ADHD Without Drugs: A Guide to the Natural Care of Children with ADHD

by Sanford Newmark

FROM THE FOREWORD BY ANDREW WEIL, MD ~ For 20 years, Dr. Sandy Newmark has specialized in successfully treating children diagnosed as having ADHD usingmethods other than psychostimulant medications. Now he has put his best advice into this book for all parents, educators and other physicians to read.He explains how to treat the whole child, not just the symptoms of ADHD, using safe and natural methods. For any child diagnosed with ADHD, even those already taking medication, this book will prove invaluable for their health, happiness, and success. I strongly recommend this book to all parents, relatives, and friends of children with ADHD, as well as the teachers, doctors, and other professionals who work with them. Before going to the pharmacy, we can use an integrative approach to help these children succeed and fulfill their true potential. Dr. Newmark tells us just how to do that. ~ Excerpted from book's foreword by the renowned Dr. Andrew Weil.

Genres: Adhd, Parenting, Nonfiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after hearing the author, Dr. Sanford Newmark, in an ADDitude magazine podcast (http://www.additudemag.com/RCLP/sub/1...). ADHD Without Drugs is a comprehensive, balanced, and very readable book about how non-pharmaceutical treatments can improve ADHD symptoms in children. Newmark begins with chapters about the underlying neurological features of ADHD and the proper diagnosis of ADHD, then presents nutritional and alternative treatments. Studies are not just cited, but their methodologies, strengths, weaknesses, and usable results are discussed. Newmark mentions several times that there are not as many studies on or promotion of, for example, something like omega-3s for ADHD, because there is no big money to be made by prescribing omega-3s, and therefore no big pharmaceutical company footing the bill for marketing and research. I totally agree that this is a real shame! Newmark finishes with advice on behavioral/parenting strategies and appropriate usage of ADHD medications, and there is an appendix about avoiding toxins. Newmark is an especially authoritative author in this area. He has been a fellow, faculty member, and pediatric consultant at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and is now at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in San Francisco. He also has a wealth of experience from his over 20 years of professional practice. I thought he respected the place of pharmaceutical therapies for ADHD, while carefully evaluating the scientific evidence for other therapies, like nutrition and omega-3 supplements, and highlighting those that have been proven effective. It was a great balance between woo-woo and pharmacy-only treatments. An excellent book!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of actionable steps we can try on our own. Most of it at least worth a try. Several things did require getting tests done at a doctors, which I understand, but sometimes that's also hard to get, so we probably won't try those things. Easiest things are diet change, Omega-3s and possibly some herbs and of course trying harder to implement different parenting style.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some great tips on how diet, minerals, vitamins and drugs as treatments for ADHD. The book gives comprehensive alternatives to using prescription medicine, however the treatments do take time.

Personally we have seen significant impact to our son's focus when using some of the recommended techniques in this book (diet and vitamins in particular). However as he is getting older and finding more freedom in the foods choices he eats, his grades have started to suffer. We've put him on medication for now but will use the summer to re-evaluate these techniques again.

[Jane H · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful! though my child isn't diagnosed, he exhibits some signs of ADHD. there were some very concrete steps to pursue, independently and with his doctor. fingers crossed that they turn out to help!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book that I would recommend to any parent, teacher or school administrator/director.