- The disorder currently known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has gone through many different names, definitions and causes since it was first added to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" in 1968. Many different studies conducted since the 1970s have proposed both what causes the disorder and how to treat it. The ADHD Guideline Development Group released a study in 2008 which showed that 75 percent of all people with the disorder inherited it from a parent. The current standard treatment for children or adults with ADHD generally includes stimulant medication such as Ritalin along with counseling and behavioral therapy.
- Several of the alternative treatments for ADHD work under the assumption that the most commonly accepted causes of the disorder are incorrect. The most prominent alternative theory for the cause of ADHD is called the "hunter/farmer theory" which was posited by radio talk show host Thom Hartmann in 1978. The theory speculates that people with ADHD have not properly adapted to a "farmer" kind of lifestyle where repeated similar actions are necessary but instead still behave with a "hunter" mentality like mankind did before the advent of advanced tools and civilization. Other common alternative theories speculate that ADHD is entirely social or based on diet and cannot be treated through medication at all.
- Alternative treatments for ADHD include drastic change in eating habits to remove substances that can trigger hyperactive behaviors, herbal remedies which are intend to improve blood flow to the brain as a replacement for prescription medication, and brain development exercises.
- High-protein and low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins and Long Beach diets are widely proposed for ADHD patients because of their low sugar intake. The Feindgold Diet also claims to help treat ADHD by removing any artificial preservatives or colorings from a patient's diet. Homeopathic remedies are usually based around the herbs ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng, chamomile and skullcap, because of their reputed effects on the brain. The "Brain Gym" therapy is an alternative treatment which attempts to improve brain development by having patients frequently work on projects to keep themselves occupied and enhance organization skills.
- Although changes in diet and taking herbal remedies may be helpful they have not been tested or approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so they cannot be guaranteed to help treat ADHD or even be safe. Most proponents of alternative treatments are not physicians or psychiatrists so you should always consult your doctor before attempting any kind of treatment plan.
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