such a good teacher. She is a good student as well. Thank you Connie! I am grateful for your example.

Same invitation from Doc: “Ask me anything.”

“Ask me anything about education, training, the brain, the mind, behavior, emotion, teaching, teacher training, student learning problems, and so on.”

I have had extensive training and experience with almost all aspects of education and learning, including the administrative and financial aspects. (See my Qualifications Brief by clicking on the date of July 15, 2010, on the calendar on the right-hand side of the screen when you first visit THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE blog at

https://docmeek.com

There is almost nothing about education, learning or the brain that you can ask me, about which I have not had some degree of familiarity.

You can ask me with confidence and I will respond with both knowlege and compassion. If I don’t know the answer I will find it for you.

And even a little humor may go a long way, eh?

Years ago, a Calgary magazine reported:

“Dr. Meek brings a unique blend of warmth, intelligence and humor to everything he does.” Thank you, Calgary!

If you have any questions or comments, just click on the little blue word “comments” at the bottom right-hand side of this article, and a form will appear that you can use to ask any question you wish.

Doc Meek, Thursday, August 12, 2010, at Nose Hill Public Library in Calgary, Alberta, CANADA.

—————-

J. Collins Meek, Ph.D. (Doc Meek)
“What if you are smarter than you think?”
Learning Specialist https://docmeek.com

For brain health, ensure heart health (short video):
http://www.amiraclemolecule.com/themeekteam
More on heart health http://www.themeekteam.info
Ph (801) 971-1812 (Jeannette); Fax [801] 282-6026

THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE, INC.
CANADA: P.O. Box 3105, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2T1
TONGA: Mele Taumoepeau, P.O. Box 60, Nuku’alofa
USA: 3688 W 9800 S, #138, South Jordan, UT 84095

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

I am very grateful to Pat Wyman for her guest article below. – Doc Meek

Pat Wyman, M.A.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

The brain can be likened to a multiple-drawer steel filing cabinet

– PICTURES in the top drawer of the brain

– SOUNDS in the middle drawer of the brain

– FEELINGS (tactile) in the bottom drawers

– FEELINGS (emotions) in the bottom drawers

This is part (4a) article in a series of 7 articles, designed to help us work with our very own brain more easily, and to encourage our children or our students to learn how to work with their very own brains more easily.

If you missed the Introduction to this series of 7 articles, or the first 3 articles , simply click on the titles below:

(Intro) Learning to run our brain: 10 minutes daily

(1) Learning to run our own brain: Fear of failure

(2) Learning to run our brain: Vital need for HOPE . . . always

(3) Learning to run our brain: What are qualifications for the daily “brain coach?”

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The brain can be likened to a vertical multiple-drawer filing cabinet

If we want to easily retrieve a specific file folder from the filing cabinet, we have to make sure we put that specific file folder securely in the filing cabinet in the first place. 😮

OK, if my brain is a “filing cabinet,” how do I get the needed stuff . . . in and out of it . . . easily . . . every day?

Well, for one thing, we might prefer a “softer,” simpler image of the brain-as-filing-cabinet analogy. How about this approach . . . this gentler image?

Our brain can be likened to a vertical 4-drawer wooden filing cabinet; photo at: hayneedle.com

To get stuff in and out of our filing cabinet (brain) easily, we need to remember two major things:

A. Our brain is immensely complex, with extensive storage capacity

B.  Our brain–despite enormous complexity–mainly does four (4) things

So what are the four (4) simple things my brain does?

(1) Our brain brings in information

(2) Our brain moves information around, organizes it

(3) Our brain stores information

(4) Our brain brings information back out, brings information to our attention

Can be more complicated in my private practice

The problem is that each of our brains is unique, and each of us does these four (4) things in thousands, perhaps millions, of different ways. 😮

However, that is my problem really, when I am working with a particular client in my private practice. Or, more accurately, it is a joint effort, a partnership between myself and my client.

