More than five million Americans suffer from ADD or ADHD! Despite the growing attention this disorder has received in the past few decades, the diagnostic and treatment process remains elusive, complex, and inclusive!

Symptoms of ADD or ADHD:
Based on my more than three decades of experience working with children and adults with ADD or ADHD, major symptoms include poor mental concentration, impulsivity, hyperactivity, rapid (or slow and slurred) speech, motion-related phobias (such as fears of moving elevators, escalators, trains, planes, cars, or crowds, anxiety, depression, and irritability.

Causes of ADD or ADHD:
Each case can differ widely in terms of symptoms, causes, therapeutic process and prognosis. After dealing with numerous children and adults with ADD or ADHD, I have found that the following are most common factors.

Physical Factors:
The most common physical factor I have found, which may be shocking to many, is yeast infection involving the inner or middle ears. Dr. Harold Levinson in his book, Total Concentration (1990) stated that more than 80% of patients with ADD or ADHD he had seen suffered from inner-ear infections. Therefore, both their sensory input and output have been scrambled.

I have found this inner-ear infection is yeast infection that can be contracted before or after birth. If a pregnant woman has a yeast infection, she can give this infection to her baby through the blood stream and/or birth canal. The baby can be born with yeast infections manifesting symptoms such as eye or ear infections, respiratory tract congestion and colic. Psychological Factors:

Most children with ADD or ADHD suffer from psychological distress. Not every individual with inner ear infections manifests symptoms of ADD or ADHD. Stress due to parents’ divorce, illness, financial hardship, etc. can complicate a child’s receptive and responsive functions that are already impaired.

Dietary Factors:
Over-consumption of yeast-favorite food containing sugar, dairy, wheat, yeasts, caffeine alcohol, nicotine and chemicals (including food preservatives and coloring, and heavy metals) has caused every American yeast overgrowth at one time or the other, to a greater or lesser degree. Symptoms of yeast disorder that contribute to ADD or ADHD include headaches, poor mental concentration (foggy mind), middle or inner ear infections, nasal congestion, mood swings, depression and phobias.

Environmental Factors:
Many people with ADD or ADHD live in an environment that contributes to or worsens their disorders. Parents and/or schoolteachers of children with ADD or ADHD often suffer similar symptoms. Some of them recognize their disorders; however, most do not. If ADD or ADHD is untreated during the childhood, the symptoms will continue into adolescence and adulthood. If the environment is non-understanding and non-supportive, the difficulty in dealing with everyday demands will be exacerbated.

Holistic Treatment for ADD:
There are no uniform symptoms, causes and treatment modalities for ADD. Every case should be given individualized attention and treatment plans. Basically, there is no cure for ADD or ADHD. However, the symptoms can be controlled with proper intervention. After dealing with clients with ADD or ADHD for three decades, I have found the following treatment methods to be most effective:

Yeast-Free Nutritional Program:
A yeast-free nutritional program works wonders to reduce hyperactivity, poor mental concentration, irritability, moodiness and the other symptoms mentioned above. The logic is very simple: a yeast-free nutritional program (containing no sugar, no dairy, no wheat, no yeasts, no caffeine, no alcohol, nor chemicals) reduces the infection in the middle or inner ear.

When the yeast infection is under control, the swelling of tissues goes down. This, in turn, allows sensory input to be transmitted from the external environment to the brain without obstacles or blockage, and thus increases receptivity and responsiveness.

Herbal Therapy:
The most important herbal formulas to use are the ones that clean up infections in the middle ear and the sinus. When the yeast infection in the middle ear is under control, the hearing ability and responsiveness will be improved, and in most cases, the ear ringing will also go away.

Sinus congestion not only blocks sensory input, but also prevents the brain from getting a sufficient supply of oxygen. When the sinus infections are cleared, the mental clarity will also be restored.

Not every individual with ADD experiences hyperactivity. Instead, low energy and depression may be the characteristics. Therefore, additional herbal formulas for uplifting energy and mood are recommended.

Psychological Counseling:
As mentioned earlier, individuals with ADD or ADHD tend to experience emotional issues that have not been worked through. Whether children or adults, it is important for them to identify the core emotional issues contributing to the disorder. Seeking help from experienced therapists dealing with ADD or ADHD is an essential step.

If impulsiveness is present, a behavior modification program either on an individual basis or in a group situation is recommended. The purpose of these programs is to learn to set limits and to delay gratification.

People with ADD or ADHD are often highly intelligent. If you are one of them, don’t give up! You can make a great contribution to society if you learn how to control your behavior and make the best use of your intelligence!

Dr. Juliet Tien (Dr. J) is a leading expert in treating children or adults with ADD or ADHD, male or female yeast and parasitic infections, over-weight or under-weight conditions, and eating or smoking addictions. She is a former UCLA professor in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing and a former managing partner of Dr. J’s Healthy & Tasty Restaurant. She was a radio talk show and a cable TV show producer & host: The Holistic Approach to Health and Success. She is also the best-selling author of Breaking the Yeast Curse: Food and Unconditional Love for Magic Healing and Healthy and Tasty: Dr. J’s Anti-Yeast Cooking.

For more information, please contact: Dr. J’s Academy of Vibrant Health, 1100 S. Hope St. #808, Los Angeles, CA 90015, Tel: (800) 715-3053 or (818) 472-2213, or visit: www.drjsbest.com