Anthroposofische ADHS Behandlung
http://www.anthromed.org/Article.aspx?artpk=143
Vergleich: Siehe: Anthroposofie Mitteln
[Georg Soldner/H. Michael Stellmann]
The terms “attention disorder” and
“hyperactivity” are applicable not only to certain children but also to the
social context of Western industrialized societies. Individual behavior
problems are
coupled with individual gifts and
creative potentials—a fact which must not be overlooked in diagnosis or
treatment. The article provides a differentiated discussion of the therapeutic
options
offered by anthroposophical medicine
and homeopathy in general and of their remedies in particular. These offer an
effective curatively-oriented alternative to the use of stimulants
(e.g. Ritalin), which are of dubious
clinical value as they are purely symptomatic.
We make a thorough, highly detailed biographical anamnesis and family
anamnesis and from the start we place particular emphasis on describing not
just the weaknesses, but also -primarily- the
strengths of the child. - H. Köhler
What is an attention disorder? The
English term "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) has
supplanted the term "hyperkinetic disorder". Its leading symptoms
are:
• inattention and increased
distractibility (= ADD),
• impulsivity, with poor inhibition
capacity in the mental and behavioral spheres, and also (optionally)
• intense urge to move: motor
hyperactivity (= ADHD)
The nature of the disorder from
which these children suffer is expressed more clearly by the English language
than it is in German: "These symptoms" "are pervasive and
interfere with the
individual’s ability to function
under normal circumstances". "Pervasive" indicates a behavioral
disorder that is “dominant” and manifests in different situations. “Normal
circumstances”
refers to “settings” typical of
societies with a “Western life style”_family (nuclear), kindergarden and
school. What it means to “function” in circumstances that adults would consider
“normal” today is clearly expressed
by child psychiatrists Schmidt, Meusers and Momsen in their work on ADHD: “The
hyperkinetic disorder is primarily a disorder of impulse control.
Before carrying out an action, we
all normally consider if it sensible, appropriate or right, while these
patients” (referring to children) ”have the problem that the will shoots
through before
reflection and leads to an action
that may later be regretted or lead to an unpleasant result”.
What is presented here as the
“normal” relationship of thinking to acting reflects exactly the reigning
paradigm of thought and behavior in technologically advanced Western societies.
However it fails to take into account the evolution of a child’s consciousness
and action. It also fails to acknowledge the existence of an artistic, creative
type of thinking characterized by an intense openness to everything that is new
and arises in the moment. As artists or inventors, human beings can free
themselves from the calculated certainty of rationally determined action
(theirs could rightly be called a “risk-taking” style of thinking and
behavior).
It must be pointed out, however, that the leisure-time and parenting
behavior of adults tends not to fit the criteria posited above. One need only
think of adult behavior in regard to food, alcohol
and tobacco. What is more, it has been proven that parents’ consumption
of alcohol and nicotine during pregnancy promotes the very symptoms which
medicine then diagnoses as ADHD in their
children. There is much evidence that “partner conflict, psychological
disturbance in the parents, parenting deficits and disorders in the
parent-child relationship” strongly influence and may impair
children’s attention, impulse control
and movement behavior. The behavior modeled here seldom bears much relation to
the paradigm of planned or considered action!
In fact it is technology -learning
to drive safely, having an occupation in a technologically based modern society-
that educates the adult towards a behavioral style with:
• focused attention (shutting out
the surroundings as a whole in favor of exact, primarily visual attention to
selected events)
• planful action directed towards a
future result
• relinquishing one’s own physical
activity, suppression of one’s own movement needs in favor of intellectual
control by way of by machines
The same is true of the economic necessities connected with technology.
Moreover, the style set by them penetrates into the upbringing and education of
our children, into our approach to dealing with patients and thus also into the
way hyperactive children are dealt with: Medical, pedagogical and social norms
take on the value of technical norms and are implemented as a form of
“management” or “self-management.” The ability “to function under normal
circumstances” is thus an historically relative criterion. In this connection
Schmidt, Meusers and Momsen cite a remarkable prognosis made by Rudolf Steiner
in 1920, the year of the inauguration of anthroposophical medicine: “... The
human being is not just an intellect, after all; he has something else in his
being: He has sensations, he has feelings, and these have to come to terms with
what comes from the technological devices, from machines. And another feeling
arises than what I spoke of before. I spoke of a feeling of longing arising out
of deepest deprivation. What is gathered by the soul in the unconscious from
its encounter with technology ... rises up as a reaction; it enters
consciousness in the form
of thoughts and ideas, but it comes up as something similar to fear. And
in their longing out of deepest deprivation, the children we will have in
school in the coming years and decades will begin to manifest an indefinite but
very real fear of life, which will express itself in anxiety. It will express
itself in fidgetiness, in nervousness - I mean this tangibly”.
This makes clear that the change in
consciousness evoked by technology can also be experienced on the soul level as
alienation from life, as imprisonment in an outwardly imposed set of
circumstances, as loss of the experience of one's own presence and capacity for
spontaneity. The question is, can the parents, teachers and doctors of these
children recognize and consider this aspect, which is the “flip side” of the
disturbing ADHD symptoms: the fear of losing one’s creative potential. In fact,
under different circumstances the style of perception, impulsivity and driven
motor activity that is labeled as ADHD today could even represent advantageous
behavior (typical of the “hunter” of pre-industrial societies) (7), and many
creative personalities _in Western societies too_display traits of ADHD.
Thus, curative educator Henning
Köhler juxtaposes positive aspects to the negative ones in the following table:
Compulsive drivenness Dexterity
in movement (“kinesthetic intelligence”) in many cases
Distractibility “Boundless” interest in the world
Short attention span “Panoramic
view”: quick grasp and great intensity of attention during this short span
Poor listening ability; Dominantly
visual, deficient auditory processing
frontally-oriented and relation to back-space perceptual style
Impulsiveness Great
flexibility and openness to what is new
Urge to assume Longing
for trustworthy leadership over peers
authority; and adults genuine
leadership qualities in some cases
A
personality that exemplifies these paired qualities well is that of Winston
Churchill. Son of a “suspected-ADHD” father who devoted almost no time or
attention to his son, as a schoolboy Churchill
showed
every sign of an attention disorder. He made progress only when motivated by a
personal interest. Throughout his life what gave him most energy were military
confrontations. In 1940, after
an
already turbulent political career he led Great Britain through what seemed an
irrational and hopeless confrontation with Germany, letting not even national
bankruptcy stop him (which all previous
“normally functioning” British
politicians wished to avoid). Churchill, who had the longest and most
successful political career in the history of Great Britain, was awarded the
Nobel prize in
literature for his powerful literary
achievements and was also quite active artistically as a painter.
Another
example is the successful inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who received more than
1,000 patents and was always working on several inventions at once. He saw
sleep as a waste of time and
permanently
revolutionized the life and sleeping habits of his contemporaries and future
generations with his invention of the light bulb. A total failure at school, at
the age twelve he left home and
got
by for a time working odd jobs. How would he be diagnosed and treated in our
times? Who would recognize and promote the talent in this “difficult boy”?
In
literature, Astrid Lindgren created a figure, Michel of Lönneberga, who casts
light on many facets of ADHD: his trying qualities, the suffering as well as
the deep understanding of his parents, the
lack
of understanding of his fellow townsmen who want to buy him a one-way ticket to
America (his mother throws all the money they collected out the window), and
finally his path to becoming
chairman
of the town council…
In view of these facts, we must
object to the definition set down by well-known ADHD expert C. Neuhaus: “The
moment abnormal behavior ceases to have positive repercussions and becomes a
source of constant trouble for the individual, it is not creativity but a
disorder”. Since the days of the Pharisees we have been aware that getting into
“constant trouble” is not just the fault of those who allegedly cause it, but
equally that of those in positions of societal responsibility who react negatively
to abnormal behavior, seeing the mote in the other’s eye but not the beam in
their own. Hence in composing the definition of ADHD, the authority who defines
what is normal must also be scrutinized. The reason this dimension goes
unmentioned in much of the scientific medical literature is that medical
training today is dominated by the scientific paradigm. Yet there is no “normal
value” that conclusively separates ADHD as a disorder or disease from the all
the possible healthy paths of development in children. The diagnosis, rather,
is based preponderantly on an act of understanding of child behavior. This is
underscored by the fact that there is no scientific test for a diagnosis of
ADHD. The German pediatric guidelines make this perfectly clear: "The
diagnosis is to be derived from the patient’s life story". Even
questionnaires have a very relative value; and over extensive psychological
testing, the guidelines give priority to making "a rough evaluation of the
child's intellectual capacity and attentional behavior in school based on
teacher's evaluations and grades. Examination of school bag and notebooks
(orderliness, completeness, handwriting, organization) will provide an
indication of disorders of visuomotor coordination (writing), attention (careless
errors) and weakness in reading and spelling." It becomes clear that what
is being measured by these criteria is the child's adaptation to conditions in
the modern nuclear family, the modern kindergarten (25 children, noise level
around 85 dB) and the achievement expectations of modern education; to apply
the term "disorder" here is to move quite far from the concept of
pathology as applied to a case of meningitis, oligophrenia or even a psychotic
illness.
It is noteworthy that the diagnosis of ADHD is preponderantly applied to
boys. The ratio of boys to girls varies between 3 : 1 and 9 : 1 (4, 12, 13)!
For ADD without hyperactivity a ratio of 2 : 1
is assumed, although without hyperactivity "the validity of the ADD
type is problematic" (Steinhausen), i.e. the dividing line from
"normal" can "no longer be validly distinguished." On the
other hand, ADHD is considered to be genetically based to a high degree (a
number of recent studies put the inheritance rate at approx. 80%)—yet the twin
studies on which these results are based show no "boy-preference"
(cf. 14)! The genetic aspect is assumed to act pathogenetically chiefly through
a disturbance in dopamine metabolism (as yet unproven) as well as other
possible neurotransmitter disorders in the brain, thus causing the
abnormalities in these children. This thesis is equally incapable of explaining
the sex difference in rate of affection.
