Great outdoors may ease ADHD symptoms

[Guest]

http://www.healthypages.net/newspage.asp?newsid=4527:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents may find some help for their children's ADHD symptoms by going back to nature, new research suggests.

The study of 452 parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder found that activities in "green" spaces such as farms, parks and even backyards often seemed to temporarily quell the children's symptoms.

Children were more likely to show improved symptoms in the hour after an outdoor, green activity than after activities performed indoors or in concrete-and-steel settings, according to parents' reports.

The findings, along with past research, have "exciting implications," according to the study authors, Drs. Frances E. Kuo and Andrea Farber Taylor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

They speculate that daily doses of "green time," such as simply taking a greenery-splashed route when walking to school, or playing on grass instead of concrete, could aid in managing ADHD.

The researchers report their findings in the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Some past research has suggested that natural settings help battle so-called attention fatigue in people without ADHD. This temporary fatigue is thought to develop when people have to work to focus their attention on a task, blocking out distractions from their surroundings; the theory is that natural environments provide respite from this effort, according to Kuo and Taylor.

Attention fatigue, though fleeting, shares characteristics with ADHD, the researchers note. Some studies, mostly in urban areas, have suggested that spending time in green spaces eases children's ADHD symptoms.

To see whether green settings might have more widespread effects, Kuo and Taylor conducted a national survey that asked parents to rate how various after-school and weekend activities affected their children's ability to focus, listen and follow instruction. The study included families from urban, rural and suburban areas.

The researchers found that overall, activities in natural settings -- whether on a farm, in a backyard, or in a "green" neighborhood space -- seemed to have a calming effect on children's symptoms.

Indoor activities and those in "built" outdoor settings like downtown areas also seemed to ease ADHD symptoms, but only when the child was alone or with one friend. In contrast, green activities appeared to improve symptoms even when a child was part of a large group.

Though more research is needed, the study authors conclude, the findings suggest that green time could help many children, regardless of their personal circumstances -- and possibly reduce their need for medication.

And, they note, "among those children for whom medication is not an option, a regular regime of green views and green time outdoors might offer the only relief from symptoms available."

According to Kuo, there is evidence that ADHD may be as much as three to four times more common in urban environments than in other areas.

"This difference has been a big puzzle to researchers," she told Reuters Health, "and our work may provide a clue as to why there is more ADHD in some places than others."

"There's no need to wait for us scientists to find out for sure whether nature activities or any other kinds of activities really do help," Kuo added. "Parents can keep track and find out which activities work for their own kids."

SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, September 2004.

Wow... you can google this topic and read more about it. I'm really excited about this. This may sound stupid, but I'm going to try to go to this large park nearby, for at least a few hours each day, for a few weeks to see how I feel... I have been diagnosed with add.

Its strange. When I was a kid, I used to play soccer. We had practice 3 times a week, and games on the weekends. That, combined with recess... I was very alert and attentive in school, so I got straight A's.

But then I quit soccer, and they stopped doing recess, and my grades dropped and I wanted to leave school... the principal even pulled me aside and told me that all the kids at my school looked up to me. I was in 5th grade... and I was trying to ditch.

Anyways, the idea that nature is restorative makes so much sense. We have evolved in nature. If this shit works... I'm going to see how far it goes. Maybe we should start having community gardens. That would cut oil, up nutritional intake in our communities, encourage greater COMMUNITY, reduce mental issues...god the list goes on.

Okay, this thread will be my experiment

P.S. There is all sorts of things you can find on the net in reguards to this. One interesting thing is how the Japanese do their elementary schools. They intersperse more outdoor activity with the indoor learning stuff... and the kids are alot smarter than US kids.

 

[ChrOniCHiGhz]

I always used "green" to help with my ADHD symptoms.. lol

Anyways, thats a pretty interesting discovery, amazing what the great outdoor can do

 

[Guest]

hmmm, that explains why when im pissed,nervous,annoyed, etc... I stand outside breath in the fresh air and stare at the view. I dunno, but natures fuckin beautful.

