Personalised Medicine: A no drugs treatment for ADHD and sleep

A medication only approach is not the only solution for people who are suffering with mental health issues. At Whole Medicine we offer non-invasive, evidence based alternatives that have a growing research base supporting their use.

In treating ADHD, stimulant medication has for many years been the first line choice. For many children it can be effective in managing the impulsivity and inattentiveness that is core to ADHD but only while they take it. When the medication is stopped, so too does the impact on these symptoms.  Medications have side effects that for many parents and adults have become a great concern including sleep problems, cardiac concerns, anxiety and nervousness. Sleep disorders have been found in 70-80% of ADHD sufferers, leading to concerns around the use of stimulants and their known impact on sleep.

There is a growing body of research on sleep, demonstrating the primary role it plays in maintaining our mental health and may even be the driver of conditions such as ADHD and Depression. As our understanding grows in this, more focus is shifting to treating the sleep disorder as a primary focus. Medication for sleep is not the answer and may even contribute to altering the sleep rhythm. It is for these reasons that many are seeking evidence based, alternative ways of treating their sleep and ADHD concerns.

EEG Neuro-feeback, otherwise also known as Neuro feedback therapy, is a technology based learning technique that uses a computer to give information to a person about his or her own brainwave pattern in the form of EEG activity, in order to train the person to modify his or her own brainwaves.

When the brain is not functioning properly, evidence of this usually shows up in EEG activity. EEG neurofeedback assists a person to alter his or her own brainwave characteristics by challenging the brain to learn to reorganise and function better. The EEG neurofeeback technique is a process in which subtle brainwave information is amplified and shown back to the trainee in the form of a computer game.

This treatment is backed by the American Psychological Association and has given it a top level 5 rating - "efficacious and specific" and when the treatment is finished, a further improvement in symptoms has been observed in 2 year follow up studies.