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Doctors recommend Transcendental Meditation to help students with ADHD According to the National Institute of Mental Health website, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, known as ADHD, is a growing concern in the United States and the world. The article at this website describes ADHD as 'a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention.' The article explains that 'between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.' How do children and their parents deal with the common ADHD symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, restlessness, inability to concentrate, and impulsivity? Sadly, parents often take recourse to medication or combined medication/behavioural treatment as the only means to quiet their child and allow this child to have a fairly normal school experience. Sometimes, diagnosis shows that the child is not ADHD, but instead is suffering from similar symptoms, caused by: a sudden change in the child's life such as the death of a family member, a parents' divorce or a parent's job loss, hearing or vision problems, medical disorders affecting brain functioning, learning disability, or anxiety and depression. Fortunately, whether a child is ADHD or just exhibits some of the symptoms, there is another solution besides medication. Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Programme had been found to bring some relief. On the new interactive website, 'ASK THE DOCTORS' (www.DoctorsOnTM.org), medical doctors and scientists answer questions regarding the beneficial effects of Transcendental Meditation in alleviating learning and attention problems in school children and adults—notably in ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). At the site, three experts answer questions on ADHD: William Stixrud, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist and director of William Stixrud & Associates in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, a group practice specializing in learning, attention, and social/emotional disorders. Dr Stixrud is an adjunct faculty at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Sarina Grosswald, EdD, is an expert in cognitive learning who recently directed the first-of-its-kind research study on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation Programme on children with language-based learning disabilities. Dr Grosswald and her work have been extensively featured in the national media in the United States, including PBS and ABC News. James Krag, MD, is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, president of the Psychiatric Society of Virginia, and former president of the Virginia Association of Community Psychiatrists for four years. He is currently Medical Director of Liberty Point, a residential treatment programme for adolescents with psychiatric problems. Dr Grosswald explains some of the benefits of Transcendental Meditation on ADHD: 'In our research with children, we found a 20% improvement in attention in just three months after starting the Transcendental Meditation program. There were also significant improvements in working memory and organization, as well as psychosocial measurements of behavior, anxiety, stress, attention, and focus.' Dr Krag connects relief of ADHD symptoms with the release of stress, which occurs naturally during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique: 'Anyone with longstanding problems with ADHD knows that when they are rested and calm they have fewer ADHD symptoms than when they are tired and anxious. Since TM helps create a calm and stable state, it clearly can help reduce the problems of ADHD.' Dr Grosswald adds: 'Many symptoms of ADHD are actually the result of stress; stress shuts down the pre-frontal cortex in the brain, making concentration and focus difficult. Reducing stress increases your attention, focus, and concentration—as well as the ability to act calmly and to feel more relaxed and comfortable in stressful situations.' Dr Stixrud explains additional research indicating the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation Programme on ADHD: 'Most researchers think ADHD is a disorder of multiple executive functions. ''Executive functions'' refers to the functions of the front part of the brain; the mental control and the mental organizational skills that you need to carry out purposeful behavior. When you have to get something done, for instance, you need to be able to plan, to organize, and to hold relevant information in your memory. You also need to self-monitor, to ask yourself, ''How's it going?''' 'And there's good evidence in several hundred studies on Transcendental Meditation that it improves every one of these executive functions. This is probably, at least in part, because the Transcendental Meditation technique increases the coherence of brain functioning, and in part because it reduces stress, which makes all these other things worse.' What if you are an adult with ADHD symptoms? Dr. Grosswald explains that Transcendental Meditation can also help adults: 'The Transcendental Meditation Technique works for both adults and for children. It's easy to learn and to do, and it doesn't require concentration, or focus, or attention. At the same time, it increases the ability to focus outside of meditation, because it enhances brain functioning. When your eyes are closed and you're meditating, the brain connections related to attention and focus actually increase. Then when your eyes are open and you are in activity, focus and concentration are better.' Thus, Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Programme offers a natural way for children and adults to overcome obstacles and unfold their full mental, physical, and social potential. His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who revived this ancient technique under the guidance of his teacher, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Shankaracharya Jyotir Math, explains the natural improvement in all areas of life. Maharishi compares Transcendental Meditation to watering the root of a plant. By nourishing the plant at its root, anything that ails the plant will improve. By taking one's attention within to the source of thought, during the practice of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Technique, children experience an inner field of happiness and peace. This inner experience during meditation, brings a nourishing calm and settledness to their activity after meditation. Concentration, relaxation, ability to focus attention improve while stress, anxiety, depression, and discontent decrease. Children are happier from inside and this reflects in their behaviour. Experts explain benefits of Transcendental Meditation for ADHD, written from website: http://www.DoctorsOnTM.org © Copyright 2008 Global Good News®
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