A Story of Hope

Nikki Drummond, CCN
Oct 6
3 min read

Every once in a while, a case comes along that reminds me why I do this work. Today I want to share one of those stories — a story of hope, resilience, and the power of listening to what the brain is trying to say beneath the surface.

This isn’t about chasing the latest health trend or handing out quick fixes. It’s about using data to uncover hidden imbalances that no one thought to look for — and watching a life pivot because of it.

A Mom's Dilemma

Meet a mom who did everything “right.” Her son was already in therapy. She followed the recommendations. She bought mostly organic foods. She cut out all the junk food. The family went gluten-free. She even considered the advice of well-meaning professionals who suggested starting him on ADHD medication.

But in her gut, she knew there had to be another way. She wanted her child to have tools for life, not a prescription that masked symptoms without asking why those symptoms were there in the first place.

The Child Behind the Behaviors

Days were filled with impulsivity, forgetfulness, and picky eating battles. Nights were just as tough — he tossed, turned, and couldn’t fall asleep, which only amplified the next day’s struggles.

On the surface, his challenges looked like this:

Impulsivity that made him hard to manage in class.
Constipation that no amount of prune juice seemed to fix.
Picky eating that left mom frustrated at mealtime.
Forgetfulness so persistent he had to be reminded of everything.
And nights that dragged on because he just couldn’t fall asleep, leaving everyone exhausted the next day.

Therapy gave him strategies, but they weren’t sticking. Because here’s the secret no one had told her: therapy only works if the brain’s chemistry is stable enough to use the tools.

The Hidden Chemistry

We ran a neurotransmitter test, and the results explained everything.

High histamine was accelerating dopamine turnover — making focus and memory slippery.

Depleted GABA and serotonin meant his brain literally couldn’t hit the brakes or regulate emotions, even with therapy strategies.

And the kicker? Mom had been proudly serving him “healthy” foods like strawberries — not realizing they’re high histamine and were quietly feeding the imbalance.

This wasn’t bad parenting. This wasn’t a broken child. This was chemistry crying out for support.

The Turning Point

Once we had his Brain Map, the path forward became clear. We gave his body the nutrients it needed to restore balance and calmed down the histamine roller coaster. We also targeted his gut — resolving the constipation so his body could finally clear what was clogging the system and blocking serotonin signaling.

In other words, the problem wasn’t just the strawberries. They were simply an example of how a “healthy” food can quietly drive symptoms when the chemistry and gut aren’t in sync.

And something remarkable happened: the therapy tools began to work. His focus improved. His body finally relaxed enough to regulate. Mom said it felt like she had her son back — the one she always knew was in there, just waiting for his brain to catch up.

Why This Matters

This is why I refuse to reduce children to a label or a prescription. Behavior is chemistry in disguise— and chemistry is deeply tied to the gut. If the gut can’t clear, absorb, and signal properly, the brain never gets the messages it needs.

ADHD meds aren’t the only option. Sometimes the difference between chaos and calm is a single neurotransmitter. Sometimes “therapy isn’t working” is really “gut and brain aren’t talking.”

And sometimes strawberries are the culprit. (Who knew?)