 

[treble]

yeah who would have thought that getting outside and running around would cure you of your nervous energy. ADHD is just one more despicable invention of the pharmaco's so they can sell their crap. Notice how they don't cure diseases anymore, they create them... where did they loose their morals? The answer is they never had them. Government research organisations have discovered all of the cures known to man and pharmaco's have discovered none....because the look for none. Curing people is bad for business.

and really, talk about the bleeding obvious. I was a hyperactive kid... we all are. It is what kids are. yet for some reason its a problem to have a kid who runs around and shit. I was just shoved outside and let loose till I ran out of steam. Go outside an play was what they would say.

Of course if everyone one was outside more, how much better would the world be. I think a huge amount better. People would take back their streets and neighborhoods because lets face it.... people only get up to mischeif when no one is looking. People would also get to know people in their area because they would walk past each other.

People would be fitter and likely to need less health care. Better for the environment because people would be outdoors not using electricity and gasoline and such.

lots more upsides... so yeah its great news but it just seems like common sense to me.

dont mean to offend either
treb



yet in

 

[Guest]

yeah who would have thought that getting outside and running around would cure you of your nervous energy. ADHD is just one more despicable invention of the pharmaco's so they can sell their crap. Notice how they don't cure diseases anymore, they create them... where did they loose their morals? The answer is they never had them. Government research organisations have discovered all of the cures known to man and pharmaco's have discovered none....because the look for none. Curing people is bad for business.

and really, talk about the bleeding obvious. I was a hyperactive kid... we all are. It is what kids are. yet for some reason its a problem to have a kid who runs around and shit. I was just shoved outside and let loose till I ran out of steam. Go outside an play was what they would say.

Of course if everyone one was outside more, how much better would the world be. I think a huge amount better. People would take back their streets and neighborhoods because lets face it.... people only get up to mischeif when no one is looking. People would also get to know people in their area because they would walk past each other.

People would be fitter and likely to need less health care. Better for the environment because people would be outdoors not using electricity and gasoline and such.

lots more upsides... so yeah its great news but it just seems like common sense to me.

dont mean to offend either
treb



yet in

if you really had adhd just being "shoved outside to run your steam off" wouldnt do a damn thing with your adhd. your full of shit.

 

[Guest]

also. lets face it theres a hell of a lot of more fun things to do than be outside

 

[bounty29]

I bet this would also cure the "restless leg syndrome" I've been seeing medication for recently. It's called having energy, get up and do something. It's getting ridiculous.

 

[Guest]

reefermadness - sure there are fun things to do inside. But thats besides the point. The point is that nature, and closer to actual "wilderness".. has the best effects on mitigating symptoms of adhd.

For instance, the research reporting there were more effect from playing in a grassy field, vs. skating on streets or a skatepark. They controlled for all sorts of variables.

There appears to be something about nature...the purer the better...that helps.

So don't go saying that guy is full of shit, because maybe getting out of the house to go play was helping him because he was out in nature...

 

[Guest]

adhd is not just being hyper or having a mass amounts of energy. Its also an attention defecit disorder and being outside and close to nature doesnt do shit for the attention part of it.

 

[treble]

reefermadness I know you say it how you see it an I appreciate that. i think I kinda lost a bit of track as I was really aiming to wail on the pharamaco's. I think for beating it up and getting people off track. I read about so many discoveries about anything and everything that just seem obvious and I think didnt we know that already.....but maybe its we have just forgotten .... as a collective or something. I dont know.

For the most part I dont think people just arrive here with eveything they need to get on with it. We all have to learn to talk and walk. I think being able to focus in on something is a learned thing and I think sometimes we forget those things as well and we either get to relearn them or we dont need them anymore so we let them slide. or we dont get to learn them for some reason. and kids gotta play if you let them play for a bit you can get them to focus for a bit perhaps because it clears the mind of those distracting thoughts that get in the way.

just my thoughts
treb

 

[Guest]

reefer dude. lol. you obviously haven't researched this study. the attention part of it is EXACTLY what is helped. The original study was done on ADD... I should have labeled it as such. But it helps with ADHD too. The researchers theorized that being in nature uses a different sort of attention than stuff you would need for classes/school/other things that are hard for add/adhd people.