Thus
regarding the asymmetrical distribution of ADDH between boys and girls there is
an obvious contradiction between the scientifically measurable aspects
(genetics and neurobiology) on the one
hand
and phenomenological observation (pedagogical and clinical) on the other.
Historically, the development of technology, the industrialization of the
workplace and the associated social changes
have
been enormously significant. On an historical and social background, some of
the crucial traits of the growing-up experience in societies with a Western
lifestyle today are that:
• modern media have dramatically
affected family life, sharply reducing children’s mobility, the alternation of
speaking and listening, collective play and family rituals (e.g. meals).
• the great majority of girls and
boys are brought up by women (mothers, kindergarden teachers and most elementary
school teachers).
• children generally experience
their fathers only during leisure time or, if parents are separated, every
other weekend at visiting time, or not at all.
• it is increasingly rare for
children to experience their own movement as a meaningful necessity due to the
mechanization of household and transportation.
• significantly, boys seldom experience
“typically male” movement patterns -e.g. activities requiring physical strength
and endurance- and when they do these are usually optional athletic activities,
not ordered work with social
significance and value.
• places of freedom (e.g. settings
in nature) where children can experience their own movement, impulses and
alternating attention, are increasingly disappearing.
An appeal is made here to the
pediatric world, inasmuch as it is dedicated to serving the individual: Explain
to all those in a position of responsibility -parents, teachers, politicians
and those
active in disease prevention- how
the framework of children’s lives can be transformed so that problems such as
ADHD lose their present pervasiveness and urgency.
In this connection, Henning Köhler’s
book War Michel aus Lönneberga? (Was Michael from Lönneberga?) offers a great
many concrete and practical suggestions that not only help to
successfully “manage” ADD as an
adaptive strategy (cf. 15, 16), but also take seriously the special capacities
and strengths of the affected children and turn them in a productive direction.
1 Diagnostic Aspects
1.1 Anamnesis
All authors are in agreement that a
thorough and undisturbed anamnesis conversation with the parents -always both
parents if possible- is of the highest importance for diagnostic purposes.
Practically speaking, one may proceed as follows:
• Ask the parents to send an informal
letter to their doctor explaining everything they know of the history of the
illness and their own observations of the child and providing a description of
the family’s life circumstances, a
list of the child’s other illnesses and treatments received, as well as the
observations of others (relatives, kindergarden and elementary school
teachers).
The advantage of this procedure is
that it eliminates the time pressure: Forgotten points can be added later. The
parents can concentrate on gathering and discussing their memories and can
express themselves freely without being constrained by the presence of the
child. They can also give voice to the burdens they have borne. In this way the
parents come to the anamnesis conversation prepared—and so does the doctor, who
has read the letter beforehand. If the letter is handwritten, the doctor gains
additional important impressions of one of the parents. At the same time a
significant part of the anamnesis will already be documented, thus taking more
pressure off of the conversation. A further recommendation is:
• Keep the anamnesis conversation
separate from the
presentation of the child.
In any case, whether physician is a
pediatrician or a general practitioner, it is essential to allow for sufficient
time: as a rule presently, one hour for the initial conversation in cases of
suspected ADHD, regardless of what the fee schedule may permit (questionable
norms come into question as soon as ADHD is involved!). This is the only way to
provide the space needed for creative diagnosis and treatment selection.
Regardless of the patient's present
age, it is crucial to begin by inquiring into the first seven years of life.
Leading symptoms of a disorder requiring treatment may be:
Infancy
• persistent recurrent symptoms of
an overtired infant (cf. 17, 18), protracted crying phases, motor unrest,
irritability, difficulty falling asleep, difficult to calm
• child is trying and unsettling for
the parents; difficulty establishing a satisfying emotional bond between child
and parents (cf. 19 and literature cited there.)
Early childhood
• temporal dissociation between
language acquisition, motor development and other learning (e.g. toilet
training), marked prematurity/retardation of specific “behavior competencies,”
e.g. fine motor skills, language comprehension skills, etc.
• driven, restless motor activity,
low endurance (usually some significant exception!), unpredictable and frequent
changes in activities, enjoys risky behaviors, increased accident-proneness
• “socially difficult” due to bursts
of impulsiveness, disinterest in
listening (often not true when they are told stories alone), frequent
rule-breaking behavior, early and inappropriate
need to lead, highly defiant assertion of autonomy. Because of this,
child and family may find themselves socially isolated and siblings may be made
into enemies or victims.
Disturbance in the ties of family and friendship (with this particular
symptom, the reverse process may be operative - attentional and behavioral
disorders may result from separation of
parents or loss of a loved one,
etc.)
• situational aggravation of the
problems, especially in kindergarden.
Kindergarden in its present form is usually a particularly unfavorable setting
for hyperactive and attentionally disturbed
children. The picture is different
in kindergardens with small groups that can move freely in natural settings,
such as the “forest kindergardens.”
• This is also the place to inquire
into any allergic illnesses and reactions, get a detailed history of eating
habits and digestion (dysbiosis/fungal illnesses?) and ask whether they have
observed
any aggravation of behavioral
abnormalities connected with specific foods or improvements during an
elimination diet.
As we have pointed out above, these
behaviors are generally paired with special capacities and “behavioral
plusses.” Thus, an early talent may be noticed for acrobatics (many affected
children
love the circus and circus games),
or a climbing ability, a creative gift, etc.
As a rule, given a careful anamnesis
and observation of the 5-year-old child at the 9th preventive care
examination, it will be possible to recognize an attentional disorder with
hyperactivity
and to treat it satisfactorily
without the use of stimulants. The symptoms linked with ADHD in school-age
children are well-known:
• easily distracted, forgetful, lack
of care and perseverance (particularly at unappealing homework and household
chores), disruptive, impulsive, defiant social behavior,
• strikingly bad handwriting,
trouble with reading/spelling, continual speaking, rushed speech,
• affective lability and low
self-esteem, outsider position in contrast to mental gifts.
Once again there is another
side: Extremely hyperactive boys are
also able to fish quietly with their father for hours, and in frightening or
emergency situations (e.g. a fire) these children do
the right thing with amazing
sureness and presence of mind and later show excellent recall of even the
smallest details.
Further features of the picture in
adolescence:
• leaving school
prematurely/repeatedly
• social isolation, continual
conflicts with others, few or no friends
• attraction to dangerous sports,
risky behavior in driving, etc.
• continual need for distraction,
inner unrest
Issues relating to drugs, addictive
dependency on media and computer games and socially problematic experiences
with peers are of growing significance.
Much public attention is now drawn
to the danger of leaving ADHD untreated in young people and adults. At issue,
however, are not only those affected but equally the society in which they
live. At bottom, the only way to
make a difference in the increasing marginalization of these individuals is
though a genuine understanding of their difficulties and specific gifts - not
by a
suppressive approach (e.g. use of
stimulants)
The controllability of stimulant
therapy is also generally unreliable; and for this reason as well, the
therapeutic goal in adolescence must be to provide those affected with the
support, treatment
and appropriate social integration
they need to become and remain free from daily tablet taking at this stage in
their life.
Making a Family Anamnesis
The most important aspects to ask
about are:
• The course of the pregnancy and
birth. A quick or difficult birth, intubation at birth, etc., may have caused
lasting disturbances of the craniocervical transition and can be effectively
remedied with appropriate therapy (see below).
In addition, we (the authors) have also observed what American classical
homeopathists and ADHD experts Ullmann and Reichenberg-Ullmann report, that
"the thoughts and feelings
experienced by the parents just
before conception and during pregnancy can have a direct effect on the
condition of the child". In their book Ritalin-Free Kids, these authors
offer
impressive casuistic proof
-recognized by ADHD specialists- of the efficacy of homeopathically potentized
remedies in these areas.
• Exposure to toxic substances (chiefly
pharmaceuticals, nicotine, alcohol and other drugs). The importance of these
factors is generally recognized today. Therapeutic remediation is
possible to an extent -chiefly in
the first seven years of life- using approaches requiring practice and habit
change and to an certain degree employing homeopathic and anthroposophic
remedies.
• Constitution of parents and
grandparents: During the ADHD discussion and diagnosis process many parents
become aware for the first time that they themselves display certain traits
(or did so as children) which now
confront them in their children. This realization can often lead to:
• a new understanding of how their
child actually feels
• a certain calming of the
situation, in the course their lives many parents have ultimately made
something positive of their difficulties and would not really want to be
"completely
normal"
• a therapeutic opportunity,
inasmuch as progress brought about by learning and behavior change in the
parents is often the most productive.
Frequently when parents recognize
that they have a particular style of attention and impulsivity themselves, they
develop a new understanding for one another—and this in itself is a good
reason why the parents of a child
with "differences" should be thoughtfully integrated into the
treatment. Parents learn that by being more attentive to their own
impulsiveness and mastering
it -in some cases giving up drugs,
etc.- they are helping their children by sparing them the kind of
disappointments and unhealthy experiences they have had. This also enables them
to work
through even severe disappointments
or difficult separations of their own.
Finally, also important are reports
from kindergarten and school, etc., as well as taking up direct contact with
teachers. During treatment a regular common meeting time can be arranged with
the parents and class teacher.
School notebooks and any pictures, etc., done by the child should of course be
personally perused by the physician.
1.2. Examination and DD.:
The preliminary written anamnesis
(parent's letter) and parent conversation free up the examination visit so that
it can take place in a relaxed atmosphere. The doctor's aim must always be to
experience the child directly: in a
one-on-one conversation, a play situation or at least a wordless dialogue in
gestures followed by an appropriately designed physical examination. In this
way
constitutional traits often become evident
from the first impression of the child's appearance and answering behavior. An
essential question is the child's capacity for dialogue: How does (s)he
respond to eye contact and how long
will (s)he tolerate it? What is noticed in the examination room; how does (s)he
relate to people and things; how quickly does his/her attention switch?
