ADHD has been classified as a mental illness in children.
There has been no evidence to support the theory that ADHD in children is genetic (5). The root cause of this “behavioral disorder” is unknown, despite significant research (6).
Treating ADHD In Children Without Drugs
Not all societies treat ADHD symptoms with pharmaceuticals.
In France, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD is .5%—much less than the global average. Treatment does not involve medication.
So why is there such a discrepancy in France?
For one, ADHD behaviors have been associated with lifestyle, including diet.
A study published earlier this year found: “Children with ADHD were more likely to consume artificially sweetened juice, less likely to read for more than one hour per day, more likely to have more than two hours of screen time per day, and more likely to engage in fewer hours of physical activity during the week. Parents of children with ADHD were also much more likely to report that their children have difficulty falling asleep, to report concern about their child’s sleep habits, and fear that sleep problems may be leading to behavior issues. These associations held even in those children not currently taking ADHD medication, which is known to cause sleep disturbance.” (7)
A diet of sugar and processed foods can contribute to undesirable behavior and decreased neurological function (8). High levels of exposure to electromagnetic frequencies, such as those emitted by electronic devices (microwaves, cell phones, televisions, computers, etc.) and wireless technologies (WiFi routers, headphones/Bluetooth, cordless telephones, smart meters) in almost every building in the Industrial World also cause imbalances in body chemical interactions—especially in children (9, 10).
Add to these a lack of adequate exercise and environmental toxins like heavy metals and you have a very potent recipe for the genesis of ADHD.
Why French Children Are Different
French culture is quite different from that of North America.
For one, children’s diets do not include the high levels of sugars, artificial ingredients, and processed foods that other countries do. Also, the use of electronics is less prevalent, physical activity is part of children’s everyday lives and doctors are less prone to write a prescription for every ailment.
According to Psychology Today: “French child psychiatrists, on the other hand, view ADHD as a medical condition that has psycho-social and situational causes. Instead of treating children’s focusing and behavioral problems with drugs, French doctors prefer to look for the underlying issue that is causing the child distress—not in the child’s brain but in the child’s social context. They then choose to treat the underlying social context problem with psychotherapy or family counseling.”
“This is a very different way of seeing things from the American tendency to attribute all symptoms to a biological dysfunction such as a chemical imbalance in the child’s brain…the [French] definition of ADHD is not as broad as in the American system, which, in my view, tends to ‘pathologize’ much of what is normal childhood behavior. The DSM [the U.S. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders] specifically does not consider underlying causes. It thus leads clinicians to give the ADHD diagnosis to a much larger number of symptomatic children, while also encouraging them to treat those children with pharmaceuticals.” (11)
In addition, French parents are generally firmer with their children than in North America, imparting limits and structure from infancy. Children are taught that they have the ability and responsibility to control their behavior as active members of society.
Along with wine and cheese, perhaps we should import the French approach to ADHD in children rather than giving them brain-altering pills.