Natural Ways to Treat ADHD

Would you consider yourself to be a "free spirit"?

Perhaps you have trouble sticking with things, such as relationships, jobs, or even where you live.

That's how Brian Leaf lived for the first part of his life. He jumped from place to place, job to job.

And, he truly just thought he was a free spirit. Upon working with a therapist, however, he found out that he was actually suffering from ADD.

ADD/ADHD individuals are oftentimes very creative and free, just like Brian. The problem arises when this free-spiritedness gets in the way of certain things you want in life.

So, what's a person to do about all this?

When addressing ADD, the goal is not to "cure" it and become the same type of person as everyone else. Rather, you aim to take advantage of your symptoms, such as creativity, flexibility and adaptability (just to name a few), while still being able to function within the life experiences of work, family, etc.

Ayurveda was helpful to Brian for putting his ADD symptoms in check, as was meditation and yoga.

With the prevalence of ADD and ADHD these days, is it because more people are experiencing ADD and related disorders, or is it just because the methods of "spreading the word," such as social media, are that much more widespread?

Brian's opinion is that it's a combination of both of those things. We're more aware and open to conditions like ADD than people were 50-100 years ago, when folks were just labeled in a certain way with no understanding. Now, we have ways to rise above that and deal with symptoms in a more caring, knowledgeable manner.

However, it IS possible that certain things in our environment are increasing the prevalence of these types of conditions.

The important thing is to recognize these conditions DO exist, and that once diagnosed, you can rise above your own struggle through things like yoga, meditation and Ayurveda.

That doesn't mean that these holistic practices are the end-all, be-all solution. For those like Brian who suffer from ADD, sometimes a 30-minute meditation can be an invitation for your mind to go bonkers. That's when you may need a more body-centered solution, or even some sort of therapy or guidance.

Tune in as Brian joins Andrea and Lisa to share his own struggles with ADD, as well as helpful ways to address ADD/ADHD and related conditions in an effective manner.