–
Does
listening closely to the child permit a successful dialogue? At pre-school age,
the chief focus will be on behavioral evaluation in regard to attention,
impulsivity and motor behavior
–
(here
again one can use play to draw the child "out of his shell").
Surprisingly often, school-age children with ADHD issues are capable of voicing
a deeply insightful self-evaluation of their situation when a free, unstressed
conversation situation has been created (with parents absent or truly
restraining themselves). In many instances issues that were long hidden come
out, to the surprise of all involved, or interests are recognized that lead to
important progress. The primary points to clarify in the anamnesis and
examination are:
• Is there a hyperactive disorder
requiring treatment according
to the criteria defining ADHD?
• Are there grounds to suspect an
attention deficit disorder (ADD) without hyperactive behavior?
For differential diagnosis, the
primary focus is on reactive behavioral disorders caused by stress to the child
from:
• family (problems in parents'
relationship to child and in parenting, unrealistic expectations, parental
relationship problems, occupational/economic stresses, problems with siblings
and
close relatives; "family secrets"
that were never aired
• kindergarden or school (excessive
demands for achievement, teacher with difficult personality, etc.)
• depressive disorders must also be
identified. Among boys these may well be coupled with hyperactive behavior and
in most cases impair attention (sometimes severely).
Also significant in this connection
are:
• peripheral and central hearing
disorders (these must always be eliminated.)
• autistic disorders; in rare cases,
psychoses
• endocrine disorders (chiefly of
the thyroid gland and adrenals)
Vegetative lability and hypotonic
circulatory condition can be read from skin color, distribution of body warmth,
perspiration and posture (2nd seven-year-period) it is important to
perform
blood pressure checks (also when
standing) and measure blood sugar level (a.m., 2 – 3 hrs. after leaving home).
Disorders in the interaction of upper and lower jaw, asymmetries in the
cervical
spine, alternation of tensed and
hypotonic areas in dorsal musculature and postural anomalies may point towards
• disorders of the craniocervical
transition area as a source of trouble. Preventive care visits (particularly
the 7th – 9th) are valuable diagnostically, offering the
opportunity to observe the
child's movement patterns and manner
of speaking and answering while playing together (at ball or movement games
such as pullstring puppets, etc.) and having the child balance, draw
pictures or figure eights, write
(writing position) and manipulate objects in the examining room (fine motor
skills). These observations, in conjunction with the developmental anamnesis
and possible later tests, can
provide diagnostic indication of
• competency deficits
An essential component (DD.) is an
evaluation of the child's intelligence and gifts, including a judgment whether
the demands placed on the child are commensurate (under-/overdemand).
The use of labels such as
"highly gifted" may not be productive here, since in reality these
children largely suffer from great discrepancies, e.g. between their aptitude
for mathematical/logical
thinking and for social learning
("emotional intelligence"), or between their artistic gifts and their
reading/spelling ability.
The level of differential diagnostic
certainty needed must be decided on individually—i.e., to what degree one should
implement complementary psychiatric testing, pedaudiologic
examination, allergological
diagnosis including evaluation of intestinal flora, endocrinological diagnosis
and an EEG.
In any case, however, the following
aims should be borne in mind:
• Before diagnosis: The pediatrician
or family doctor should develop a well-rounded picture of the child and out of
it a preliminary diagnosis;
• After the diagnostic process
described: The results and conclusions should be thoroughly discussed in a
group conversation leading to common agreement on the therapeutic avenue to
be taken. As a participant in the
group, the child should feel helped and supported: As Köhler puts it, "the
personal relationship is the actual therapy." A conversation among all
adults
concerned has proven of the greatest
value. Primarily, this should include the parents, kindergarden or class
teacher, therapists/curative educators and the responsible physician (cf. the
principle of the "protective
circle," Köhler. Through this type of conversation a comprehensive view of
the child, including both weaknesses and gifts, can arise. Diagnoses, goals and
responsibilities can be discussed
and clarified.
2 Therapy
In the authors' practice, the
following ADHD-associated disorders have been found to be of diagnostic and
therapeutic significance:
• Disorders involving a
constitutional dominance of the metabolic-limb system which manifests as a
hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)
• Attentional disorders without
hyperactivity (ADD). With this second
form particular, competency deficits (including acquired ones) have proven to
be of considerable pathogenetic
importance.
• Disorders in the area of the
craniocervical transition.
• Vegetative lability, labile
hypotonic circulation.
• Food intolerances; nutritional,
digestive and metabolic disorders.
Therapeutically, a great deal
depends on classifying the child's disorder correctly within this schema, so
that one can implement a treatment that has a clear aim and also a curative
orientation.
In contrast, the dominant treatment
approach using stimulants (e.g. Ritalin) has a purely symptomatic effect;
furthermore, around one-fourth of all children considered to be affected do not
respond to stimulants or respond
only negatively to them. Even if it is not always possible to avoid the use of
stimulants during the 2nd seven-year period, the authors strive to find a path
without stimulant therapy that aims
towards at least partial healing/rehabilitation_i.e. a path towards progressive
healing in the child's development.
Stimulants cannot accomplish this.
The claim is presently made that stimulant therapy is a kind of substitution
therapy for the metabolism of the central nervous system. When it is contrasted
with true substitution such as
insulin treatment for diabetes, however, this claim is found to be a largely
hypothetical justification for the therapy. As a general rule, any substitution
of
substances can have problematic
effects on the equilibrium and ultimately weaken the autonomous development of
the child's metabolism. This in turn leads to continual medical checkups,
with doctors warning their patients
always to take their pills if they wish to avoid a relapse. In adolescence at
the latest, this frequently leads to massive self-doubts and mis-use of the
substances to be taken.
The question is, do not stimulants
rather deserve the status of an acute treatment_a last resort when a child
remains unresponsive, socially isolated or unmanageable despite every measure
attempted? To closer observation it
will also be evident that stimulants do exercise a suppressive action on many
children—particularly in the soul realm, the realm where originality and
creativity reside. As long as the
therapeutic aim is healing and not management of a disorder, the use of
stimulant therapy on attentionally disturbed and hyperactive children will
represents
a sometimes necessary but ultimately
unsatisfactory solution.
2.1. General therapeutic
considerations
1st therapeutically significant
step is to create a detailed clarification of the medical diagnosis that
manifests an understanding of the child and his or her strengths and
weaknesses.
This creates new interest in the
child as a human being_as an individuality that is only in the process of
appearing and still has surprises in store for us. The aim here is to achieve a
shared sense
of how the child experiences
important life situations and reference persons, and what (s)he is able and not
(yet) able to do.
2nd step consists in
pedagogical counseling of the parents and_in an appropriate way_of the teachers
and caregivers (cf. the idea of the protective circle). On this point there is
excellent
literature today; among many others
we refer again to Henning Köhler and the work of Schmidt et al. For practical
purposes the reference guides of Neuhaus and Aust/Hammer are quite
helpful. As widely as their concepts
may diverge, in dealing with the children one finds importance points of
agreement.
Regarding the media question, the
studies of R. Patzlaff are fundamental; numerous literature references are also
provided in the general parents’ guide by Goebel/Glöckler. It is important to
establish authentic conditions for
pedagogical progress by_for example_drawing awareness to parental relationship
crises, economic pressures, etc. and working these through separately so that
they are not played out through the
child. In every form of attentional deficit, individually suited dietary
counseling also plays a significant role.
3rd step consists in
evaluating if the kindergarden, school or nursery group is meeting the child’s
needs. Frequently changes are advisable in group size, options for individual
help, academic
achievement standards, as well as in
the amount of time the child spends in the institution. For example, an all-day
school with qualified afternoon care may provide the family with critical
relief. Finally, the authors have
repeatedly seen children (age 10 and up) with massive hyperkinetic disorders
and very difficult family situations make excellent progress without any
stimulant
therapy by spending several years at
a curative-education boarding school based on Waldorf pedagogy. In any case,
the children themselves say very soon if they are really profiting from the
change and when this is the case
they are willing to accept many unpleasant aspects of the experience. It is
important for the advising physicians to acquaint themselves with the various
schools and institutions in their
area.
Once these initial steps have been
taken, the therapeutic approach in a narrower sense can be formulated. For this
purpose we cannot understate the value of
• anthroposophical and homeopathic
remedies.
Their action is not substitutive or
suppressive like that of stimulants. Rather, when correctly selected for the
individual, they stimulate organismic learning processes. They address the
regulation of vital processes, the
body of life forces that works in bodily growth and organic functions_as well
as in memory function_while these are maturing. The engagement of the soul
element in bodily functions is
facilitated in this way. These remedies act not in an isolated way on the
nervous system, but integrally on the organism as a whole. This is important
because it is
precisely the relationship of the
nerve-sense system to the rest of the organism that is impaired in ADHD (cf.
Pohl 29, Schmidt et al. 25). As a rule the length of administration depends on
how
long the child needs before (s)he
has accomplished the step in learning and maturation that the remedy has
stimulated and is able to stabilize it alone. Composite remedies with broad
indications may require longer
periods of administration (several months), while single potentized remedies
will be given for weeks, months or as a single dose, depending on their
efficacy and
potency. The most remarkable
publication on classical homeopathic therapy in ADHD is a compendium of cases
from Reichenberg-Ullmann; for anthroposophical drug therapy one might point
to von Zabern (31, 32) and to the
general survey by Schmidt et al.
In the authors’ experience, without
a differentiated application of anthroposophical and homeopathic drug therapy
it will appear necessary to resort to stimulants. Since there are few up-to-
date survey works based on personal
therapeutic experience here, we shall concentrate on this form of therapy.
