ADHD Guide

Sheryl Polomka asked:


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( previously known as ADD or ADHD) as a disease is rapidly gaining ground. The number of people suffering from this disease, especially children and youngsters is rising rapidly. Some medical praticitioners insist that the rise in cases is a direct result of better education and thus early diagnosis. Other medical practicitioners will have you believe that the rise in the number of ADHD diagnosed suffers is due to increasing levels of toxins and pollutants in our air and food.

With the medical profession arguing amongst itself as to the causes and cures of this illness what is the average parent to do. The first step is probably one of education i.e. parents must educate themselves as to the nature of this illness and the first place to start is the symptoms.

ADHD Checklist of possible symptoms:

The ADHD Checklist is mainly an instrument in determining the exact nature, degree and the impact of the disease on an individual. However please don’t be surprised if your initial reaction to this list is to think but this describes most children – that was my reaction too. And this is a huge problem with ADHD and similar illnesses. There are no “medical” tests – well certainly not free available ones so the diagnosis of ADHD is subjective – it is based on opinions – that of the parents, the medical practitioner, the child’s teacher etc. It goes some way to explaining why a child badly affected by ADHD who has a saint for a mother and an angel for a teacher is less likely to be diagnosed than a child who may be less affected by their “adhd” but has a stressed out mother and overworked teacher. (I think my child may have suffered as a result of having a stressed out working mother who was on antidepressants and struggling to cope!)

What does the ADHD Checklist Include?

The ADHD checklist for children includes the following points – as most ADHD sufferers tend to be male – I have used him for ease:

a) A child who is always restless and always raring to go.

b) He does not listen and pays no heed to his parents or to his teachers.

c) He lacks the ability to concentrate even for a short span of time.

d) He is extremely fidgety, restless and unable to sit still.

e) A child/ youngster suffering from ADHD takes risks easily and does not consider the consequences of his actions.

f) He can be very talkative and blurts out everything.

g) A person suffering from ADHD can be easily distracted and thus finds it difficult to complete any tasks assigned to him.

It is hopefully apparent now why so many children are misdiagnosed – either as having the illness when they don’t or not having it when they do. What parent can honestly say that their own child wouldn’t fall into many if not all of the above categories at some stage in the parenting cycle?

The official ADHD checklist for adults includes the following points:

a) An adult can suffer from ADHD if he has suffered from hyperactivity and restlessness in his childhood.

b) Any Adult suffering from the symptoms described above in the children’s section.

c) An adult suffering from ADHD shows inconsistent performance, decreasing work productivity and incomplete projects.

d) Also such individuals get frustrated very easily and show signs of nervousness and hypertension.

e) Adult ADHD sufferers can find it extremely difficult to maintain close and intimate relationships.

f) They are constantly in search of activities that stimulate them.

g) They also suffer from bouts of depression and low energy levels.

h) They lack organizational skills and planning.

Whilst the above checklists may provide you with a list of the ADHD symptoms – has this list solved any of your worries or concerns? I would suspect the answer to that question is no – if you were worried previously then you are possibly even more concerned now. And if you weren’t too concerned prior to reading this list of ADHD symptoms, I would bet money on you being worried now.

For some definitive impartial advice and information from parents who have been exactly where you are at now please subscribe to our free website – www.ourexceptionalkids.com

Jacob

Angie Dixon asked:


Do you have ADHD? Are you a mom? Does one or more of your children have ADHD? I just want to give you a hug and say, “You poor thing. I know exactly how you feel.” I know about the teachers sending notes home that your ADHD child didn’t return a paper because you forgot to sign it. I know about missing important deadlines, like signing your ADHD child up for the Gifted and Talented program, because you forgot to check his backpack. I know about the non-ADHD child saying, “Mom, you forgot to pack our lunches–AGAIN.”
I know. I know what it’s like to be an ADHD mom of an ADHD child. I know. And I’m sorry you have to go through it.
But I’m glad for your child, because he or she has the best possible combination of parenting traits–someone who loves him because he is, and someone who knows exactly what it’s like to be an ADHD kid.
As someone who knows what it’s like to raise an ADHD child while trying to remember to tie my own shoes before I walk out the door in the morning (or even to put them on–I once drove to the bus stop barefoot!), I can tell you, you’re doing a good job.
How do I know? Two reasons. First, you’re reading an article about ADHD instead of the latest fashion trends. You’re trying. Second, I know that people with ADHD are incredibly hard-working, bright and creative, not necessarily in that order. I know that we make excellent parents because we’re able to see what’s really going on. And I know you’re a great mom because of your ADHD and not in spite of it.
I want to tell you a story. It’s short, and it has everything to do with being an ADHD mom of an ADHD child, in my case a son.
When Jack was about six, I took him to a counselor. She was chatting with him and he mentioned a movie he’d just seen, Rug Rats All Growed Up. Samara asked my brilliant ADHD son “How did the characters change when they were grown up?” Jack proceeded to tell her exactly how they went forward in time by turning a tape player into a time machine. Samara looked confused, but with my own ADHD, I followed every twist and turn of logic. I said, “You wanted to know how they were different. What you asked was how they changed, and that’s what he’s telling you.” And of course it was. My ADHD brain understood his ADHD brain, where the counselor, though well-trained and very good at her job, just couldn’t keep up with us.
That night in my bathtub I realized my role in life. As an ADHD mom of an ADHD son, my job is to serve as his liaison to the world, until he’s learned enough about living with ADHD to be his own liaison. And the way he’ll learn about the world through ADHD-tinted glasses is by my tutelage.
So give yourself a break. No, he may not return his report card the next day, because you put it in the refrigerator instead of his backpack. She may have to borrow lunch money from the office–every other day. But you’re the mom, and you’re doing a great job. Pat yourself on the back if they have on two of their own shoes that match. ADHD is no picnic, for parents or kids. You’ve got a double headache. I won’t tell you to make lemons out of lemonade, but I will tell you, it’s okay. It will all be okay.

Amanda

Kay asked:


I looked over the application to the Bar exam.

It askes if you have any psychiatric illnesses.

I was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety a couple years ago. I no longer have problems and I don’t see a psychiatrist.

If I put down ADHD and anxiety, could they reject my application?

Lois

Fran Hopkins asked:


The morning alarm goes off and you drag yourself out of bed; “drag” because you stayed up too late the night before. You got so engrossed in exhaustively researching a prospective purchase online that you just couldn’t stop until you were done.
After you take your ADHD medication, you begin to feel more alert. Suddenly ideas start to ricochet across your brain, faster than you can keep track of them. You feel energized and capable and on top of the world and write run-on sentences like this one and have all these great plans to accomplish so much with the rest of your day!
You have several big projects that need doing (not to mention a variety of smaller tasks), so you sit down to get to work. Almost immediately you’re sidetracked because something else you have to do pops into your head.
If I don’t do it now, you think, I’ll forget about it; I’d better do it now. So you jump up, intending to do the thing that popped into your head; except that, on the way to do it, you see something else that needs doing. After you do that instead, you can’t remember what you got up for in the first place.
Soon it’s evening and it hits you that, if you’re going to get the project done that’s due tomorrow, you’ll have to pull an all-nighter tonight. Thanks to caffeine, sugary snacks and the “motivation” of impending failure, you finally manage to focus. The night flies by and the project gets done (and done well, since we ADD-ers tend to be perfectionists).
Then you grab a couple of hours of unrestful sleep and drag yourself out of bed yet again, even more tired than you were the previous morning.
Why does this always happen? you wonder. Do I have to feel so stressed all the time? I thought this medication was supposed to be helping me. Why can’t I channel my energies and harness my thoughts so I can get more done?
Taking Action to Help Ourselves
While medication definitely improves the symptoms of ADHD for most people, what we need to do to improve our lives is to implement structure and organization in a way that works with us and for us - not against us.
Before we knew we had ADHD, we felt guilty and blamed ourselves for what we suspected were weaknesses in our characters. We were lazy, or unmotivated, or irresponsible; or we felt “broken” or “weird” because we couldn’t do things that came easily to others.
Now that we know better, it’s our responsibility to learn how to get the help we need. Remember that knowledge is power.
Consider a Coach
As if in answer to the ADHD person’s prayers, some sympathetic genius came up with the idea of the ADHD coach. David Giwerc, co-founder with his wife, Marla and president of the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA) - and an ADD-er himself - denies that the concept originated with him.
“I have been coaching longer than most, but I can’t say that I was the first ADD coach,” Giwerc says. “I can say that I was the first ADD coach to specialize in coaching entrepreneurs and business owners with ADHD. I can also say that ADDCA trains more skilled, educated ADD coaches than any other coach training program.”
Giwerc also serves as the current president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), which describes itself as “the world’s leading adult ADHD organization.”
What ADHD Coaches Do
“(ADHD coaches) tell our clients that they’re not broken; their brains are just wired differently,” Giwerc says. Besides educating clients about their ADHD, coaches support and empower them by helping them to:
#1 - Let go of and change beliefs that are obstacles in their lives: things like, “If I can’t do it the way ‘they’ want me to do it, I’m no good” (rather than “I have a different style that works for me”) and “If I don’t get the result I want, it’s a failure” (rather than “it’s a learning experience”).
#2 - Identify their passions, talents and successes - i.e., the things they love to do and do well - and focus on them rather than exclusively on their weaknesses
#3 - Understand how ADHD characteristics, such as creative thinking and hyperfocus, can be utilized as strengths when integrated into their daily schedules
#4 - Develop their unique skills
#5 - Create customized structures and strategies that utilize their natural learning and processing styles so that they can function more effectively and achieve their goals
#6 - Learn what do to when they get “stuck” because of ADHD-related challenges such as procrastination, perfectionism, distraction and lack of time awareness
While coaching is no substitute for medication, Giwerc says that it can be part of a comprehensive approach to managing ADHD that also includes 1) accurate diagnosis; 2) identification of the most effective drug and dosage for the individual; 3) psychotherapy, if needed; and 4) physical exercise.
Where Do I Find a Coach and What Should I Look For?
Many websites advertise ADHD coaches. At the ADDCA site, for example, you can find the names of suitable coaches by clicking on the “Find a Coach” tab and then choosing the specialty you want (for example, “Adult” or “Children and Adolescents”) and/or the location you prefer. Coaches usually offer a free introductory session so that you can both determine “if there’s a connection,” Giwerc explains.
Although the International Coaching Federation (ICF) certifies coaches in general coaching skills, there’s currently no ICF certification specifically for ADHD coaching. Coaches should be graduates of ADHD coach training programs, however, such as ADDCA’s 12-month long-distance program that leads to the ACG (ADD Coach Academy Graduate) designation. Graduates of ADDCA may then pursue advanced training to earn certification as a CAC (Certified ADDCA Coach).
For helpful guidance about selecting an ADHD coach, see “The ADDA Guiding Principles for Coaching Individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder” at the ADDA’s website.
The Nuts and Bolts: How Does Coaching Actually Work?
Although you can meet with a local ADHD coach in person, most ADHD coaching takes place via telephone or e-mail. Three or four 30-to-60-minute phone sessions are usually scheduled each month, with e-mail or brief phone contacts in between. Fees may run between $200-$600 a month and are probably not covered by insurance (but you should check with your own health plan to be sure).
Coaching relationships don’t have a set timeframe. They can run from six months to two years or more, depending upon the individual client’s desires and progress.
As important as a coach’s credentials are, even more crucial to a successful coaching experience is the ADHD client’s willingness to do what he or she can to create a more fulfilling life. Coaches can inspire this willingness. “We teach our clients to shift perspective, to discover and embrace their strengths instead of their challenges,” Giwerc says.
In fact, adds Giwerc, “With the help of a well-trained coach, a client learns how to take his or her natural ADHD tendencies and convert them into strengths.”

Rhonda

Keith Londrie asked:


Although this disorder has been researched and studied for over a century, there are still aspects of it that are not understood by the general public. ADHD is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to pay attention and focus. This sounds simple enough, but the disorder shows up in people in different ways. Some cases of ADHD involve hyperactivity, some do not. Some people are better at keeping their hyperactivity under control. Also, the general public tends to forget that impulsivity is part of ADHD as well. Impulsivity covers a wide range of behaviors, from verbal blurting to drug abuse. Because the description of symptoms has changed so much over the years, many people were not diagnosed with ADHD until they were adults. With these cases, there are secondary problems that often come with ADHD, such as depression and anxiety.
Some of the main signs of ADHD are not being able to pay attention to the task at hand, lack of follow through, loses things easily, makes careless mistakes, has trouble paying attention to details, difficulties organizing, interrupting others, restlessness and overly active. Not every person has every symptom, and some symptoms are more severe in some people compared to others with the disorder. This is why the disorder can be so difficult to discern. Also, many people have trouble with these things at one time or another. But people with ADHD have such a hard time that it affects them emotionally and developmentally.
It is still not known exactly why people are born with ADHD. It is known that many cases are genetic, but not all. Doctors do know that the way your brain is wired will determine whether you have ADHD or not. People with ADHD have a low level of dopamine in their brains. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that affects focus and attention.
In regards to treating ADHD, I believe there is a real misunderstanding. It is very true that medication helps with the disorder. It helps you focus longer, get things done and evens out emotions as well. But it is by no means a cure all. It is very important to get individual counseling, and possibly family counseling if needed. ADHD can make you feel like the oddball, and it can make adolescence particularly difficult. Get as much help as you can. Most importantly, help yourself. It has been found that regular exercise if very good for the symptoms of ADHD. It stimulates endorphins in the brain and calms the internal restlessness that people with ADHD have. Another thing that is helpful for people with ADHD is meditation practice. Starting off each morning by meditating can be calming for anyone, but particularly for individuals who have trouble focusing and slowing their minds down. Take a few minutes each day and breathe. It costs nothing and it can really affect your life positively.

