It seems worth mentioning a handful of patients and the outcomes they had with these kinds of treatments. Of course the patients’ identity will be kept private. The names mentioned here are not the patients real names, and we were given their consent to publish this with an opportunity to read it before making it available. Most of the patients were able to master their maladies and went on to become very successful, with many starting their own businesses, though most still have to battle with the ongoing effects of the disease.
The first is a patient, Brandon, was among the earlier recipients of these types of treatments. His uncle, whose company installed insulation in Richmond Va, pushed to give this a try and continued to stay in touch and provide updates. The child had a terrible time paying attention from an early age, and had to be held back a grade in the 8th grade due to an inability to complete work or sit still in class. The failure to advance a grade just exacerbated the problem. The child was prescribed Adderol, which his parents were OK with and which helped, but his uncle kept pushing for a better treatment. The parents finally consented and he was enrolled in the program in Dubuque which was in its infancy at the time. He immediately started showing improvement, longing for the peaceful setting which made him relax and feel comfortable. Within a couple months he began to settle down in class and his performance very slowly started to improve. He remained in the program for just short of two years and got to the point where he was doing his homework without supervision and making C level grades in his high school classes. His parents were so impressed that they became spokespeople for the clinic. As of this writing, he continues to do well and now attends Loras college where he is pursuing a Liberal Arts degree.
The next I would like to mention is a young man we will call Brian, who, similar to Brandon above, was having trouble in school. Brian’s problems did not start as early as Brandons. Brian first started noticing something was wrong in college, where he began having trouble with his studies. He had a brother who was into drugs and this he found repulsive, so when he was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed a variety of drugs to help with the problem, he was immediately turned off. Another option was presented to him involving a holistic clinic outside Louisville, which he decided to try. The clinic became a respite for him and he was able to get better control of his problem within about 6 months. Brian was a very sharp and perceptive sort, but just did not have the patience to sit through classes and was desperately looking for a career opportunity that would enable him to break free of the classroom setting. When leaving the clinic one afternoon, he spotted a pick up truck hauling away garbage and was struck with the idea to start a similar business. Convinced he could make this work, he quit school at 23 and dived head first into the business world. He started a junk removal business, then was convinced by a painting contractor friend to start a painting business, then eventually also started a moving company. Each of his businesses is franchised out and today he is doing great. He recognizes his shortcomings as clarified while at the clinic, and occasionally goes back for short stints, but has gotten a grip on his problem and is aware of when he is starting to have a problem. He and his employees came to an understanding and they now have signs they give him if they sense he is starting to slip.
Next we have Steve, who was diagnosed with ADHD in the seventh grade and was prescribed Ritalin. After about a year his doctors and parents decided he should give life a try without the Ritalin and so they stopped it. Steve subsequently struggled, but instead of putting him back on the drug, they sent him to a clinic specializing in non-drug therapies, feeling he was able to beat this thing without drugs, and it turned out they were right. Upon graduation, he got a job in an automotive store, and was considered a star with a knack for sales. He was moved to a couple more stores before starting his own auto repair shop. He feels he was able to channel the ADHD to his advantage, and feels his success is in large part due to it. He calls it his “superpower”. When he is deluged with ideas, he writes them down on a whiteboard and subsequently narrows them down when he is better able to focus. He learned at the clinic the value of peaceful walks and meditation, which he employs whenever he feels his mind is racing too fast. A mix of brainstorming with others and quiet thinking is the best formula for him. He advises others diagnosed with this disease to embrace it rather than fight it. He has worked at the clinic when patients come in who the staff believes he could help, and he has helped quite a few. Success stories like his are rare.
Angela was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 12, and of course was immediately prescribed medication. She eventually decided to stop with the Ritalin, and went for about 18 months without it, but she got progressively worse and eventually, loathe to start on more drugs, began to read about the disease and her options. She came upon a flier advertising a clinic which specialized in natural ADHD cures and decided to give it a try. The going was slow at first but eventually she started to look forward to the beautiful, tranquil settings. According to her, a visit to the clinic would do more for her than any drug ever did. The effects would last longer and longer after her visits. She spent several years frequently at the clinic until eventually she started her own YouTube channel on which she talks about ADHD, which provided her the mental direction to break away from the clinic. Angela still struggles with the disease and occasionally goes back for a visit, but has become independent enough to run her own business and has come to grips with the problem and its resolutions.