As a learning specialist, when I am working with clients to help them overcome learning problems, we need to figure out, jointly and specifically, some of those thousands of ways in which their brain is working uniquely for them.

Less complicated in regular daily life

For our everyday purposes, knowing those four (4) simple things, and learning how to manage them more easily, is straightforward. Let’s check on some simple and easy things we can do with each of these four (4) processes our brain uses all the time.

(1) Our brain brings in information

Some people call this “registration.” In other words, how do we “put in” information when we first encounter it? Sometimes this is “done for us,” by the brain’s various subsystems, if the input is dramatic enough. Most of the time, however, this registration process is very much up to each of us, individually. Our personal choice entirely. All we have to do, really, is consciously think about what we want to input securely on the “first pass,” so to speak.

The classic example of remembering names will be presented in part (b) of this fourth (4th) article.

For a colorful review of ways to improve this process of “registration,” see my previous article. Just click on the title:

The learning brain needs “uprightness” for greatest efficiency

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So, now that we’ve looked at brain “registration” or brain “inputs,” let’s move on to the second (2nd) of the four (4) macro processes the brain uses.

(2) Our brain moves information around, organizes it

The brain is doing this all the time, especially at night, while you are sleeping. This is one of the most important functions of our brain. And this is why it is imperative that you get a decent night’s rest. A “sleep-deprived” brain is not just going to have problems with registration and memory, it will produce all manner of dysfunctions: mental, emotional, social, physical, spiritual, etc.

Get enough sleep deprivation, and your brain is sure to find dis-ease, and follow up with disease. Not funny.

More about this aspect of our brains in future articles.

(3) Our brain stores information

Again, our brains are doing this all the time, especially when we sleep. Get a good night’s rest, eh? 😮

More on this in future articles.

(4) Our brain brings information back out, brings information to our attention

Ah . . . retrieval of the information we need . . . the bane of our existence . . . especially as we grow older, eh?

This is the “relax . . . and it will come out a lot easier” game. You know this. When you are tense, anxious, depressed or stressed, information is not as readily available to the “surface,” as when you relax . . . take it easy . . .  and let the brain’s subsystems dive deeply and easily for important things. More on this in future articles.

To having a fun run at managing our brain more easily!

Doc Meek, Tues, June 29, 2010, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S. Hey, my writer friend, Richard Paul Evans, just told me:

“Today is GratiTuesday!” This is the day we can express gratitude for all those things for which we are grateful. The thing for which I am most grateful — besides my wife Jeannette of course 😮 — is that I am able to feel gratitude. This has not always been so, so I am doubly grateful. 😮

—

“What if you are smarter than you think?”

https://docmeek.com

THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE, INC. 

CANADA: Dr. Meek (587) 400-4707, Edmonton, AB

TONGA: Mele Taumoepeau, P.O. Box 81, Nuku’alofa

USA: Dr. Meek (801) 738-3763, South Jordan, Utah

For optimum brain health, get optimum heart health:  

Photo from: http://www.workshopway.org/workshop-way.htm

Monday, June 28, 2010: This is the third (3rd) article in a series of seven (7) articles designed to help you or your child or your student run their own brain, and have fun doing it. If you missed the Introduction or the first two articles, just click on the title below:

(Intro) Learning to run our brain: 10 minutes daily

(1) Learning to run our own brain: Fear of failure

(2) Learning to run our brain: Vital need for HOPE . . . always

What are the qualifications for the daily “brain coach?”

If you are going to be effective, you need to have a “brain coach” who will work with your child or your student (or yourself, if you are the one having fun learning how to run your very own brain). 😮

There are only 2 qualification for the “brain coach,” both crucial (not just “nice to have”):

(1) Essential: That the “brain coach” likes your child/student (or you, If you are being coached)

(2) Essential: That your child/student (or you) likes the “brain coach”

Formal credentials, training, degrees, age, gender, etc., are not relevant for purposes of being a “brain coach.” Of course it goes without saying that the “brain coach” should be responsible and trustworthy. And the logistics of being available every day are important. No one is going to drive 20 miles every day for 10  minutes of coaching. It is usually necessary to have someone close at hand.