• Non-medicinal therapies for ADHD
must be approached in a differentiated way. The following forms of therapy have
the advantage that the children acquire new capacities, or
physical obstacles are eliminated
(craniosacral therapy and rhythmic massage). These are steps towards real
healing:
• curative play and practice
therapy,
• therapeutic eurythmy and
Wegman/Hauschka rhythmic massage,
• craniosacral therapy,
• artistic modelling (less often
painting and speech or music therapy),
• ergotherapy in conjunction with
breathing therapy exercises,
• therapeutic circus work, etc.
For the reasons discussed, these
forms of therapy are also preferable to stimulant therapy, which takes a clear
third place among therapeutic approaches. At the same time an ongoing stimulant
therapy should not be simply
discontinued. In such cases it should initially be complemented with the therapy
forms mentioned above and later reduced or discontinued to the extent possible.
Depending on the child’s age, it is
important for him or her to be included in evaluating the therapy from the
start. Many school children are capable of judging the efficacy of their
treatment
very well themselves.
Constitutional Dominance of the
Metabolic-Limb System Manifesting as a Hyperkinetic Disorder (ADHD)
The Constitutional Aspect
Constitutionally hyperactive,
impulsive behavior with attentional impairment (ADHD) shows a marked relation
to the male sex, although in rare cases it also occurs in girls. It is not
unusual for
the family anamnesis to reveal
disturbed development in earlier generations (father, male ancestors). Boys are
characterized by a relative dominance of the limb forces over the centralizing
head forces (which mediate inner
calm and concentration); in these predisposed cases, the dominance appears
particularly marked. This type of constitution favors a “short-circuiting”
between
environmental stimuli and limb
activity along with deficient control (and guidance) of limb movement emanating
from the head (disturbed motor coordination is striking in many of these
children).
From the embryological viewpoint it
is noteworthy that the regulatory connection between the nervous system and the
musculature does not emanate hierarchically from the nervous system,
but rather arises as structures of
the central nervous system and the muscle blastemes are “brought into
agreement” by the organism (i.e. by an unspecified center!). When the central
nervous
system is recognized for what it is:
a reflective organ necessary to the steering of body movement; and when the
limb system is recognized for what it is: an independent system which together
with digestive and metabolic
processes comprises the primary organ of the human will_then and only then does
the mediating task become clear which the human being must accomplish
during development. In the area of
body and limb development that the female and male sexes differ most markedly.
An explanation based on brain metabolism (the dopamine hypothesis), on
the other hand, casts no light on
the sex-specific character of ADHD.
Interestingly, the primary effect of
the nerve on the muscle cell is that of inhibition (embryonically, fibrillation
of the muscle cell interrupted for the first time when the growing nerve fiber
reaches and penetrates it), while
the original “modus” of every muscle cell is movement. In reality, the success
of the mediating task mentioned above is not a process of the nervous system at
all, but depends on the rhythmic
system that mediates between the nerve and limb systems and on associated
“soul” processes (respiration, circulation, spinal function and craniosacral
rhythm
– cf. (35). Movement and
consciousness must be “brought into congruence” out of one’s own forces_that is
the task.
As a rule, abnormal behavior on the
part children with hyperkinetic syndrome becomes especially pronounced when
they are in socially challenging situations. This too is connected with
insufficient development of the
rhythmic system, resulting in insufficient connection and interpenetration of
the head and limb forces: The rhythmic system, which provides for a “breathing,
resonating” kind of understanding,
becomes “fragmented” by limb forces and impulses that take on a life of their
own. The other children in a group as well as their parents are soon aware of
this and need to feel that their
situation is understood by the doctor in detailed consultations. The hyperactive
children themselves also suffer, however, feeling overwhelmed by their own
limbs and their spontaneous actions.
In the metabolic area (just as in
children with food intolerances), one should be especially watchful for a
labile blood sugar curve. Otto Wolff (36) points to the fundamental importance
of the
carbohydrate metabolism in
hyperkinetic children. Many of them display a marked lability of the blood
sugar level, which can lead to corresponding hunger phases (primarily in the
a.m.) with
increased sugar consumption and
correspondingly greater, reactive blood sugar vacillations. Diet and medication
can be effective here.
• It must be borne in mind that by
its very nature, will-life proceeds without memory, comparison or plan; it
moves from the now towards the future. In order for this to occur,
the past must be forgotten. In a child who is carried away by his will,
this means that the function of conscience can be suppressed and things of
value from the past can be destroyed
without any feelings of regret or
guilt. Even an ability to lie without a bad conscience stems from the
unbalanced dominance of the will-life. At any moment, however, this state can
switch to feelings of regret or
guilt once the “intoxication of movement” has passed.
A crucial factor in hyperactivity is
the child's relationship to the father: Is he present? Is he active in their
lives? As a man, by constitution his role lies in the use of his limb forces;
the more harmoniously he does this and models it, the more positive the effect
on the child. It is very important to bring the father into the child's
upbringing in an appropriate way.
Ergotherapy, artistic therapies,
curative education, school-preparatory work in small groups should always be
considered and -most importantly- implemented at the right moment. How deeply
they can change the constitution
depends on the time of their use. The aim is to enable the rhythmic system to
mature in the second seven-year period, and in hyperkinetic children the ground
must be prepared for this
(particularly at pre-school age). An especially significant aid to children
with constitutional ADHD is offered by therapeutic eurythmy (see below), which
can be
received quite positively when it is
carried out correctly.
Concentration and perseverance is
best learnt by these children through meaningful physical activity (they can
become very skilled and engaged in this area, e.g. in handicrafts).
Constitutional
remedies can have a decisive effect
on the symptoms. A selection of important remedies is presented below.
Overview of therapy options with
anthroposophical and homeopathic remedies
Aurum/Stibium/Hyoscyamus ‡ Basic
therapy ‡
Sulphur ‡ Dominance
of the metabolism; egocentric ‡
Magnesite ‡ Irritable/aggressive
pre-school child; (Mag-c.) short and thin, tends to abdominal colics, restless
sleep ‡
Calcium phosphoricum ‡ Weakness of rhythmic
system, dissatisfaction and frustration ‡
Carcinosinum ‡ Frustration
at academic failure, unmotivated, restless ‡
Belladonna ‡ Strong
awareness, uncontrolled emotional impulses ‡
Stramonium ‡ Split
between anxiety and aggression ‡
Veratrum ‡ Over-excitability;
circulatory and vegetative lability (renal/adrenal weakness) ‡
Lycopodium ‡ Anxious/bullying
behavior; digestive weakness ‡
Mercurius ‡ Inaccessible,
restless, tendency to purulence ‡
Bryophyllum ‡ Difficulty
falling asleep ‡
Argentum nitricum ‡ Haste and
drivenness ‡
Tarantula ‡ Extreme,
destructive hyperactivity, overwhelming urge to move ‡
Tuberculinum ‡ Extreme,
destructive hyperactivity, susceptibility to infections ‡
Agaricus ‡ Tics,
hyperactivity, mild impairments of the CNS ‡
Zincum ‡ Competency
deficits, unrest, distractibility, impairments of the CNS ‡
If the diagnostic process does not
directly point towards a single remedy, it is advisable to begin treatment with
a broadly acting anthroposophical composite remedy. In cases of constitutional
hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD), a
remedy suitable for basic treatment is:
Aurum/Stibium/Hyoscyamus comp. Glob.
WALA 5 – 10 globuli 2 – 3x day,
especially for children who are
• hyperactive/driven, and at the
same time
• aggressive and
• prone to rivalries and physical
confrontations.
One of the "early composite
remedies developed on an anthroposophical basis by the physicians' circle
around Ita Wegman, MD, at the Klinisch-Therapeutisches Institut” (in the
present form
since 1935); the aim was to create a
remedy that stimulates the rhythmic system to overcome "one-sided
tendencies" in both the nerve-sense system and the metabolic-limb system.
To this end
gold, antimony and extracts of
Hyoscyamus (henbane) are potentized together to create a new whole. The gold
component (equivalent to D 10 in the final remedy) addresses the heart and
circulatory system, strengthens
wakeful day-consciousness and -as abundant experience has shown- is
particularly effective in cases where the child has too little exposure to the
father.
Antimony (D 8) helps give structure to
metabolic processes (e.g. promoting blood-clotting) as well as to mental life
(psychiatrically valuable when the mind is flooded with an uncontrollable
mass of chaotic contents).
Hyoscyamus, in the potency used here (equivalent to a D 5), impedes compulsive
impulses from passing directly into movement and promotes the development of
the rhythmic system (cf. the
toxicity of this solanacean alongside of its rhythmically structured form). The
action of this remedy includes a mildly antidepressive component that is
helpful to
many of these children.
Use of this introductory therapy
stimulates the rhythmic system, and many children and families report feeling
an unmistakable beneficent effect from it; at the same time it gives the
physician
time to get to know child and
parents better and carry out the next therapeutic steps and conversations.
In the authors' experience, the
following single remedies are the primary ones suitable for further
individualizing the treatment. The potencies indicated are those commonly used;
in individual
cases, when the remedy is a good
match but its action is insufficient, a higher (or lower) potency may lead to
success:
Sulphur D12 Glob. (various
manufacturers), LM6 – LM12 Dil. starting with 1 glob./drop daily and increasing
if possible to 5 glob./drops daily. In case of pronounced reactions,
discontinue,
decrease frequency or dilute with
water.
It is telling that sulphur in
mineral form is completely combustible and in its elemental form is involved in
numerous metabolic processes. Sulphur, which is released chiefly by volcanoes
from
whence it enters the biosphere,
always has to do with life and movement in nature. Potentized sulphur has a
fundamental regulating action when the metabolic-limb system and the will-life
associated with it gain too much
independence from the soul life. Characteristics of children who benefit from
this remedy are:
• a remedy for boys
• body build tends to be slender;
pronounced postural weakness
• intelligent but lazy. Seeks out
disputes, likes to argue. Absorbs much in school despite chatting and appearing
uninterested.