Moe was diagnosed with ADHD in his late 30s. It was this diagnosis that brought him to the realization that his forgetfulness, inability to complete projects, and verbosity were not just quirky but were driven by a much more sinister underlying force. Rather than become depressed by this news, Moe redoubled his efforts to channel the problem into something he could use to his advantage, but this proved easier said than done. He worked in the construction business and always wanted to start his own company, but understanding, patience, and focus were not strong points. Finally his wife learned of a holistic clinic in their town that treated ADHD with counseling and environmental factors rather than drugs, which sounded perfect. So Moe, in his early 40s at this point, started going. As with the others, progress was slow, but he eventually began to get better control over his mind. He attended for almost 5 years, gradually improving over that time. Toward the end he did some research and put together a plan to execute on his lifelong dream to start his own company. According to him the challenges were daunting and he wanted to give up, but his wife kept on pushing him and gave him quite a bit of assistance. Finally he was able to procure a loan for a couple trucks and some equipment, and started a concrete company called Richmond Concrete Pros. He brought on additional staff and ran the company for 6 years before being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and was having trouble working, at which point he sold the company at the advice of his doctor and wife. He did quite well for himself over the years. Now, in addition to some contracting work, he works at the clinic when needed trying to help others with this horrible disease. His is a model story and shows what people can do to channel this debilitating disease into something that can actually prove beneficial.
Gracie was diagnosed with ADD at 15 while a freshman in high school. To complicate matters, she also had Cyclothymia which is a mood disorder similar to bi-polar. Gracie struggled mightily with friends in school, always seeming like the odd person out. She was invited to the prom and thought she finally found someone she could get close to but he broke up with her shortly after that and it threw Gracie for a real loop. She was prescribed an anti-depression medication which she still takes to this day. She was also taking Adderall for the ADD when she and her parents finally decided to try to get her more advanced help. At one of the clinics she was very gently introduced to the serene and calming lifestyle there. She discovered that the staff really seemed to love her and that she did not need to ever fear rejection from any of them. This took quite awhile but was showing good progress. She was reluctant to get off the Adderall in fear she would fall back into her old ways. The clinic very creatively introduced her to CBD oil, a relatively new and experimental (at the time) treatment. She reduced the Adderall dosages while slowly introducing the CBD until eventually she was off the Adderall entirely and was confident the CBD was helping her. She spent about 3 years regularly visiting the clinic before finally having the confidence to venture out on her own and make something of her life. She never did fully recover from the rejection of the high school boyfriend, and never married, but was hired as a beautician at a local shop. This gave her a sense of purpose and she became receptive to the compliments and praises she would get by helping other women improve themselves. After a few years the owner became ill and had to leave the business so Gracie assumed ownership and is currently doing very well.
Alexander’s is a fascinating story. Like many others, he was a very poor student, getting into trouble and unable to focus long enough to understand the material. He became a practical joker in order to distract other’s attention from himself. He was never a reader, and said it sometimes took him a year to finish a book. He was good at sports in high school, playing soccer and football. He barely graduated and was feeling hopeless and depressed, though knew he should go to college. He lived near a hospital that was associated with a clinic offering drug-free treatment, so his parents suggested he give it a try. He enrolled in a local community college and reluctantly spent time at the clinic, at first thinking it would be a waste of time but eventually looking forward to his visits there according to some of the staff. He said it felt like an out of body experience while he was there due to the stress relief he felt with each visit. His progress was steady and his grades and ability to focus were improving. After two years he decided to transfer to a major university which necessitated leaving the clinic. He took a lot on himself, battling constantly with concentration issues. He felt he could do anything and shunned what he called boring classes, instead learning the material by teaching himself. By the middle of his senior year he was in the Student Health Advisory Group and President of the Ski Club. By the end of his final semester he was burning out fast, taking on too many tasks to be able to concentrate and manage all of them. He got through it but it almost threw him into depression. Upon graduation he worked odd jobs, mostly around the University, trying to figure out what to do with his life. He was always told he was a good businessman and needed to focus on a profession. One of the side jobs was with a local siding company installing siding on houses. He liked the work because it was physical and he always liked working out and staying active, though he said the work really felt beneath him. Eventually he learned enough about the business to want to start his own company, but there was not room where he lived for yet another one. He wound up moving in with a friend he met in college and with a little ingenuity and some luck was able to start his own siding company in Richmond Va, which he is still running.