But yeah...it helps with attention.

 

[2broke2smoke]

I have full blown ADHD, and being in the woods really does nothing for me. Put me in a thrill seeking activity, though, I come into my own. There are a lot of other things going on in ADHD than just the hyperactivity. when you bounce from one topic to another because you had the entire conversation in your head before the ppl you are talking to, then u know u prolly might have ADHD or at least ADD. I have no idea how many thoughts go through ion a second, but it is a lot, and the seperatring and keeping them straight is a monumental task.

2b2s

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I totally agree, as a child and adult with ADD, I have often gravitated to the outdoors, being indoors for too long makes me feel icky, and confined. I am a avid hiker, fisherman, and vegtable/herb gardener, and those are the places I feel best!

 

[Guest]

2broke2smoke - Have you ever tried it for a week? Take 2-3 hours each day and let yourself do whatever at a nice park, or in the woods? I would be interested to see how you'd respond. For some reason I think its probably a cumulative thing. Meaning you just have to do it a few times before you start really seeing results.

I have seen this same sort of thing in surfers. People who would be total adhd, just chilled out and soul-fed by nature and the waves. Keeps them sane. More sane than me.

Well, in a few minutes I'll be heading at the door. Gotta try this out...

 

[2broke2smoke]

See I am not ADD I am ADHD and the H causes me extreme boredom in many situations. I am not saying that I do not enjoy being outside, quite the contrary. What I am saying is, that being outside in the woods etc. is in no way a cure for the condition. If i were out in the woods without a motorcycle for a week I would go insane. I am can not go fishing or hunting with my friends as I cannot be still long enough, and consequently scare off all potential game.

But that is just me. I cannot speak for everyone else. I am 44years old and am still being treated for what not too long ago was considered a childhood disorder, to give you an idea of how severe my condition is.

2b2s

 

[Guest]

There is a spot up north at a buddys cottage - all I have to do is step out of the car once I get there, and every prob in the world goes away.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I feel better even just thinking about it

ws

 

[Guest]

I wonder if it's the actual aroma of nature such as trees, and grass that is effecting the brain and body and this is what is actually calming someone down?.

I also wonder if these things combined with the actual sunlight spectrums that are doing something because it has been shown that uv rays release endorphins.
Rain does the same thing by releasing negative ions which also bring a positive mood. They also can be found in high amounts like mountains and beaches.


I also noticed when I use to puff on a nice sunny day, I would feel higher than if I puffed inside and if was a hot day, I would actually like the heat and it wouldn't really bother me like that. Most of the times I puffed was on the roof of buildings because I'm a city kid so it has to me more than just being in nature. Now I know why. Peace.

 

[Guest]

Here's an article on negative ions and mood:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52131

Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes

There's something in the air that just may boost your mood -- get a whiff of negative ions.

By Denise Mann
WebMD Feature

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario

May 6, 2002 -- There's something in the air and while it may not be love, some say it's the next best thing -- negative ions.

Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

And these are a few of the reasons we see negative-ion generators being sold in stores and all over the Internet, but do they really work as well as antidepressants? Can they also relieve allergies by filtering out dust mites and dander?

It's too early to tell for sure, experts tell WebMD, but that's not to say there is not some sound science behind the concept.

Science 101

Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York.

In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects, but we still need to figure out appropriate doses and which people it works best on," he says.

Vitamins of the Air?

Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

"They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation."

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.

"You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window," Howard tells WebMD. "Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove."

Generating Negative Ions

In fact, every home has a built in natural ionizer -- the shower.

But when it comes to springing for that negative-ion generator you saw advertised in the local paper or on the web, buyer beware, says Columbia's Terman.

