I would like to share with you the story of an 11 year old boy with ADD.  He had been diagnosed some years before.  After trying many things his family reluctantly put him on Ritalin, as his inability to concentrate, and disruptive behaviour were affecting his relationships with both friends and family, his ability to perform at school, and most importantly, his self-esteem.

When he came to see me, his mother said he had difficulty concentrating in the morning before taking his Ritalin.  She was concerned though, that once he took his Ritalin, he was not hungry all day and ate very little.  The Ritalin usually wore off by about 4pm in the afternoon, when his appetite would return, but with it, difficult behaviour.  He was also struggling with some fears, and was only going to the toilet every 2 to 3 days, and when he did go, it was often difficult and incomplete.  He had a lot of white spots on his fingernails. 

When they tried stopping the Ritalin, his behaviour would spiral out of control.  Angry outbursts and tantrums that could last for over an hour.  Aggressive, defiant behaviour which had previously included throwing a chair in a classroom, and hitting other children.  Phone calls from the school.

We tested him for pyrrole disorder.  He tested positive for pyrrole disorder, with extremely high free copper, and some methylation issues (methylation is a chemical process in your body, a bit like a switch that turns things on and off.  When it does not work properly, many processes in the body are affected and don’t work as well as they should, including our brain chemistry).  Unfortunately some methylation issues can take some time to clear, and little progress can be seen in this time. 

In this case, it took a year.  A bumpy year of perseverance on the part of the child and the mother, nutritional supplements, and some counselling.  This child is now off Ritalin, is a changed child, and doing really well at school.  Home is a happier place for everyone.  He still has some challenging moments when he has a growth spurt, or when puberty kicks in, but we can manage these times now.  It is results like these that make me love what I do.  To see an intelligent, funny boy leave behind the stigma of bad behaviour caused purely by “wonky” chemistry, and face a bright future is a joy to see.

My take home message from this story, is to always keep searching, to persevere, and to rule things out.  This may not be the solution for your child, or someone you know with ADD, but it may very well be the solution, or part of it.  It may not make things perfect, but it may make things a lot better.  It is certainly worth ruling out.  If anyone in your family, adult or child, has ADD or ADHD, book in for an appointment, and get tested to see if this is a part of your puzzle.  And at the same time learn what a huge impact diet can make too.

If you want to learn more about pyrrole disorder, download my free ebook “Anxious, depressed, angry, behavioural disorders?  Could it be Pyrrole Disorder?”

https://perthnaturopath.com.au/e-books/pyrrole-disorder-e-book/

Contact me on 0431917728

or jackielowater@bigpond.com

or https://www.perthnaturopath.com.au/contact/