ADD/ADHD Causes & Symptoms 

The Cause of ADD/ADHD

The exact cause of ADD/ADHD remains unknown. Many of the symptoms associated with ADHD can also be caused by dysregualtions of brainwaves in various regions of the brain. Dysregulations in the frontal lobe can cause short term memory issues or trouble concentrating, occipital lobe dysregulations can result in difficulty process reading information, etc.  Identifying if there are dysregulations in brainwave patterns and the location in the brain they are located can be determined via a brain map.  A brain map may help unlock the mystery of impaired or inefficient brain performance which can be misconstrued as ADHD. BrainCore Neurofeedback Therapy can help reduce the expressions of those dysregulations by making new brain patterns (neuroplastic changes) thereby improving brain function.  

The American Psychiatric Association lists fourteen signs, of which at least eight must be present for a child to be officially classified as ADD/ADHD. Many of theses signs can be associated with a dysregulation of one of the four brain waves.  These fourteen signs are:”

1. Often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming while seated.
2. Having difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.
3. Being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Having difficulty awaiting turn in games or group activities.
5. Often blurting out answers before questions are completed.
6. Having difficulty in following instructions.
7. Having difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
8. Often shifting from one uncompleted task to another.
9. Having difficulty playing quietly.
10. Often talking excessively.
11. Often interrupting or intruding on others.
12. Often not listening to what is being said.
13. Often forgetting things necessary for tasks or activities.
14. Often engaging in physically dangerous activities without considering possible consequences.

Often, these questions are asked of children or adults that exhibit ADD or ADHD symptoms:

Children

• How often do you get reports of your child not paying attention in class?
• How often does your child make careless mistakes on their homework?
• How often does your child have trouble completing their chores?
• How often does your child seem to be “on the go” even during quiet times like dinner or bedtime?
• How often does your child have trouble waiting their turn in games or lines?
• How often does your child interrupt conversations?

Adult

• How often do you have trouble wrapping up final details once the other parts of a project are completed?
• How often do you have difficulty organizing tasks?
• How often do you have trouble remembering appointments or obligations?
• When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay the start?
• How often do you squirm with your hands or feetwhen you have to sit for a long time?
• How often do you feel overly active or compelled to do things like being driven by a motor?

If you answered four or more of these questions as “often,” it is a demonstration of symptoms associated with ADD or ADHD.

The Drugs Used to Treat ADD/ADHD are Derived From The Same Family as Cocaine

Did you know that the drugs used to treat ADD/ADHD are derived from the same family as cocaine? Although the cause of ADD/ADHD remains unknown, the foundation of conventional treatment of ADD/ADHD is medication.  This usually includes stimulant medication such as Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Desoxyn (methamphetamine) or Cylert (pemoline). When stimulants are not effective, children may be given tricyclic antidepressants. While these drugs may provide some short term benefits in reducing some of the symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD, they have harmful side effects.  These include social withdrawal, decreased responsiveness to parents and other children, clinical depression, fatigue, loss of humor, increased compulsive behavior, appetite suppression, impaired growth, and the risk of addiction.

The other darker side is many sufferers of brain wave imbalances self medicate with illegal drugs or alcohol unknowingly truing to balance their brain chemistries.  This often leads to tragic and long terms downward spirals.