• socially awkward, makes hurtful
remarks, puts off others with arbitrary self-centered behavior; at the same
time naïve and gullible (these children are not really hard to understand)
• handwriting nearly illegible,
notebook disorderly, e.g. may be spotted with fat; child cannot (and will not)
keep order; possessions are quickly broken (= high material "turnover
rate”!)
• typically display intolerable
behavior when hungry, improving immediately on eating; craving for sweet foods
(markedly improved by remedies); tendency to hypoglycemic phases in
the 2nd seven-year period with behavior problems markedly
increasing in late morning (around 11h.).
Medical history may show multiple
allergies and descending respiratory infections (frequently treated with
antibiotics); hence attention should be given to possible disturbance of
intestinal
flora (candidiasis). Eating a
sufficiently sturdy breakfast -ideally based on oak flakes- is beneficial (and
not only for this type of constitution).
Magnesite D6 - 12 Trit. WELEDA 1 pea-sized
portion 3x or 1 – 2x day
is an important and potent
constitutional remedy particularly at kindergarden and pre-school age. Like
sulphur, it addresses primarily the life-organization - the child's etheric
body.
Magnesite also most suitable for
boys. These children "stick out" because of their willful behavior
and their physical and emotional assimilation problems. One gets the impression
of a stunted
etheric organization with poorly
developed coherence. Let it be recalled here that magnesium in living organisms
plays a crucial role in the absorption of sunlight (chlorophyll), making it a
central element in the development
of an independent etheric organization and the capacity for growth and
assimilation. Leading symptoms for the application of this remedy are:
• children are short-statured and
thin, especially in the first year of life
• will not eat before 9 – 10 o'clock
in the morning
• in most cases do not like
vegetables (greens!)
• bristly, contrary, irritable,
oversensitive
• seek argument
• tendency to abdominal colics and
acidic-smelling diarrhea
• frequently restless sleep
• in many cases such children suffer
from family discord themselves.
Calcium phosphoricum D12, C12 Glob. (var.
manufacturers)
5 glob. in the morning
Indicated for both sexes. Here the
hyperactivity takes the form of a chronic (frustrated) dissatisfaction. Calc-p.
is combined from two polar components corresponding to the condition of
continuous conflict found of these
patients between the nervous system and the metabolic-limb system. Notable
traits are:
• continual dissatisfaction. The
children constantly compare themselves with others and are very worried that
they will be negatively judged (chiefly in regard to intelligence and looks).
They themselves are very critical of
others and express it. They want to be good -perhaps even the best?- but generally are not. Bursts of rage result
from this inner dissatisfaction and
are manifested around learning
difficulties. They are not very creative themselves and thus are dependent on
others, yet they do not behave in a way that generates much sympathy.
• the soul life with its catabolic
action does not unite in a positive way with the metabolic-limb system,
resulting in:tendency to belly aches and growing pains; poor and fluctuating
appetite; inability to fall asleep
until late at night; additionally in the 2nd seven-year period, a tendency to
headaches triggered by physical and mental exertion.
• tendency to disorders in region of
the cervical spine as well as development of idiopathic scoliosis (girls)—also
an expression of poor integration of the upper and lower person in the
rhythmic region. In older children,
the motor unrest can find an outlet in prolonged athletic activities; quite
often with this constitution, impairments of the growth plates are observed
(Apatite D6 is beneficial here.).
• during puberty initial signs of restrictive
anorexia may appear.
Painting therapy can be very helpful
for children with this constitution in the 2nd seven-year period.
Carcinosinum C30, 200 Glob (var. manufacturers),
single doses
is an important remedy in
differential therapy with calcium phosphoricum; one should not fail to consider
its use. Here too we see a primary weakness of the rhythmic system. The
children in
question are fundamentally ambitious
in the aims they set themselves (which are often unconsciously adopted from
others), but lacks the energy to achieve them. Feeling disappointed by the
world around them, they continually
drive themselves into a corner. Striking symptoms are:
• profound restlessness and poor
concentration, coupled with
• a mood of pronounced frustration
and lack of motivation which cannot be dispelled
• they work hard without
satisfactory results until they reach
the point where they stop doing anything for school.
• they have great difficulty
undertaking anything on their own initiative and need a social context in order
to become active. They attach great importance to acceptance by their peer
group and like to travel.
This remedy is also indicated for
both sexes.
Belladonna Rh D20 Dil WELEDA 5 drops 1 x day
is among the remedies (along with
Hyoscyamus and Stramonium) whose indications include aggressive behavioral
disorders. In relation to ADHD, the ADADHThe following characteristics
are typical:
• early awakening of consciousness;
children who listen to the doctor in conversation; one can speak with them:
intelligent children!
• they become aware of their
tendency to uncontrolled behavior at an early age without being able to control
it
• they tend to have acute attacks of
rage (similarly, they suddenly develop high fevers during acute infections) with
biting (chiefly in young children), hitting as well as
autoaggressive behavior. Many of their illnesses occur in attacks, with
pain occurring as acute colic pains
• they hate being touched -on the
head- and any kind of wrapping or constriction
• they develop fears—fear of
thunderstorms, dogs (a fear of being attacked the way they might attack
others!), water and the dark.
As much as these children reject
touch, diapers and tenderness in the daytime, two hours after falling asleep
they may run to their parents' bed in a sweat: When the life-organization
expands
upwards in sleep and the soul
releases its hold, the child enters a crisis of neediness. The soul of these
children does not unite harmoniously with their own body and surroundings,
instead
appearing suddenly and
overpoweringly like a demon ready to pounce (cf. the toxic process of the
deadly nightshade): The children are carried away by it without being able to
guide the
process. In these cases Belladonna
is a very important constitutional remedy—it is a mistake to reserve Belladonna
for acute illnesses only.
Stramonium D12 Glob. (var. manufacturers),
5 glob. 1 – 2x daily.
The doctor’s first meeting with the
child provides a characteristic indication for this remedy:
• child generally displays adapted
behavior in the consultation room, but avoids eye contact or a direct meeting;
shies away out of apparent uncertainty and anxiety; may stutter; acute
illnesses
may take an intense course leading to spasms of the respiratory tract.
• in the home, anxiety is also
noticed by the parents at bedtime (especially the need for light when falling
asleep, fear of being alone)
• this is paired with sudden,
unmediated aggressivity that may be quite intense (as with Belladonna), but the
child is less aware of it—the adapted side knows nothing of the
uncontrolled, aggressive
side, resulting in a Dr. Jekill-and-Mr.-Hyde type of split: the nerve-sense and
metabolic-limb systems become dissociated
• attention is more obviously
impaired than in Belladonna
In this difficult situation,
Stramonium is a potent remedy that is effective in complementary therapy of
ADHD. Regarding the use of Hyoscyamus in
ADHD, the authors use it essentially
as a component of the composite
remedy Aurum/Stibium/ Hyoscyamus described above; as a single remedy (Rh D6 Dil
WELEDA) it is important in treating forms of epilepsy associated with
ADHD-type symptoms.
Veratrum album
e rad. D12 – D30 Glob WALA 5
glob. 1 x day or single doses
is another important single remedy
(a native poisonous plant). Interestingly, its blossom blends from dirty white
into the green of the foliage with unusually little differentiation (the
blossoms
are relatively inconspicuous), while
the root -well-developed for a plant of the lily family- is permeated with a
powerful toxic process that causes metabolic collapse in the human being.
These patients (cf. the hypotonic,
vegetatively labile type) seem to be insecurely anchored in their own body,
circulatory system and metabolism and attempting to compensate for this by
constant motor unrest. The gesture
of these children is one of boundless overflowing sympathy, manifested in
• wanting to grasp, touch, hug and
kiss everything
• feeling very nervous and inwardly
driven
• show a pronounced liking for sour food
(which stimulates astral activity in the digestion)
• strong motoricity alongside of
tendency to cool extremities and quickly developing peripheral cyanosis
• at the same time they show a
liking for cold foods ("The symptom cold is characteristic of all effects
of Veratrum," says J. T. Kent in his introduction)
• intense abdominal colics,
vomiting, diarrhea and (in girls) dysmenorrhea always associated with
circulatory weakness and coldness all show that the soul organization -the
astral body-
does not "feel at home" in
this area and cannot integrate positively with the metabolic-limb organization
External applications for these
children should focus especially on the kidneys. We recommend application of
Kupfer-Salbe (rot) WALA or Cuprum
met. 0.4% Ointment Weleda in the evening
in the kidney region to stimulate
spasmolysis and more harmonious interaction of soul and body in the circulation
and metabolism.
Lycopodium D12 – C30 – C200 Glob (var.
manufacturers)
5 glob. 1 x day or single doses
is indicated in cases of primary
metabolic weakness: These children are generally frail, develop slowly, quickly
feel sated at meals, do not like to chew and crave sweet foods; breaking-down
processes in the upper abdomen are
deficient, resulting in a tendency to bloating and constipation as well as a
high frequency of allergies. The chief liability here on the attention is
chronic
stuffy nose, which -like the
digestive condition- can be improved medicinally. This remedy is helpful for
• boys
• who are clingy to their mothers
but need validation from their peers;
• are afraid when alone and may
sleep with a sibling to avoid being alone;
• prefer to hide their weaknesses,
• yet are ambitious, expecting a
great deal of themselves or having the feeling that others do.
The hyperactivity is moderate,
taking the rather subliminal form of nervous unrest with attentional weakness
due to metabolic weakness and inner nervous tension. It is important to air the
issue of parental expectations and
to include the father in this discussion. Supportive measures for these
children are yarrow compresses on the liver, adequate fluid intake and use of
Hepatodoron Tbl. WELEDA for
regulation.
The chief metallic remedies for ADHD
are:
Mercurius vivus/solubilis D15 Trit
WELEDA/Glob. DHU
1 pea-sized portion/5 glob. 1 – 2x
daily,
higher potencies also possible
Potentized mercury is helpful mainly
when:
• children are “inaccessible” to the
doctor,
• they get out of every rule,
"slipping through" everywhere,
• they have a tendency to purulent
inflammations,
• hyperactivity is pronounced.
