Beyond Medication: Enhancing Focus in Attention Deficit

Ethan was seven years old when his mother brought him into the office. She was in tears. She had collapsed under the school pressure. And put Ethan on medication for attention deficit disorder because he was not able to pay attention in class. But he still had issues. The school told her they would not allow him back to class if he wasn’t given more medication. Then they threatened to put him in a “special” program. She didn’t want to do it, but she didn’t know what else to do.

We think of the brain as our thinking computer that takes in all the information around us. What we often don’t consider is that the brain is mostly a filter. But the brain filters our more than 90% of all the information coming into our eyes, ears, and sense organs. This is because the brain is like a stage which only allows one act at a time. If you have two or more things going on this creates distractions and prevents focus and clarity.[1]

If the brain is able to filter out all that is extraneous noise, the mind can focus on one thing which allows you to gain knowledge. Without focus, distractions jumble the memory. We often call it “attention deficit” but it isn’t an inability to pay attention. Rather, it is distractibility and lack of focus. If the brain doesn’t filter out everything except the one thing that keeps your attention, then there is too much information. So, the mind cannot put things in short-term, or long-term memory. The brain works best when focused because there is only one thing allowed in the consciousness at a time.[2]

People think they can “multi-task” but, all they do is go back and forth from one thing to another. This is fine for unimportant or repetitive things but is not helpful for things that require attention and focus.[3]

This problem of focus happens because of a lack of development of the brain. It is perfectly normal for an infant brain to not have focus. Infants are easily distracted. But by the time a child reaches 5-8 years old, most have gained enough brain power to focus on one thing because their brain can filter out everything else. Some don’t develop this ability — or we each develop it to different levels. Everyone handles things differently because everyone develops differently. The lack of ability to focus is simply an undeveloped brain.[4]

ADD Drugs

Conventional ways of treating people who have difficulty focusing is to give them drugs such as stimulants to force the brain to focus. Doctors put children on amphetamines so they can focus on school. Teachers often require some sort of chemical stimulants to allow children in their classrooms. People often use caffeine to focus. Now, adults and children are commonly using “energy drinks” to focus their attention.

Stimulants are chemicals that stimulate the brain to allow it to filter-out distractions. This keeps only one thing in the consciousness so it can focus. There have been many that have used these drugs to get through school, and they do help. By far the most used drug for focus is caffeine. Every society in a millennium have used caffeine all over the world in almost every society. Interestingly, there is no specific problem with using caffeine. Some people get over-stimulated with nervousness or shaking. But when they stop using caffeine the symptoms resolve.

The drugs prescribed by doctors are related to caffeine by stimulating a release of norepinephrine, most of which are amphetamines like:

• Adderall XR (amphetamine)
• Concerta (methylphenidate)
• Dexedrine (amphetamine)
• Evekeo (amphetamine)
• Focalin XR (dexmethylphenidate)
• Quillivant XR (methylphenidate)
• Ritalin (methylphenidate)
• Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate)

Antidepressants, blood pressure medications and others are thought to increase epinephrine or norepinephrine in the brain and improve focus, such as:

• Guanfacine
• Strattera
• Catapres
• Effexor
• Bupropion
• Tricyclic antidepressants

When they help, the medications are fine, for the time being. The problem with them is that they do not change the brain. Those who use chemicals to focus remain infantile and will always require the drug. Even years of using stimulants does not help the brain to focus better. People will still use some chemical help when they need to concentrate. I know many adults who tell me “I’m no good unless I have my caffeine.”

ADD Supplements

Ethan was taken off medications and started on a supplement that is specifically made to help attention. His mother was happy to try it. A month later she came back with a smile. She did not tell the teacher what we were doing, just that she took him to the doctor, and he was on a new prescription. “His teacher said he was a delight to have in class, and that she was grateful for the ‘medication’ he was now taking.” Then the mom asked, “Could I take it too? I have had problems with focus and attention all my life.” A month later they were both doing much better.

Some people seem to have a brain development delay due to a missing nutrient. Studies on various nutrients have shown improvement in symptoms, including:[5]