Who can I get to help for 10 minutes each day?

A no-cost, or low-cost person is best. A neighbor? Someone from your church or club who lives nearby? An older student who is in the same school (or a school on the same block),  as the student being coached? Use your imagination. 😮

Retired people are excellent, if they have patience. Sometimes babysitters work out, if they have a good relationship with the younger one being coached, and the younger one likes them.

NRA (No Relatives Allowed) is the general rule, especially near-relatives

“Why can’t I be the brain coach? I’m here all the time,” say the mothers.

True. You are there all the time. Very handy.

“You care too much,” I tell the mothers.

Here’s the problem. Here’s why the NRA (No Relatives Allowed) rule is important for the child or student.  The relative’s “very loving and overly-concerned feelings” usually run too high, and can get seriously in the way of learning.

Usually the relative “cares too much” about the child’s or student’s responses. In sessions where the child or student is not “getting” SSS (Something So Simple) for the brain coach, the brain coach (the overly-concerned relative, remember) will often end up saying SALT (Something About Like This):

“Now, Harold, this is the tenth [or fiftieth] time we have gone over this; let’s do it again, and see if you can get it right this time, OK?” This is often said through gritted teeth hidden behind a “Hollywood” smile. Regardless of how it is said, the dire implications are crystal clear.

The translation [for the child or student] is: “I must be dumb.”

Kids have good “radar.”

A long-range radar antenna; photo from Wikepedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Brain coach broadcasting “tight tummy”=”beaten brain” for the child

The mother can easily teach the neighbor’s child. How about switching places with the mother next door for coaching/learning purposes?

What a relief! 😮

Bright brains can still need much time to “get it”

Even the brightest of  brains can take extended time to “get” some concepts. Einstein was called a “dolt” in school.

Why does it take so long to “get” some things? We do not know.

What we do know, is that every one of us has areas that we don’t “get” . . . yet . . . even far into adulthood. “Smarts” and “wisdom” don’t come easily in some areas of our lives, regardless of how intelligent and wise we are in other areas, eh?

The “brain coach” position requires high trust and easy learning strategies:

– “Chunk it down” (break everything–everything–down into small easy-to-learn segments)

– Make all the steps easier than necessary (this is easy to say, and may not be easy to do; this challenges the “brain coach.” eh?)

– Make it humorous, foolish or ridiculous if you have to, to solve the “easiness” criteria; in fact this is a good idea anytime, since the brain loves “oddball” and “far out”  as some of its best learning tools)

– Smile 😮

– Smile:o

– Smile 😮

It’s not a contest to see how much you can change the child/student (you can’t change anybody anyway, in case you haven’t noticed  . . . yet). 😮

It’s just a simple sharing of brain strategies that are fun and easy to learn. Doc Meek can teach the “brain coach” in person, over the phone, by email, or by website blogging.

Simple example of how the brain learns best . . . easy . . . hopeful

Let’s say you are teaching a child/student how to use their brain to remember the spelling of a word. In this simple example, you would teach them how to spell such words as these:

Easy, rapid, quick, bright, smart, fast, hope, intelligent, and so on. 😮

You do NOT teach words such as:

Stupid, dumb, slow, etc. (If they never learn to spell these words properly, so much the better!).

To running our own brains better! 😮

Doc Meek, Mon, June 28, 2010, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

—

“What if you are smarter than you think?”

https://docmeek.com

THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE, INC. 

CANADA: Dr. Meek (587) 400-4707, Edmonton, AB

TONGA: Mele Taumoepeau, P.O. Box 81, Nuku’alofa

USA: Dr. Meek (801) 738-3763, South Jordan, Utah

For optimum brain health, get optimum heart health:  

This is the introduction to a series of seven (7) articles on how to have fun learning to run (manage) our very own brain, more easily. This is a good idea, right? 😮

Photo from: www.workshopway.org

The “10 minutes a day” model

Just 10 minutes each day can produce miracles.

