Questions & Answers
 Q.
I heard you mention ADHD in relation to dopamine. Is there
anything new about that?
A. Two studies were published recently in the Archives
of General Psychiatry. Both of them link a dopamine deficiency
to ADHD, reportedly the most common psychiatric disorder
in children.
This might help to explain the reason that people with
ADHD are often substance abusers. Individuals diagnosed
with ADHD are at higher risk than others for using drugs
such as nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamines,
and cocaine. According to Dr. Nora Volkow, director of
the National Institutes of Health on Drug Abuse, all of
these substances temporarily increase the concentration
of dopamine in the brain.
This also helps to explain the reason that drugs such
as Ritalin or methylphenidate— stimulants often
prescribed for ADHD—work by amplifying dopamine
in the brain.
According to Dr. Daniel Amen, this information is another
reason that parents/teachers need to take active precautions
for children with ADHD to help them avoid falling into
the trap of substance abuse in an attempt to self-medicate
their brains.
Recently a young man who had been diagnosed with ADHD
and placed on Ritalin when quite young showed up at one
of my seminars. He reported that it had been an easy transition
to self-medicate with methamphetamines in adulthood, especially
when Ritalin didn’t seem to be “doing the
job” anymore. Now he was working diligently to address
his addiction to uppers.
Q. I imagine busy public speakers have difficulty
maintaining much of a private life. However, you seem
to be “thriving,” as you put it, and I have
never heard of you missing any speaking appointments because
you were sick. I am curious: Do you take any type of nutritional
supplements? If so, I want what you take!
A. Yes, it can be a challenge to maintain a “private
life.” And yes, in this era of pollution and food
overprocessing, my brain and immune system need all the
help they can get! After much study, I narrowed the field
of nutritional products down to three. Each day I take:
-
One that contains green super foods to support my
body’s immune components
-
One that contains L-Theanine to support my brain
and nervous system and, hopefully, to prevent or slow
down mental deterioration
-
One that contains a vegetarian form of essential
fatty acids (e.g., Omega-3 and Omega-6)
Typically, what is good for the brain is good for the
immune system, and vice versa. That makes selecting appropriate
nutritional products easier. You want what I take? Well,
if you're interested in investigating the specific products
that work for my brain and body, feel free to contact
Sharlet Briggs, product representative, at: 916-768-4102
or Sharlet@footprintsunlimited.com
Other
Questions & Answers... |
What
is that you say? The heart has its own nervous system,
contains neurons, and secretes neurotransmitters? Current
research says yes. Read about it in my latest article
entitled: Your Second Brain.
We
can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences
of evading reality. —Ayn Rand
The
owner of the following e-mail is the winner of Taylor’s
surprise for this issue: mjedward@mtsu.edu