An Integrative health approach to ADHD must recognize the importance of personalized care, tailoring treatments to address specific symptoms, challenges, and preferences of the individual. The trialsoflife focus emphasises the importance of addressing a holistic health approach including brain, heart, dietary and exercise programs. The first focus of Trials of Life will be the focus of a diet to better support ADHD and brain health in general with a view to maybe reducing some of the symptons.
The multifactorial causation of ADHD is consistent with the heterogeneity of the disorder, which is shown by its extensive psychiatric co-morbidity, its multiplicity in neurocognitive root impairments and the wide range of structural and functional brain anomalies associated with it .
ADHD is primarily characterized by neurodevelopmental differences in the brain, these commonly relate to dysregulation of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine which manifest in inattentiveness and hyperactivity. However there are a cluster of other issues that come with ADHD such as emotional dysregulation, limitations with working memory, sleep issues, poor executive dysfunction, poor time management, low motivation and reward regulation etc.
Two-thirds of ADHD cases have at least one comorbid psychiatric diagnosis such as Depression, Anxiety, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria inter alia. ADHD also has commonly co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Discalculia, Audio Sensory Disorder, Tourettes, and Bi-polar. Research shows that 30-50% of people with Austisc Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also meet criteria for ADHD; and this number maybe much higher.
This complex web of comorbidities and mental challenges often manifests in great struggles with normal life, and at its worst, in loss of life. High suicide rates, terrible accidents and ultimately related neurodegenerative diseases are highly correlated to ADHD populations. If they are given proper support to proven ‘multi-modal’ strategies including diet, sleep health and exercise then reduction of disorder burden and potential links to later neurodegenerative diseases maybe avoided or atleast reduced.