"There is a major problem with advertised units," he tells WebMD. "Output levels are not ... specified in a way that could advise antidepressant dose."

And, he says, the cost of apparently equivalent units ranges from $100 to $1,000.

"The safest course of action, in my opinion, would be to use units that have been demonstrated effective in our clinical trials and trials to come," he advises WebMD readers.

Room air circulation, heat and humidity, the proximity of grounded devices that may emit counteracting positive ions (such as computer monitors) may affect output levels (of a negative-ion generator), he explains

"We have tried to minimize the influence of these factors by adding grounded wrist-straps [commercially available] or grounded bed sheets [not yet available] for connection to the ionizer," he says.

The possible interaction of negative-air ion therapy and antidepressant drug or light therapy for seasonal depression has not yet been investigated, he says. "It stands to reason, for example, that drug ... dose could be tapered [even to zero], if the patient responds to negative ion exposure.

"I would advise anyone who experiences clinically significant depression to try negative-ion therapy only under doctor's guidance, and that doctors read up on this methodology before OKing such a trial, especially if the patient is already receiving other treatment," he advises.

What About Allergies and Asthma?

Harold Nelson, MD, professor of medicine at National Jewish Medical Center in Denver, was so excited when he first heard of negative-ion generators 20 years ago that he went out and bought one to study among allergy and asthma patients.

Unfortunately, the findings were "not terribly encouraging. We couldn't demonstrate anything," he tells WebMD. "I was disappointed. I had high expectations and they did not pan out, " he says.

The best bet for people with allergies and/or allergic asthma is to try to eliminate exposures, he says. "If you can't, or if you still have symptoms, then medication is the next step and fortunately we now have excellent medications," he says.

Published June 2, 2003.

 

[Guest]

Lotty - the study controlled for the effect of just being outside. People didn't get as much benefit if it was a built outdoor environment.

I agree though sunlight is beneficial. But I mean, humans have lived in nature most of our existence. Only relatively recently in the scale of things have we shunned the outdoors.

Personally I think it may have to do with subtle energies. Whenever I am in a open spot, or wilderness, I feel an expansiveness of my inner being. Its almost like my soul can breath. I have always felt constricted of this in the city. There's always tons of people around you, buildings concrete roads and walls that block out the natural essence of things.

I went to the park today for 2 and a half hours. I just layed down for an hour, then walked around/climbed stuff. It felt good. I only got 2 hours of sleep last night, but I will keep up this experiment. Probably try to really get out to nature, as that is the most benefit.

P.S. - maybe puffing on the buildings...you felt that expansiveness...because you were essentially above everything...and there was more space around you. don't know..

2broke2smoke - Dude. I'm not going to argue how bad your ADHD is becuase I'm not in your shoes. But I just don't agree. I think you've probably just come to believe that your "condition" is so bad that you would go insane without your motorcycle?

It might take your body/mind awhile to settle back down. Maybe you are just hyper sensitive to stimuli. Being in a city with 8000 competing different things just throws you everywhere. I bet if you were to take a month long backpacking trip, you would eventually rebalance. There is actual a whole field of study about this stuff... adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, ecopsychology...

I just doubt that if we went back to being hunters, that you would be all ADHD scaring off prey... nature, and the constant moving and seeking, would suit you probably just fine.

 

[Guest]

This subject has got me thinking about a lot of things I never really talked about but I also noticed that when I smoked in the day, particularly a sunny day, my high would be felt in my eyes. I can't really describe it but it seems like the light from the sun would make the high more dreamy or "thinking" depending on the energy I had at the time but regardless the high was WAY better than if I were to smoke inside especially if I'm walking with some music on.

When it was done inside, I was still high but it wasn't as mental as it was outside. The same effect I get when I watch t.v. close up in a dark environment high, even though the sunlight would be more effective.

If you're high and watch tv close up it looks like a dream but your mind is constantly thinking about what is being watched. I love watching tv like this. It's more interesting.