One may have the impression that the
rhythmic system is becoming independent of the calming/guiding function of the
nerve-sense system (cf. Steiner's description in the Curative Eurythmy
course. When difficulty falling
asleep is also an issue, this points to
Bryophyllum Mercurio cultum D2 or Rh D3 Dil WELEDA, 7 – 10
drops 2x daily
On the other hand, silver nitrate
Argentum nitricum LM12 Dil Arcana, 5 drops daily
is indicated when the nerve-sense
system does not exert a calming and guiding action in the organism but produces
instead an undirected catabolic tension. This will be manifested in that the
child
• constantly feels driven and
restless;
• loves movement in the fresh air,
external cooling
• suffers from nervous anticipation
• tries to compensate with sugar
consumption, which only further aggravates the nervousness (variable blood
sugar level)
Extreme and destructive forms of
hyperactive behavior point to
Tarantula hispanica LM12 Dil Arcana, C12 – C200
Glob. (var. manufacturers) 5
drops/day or single doses
Derived from a poisonous spider, the
Spanish tarantula, and exerts an exciting action on the rhythmic system. It is
suitable for girls and boys with pronounced constitutional ADHD:
They appear constitutionally strong
and have inexhaustible energy which enables them to blithely ignore all inner
and outer obstacles, as immediately becomes clear at the doctor's office:
• they like to dance and climb
• they can behave deviously and even
deceitfully, stealing and breaking things
• they are constantly asking for
attention
• reprimands are manifestly
pointless and make no impression on these children
• a point to note: they may be
subject to fear of spiders and insects
• in the respiratory realm one
sometimes notes the development of stuttering and asthma
An indispensable remedy in the
treatment of hyperactive children is the homeopathic nosode
Tuberculinum Koch (old) LM12 Dil Arcana,
C30 – 200 Glob. Gudjons, 3 – 5
drops/day or single doses
Physically one very often notes a
chronic susceptibility of the respiratory passages, particularly in the middle
ear and lungs; behaviorally one is struck by a
• cold-blooded destructiveness: No
object of value is safe from these children; without qualms they will smash a
beautiful vase before the eyes of its owner, or a friend's toys - or, just
as soon, one of their own favorite
possessions!
• punishments have no effect at all
• they are highly intelligent and in
many cases artistically disposed
• they are unable to remain in one
place for long and love to travel
DD.: Tarantula hispanica children,
these children appear to act in a more skillfull, controlled and considered
manner. They are capable of deceiving adults, while the tarantula types
typically follow their own impulses
thoughtlessly.
DD.: In conclusion, we shall mention
two more remedies for ADHD which are indicated when the symptoms appear in
combination with other disorders (nervous system).
Agaricus muscarius D10 – D30 Dil. WELEDA/Glob (var.
manufacturers), 5 drops/glob. 1 x daily or single doses
The fly agaric mushroom has been
used in many parts of the world as an intoxicant. The symptoms it evokes are
similar to those of ADHD. As a potentized remedy, Agaricus should be
considered particularly for:
• tics associated with ADHD or
resulting from treatment with stimulants
• risky, impulsive and erratic but
essentially well-intentioned behavior
• these children wish to be helpful
and good
• in fits of rage they can display
tremendous strength
The anamnesis may reveal prior
injury to nervous system (in this case Steiner attributed great therapeutic
significance to Agaricus); clinically as well, these children give the
impression of
having a neurological inhibition
deficit.
Zincum met. praep. D10 – D20 Dil.
WELEDA 5 drops x in the afternoon/evening, poss. also externally as Zincum met.
0.1% Ungt. WELEDA, apply to forehead in the morning
Potentized zinc is of chief
therapeutic value in cases where the formation of the nervous system has been
impaired through such factors as extremely premature birth or a convulsive
disorders,
and competency deficits are
prominently in evidence. The symptoms of these children are:
• very easily distracted, fidgety
and restless
• memory is weak and judgment
uncertain
• over-excited states alternate with
stuporous inactivity
• make frequent slips speaking and
writing
• subject to the familiar „restless
legs” syndrome (Zinc-valer. is indicated here as well), especially in bed
before sleep.
Potentized phosphorus is not used by
the authors for children with manifest hyperactivity, as this remedy very often
has an aggravating action in ADD + H. The situation is different in
dominant attention deficit without
hyperactivity (see below).
Therapeutic Eurythmy
Hyperactive children demonstrate an
obvious liking for therapeutic eurythmy exercises and often experience them as
beneficial. Waldorf Schools provide the opportunity for therapeutic
eurythmy to take place during the
school day. The proven approach is to conduct it in the mid-afternoon—at first
every day if possible, later less frequently. Before commencement of therapy
it is vital that the physician and
therapist reach a thorough common understanding. The therapist herself should
radiate confidence, joy in movement and a certain willingness to experiment.
Hyperactive children often appear
unprotected, exposed defenselessly to their environment and its influences
without any ability to come to peace or feel at home within themselves. As an
introductory exercise, the rhythmic
system can be stimulated by expansion and contraction. Basic vowel exercises
with U (oo) and A (ah) then follow: First one can take the U upwards “to the
stars” and then down to about
heart-level. Then one can make the transition to the A, letting it radiate out
as it rises upwards: The inner sensation is one of growing brighter; the A
promotes
the connection of the soul with the
body—the internalization of the soul-spiritual individuality.
The first therapeutic eurythmy
exercise ever indicated by Steiner was for children who became “more and more
fidgety” until their teacher was at a loss what to do (39). For this he
recommends a specially executed
A-exercise, the “fidget iambus” (39). Among consonant exercises, the B provides
a sheath and a boundary, control of nervousness and motor unrest. It can be
helpful for the patient to picture a
coat of “blue armor” around himself during the exercise. The B can be
intensified by the P-gesture; a further complement (important with aggressive,
hurtful
behaviour) is the S. A sound
sequence appropriate for children with clearly hyperkinetic behavior is:
MNBPAU, known as the “calming sequence.”
Another important and proven benefit
comes from offering therapeutic eurythmy to the parents as well. Parents find
it a great relief when they no longer get upset at their children, where
formerly they might turn into a copy
of their “little dictator.” Appropriate exercises for this purpose are
“Steadfast I stand in existence” and “I think speech.” Like the others, these
exercises
must be learned with the help of a
trained eurythmy therapist and practiced every day. Only a few minutes are
needed, however, and the effects will be directly experienced and will radiate
out into the life of the family.
2.3. Attention and Concentration
Disorders without Hyperactivity (ADD) (Competency and Learning Disorders)
Definition and Basic Therapy
Today this concept embraces early
childhood brain function disorders, specific learning disorders and attention
deficit disorders in the narrow sense; the concept of ADD without
hyperactivity is “problematic” as to
its scientific validity (cf. (40)). Diagnostically the concept is inadequate
and needs to be made concrete in individual cases. Differing figures are given
for
the ratio of boys to girls, while in
practice the sexes are equally affected—in complete contrast to hyperkinetic
syndrome. The underlying reasons for attentional and concentrational weakness
may be:
• constitutionally slow development
• seasonally decreased concentration
due to light deficiency (winter)
• disorders of the senses and the
nerve-sense system) (classical “competency deficit” disorders)
• disorders affecting drive / will
life
• over-demand by school or parents
(inaccurate estimation of child’s developmental needs)
as well as the aspects mentioned
initially as having significance in differential diagnosis. Another important
element is that the unusual behavior is continual and does arise reactively.
At the same time excessive academic
demand can become manifest in a relatively acute way—e.g., after a school
change. Premature children born before the 32nd week of pregnancy often
present a spotty nerve-sense
competency picture that defies easy classification; they frequently have
difficulties integrating and processing their perceptions, while quite often
there is also a
short attention span with a
metabolic background.
The following section presents in
detail the possibilities for treatment with anthroposophical and homeopathic
remedies—many of them not well-known. In addition we refer the reader to the
literature cited at the end.
A good basic therapy for children
suffering from disorders of attention and concentration is the anthroposophical
composite remedy developed by K. Magerstädt:
Kalium phosphoricum comp. Tbl.
WELEDA 1 – 2 tbl. in the morning and 1 tbl. at noon before meals.
Potassium phosphate has an action
relating to the liver/gall bladder system; it opens the metabolism in the
morning to the catabolic processes (linked with phosphates) that are necessary
for
consciousness—for processes of
“inner light formation.”
Indicated for all children who:
• display “lack of energy” for
attention and mental processes and quickly become exhausted by mental activity
(and “turn off”)
• fail to become adequately awake in
the morning
• appear exhausted when they are
first seen by the doctor due to the long history of their troubles
• develop mental blocks and
headaches from extended mental exertion
Aurum met. praep. D10 and has a mild
antidepressive and energizing action (cf. above). It also contains a
low-potency iron-sulphur-quartz preparation (corresponding to the WELEDA’s
Kephalodoron) which stimulates incorporation
of iron into the digestion and metabolism and thus indirectly has an energizing
action. The remedy has a broad and reliable action and is
ideal as the initial remedy of a
treatment.
For a certain number of these
children, an effective complement will be found in the organ preparation
Glandulae suprarenalis comp. Glob.
WALA 5 – 10 glob. morning and noon.
This chiefly stimulates renal
function and the day phase of the liver metabolism (cf. also children with
vegetative lability and hypotonic circulation) and is also suitable as an
initial treatment.
Finally, extracts of rose blossoms,
Rose Elixir WALA 1 tsp. 3x daily
right before meals
provides highly effective support
for which is expressly appreciated by many children with attention and concentration
disorders. It is suitable even for small children (extreme prematurity)
action with:
• unrest and reduced attention span
• low mental endurance and
conditions of mental exhaustion
• tendency to tension headaches
The blossom of the cultivated rose,
whose color, fragrance and harmonious form affect the soul so positively, is
the product of human cultivation. In this process, vegetative vitality has been
transformed into a substance that is
devoted wholly to “ensouled” nature and has meaning only in this context.
