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Welcome to Riches to Rags by Dori. This is a place where I share a little bit of everything. My experiences, the good the bad and the ugly. Life isn't easy but worth living and my hope is that we can get through it together.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

ADHD - A Natural Alternative vs Medication


ADHD - Natural Alternative vs. Medication

October is ADHD Awareness Month so I decided to do another post on ADHD because I want others to know our story and how we have dealt with ADHD in our home. 

My sister Rebecca (Camp Wander) sent me this documentary on The Drugging of Our Children from Healthy Holistic Living that I hope you will take the time to watch. There is some very eye opening information on the video and the page regarding the drugs that so many children are taking and how it is affecting them. 

Documentary - The Drugging of Our Children


The statistics are staggering for the amount of children who are on medication for ADHD. Many of them having terrible side effects from these medications as young as 3 years old. 


ADHD is real, I don't believe anyone can say it is not and have a child of their own that has it. It is so hard for a parent to sit and watch a child struggle daily and not know what to do to help.   I am not a doctor or therapist, just an average mother who needed help and I was getting pressured to put my son on medication in 1st grade! I couldn't stand the thought of it. I have ADD and as a blogger it is really hard to sit down and concentrate long enough to write a post like this. I tried medication several years ago, it made me sick, my body would get run down, I would get sick easily,  broke out in cold sores, I was angry, irritable, couldn't sleep, it was awful. I couldn't imagine doing that to my 6 year old. 



Does putting your child on medication make you a bad parent?  NO! Absolutely not. A parent knows what is best for their child and what they need.  There are some children that medication works wonderful for and is just right for their situation but in my opinion all other avenues of natural alternatives should be exhausted and medication should be the last resort. 

Teachers have such an important role in a child life. We have been so fortunate to have had some wonderful teachers the last couple of  years. His 1st grade teacher treated him like he was the worst child and it really affected Jeddy. He always had recess taken away, we were getting calls every day from the teacher, some days from the principle. His confidence spiraled downward and as a mother I was desperate to find something that would help him. That is when I created Jeddy's Blend




I have received hundreds of emails and comments from parents who are desperate to find something, anything to help their child because the medication is affecting their child so badly. Weight loss, mood swings, insomnia, crying, depressed, etc. It is heartbreaking. Some children are begging the parents not to make them take the medication because they feel so bad. I have such respect for these parents and know how difficult it must be to be in that position. 


Knowledge is Power!

Knowledge is power! If you have a child with ADHD research all you can. There is so much information out there on the internet on natural alternatives, diet and exercise. 



Diet is so important with children with ADHD as with all children. If Jeddy has a cupcake he is completely out of control the rest of the day. Something so simple as a cute little cupcake can ruin his whole day. I have had to teach him that he has to learn what things will make him feel bad and feel out of control. It is a learning process that we have to work together on. I am trying to teach him to take responsibility in what he eats because I can't be with him all the time. There are times when he chooses the cupcake and that's ok, he is a kid but he learns that he can't do that all the time. 




I don't claim to be a doctor, therapist or someone with all the answers with a cure. I just want others to know that for our family trying the natural alternative first was what worked for us and that I am so glad I didn't jump into medication first. 

You are the parent and no one can force you to do anything you don't want to for your child. Don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. You have the right to take them time to research and do what is best for your situation.


Get involved

Get involved! Find support and groups where you can interact with others who are going through the same struggles as you are. Facebook has so many support groups. It really is helpful and comforting to have someone to talk to especially on those rough days. Additude magazine is a great source of information. www.additudemag.com


Jeddy's Blend - A Natural Alternative for ADHD

Jeddy's Blend is a blend of Essential Oils that I created for my son several months ago. He has had and continues to have amazing results with it and so have many others around the world. Please give natural alternatives a try if you are faced with the decision to medicate and learn as much as you can.

If you haven't had a chance to read Jeddy's story you can read about it HERE along with many testimonials of this blend for others as well.

How to purchase Jeddy's Blend
Jeddy's Blend







Don't forget to check out Jeddy's Blend Salve as well.







Remember as well to give yourself a break. You are doing much better than you think you are and so many people out there are in the same position as you are as parents. We do the very best we can and we love our children. Please stay involved and continue to be your child's advocate. Thanks you for everything you do.

For more information on Spark Naturals Essential Oils and how they are a big part of our family and Jeddy's Blend please visit my Facebook pages. I love to hear your Jeddy's Blend stories so please share!




Thanks for stopping by!


Dori