Welcome to episode 462 of The Whole View! This week, Sarah and Stacy revisit previous episodes on ADHD and update the science behind natural approaches and medication. 

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The Whole View, Episode 462: ADHD Update: Natural Approaches and Medication
Welcome back to episode 462! (0:28)

Science is an evolutionary process, and things change as we learn and grow. Stacy and Sarah have years of content they want to bring to the forefront as relevant and update any information that might have since changed.

Stacy's son Cole has inactive ADHD (previously called ADD), an attention deficit without the hyperactive traits associated with ADHD.

Because of the differences, Stacy's family manages Cole's ADHD is very different from how they manage her youngest's, Westley's, who has hyperactive traits.

Medication is not a failure. However, at the beginning of Stacy's journey, she operated under the mindset that not medicating is better.

No matter how much you diet and exercise, it doesn't change a medical condition. There is nothing wrong with utilizing medications to manage a medical condition, and it doesn't mean you've failed yourself or your kids.

Stacy tried everything she could to manage Cole's ADHD and admits she waited too long to try medicine. 

Seeing her child less anxious, less angry, more attentive, and in control of himself made her grateful to have found a medication that worked for him. She also feels very strongly that it made her a better mother because she was helping him to be his best. 

Stacy's husband, Matt, was on a stimulant, and it worried her because of the long-term health risks. She wants to share updates with the audience and options she wishes she'd known sooner. 

Sarah has the science, but Sarah and Stacy are not medical professionals. Be sure to consult with your doctor for what best for you.

For the notes on the prior shows, Stacy and Sarah revisit episodes 145 and 185.

 

Cole's Update: One Year Later
Stacy's oldest son, Cole, joins us once more to update us on ADHD and how he's managing it in 2021. (1:17:50)

Cole makes his lunch every day to ensure he's adhering to his dietary constraints. Cole's teacher keeps a stock of gluten-free snacks in the classroom for Cole to have. And whenever it gets low, she lets Stacy know to restock it.

In terms of his ADHD, they've tried supplements and coffee for the caffeine content. Both did not work for Cole.

Cole has started walking to school to get rid of excess energy before his day starts. His teacher also allows him to work on his homework when there's time in class.

When he's not interested in a subject, it's really difficult for him to remember what he learned about it. This comes from the inattentive side of his ADHD.

However, Cole is finding many more things that he enjoys and is overall happier than he was at the start of this journey.

Stacy and Cole found increasing his physical activity has been very helpful in managing his ADHD symptoms. She's also noticed he's been less physical with roughhousing with his brothers.

Managing Screen Time
Every week, Cole gets 1 hour of video game time as long as he doesn't abuse it and he's had a good week. (1:37:20)

It's also limited to computer games and not console games. Stacy has noticed overstimulation from console games that she doesn't see when he plays on the computer.

Overall, Cole's attitude, mood, and more have drastically improved since he podcasted with Stacy and Sarah.

One of the best things Stacy had done was experimenting with lifestyle changes, such as monitoring screen time.

Sarah loves how Stacy's approach has been very intuitive and adapted depending on how Cole's body reacts.

Parenting for Stacy has been all about intuition, and they do a lot of alternative things, such as allowing the kids to curse at home.

 

ADHD Update: Natural Approaches and Medication for ADHD
Jumping back to the present day, Stacy explains how much working with a