A similar process must be performed
by the human organism in order to make thought processes possible—it is no
accident that north of the Alps, rose cultivation was first practiced in the
monasteries. The indication for
administering Rose Elixir is to promote calm concentration on a thought.
One general therapeutic option for
children with simple ADD without hyperactivity is offered by low potencies of
Coffea, a plant which itself synthesizes a substance with a stimulating
action: caffeine.
Coffea D3 or D4 Dil (var.
manufacturers) 5 – 10 drops 2x daily (morning and noon/afternoon)
can markedly improve attention and
concentration in these children while avoiding the undesirable effects of
substantial stimulants. Here again, the underlying principle of action is that
of
stimulation, not of substantial
substitution.
When the background of the ADD
symptoms lies in disorders of the nervous system (e.g. sequelae of cerebral
hemorrhage, early childhood epilepsy) with competency deficits, Arnica can be
of comprehensive benefit to the
nervous system, particularly in the form of an oil-dispersion bath (developed
by Junge; information provided by WALA as the manufacturer of the oils):
Arnica e flor. W 5% Oleum WALA, 3 –
5 ml/full bath
Internal remedies for this
indication, with a view towards stimulating maturation of the nervous system,
are:
Arnica D10 – D30 Glob., 5 glob. 5 x
day – 2x weekly in the morning
Hypophysis/Stannum Glob. WALA 5
glob. in the morning
Amnion Gl. D30 Amp. WALA
0.5 ml daily – 1 ml 2x weekly in the
evening
When the child seems "too weak
to think by himself" and process what he has experienced, Arnica can be
replaced with
Calcium silicicum comp. D6 Dil.
WELEDA
5 drops 3 x daily,
a mineral composition which also
contains constituents of Arnica; it deepens and prolongs the action of Arnica.
Individual Therapy Options with
Single Remedies
Helleborus niger LM6 Dil Arcana, D12
Glob. WALA
5 drops daily / 5 glob. 1 – 2x day
is the most important homeopathic
single remedy for ADD. Interestingly, the winter-blooming Christmas Rose forms
high concentrations of Beta-Ecdysone, a substance that is important as
an inducer of metamorphosis in
animate organisms (in hormonally active fine concentrations)—e.g. the
metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. Its possible function in the
maturation of
the nervous system is being explored
(personal communication from Dr. Schlodder, of the company Helixor). Helleborus
niger is indicated when the nervous system fails to develop adequately as the
instrument of consciousness (a disorder of organ development and
metamorphosis):
• the children appear absent,
"spaced out"
• sensory impressions are
insufficiently processed (disorders of central perception processing)
• intelligence may be impaired,
possibly as a result of inflammatory and traumatic pathologies of the CNS
• no hyperactivity is present, but
symptoms < from anticipation anxiety (e.g. exam anxiety)
• memory is weak; the children have
trouble committing things to memory
Contrasting with this picture, there
is the type of the intellectually bright child who tends to be delicate and
mobile by constitution, sanguine by temperament and empathetic by nature. These
generally artistically gifted
children have a basic tendency towards distractibility. Their attention and
concentration problems set in primarily during the light-deprived season, at
which time
they are also more susceptible to
infections, particularly of the respiratory passages. In this case,
Phosphor LM6 Dil Arcana in the
morning,
beginning with 1 – 2 drops daily and
increasing to
5 drops daily if no unrest sets in
offers an effective constitutional
remedy: Phosphorus enables these children to be mentally present and their
susceptibility to infection decreases markedly. This treatment can be
complemented with evening
embrocations of the back or oil-dispersion baths with Hypericum oil during the
light-deprived season.
Chiefly among girls, one observes a type
of temperamentally phlegmatic child who seems to go into “hibernation” during
the cold season. Such children are also prone to seasonally aggravated
attention and concentration
impairment related to light deprivation. Regardless of season, they would most
prefer to sit in front of the television and eat. They like to move about in
the water,
which gives them buoyancy (they love
trips to the swimming pool). Overall their development is steady although it
may be slow. Under present-day schooling conditions these children may
stand out primarily because they:
• seem absent and dreamy
• forget homework and fail to
properly note assignments
• appear heavy and sluggish in their
movement
• take a long time with every task
and have great difficulty getting started
In the warm season they are much
more active, get more exercise outside and also develop more mental activity
and flexibility. In many cases one of the parents recalls having once had
similar
traits themselves, or may still
manifest a certain sluggishness and phlegmatic temperament. Even so, the
continuity of their development_their health_is always clearly recognizable;
their
problem of one of adaptation to
their environment and to specific seasonal conditions. An effective remedy in
these cases is
Calcium carbonicum LM6 Dil. Arcana,
5 drops 2 – 3 x day
Possible complements to this
treatment are phytotherapeutic doses of St. John’s Wort extracts, e.g. Hyperforate,
10 – 15 drops 2x daily
and insistence on sufficient outdoor
physical activity -while the sun is shining- even in the cold season.
If weakness of memory in an ADD
child stems from lack of interest –seemingly unwillingness to pay adequate
attention and poor memory in spite of ability- then
Cuprum sulfuricum D6 Dil. WELEDA 5
drops 3 x daily
can put the child in a receptive and
at the same time relaxed state.
Children who are markedly
• strong-willed, but at the same
time
• mentally lazy
can be stimulated towards greater
attention and mental order by administering
Stibium met. praep. D6 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip 3x daily
Additionally, Sulphur D12 Trit.
WELEDA,
1 knife-tip in the morning and
Stibium met. 0.4% Ointment WELEDA
1 pea-sized dab applied to the
forehead.
Equisetum limosum – Rubellite D6
Dil. WELEDA
5 drops 2 – 3 x daily
is indicated for children who
manifest weakness of the I-organization: They appear slightly sad and depressed
and have great difficulty starting a task_they can’t ”get going” or “muster the
will” to begin.
Acidum phosphoricum D12 Glob. (var.
manufacturers)
5 glob. in the morning, possibly
also at noon,
is indicated for children who are
quickly exhausted mentally:
• headaches and thirst after school
are a leading symptom of this constitution. These children are also prone to
allergic rhinitis -in some cases perennial- hich in turn further
impairs their attention and concentration.
Children who
• manifest difficulties with
arithmetic and logical thought but
have no other difficulties -with reading and writing- benefit from
treatment with potentized natural calcium phosphate (apatite) and tin:
Apatite D12 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
and
Stannum met. praep. D12 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the evening
as well as
Stannum met. 0.4% ointment WELEDA
apply a pea-sized amount to forehead
in the morning
A deep-acting metallic remedy to
stimulate differentiated thought processes is silver antimonide (dyscrasite).
The essential action of potentized antimony is to promote structuring processes
in the organism, while silver in
high potency has the power to stimulate the vitality of the nervous system.
Dyscrasite D30 Dil. WELEDA, 5 drops
in the evening,
is indicated for children who
• have an attention deficit and
mental weakness
• tend to be clumsy and
undifferentiated in fine motor behavior
These children also benefit greatly
from learning to play a musical instrument (flute) which also supports mental
development (important in the second seven-year period).
In contrast, lead in the form of
Plumbum met. praep. D10 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
is indicated for children who are
• large-headed, with hints of
hydrocephalus, and at the same time physically slender
• markedly retarded in mental
development
• late with toilet training in many
cases and slow to catch up developmentally
Children with Disorders of the
Craniocervical Transition
Pathogenetic Connections
From osteopathy and craniosacral
therapy we know that the transition from the posterior skull base to the
cervical spine in the human being is very sensitive and susceptible to
impairment.
As background to this issue, it must
be recalled that the entire connection of the osseous skull and the vertebral
column -derived from the chorda dorsalis- is an oscillating system of more or
less mobile osseous structures. In
the region of the craniocervical transition, the capacity for oscillation and
rhythm is subjected to great stress in neonates and infants (particularly by
the birth
process), frequently resulting in
pathological deformation due to vertebral body displacement, impairment of
normal mobility of the vertebral joints, as well as congenital disorders.
Scientific studies confirm today
that this region is particularly susceptible to impairment in the first six
months of life_in certain cases it may also be linked to Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome
(SIDS), the incidence of which
increases four-fold in children who sleep on their stomach, i.e. with heads
sharply turned. Blood supply to the brain is dependent to a considerable extent
on
the vertebral arteries, and these
can be significantly irritated by impaired balance, vertebral body
displacements, as well as impaired mobility in the cervical spine/skull base
area.
From the embryological point of
view, B. Christ speaks of the region of “the cervicooccipital transition as a
‘vital center’ of the human being”: The earliest embryonal vessels can be
detected
here; regulation of breathing and
circulation is localized in this region; and central formative processes of the
rhythmic system have their origin here—among others, the septation and crossing
of the outflow paths of the heart
and development of the intramural nerve plexus of the gastro-intestinal tract,
which enables peristalsis there. This underscores the importance of
understanding the spine, and
particularly the craniocervical transition, as a part of the rhythmic system:
Disorders of the vertebral column, of circulation and possibly of respiratory
regulation
and motor activity act directly on
one another here.
Clinically, the pathological picture
in question shows restricted rotation, palpable asymmetries of the uppermost
transverse processes of the cervical vertebral bodies and of the pulsations in
the
region of the cervical spine, as
well as asymmetries of the shoulder girdle. A mixed picture may arise with
painful tension of the cervical musculature alongside of relative muscular
hypotonia
in the vertebral sections beneath
them. Disorders may also affect tonus of the mimic musculature of the face and
jaw position. Ex juvantibus, the diagnosis is confirmed by the fact that after
appropriate treatment of the
cervical spine, the children’s behavior undergoes a marked improvement_in some
cases practically overnight.