When I'm on coffee or alcohol, I get the same effect except with alcohol, I get the lazy giggly "high" instead of the relaxed giggly high I get on weed and with coffee it's not as much of an effect BUT it's still there.

I think one of the reasons why I like it so much is that when you're outside your brain has constant stimulus than inside and therefore you are constantly focusing in on something. When you're inside, because the environment is easily learned, it isn't as entertaining because everything is always in the same place. Outside you have clouds going by, car going by, people, trees moving, wind blowing, little noises from crickets or birds, birds flying.

All these things keep your brain active and therefore you aren't bored as easily and this is probably the main reason, including the air, why my highs were always better outside. Remember "drugs" get the brain going like food. I call them brain food and when you are fed food the things outside are there to be used for a reason and in this case of cannabis and other psychoactive herbs, they are there to get our brains to grow and make us more intelligent and a stimulating environment helps create this. It's like when you go outside you are in a BIG classroom and there is no room for boredom if you figure out what you want to learn and the herbs are your "food" to give you the energy to keep going.

Think about it, when people get high off of herb they start thinking about things around them and a lot want to listen to music and music is something that gets your brain moving. This is probably another reason why a lot of people do things that they don't usually do when making music and when high which is to say that they are learning and coming up with ways to make a different sound and pattern.

I also don't think it's no coincidence that when someone exercises while listening to music(which is a potent brain stimulus), they improve their brain functioning because music is the brain stimulus and the exercise brings the blood to the brain and the blood itself has all the food and chemicals needed to keep the brain going so it can grow from the stimulus. Th brain is nothing but a muscle in the way it grows. If you stimulate it and feed it, it will grow and if you don't do these things it will shrink. Peace.

Here's an article about this subject:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040324071444.htm

A Little Music With Exercise Boosts Brain Power, Study Suggests

COLUMBUS, Ohio It's no secret that exercise improves mood, but new research suggests that working out to music may give exercisers a cognitive boost.Listening to music while exercising helped to increase scores on a verbal fluency test among cardiac rehabilitation patients.


"This is the first study to look at the combined effects of music and short-term exercise on mental performance," said Charles Emery, the study's lead author and a professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

"Evidence suggests that exercise improves the cognitive performance of people with coronary artery disease," Emery said. "And listening to music is thought to enhance brain power. We wanted to put the two results together."

Those results appear in a recent issue of the journal Heart & Lung.

The study included 33 men and women in the final weeks of a cardiac rehabilitation program. Most participants had undergone bypass surgery, angioplasty or cardiac catheterization.

Coronary artery disease may compromise cognitive ability, Emery said; that's why he and his colleagues chose cardiac rehabilitation patients for this study.

The researchers asked participants to complete a verbal fluency test before and after two separate sessions of exercising on a treadmill. The workouts were scheduled a week apart and lasted about 30 minutes. Participants listened to classical music Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" during one of the sessions.

"We used 'The Four Seasons' because of its moderate tempo and positive effects on medical patients in previous research," Emery said. "But given the range of music preferences among patients, it's especially important to evaluate the influence of other types of music on cognitive outcomes."

As a way to measure anxiety and depression, participants completed a 30-item checklist before and after exercise. The list included adjectives to describe the patient's current mood. The researchers also tested each person's verbal fluency before and after each exercise session by asking participants to generate lists of words in specific categories.

"This kind of task challenges the part of the brain that handles planning and abstract thought as well as a person's capacity for organized verbal processing," Emery said.

Participants reported feeling better emotionally and mentally after working out regardless of whether or not they listened to music. But the improvement in verbal fluency test performance after listening to music was more than double that of the non-music condition.

"Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system, and these changes may have a direct effect on cognitive ability," Emery said. "Listening to music may influence cognitive function through different pathways in the brain. The combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize cognitive output."

Emery conducted the study with Evana Hsiao and Scott Hill, both with Ohio State, and David Frid of Pfizer, Inc.

A grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute helped fund this research.