An hour or two on the weekend will NOT get the job done. 😮

Especially for kids.

Especially for kids with a short attention span (that’s all kids). 😮

And all adults too, in our “sound bite” over-scheduled culture, eh? 😮

Here are the topics I hope to start exploring in these upcoming seven (7) articles:

(1) Let’s look first at fear of failure

(2) Now let’s look at the vital need for hope

(3) What are the qualifications for your “brain coach?”

(4) Simple easy examples of how to proceed

(Hint: When teaching a child how to spell, use words like “smart” and “quick,” not words like “stupid” and “slow.”)

(5) “The eyes don’t see–the brain sees; the ears don’t hear–the brain hears.” – Doc Meek

(6) The role of the “back 90″and the “front 10”

(7) Where do the mothers come in?

Let’s hear it for the mothers!

Without them, the whole world of humankind would quickly fall apart.

Let’s face it, without them, there wouldn’t be any world of humankind. 😮

Doc Meek, Friday, June 25, 2010, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

“What if you are smarter than you think?”

https://docmeek.com

THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE, INC.

CANADA: Dr. Meek (587) 400-4707, Edmonton, AB

TONGA: Mele Taumoepeau, P.O. Box 81, Nuku’alofa

USA: Dr. Meek (801) 738-3763, South Jordan, Utah

For optimum brain health, ensure your heart health:

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), or 100% oxygen supplied under varying pressures in a tightly-sealed compression chamber, has proven to be an astounding help for a host of brain problems. Side effects are minimal to non-existent. You would think the mainstream medical community would quickly make it a solid adjunct to whatever else they are doing for the healing of toxin-damaged or older brains. In reality, other countries are far ahead of North America in this regard.

Horizontal lie-down HBOT one-person compression chamber; photo from www.adventisthealthnw.com/HM-HBOT.asp

Sit-up HBOT one-person compression chambers at Canadian Hyperbarics, at the General Hospital, in Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA; Link to Canadian Hyperbarics website:  http://www.canadianhyperbarics.com

Photo by Director Gordon Ward, Director, Canadian Hyperbarics, http://www.canadianhyperbarics.com

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Despite the wide array of problems for which HBOT is effective, our Canadian and US society has managed to keep this valuable and life-saving therapy in an ongoing controversial turmoil for decades. This may be because it appears to be expensive, and governments are fearful of incurring very large costs if large numbers of people realized how useful and effective it is.

In reality, the costs of HBOT pale in comparison with the huge costs associated with the ongoing and very expensive conventional treatments for heart disease, stroke, neurological problems, diabetes, MS, etc.

Part of the problem may simply be that the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (who devised the hodgepodge and limited list of conditions which government and insurance-approved facilities generally use to prevent access to this priceless therapy) is an ultra-conservative organization not prone to real leadership in HBOT.

Thank heaven for the private freestanding clinics that know that hyperbarics will heal a host of brain problems and other problems, and that provide genuine and much-needed leadership in HBOT.

One such is Canadian Hyperbarics at the General Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA. They will help anyone who is up against the barriers of the highly-limited treatment provided by government or insurance-funded HBOT.

The Director of Canadian Hyperbarics is Gordon Ward, a personable and internationally-known expert in the HBOT field. Humorous and self-effacing, Mr. Ward has unfortunately often been obliged by forced circumstances to reluctantly demonstrate greater knowledge and expertise than many government or insurance-funded facilities staffed with hyperbaric physicians. More about Canadian Hyperbarics in future posts.

For more information about Canadian Hyperbarics and HBOT, please copy and paste the following URL into your computer’s browser line, the line you use when you want to get to a specific website on the internet:

http://canadianhyperbarics.com/index.html

Mitigation of  neurological problems, including memory problems

There are more than 75 million “baby boomers” in the United States, and millions more in Canada, who could use HBOT to ward off memory problems as they age, and this would require a huge outlay of public funds if HBOT were approved for this purpose:

WIKIPEDIA – The Free Encyclopedia, graphed the “baby boomer” cohort:

United States birth rate (births per 1000 population). The blue segment is the postwar baby boom.

