Knowledge is power

Are there any answers to helping solve the attention deficit (ADHD) problem (Courier, March 18)? Most certainly.
We know so much more than we used to and new information is constantly coming to light. Attention deficit disorder is for real. It’s common knowledge that these children lack the Omega oils 3 and 9. A recent study shows that magnesium and vitamin D3 are lacking too. Iodine, too, can play a part. Supplementing with the Amino acid L-Tyrosine helps some children to build up their dopamine neurotransmitters.
Parents are lucky today that products like Scotts Emulsion with cod liver oil, Biostrath with 61 brain nutrients and many other excellent supplements are available. Foods with salycilates affect these children too, so avoid the green apples and berries etc. Food colouring is to be avoided. Knowledge is power, so learn as much as you can about it.
That said, after 45 years of working with children, and having had an ADD child myself, I am tired of Ritalin being demonised. I have seen it change lives for the better. Correctly prescribed in small doses for about a maximum of 40 out of 168 hours a week, a child can have the joy of experiencing real success in the classroom instead of the continued frustration of not being able to screen out the distractions within the classroom and consequently not able to stay on task.
Self images plummet when one can’t do the work but success breeds success. These children are frequently labelled lazy, when in fact it’s impossible for them to focus or sit still. Modern classrooms and teachers do make allowances for this, but it’s not fair on the other children either when their work ethic is constantly being disrupted by a child who can’t sit still.
Ritalin can help a child like this get an education. Yes, it is a mind altering drug, but it alters the mind for the better. It helps the neurotransmitters jump the nerve synapses. It is not a tranquilizer but a stimulant. Just because some people abuse it and give it a bad name, does not make it unsuitable. We don’t stop prescribing ARVs for AIDS patients just because some druggies are adding ARVs to the whoonga straws.
There is only one drawback with Ritalin . . . loss of appetite at lunch time. But a growing child just eats more later in the day when the drug wears off. My child still grew to be over six feet tall.
The 20-year study on Ritalin, when conservatively and correctly prescribed, shows only benefits. Try it for a month and judge for yourself. Overdosing is the problem, not the drug itself. Even headache pills and antibiotics are harmful if taken in excess. But make sure the brain and the body get maximum nutrition at the same time too. Health is wealth.
ROSA WILLS
Ballito