By Dr Rachel V. Gow, PhD, RNutr, FHEAChild Neuropsychologist, Nutritional Neuroscientist and Founder of Nutritious Minds Trust Charity The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) has arguably reduced ADHD to a somewhat simplistic account of inattentiveness (distractibility/disorganisation), hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. Pharmacological funded research carried out by psychiatrists and researchers has long focused on the somewhat outd

By Dr Rachel V. Gow, PhD, RNutr, FHEA Child Neuropsychologist, Nutritional Neuroscientist and Founder of Nutritious Minds Trust Charity The field of psychiatry has primarily focused on observable behaviour to diagnose Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for close to 60 years. The formal diagnostic manual initially began with the American Psychiatric Association in 1968, and in 1952, the first version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, w

By Dr Rachel V. Gow, PhD, RNutr, FHEAChild Neuropsychologist, Nutritional Neuroscientist and Founder of Nutritious Minds Trust Charity Perhaps you have watched a bright, imaginative child begin to lose confidence in a system that was supposed to help them flourish. The child who once asked endless questions now avoids putting up their hand. The child who can speak with extraordinary knowledge about animals, space, music, gaming or engineering has begun to call themselves “stu

As a child my ADHD was undiagnosed. I had a very tumultuous childhood, and back then there wasn’t much help or understanding for what I was going through. In the nineties, the extent of support I was given by my school was an anger management class, which I had difficulty in understanding because I’d spend every day in fits of hysterics laughing at my own ridiculous behaviour. I certainly didn’t consider myself an angry child. The only other support I was given was when I was

They called him names. Lots of them, pretty much every day right back since he could remember. They said he was careless, disorganised, clumsy, naughty, lazy, a disruption, that he didn’t seem to learn from his actions. He felt bad inside most days. Nothing he ever did seemed right, even though he really did try. The boys in his class were in many ways worse than the teachers. They would tease and try to push him to the ground. He would punch them back – hard where it hurt –