In such disorders we recognize a
dissociation between head and body which requires further in-depth
anthroposophical study. The result of this dissociation is that the forces
emanating from
the head pole, which are responsible
for forming the body out of the soul-spiritual individuality of the child, are
unable to exert their full efficacy and penetrate the limbs. The will forces
that
have their primary action in the
limbs enter into a wrong relationship with the impulses from the head pole_they
fail to engage properly in the child’s organism. In the first seven-year
period,
however, the constituting process of
the organism is dependent on the metabolic-limb organization’s adapting itself
to the head-mediated formative impulses from the child’s higher self.
Therapeutic Options
are offered by practitioners of
osteopathy or craniosacral therapy who have undergone further training in child
neurology/orthopedics or have been trained in physical therapy on a
neurophysiological basis as well as
one of the therapeutic fields mentioned. Specific experience with children is
indispensable. The space between treatments should be at least 1 – 2 weeks. Any
positive effect should be recognizable within this time period.
This treatment can be supported and
stabilized medicinally by administration of
Disci comp. cum Argento Glob. WALA
3–5 glob. 2x daily for 3 – 6 weeks
Hypericum D12 Dil. WELEDA/DHU
3 – 5 drops 2x daily
For early diagnosis and therapy,
craniosacral therapy and osteopathy have a significant role to play_primarily
in ADHD, but also for any child with a problematic neonatological anamnesis:
In case after case one is struck by
the results of this treatment: Infants who formerly exhibited the classic early
symptoms_inexplicably long crying phases, motor unrest, eating, sleep and mood
disorders_become relaxed and calm
and find their way into very much better day/night and eating rhythms as well
as much more harmonious motor development.
2.5 Children with Vegetative
Lability and Labile Hypotonic Circulation
What is striking to the doctor about
this group of children is the instability of their rhythmic system:
• fluctuating, situationally and
positionally dependent disorders of warmth distribution with varying degrees of
pallor
• cool and sweaty extremities,
perspiration of vegetative origin, dermographism
• tendency to abdominal pain,
indefinable and changing unpleasant sensations, later headaches (tension
headache or migraine-like headaches)
• in some cases a complaining,
anxious state with little basic trust
• nervosity
These frequently-encountered
symptoms intensify markedly around the ninth year, during growth spurts and in
the pubertarian separation phase, and then may lead to manifest attention
disorders. Disorders of the
craniocervical transition can aggravate these symptoms (see above). As a rule,
impairment of attention and concentration is inconstant; among children prone
to
intense motor unrest, one can have
the impression that they are creating constant motor stimulation in order to
achieve adequate body tone (in cases of pronounced hyperkinetic symptoms,
cf. above, e.g. Veratrum album).
A basic therapy suitable for these
children is
Cardiodoron mite Dil. WELEDA. 5 – 15
drops 3 x daily.
Its stimulating action on the
rhythmic system is comprehensive, so it should not be thought of simply as a
“heart remedy”. This action gives it a broad and important indication
particularly for
the 2nd seven-year
period, since this is the age when the human rhythmic system undergoes its most
extensive development (lungs, heart/circulatory system, vertebral column).
Roughly half of
these children -primarily those with
combined weakness of the heart/circulatory system and the digestion- show
obvious benefit from simultaneous administration of the organ preparation
Glandulae suprarenales comp. Glob.
WALA
5 – 10 glob. 3 x daily.
The most important metallic remedy
for children of the type described here is potentized iron. If the symptoms
match the above description without hyperactivity or if one is dealing chiefly
with boys whose maturation in the
2nd seven-year period has been rather inhibited and who seem a bit “too soft,”
then
Ferrum met. praep. D10 – 12 Trit.
WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
Indicated when the problems arise in
the context of a growth spurt (the child grows too fast and mentally “nothing
works anymore”), an extract of blackthorn blossoms and shoots processed
and potentized together with iron
oxide has proven most effective and beneficial:
Prunuseisen Glob. WALA, 7 – 10 glob. 3 x daily
When the child is in a weakened
state due to prior illness or emotional issues, etc., or when there is a
tendency to hypotonia and latent depressive states, then a remedy combining
Prunuseisen
with Levico water and Hypericum is
more effective:
Levico comp. Glob. WALA, 5 – 10
glob. 2 – 3 x daily.
A broadly indicated remedy for
hypotonic circulation, attention and concentration deficit is
Skorodit
Kreislauf Glob. WALA, 10 glob. 2
– 3 x daily, primarily to be given in the morning and at noontime.
This composite remedy is based on
scorodite (iron orthoarsenate) complemented by Veratrum album and Prunus
spinosa. It is helpful primarily in puberty and adolescence -when a remedy is
needed for quick tonifying and
strengthening-. Appear without energy, sluggish and hypotonic, but not
off-putting or aggressive.
Cralonin Heel drops, 20 drops 2x
daily for school children
contains hawthorn extracts and thus
has a harmonizing and stabilizing effect on blood circulation. It is effective
in cases of orthostatic tendencies as well as anxiety and piercing chest pains
without specific cause, which are
not uncommon at this age.
Helpful non-medicinal therapy
options are rhythmical massage and therapeutic eurythmy (45) (in that order).
In this section focusing on therapy for
the rhythmic system, we must emphasize the overall importance of
• clear guidance and rhythmic
structuring of the child's day—particularly the morning and evening hours (cf.
also section 7.1)
• lots of outdoor exercise (in all
weather) and purposeful movement (engaging the child in house and garden work, riding,
etc.). Further suggestions are offered by Köhler (46).
2.6 Food intolerances
Over the last 20 years, Egger has
demonstrated convincingly in numerous publications that the behavior of a
portion of hyperkinetic children can be significantly improved by means of an
"oligoantigenic" diet.
Hypersensitivity to specific Hyfoods -primarily sugar, coloring agents and
preservatives and phosphate-rich foods- is different in each case.
Generally these are not classical
cases of allergy but intolerances ("idiosyncrasies") which have
remained unrecognized and cannot be detected until the chief incompatible foods
are
methodically excluded in the context
of an elimination diet and subsequently re-introduced on a trial basis. Thus
one can start with a basic diet that is known to be compatible and then step
by step re-introduce previously
eaten foods according to a set plan, thus recognizing incompatibilities. Sugar
and food additives are often found to aggravate the symptoms. At the same time
some patients have a craving for
incompatible foods—an aspect that has been studied from an anthroposophical
viewpoint by Otto Wolff; directly relevant indications can also be found in
the works of Rudolf Steiner.
Anthroposophical understanding
highlights the importance of spleen activity for complete assimilation of food
in the human organism. Steiner's picture of the significance and pathology of
this organ-activity is remarkably
congruent with what is observed in hyperkinetic children with food intolerances
and addiction to sweet or incompatible foods. This aspect also has therapeutic
implications (see below).
In practical terms, one may proceed
as follows with this group of patients:
• ascertain the compatible diet by
careful anamnesis, elimination diet and dietary counseling; this is time-consuming,
but absolutely essential for each child. N.B.:
The proof of a positive result is that it is experienced by parents,
teachers and the child.
• stool diagnosis (intestinal flora,
pancreatic function), promotion of symbiosis and mycosis treatment (if necessary).
• medicinal therapy addressing
particularly: food breakdown; border surface function of the intestinal mucosa;
liver and pancreas.
Sulphur LM6 Dil. Arcana, 5 drops in
the morning
is indicated chiefly for vacillating
blood sugar levels with the typical sudden sweet-craving and associated
aggravation of behavior. It can often rapidly stabilize the blood sugar level.
Cichorium/Pancreas comp. Glob.
WALA/Amp. WALA
7 glob. 3x daily/1 drink ampule
daily,
with its potentized antimony, has a
generally ordering effect on hyperkinetic children; similarly, the organ
preparation Pancreas has a positive action not only on the digestion but also
on blood
sugar regulation.
Lycopodium comp. Glob. WALA, 5 – 7
glob. 3x daily
indicated particularly when toxic
stress is a consideration.
Lien Gl D6 or Lien/Plumbum Amp. WALA
strengthens spleen function and the
immune system associated with the intestinal mucosa (ontogenetically related to
the spleen).
Spleen embrocation with Oxalis 10%
Ointment WELEDA,
Plumbum met. 0.1% Ointment WELEDA –
possibly in alternation with Cuprum met. 0.4% Ointment WELEDA
A midday nap with a warm liver
compress (e.g. yarrow tea) also has a beneficial action on the entire digestive
and metabolic function; it is supported by
Hepatodoron Tbl. WELEDA
1 tbl. after both lunch and dinner
[Georg Soldner/H. Michael Stellmann]
‡ The Role
of Stimulant Therapy
Stimulants
(e.g. Ritalin) do not heal—this must be recalled again and again. Stimulants
may be indicated in cases where in spite of all everything attempted the child
remains unreachable and socially isolated or unmanageable: in acute situations <
family, school or other circumstances. As a suppressive and perhaps
substitutive treatment, stimulants represent a therapeutic principle which is
completely comparable to steroid inhalation for bronchial asthma or longterm
antibiotic therapy for cystic fibrosis. Stimulants are an expression of the
power of modern scientific medicine: They put psychopharmaceutical drugs into
the hands of the child/adolescent psychiatrist that are comparable with those
of other medical specialties, thus increasing his or her status. This exerts a
seductive power while also posing the danger of therapeutic resignation. The
therapeutic goal particularly of pediatrics and anthroposophical medicine is
healing:
stimulation
of the living capacity for self-regulation, strengthening the forces of the
individual personality and
patiently
working through the child's limitations of body and soul.
The
alternative to stimulant therapy is to make an intensive diagnostic and
therapeutic effort for each single child.
It
requires a differentiated command of healing techniques and remedies, collaboration
with the family based on mutual
trust and
adjustment of the home and school environment in accordance with the child's
needs.
In severe
cases of hyperactivity, a boarding school for curative education may make a
critical difference during puberty.
The path
towards a pediatrics dedicated to the individual and to longterm healing
requires the resolution to abstain, if
at all
possible, from stimulant therapy. ‡