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I am familiar with the mitigating effects of HBOT on neurodegenerative problems, Cerebral Palsy, LD (Learning Disabilities), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Autism, and a host of other brain problems and potential brain problems.

Governments typically only recognize the effectiveness of HBOT for a short list of ailments, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, necrotizing tissue (“flesh-eating disease”), near drowning, decompression sickness (“the bends” to divers), crush injury, burns, exceptional blood loss (severe anemia), advanced wound care including diabetic wound care, and so on. It is a very narrow and short list of 13 conditions created by UHMS (Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society) and adopted by governments and insurance companies for treatments for reimbursement purposes. This protects governments and insurance companies from the large costs that would be incurred if all of the ailments that can be treated effectively were appropriately approved for coverage.

It must be said here that many countries in other parts of the world are far ahead of the United States and Canada when it comes to proper utilization of HBOT for a wide variety of conditions. For one thing, they have far more HBOT compression chambers than is the case in the US and Canada. Some countries even have mobile HBOT chambers for emergency use.

The prevailing philosophy in many countries worldwide  is to increase immediate access to a HBOT chamber in the case of heart attack and brain attack (stroke), as it has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt that immediate HBOT treatment makes a huge difference to outcomes for the victims of these common problems. HBOT is, literally, life-saving. More, it vastly increases the future quality of life of those it saves. And those it prevents from having serious brain problems.

To your brain health!

Doc Meek, May 8, 2010, at Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S.  If you wish to pursue this topic of HBOT further, Kathy Summers has written a top-notch article.

Thank you, Kathy! LINK: http://www.healthwriting.com/health/hbot/

I know a highly qualified MD who works with children who have been labeled ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). He affirms in his writings, and in his private practice, that the only effective method for treating ADD and ADHD is the use of pharmaceuticals. Many school personnel agree with his opinion.

Image courtesy of:  http://www.mychildourfuture.org

Since pharmaceuticals are all that he uses, and about 65% of his patients receive almost immediate help in the form of better attention and focus in the classroom, short-term, he feels he is right. So do the school personnel.

Are drugs really the only answer?

Let’s take a second look.

The help that drugs can provide to children labeled ADD or ADHD can be a “quick start” for some children if that is what you are after.

Long-term, the effects are seriously problematic if steps are not taken to capitalize on the “quick start” by also empowering these drugged children with personal strategies that will help them know they can develop self-managing patterns of behavior and thinking, pill or no pill.

I have been working with children labeled ADD, ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and other attentional and learning problems for over 30 years, and I have always had success with children and parents who follow a multi-factor approach, and whose ultimate goal is permanent self-management (pill or no pill):

(1) If the child has not yet been drugged, we show her or him that s/he has the power to beat the “squirmies” for example. Or whatever else the presenting problem is.

(2) We also look at numerous confounding factors, all the way from nutritional deficiencies/needs through to allergies and toxic exposures, many of which are disguised as ADD, ADHD, ODD, Autism, etc.

(3) We engage the child at the level of taking responsibility for self-management and self-improvement, one baby step at a time.

(4) Progress not perfection.

(5) We show parents innovative ways to work with their child to avoid the “never-ending battle of wills.”

(6) “A pill for every ill” is not necessarily the only answer.

(7) If the child is already drugged, we work with the child and the parents to develop personal self-management strategies such that dosages may be reduced or even eliminated.

(8) Learning problems that have been transformed by labeling into seemingly intractable diseases are not as easy to treat as learning problems that are maintained at the level of personal problems to which personal solutions can be discovered with imagination and good will.

(9) It’s a great day when a child learns and knows: “Hey, I can do it!”

To hope and work and self-determination, and more than one single answer,

Doc Meek, May 6, 2010

At Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA; not at South Jordan, Utah, USA