Exercise, Wellness, and other Medical Complementary Treatments for Anxiety, ADHD, Anorexia and other Social Disorders

John Ratey, MD

August 15 – 19, 2022 • Monday – Friday
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This evidence-based, state-of-the-art course focuses on the latest medical and non-medical approaches and interventions for patients with ADHD, Aggression, Addictions, Social Disorders, Pain, Anorexia, Sleep Disorders, Anxiety and Mood Disorders. The course will explore the results of an ongoing study of balance and coordination training on autistic adolescents and its effect on behavior and social skills. The course will also address the uses and dangers of medical marijuana and look at the growing evidence of the clinical usefulness of Cannabidiol (CBD) the non-psychoactive phytochemical of the hemp plant. The ground-breaking work of using CBD to treat seizures and behaviors in this population will be studied. In addition to new medications, the course will explore the proven effects of exercise, yoga, play, diet, and other alternative strategies that are shown to be effective treatments for psychiatric problems. Special emphasis will be placed on the burgeoning research on exercise and ADHD, with tips on how to integrate exercise prescriptions into your practice. The course will also do a deep dive into the Default Mode Network and how its troubled connectivity within the brain explains ADHD, Autism, and other psychiatric diagnoses better than most models and can point to rational treatments. The course will review the effects of sleep, being in nature, and movement on brain health in general and specifically as treatment for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. It will review the latest information on the amount and type of movement necessary to attain and maintain optimal brain function. In addition, the course looks at the growing awareness of the “microbiome” when it comes to diet, and the effect of gluten and probiotics on the gut and brain/behavior connection. We will review the latest studies showing the possible link of the microbiome and Parkinson’s disease. To put it all together, the course takes a journey into the brain and synapses to fully learn about these conditions. The important area of diagnosis will also be looked at, covering the controversies and challenges associated with properly diagnosing psychological disorders: 1. Bipolar or ADHD or both and what this means for treatment; 2. Asperger’s, Autism or Social Dyslexia –are there any relevant medications and behavioral interventions for these developmental differences and do they matter; 3. Relevancies of DSM-5 to the real world and the issue of subthreshold diagnoses or the “Shadow Syndromes”.

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate new neuroscience information to understand and treat ADHD, Aggression, Autism Spectrum Disorder, fatigue, and stress;
• Assess the latest medications and combinations for ADHD, aggression and social disorders;
• Utilize knowledge of the effects of a good sleep program as a necessary component of a health promoting lifestyle for caregivers and their patients;
• Judge the efficacy of diet changes, the need for gluten–free diets, and the use of probiotics;
• Apply the growing knowledge of using medical marijuana for pain, anorexia, mood, and sleep disorders;
• Utilize knowledge of the dangers of marijuana and its potential to activate psychosis and produce the a motivational syndrome;
• Describe the differences between marijuana and Cannabidiol and to use them when appropriate;
• Establish the burgeoning evidence of Cannabidiol for seizure control, anxiety, and insomnia;
• Compare the effect of Cannabidiol for control of disruptive behaviors and socialization in autistic children and adolescents;
• Appraise the science that has helped to determine the amount and type of exercise needed to maintain optimal brain health;
• Negotiate and write an effective exercise prescription for every patient;
• Utilize exercise as medicine to treat almost all psychiatric disorders;
• Employ exercise and play to help the caregiver and their patients prevent cognitive decline and lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

FACULTY

John J. Ratey, MD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry (part-time), Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Ratey has been a leading teacher and researcher on brain and personality and treatment of aggression and the development of disabilities as well as the psychological and cognitive benefits of exercise and play. He has written extensively on Attention Deficit Disorder, learning disabilities, brain differences that affect social skills and has published Shadow Syndromes, a book that has helped broaden our understanding of how the brain affects everyday life. Dr. Ratey is the author or co-author of more than 85 scientific publications and eight books including Driven to Distraction and The User’s Guide to the Brain and Spark: The New Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain and Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind From the Afflictions of Civilization.