Caroline

Vita Vee asked:


One of the best things about the Internet and about serious, scholarly, and devoted professional help sites is being able to find the accurate, timely, and truly informative articles related to your search.

The ADHD article is among such benefits. While we can find astoundingly apt materials in the bookstore on ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), such as Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo’s lifesaving book, or those equally useful works by Thom Hartmann, Shari Holden, and others, the ADHD article is quicker, more easily accessible (online, I mean), and is just as valuable as written by an ADHD specialist, expert, and/or professional.

You can start with the ADHD site or ADHD ezine (online magazine), for example to find almost any ADHD article as it is relevant to you and yours:

*BTE, borntoexplore.org, offers information and a number of helpful, informative ADHD articles for scholarship and personal use.

*ADDitude magazine is online and by subscription, and has so many practical and realistic ADHD articles for the professional, the student, the parent, and the adult that you will want your own scrip! I discovered the magazine through the college where I worked, and read every magazine issue cover to cover. I then had to subscribe, so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep the copies I borrowed.

You will also want to check out the ADHD article databases:

*The absolute premier site for ADHD articles is ADD Consults (addconsults.com). It will take you a minute to figure out the organizational system, but once you decide on a subject area, or sub-topic, you will get ADHD articles on everything from ADD strategies to co-morbidity information to ADHD articles about children and adults with ADD. The articles are upscale and professional, clinical, and/or personal, and are a must read! The site is engineered by Terry Matlin, MSW, ASCW, and features the astoundingly superbly brilliant support of ADHD article writers who are ADD specialists—Edward Hallowell, John J. Ratey, Sari Solden, Thom Hartmann, Michelle Novotny, and many others!

And once you find the primary source that is most user-friendly and most helpful to you, sign up for a free newsletter, one which offers an ADHD article or two every week or month (whenever the newsletter is delivered to your ebox):

*Terry Matlin, ACSW, also offers a newsletter which features an ADHD article, book reviews, and blurbs on many ADHD aids/products for the ADHDer, as I call her or him (as I call myself).

*Breath and Shadow, a monthly (or thereabouts) newsletter put out by ROSC as the Journal of Literature and Disability Culture, is for writers and artists with any or all disabilities, and issues a monthly newsletter with a predetermined theme, but occasionally you might get an ADHD article.

As you can see, you can find the most scholarly ADHD articles, or the most personal and still accurate and relevant ADHD article written by a non-credentialed individual who has or knows someone who has to put up with the frustrations and challenges and special and unique gifts of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a.k.a ADD.

Rhonda

onehottfem asked:


My son has ADHD and a lot of people I know are putting me down for turning to meds. My son will not make it in school with out it. Even my mother in law has said she does not like it! I just dont know what to say to these people anymore! His doc told me this is his only chance at a normal 5 year olds life.

Karl

jjkk asked:


What are some good medications to suggest to my doctor for me to take for no energy and my ADHD MOOD CHANGES ANXIETY?

Jeffery

Missy* asked:


If you have ADHD/ADD, what type of an impact has it had on the people who are close to you? If you know someone with ADHD/ADD, how have they made an impact on your life?

Tammy

imcdw asked:


What suggestions do you have for assisting a 19yo with ADHD in a work (call centre) environment?

I need some help with going about resolving the common symptoms of ADHD..

* Yelling at inappropriate times.
* Not being able to sit still.
* Poor impulse control/lack of attention.
* Understanding boundries particularly with regards to showing respect when speaking to management.

Thanks in advance!
Who said she’s a he?

Rodney