If you’re wondering whether CBD oil can help children (and adults) with ADD/ADHD, the answer is yes!
This post from guest author Chett Goldin explains more. Personally, I am not a fan of medication because of the risks, side-effects, and neurological damage they can (and do) cause. (Check out Dr Peter Breggin’s work for more info on this.)
Author intro: Chett Goldin is an author, life coach, healer, and entrepreneur, passionate about helping others achieve optimal health through natural and alternative methods.
CBD can be helpful, but how many kids actually have ADD and ADHD and how many are just stressed?
Attention deficit disorder and its cousin ADD with hyperactivity (ADHD), are labels that are dished out to children with an alarming amount of regularity. The problem is not with the children, for the most part. The problem is that the schooling system hasn’t changed enough to keep pace with the demands of this generation of children.
The role of the school system in ADD/ADHD diagnoses
In countries like Finland, where the kids have a flexible syllabus, shorter school days and more of a focus on critical thinking than fact learning, it is interesting to note that kids coming from these systems enjoy far lower levels of diagnosed learning disorders. They are also scoring some of the highest marks in the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects.
Why is this? Because school and learning are made more fun, more practical and definitely more relevant. The kids engage with their work which is more like creation, with much greater excitement. Contrast this with the seven-year-old child who had all the freedom in the world at pre-primary level and is now forced into a classroom situation where everybody learns the same things, in the same way, at the same pace, while wearing uniforms and enjoying a classroom setup where obedience is emphasised. It’s an industrialised, one-size-fits-all approach that simply does not work for every child. It’s no wonder we see so many kids staring out of windows dreaming of a different reality.
The outdated schooling approach stresses the brain
The emphasis on obedience and conformity prompts teachers to push parents to medicate. But what if your little angel doesn’t have ADD or even ADHD and they are just bored? Or, what if school, and all the judgements it places on young people, creates a stress that makes their brain chemistry change?
If this is the case and they are experiencing stress, then it is not surprising that we find higher than usual incidents of ADD. Stress causes blood to move from the frontal cortex, where dopamine is used, to the primitive hind brain. The moment that happens, our ability to learn becomes secondary to survival. Our senses get heightened, which explains why they are easily distracted. If your hearing and vision get amplified, you will start to perceive more stress, which causes more change in the brain chemistry.
If a child experiences stress from school, their perception can be altered, making school feel like a threatening place, or that a subject is threatening, which will create this change in body chemistry and disabling the ability to receive new information.
Aside from the problem with the teaching and learning approach in public schools, the high incidence of bullying at schools today also adds only more stress. See this post for more information.
A relaxed mind can learn much more easily (and how CBD helps)
We need kids to be relaxed in class. This is where CBD is so useful. CBD has the ability to prevent the breakdown of key relaxing hormones such as Anandamide and Adenosine, which contribute to children feeling calmer. CBD also works on balancing other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, two key hormones responsible for feeling calm, alert, and happy.
Basically, CBD grounds the body and mind, making children feel safer and more present, which translates to better behaviour and learning.
What if stress is not the problem? (other options to help)
There is a catch though. If your child is just bored and/or the learning/teaching style doesn’t suit them (which is the case for most), then problems will persist regardless of what supplement or oil you give them.
This is where home education with its flexibility in terms of different curriculums, resources, methods, approaches, techniques, and routines becomes a major consideration.
Your child’s mental, emotional, and physical health tend to do better in an environment set up to suit their interests, needs and learning styles. In this way, you can lower the child’s stress level, address the learning challenges, and achieve a positive outcome on both counts!
Smashing pharmaceutical drugs that do the same thing as cocaine create a stress response from the body, which in the long term can be harmful to both body and mind. These drugs may be useful for boosting dopamine, but it doesn’t address the real issue, which in most cases is stress.
There is no shortcut to overcoming stress
Medication may seem like a quick fix, but studies have shown that they have a similar action to cocaine. While you may get improved behaviour, you are risking long term damage to the body which is not worth it when there are healthier alternatives for boosting dopamine and balancing neurotransmitters.
Stress should be addressed holistically – review diet, exercise, unaddressed trauma, chronic illness, negative thinking patterns and negative social influences as well. Consider getting a full physical check-up to make sure there aren’t other deficiencies playing into the body’s stress response.
A popular combination for positive results
I’ve seen most children who struggle in school benefit from a combination of essential oils, CBD and a therapy called Bars. If that doesn’t work, then I know it’s time to seriously consider a change of school.
Want to talk about getting CBD to help your child with ADD/ADHD?
Other products that may help include:
- Vetiver essential oil (applied with a carrier oil)
- Sceletium
- Stress therapy
I offer Sceletium and CBD products from a company called Nature’s Cure.
The CBD oils have:
- A highly effective dose of CBD per ml (1350mg per 30ml).
- Testing certificates, optimal turpene profiles that are tested with every single batch.
- Highly affordable price and can be couriered to your door.
Offered to clients in South Africa only. Contact me to order yours today.
