Help for Kids with ADHD

I hear from many moms who have kids with ADHD. I also hear from many moms who suffer from anxiety and depression. Many of these moms explain that their children (and they themselves) also have trouble with getting organized, getting work done/staying on task, and other neurological problems.

To be honest, I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression and ADHD symptoms for many years myself. My children (I now have two grown children and a 16-year-old.) have had these issues too.

For so long, I had no idea (other than medication) what to do to help them and myself! In fact, I tried medication for a while because I was desperate for some relief! The problem is that I react very strongly to most medications, so I had to choose between having relief from my anxiety/depression and feeling like an emotion-less zombie, or I could feel emotions and often feel anxiety/depression. (I know that’s not always the case, but it definitely is for me.)

And then I met a super sweet lady, Lara, who had a booth at a homeschool conference. Her booth had a big sign that said Brain Harmony. That immediately got my attention! I stopped by to talk with Lara and find out more about what she had to offer. I had no idea how life-changing that moment would be both for my family and for my sister’s family (and hopefully for your family too!).

Who is Brain Harmony and what do they do?

I would love to tell you about Brain Harmony and what they do. First, when you contact Brain Harmony, they’ll do a complete neurological assessment on you (or your child) to find out what’s going on and to determine the best way to help you/your child. Basically, they want to find out what the underlying problem is and determine the best tools to bring the change that is necessary to your brain so you can function well.

Who can they help?

If you or your child is struggling with any of the conditions listed below, go to the Brain Harmony website and sign up for a free consultation with one of the founders: Carol or Lara. You will learn what services they recommend and the outcomes you can expect. Please keep in mind that, while they treat many conditions in which the brain is not functioning properly, they do not treat Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Conditions which they are able to treat include (but aren’t limited to) these listed below. 

• autism
• attention and regulation
• auditory processing
• sensory processing
• dyslexia
• anxiety
• depression
• strokes
• Parkinsons
• brain injuries
• developmental delays
• speech and language problems
• genetic abnormalities
• Down Syndrome
• Prader Willi Syndrome

Depending upon what your needs are, Brain Harmony will recommend an individualized plan of care that includes specific Brain Harmony protocols combined with the most advanced tools in the world to bring about cognitive and behavioral change.  Some of the tools that they may recommend for you or a family member include:

Alpha Stim

What it treats: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic pain, insomnia

Because I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, I talked with Lara to find out if she knew of anything that would bring me some relief from my anxiety and depression. I also often had insomnia to go along with it. I was pretty desperate! I have to admit that I was skeptical (but hopeful) when I talked with her, but I was willing to hear what she had to say.

The Alpha Stim is an electrotherapy device that treats chronic, acute, and post-traumatic pain. It also treats anxiety, insomnia, and depression. It is super easy to use, and it works quickly! I started feeling better in just a few days!

Below you can see a short video interview in which I talk with Lara about the Alpha Stim and how it has helped my daughter and me with our anxiety problems. It has truly made a huge difference in our lives!

How do you use it?

The Alpha Stim is portable and easy to use. It’s actually a small device (smaller than my cell phone) that comes with clips (that clip on your ear lobes) that provide electronic stimulation that helps get your body’s electrical system in balance. (No, it doesn’t hurt!) Yes, I know it sounds strange if you’ve never thought about it before, but our bodies are electrical systems, and they can get out of sync! I had no idea that such a thing could happen, but once I started using the Alpha Stim and got mine back where it should be, I could tell a huge difference!

Because I loved it so much and found that it helped me so much, I decided to buy one. (Lara let me try hers out at first.) I literally could not believe how much relief it gave me from my anxiety and depression and how much it helped me sleep. To be honest, I didn’t really think it would work, but I agreed to try it because I was desperate. And I’m so glad I did!

In fact, I loved it so much that I bought one for my 16-year-old daughter too. I travel a lot to speak at homeschool conferences, and my daughter can’t always go with me. I knew that the Alpha Stim helped her not to be anxious and depressed, and I didn’t feel good about taking it with me when she was at home (although I knew I would need it). I knew she needed it too! So I decided I needed to buy one for her. And I’m so glad I did! She can absolutely tell a difference if she doesn’t use it for a day or two. She has much more anxiety and is much more easily upset. She has more trouble concentrating and getting her homeschool work done. If she uses it regularly, she feels much better, isn’t nearly as anxious and depressed, and feels happier in general. She’ll tell you herself how much she loves it!

There are two ways to obtain Alpha Stim therapy. You can either lease it month by month or you can buy it. I chose to buy mine because I knew I loved it! And the device comes with a 5-year warranty, so I felt better about buying it. I travel a lot and have dropped mine several times, and it has been banged around and is still working great! (Although I don’t recommend being too hard on it, we all know that it will occasionally be dropped and banged around–especially if our kids use it!)

iLs Focus System

What it treats:

The iLs Focus System is a multi-sensory device that retrains the brain in the areas of communication, learning, and movement. It provides programs that improve cognitive, language, and social abilities.  As the brain/body connection becomes more organized, we better process the world around us and become more confident, happy, and engaged.

How do you use it?

Brain Harmony has created a home-based program where they ship the equipment to your home and their occupational therapists come in by phone or video to coach your family on therapy.  It is pennies on the dollar compared to traditional therapies but honestly, it is about the outcomes! The system is easy to use. It basically consists of using headphones!

My nephew has dyslexia, and my sister has been shocked (and thrilled!) with how much progress my 11-year-0ld nephew has made with his reading since he started using the iLs Focus System!

Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

What it treats: reduces stress and auditory sensitivity and enhances social engagement and resilience

The Safe and Sound Protocol  is an activator for future successful therapy. It is used to calm the brain and prepare it for change with other therapies. It helps reduce auditory hyper sensitivity, calm the parasympathetic nervous system, and increase the ability to process spoken language.

How do you use it?

SSP is a five-day intervention. The person being treated uses headphones to receive therapy. Your therapist will tell you exactly what to listen to and how to conduct your therapy.

Dreampad™

What it treats: reduces stress, improves sleeps, decreases hypersensitivity

How do you use it?

Dreampad delivers music through gentle, calming vibration which only you can hear. The process brings about a relaxation response from the body and mind which has been described in some feedback as a “massage to the nervous system.”  Research shows it reduces stress, improves sleep and decreases hypersensitivity.

How do I found out how Brain Harmony can help my family?

As we all know, helping our children with any type of neurodevelopmental concern is a journey for life.  There are no quick fixes.  However, the change that I have seen in myself for depression and anxiety and also the change in my nephew’s dyslexia is so incredible that I had to share it with you.  We have made Brain Harmony our partner on this journey to improve brain function, and we are thrilled with the outcomes.

If you or any member of your family is struggling with any type of performance issue, I suggest scheduling a complimentary consultation to learn how they may be able to help. I am honestly, truly happy with how Brain Harmony has helped my own family, and that’s the reason I chose to share about them. (Full disclosure: Brain Harmony did allow me to try out an Alpha Stim device for free, but after that I bought my own device and one for my daughter.)

It makes me sad to hear from so many moms whose children need help. Or (many times) it’s the moms themselves who need help. If we moms don’t help ourselves and improve our own brain function and anxiety and depression issues, we simply can’t do our best for our children either. I want to encourage you to talk to Brain Harmony and see how they can help your family!

To schedule your free consultation, click here.