ADHD Guide

Jennifer Koretsky asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Jennifer Koretsky

Every now and then someone asks me: “What can I do for a quick-fix solution to my ADD challenges?” I wish I had the magic answer!

Unfortunately there is no quick fix for managing any challenge. Making positive, permanent changes takes time, energy and dedication.

However, there are a few things you can invest your time and energy in that will provide a greater rate of return, so to speak, when it comes to managing your Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) challenges. One such thing is yoga.

I’ve been encouraging clients to try yoga for a long, long time! When practiced regularly, yoga offers a number of health benefits. Yoga can:

* Increase your strength and flexibility

* Tone your muscles

* Decrease your blood pressure

* Help you sleep more soundly

And yoga can help you manage your ADD! Here’s how:

Yoga provides an outlet for stress relief. Stress management equals ADD management.

Yoga increases your personal awareness and encourages you to form a solid mind-body connection. This helps tremendously when it comes to controlling impulsiveness. And it also makes it easier to break out of periods of negative hyperfocus.

Yoga promotes relaxation techniques that teach you how to become calm and centered. It’s much easier and more effective to improve ADD management skills–like time management, organization, focus, and more–when you’re operating in a calm and centered state. You have the presence of mind to make good decisions without getting stressed out and frustrated.

If you’d like to try using yoga to help manage your ADD, then here are a few helpful tips for getting started.

1. Remember that yoga is not meant to be stressful or taxing on the body. Good yoga instruction will push you a bit, but it shouldn’t feel like boot camp!

2. Look for a yoga center near you and, if at all possible, avoid taking yoga classes at a gym. While there are exceptions, many gym yoga classes will be heavy on strength training and light on relaxation and breathing techniques. (Also worth noting: doing yoga on your Wii Fit is not the same thing as attending an actual yoga class!)

3. Don’t be afraid to get started by taking “Gentle Yoga” classes until you feel comfortable. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about whether or not yoga is right for you.

The bottom line is that yoga can help ADDers feel calm, centered, and in control. And it offers lots of physical benefits, too!

You’ll feel the benefits of yoga right away. And after a few classes, you just might find that yoga becomes a powerful tool in your ADD management toolbox!



Maureen

Simfish InquilineKea asked:


So if you have ADD (I’m primarily concerned with the inattentive type), are you more likely to have poor attention span when reading anything that has high cognitive load? (e.g. something that you’re intelligent enough to understand, but that you would need a lot of effort to read through/work through), and near-normal attention span with respect to relatively easy tasks/reading?

Ann

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Not really thinking about the reasons or consequences of an action and exhibiting the above traits is now being regarded as less than normal by the medical fraternity, which has coined a phrase called ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder, which is a result of a neurological imbalance, but not really a disease as such.

Many doctors and pyschologists are still not in agreement over a person having ADD merely based on certain commonalities; some experts associated with the mental health association demanded a proper method and scientific tools to help categorize individuals diagnosed with ADD and ways to identify this condition with fool-proof measures. This meant ascertaining a certain brain deficiency and though ADD was studied as an apparent dysfunction in a group of people suffering from encephalitis, (an inflammation of the brain), it is no longer a measure for determining ADD. Thus, even persons with no brain deficiencies are also classified under the heading of ADD affected individuals today.

There are 2 kinds of ADD: one with hyperactivity and the other, without; the former is also referred to as ADHD where due to the hyperactivity, the person may refuse to stay motionless for a period of time, exhibit impulsive behavior such as excessive talking, physical activity, impatience with situations or even be unable to play peacefully. They also have a tough time concentrating on simple tasks at hand and get easily distracted.

Thus, even with nearly 3-5 % persons diagnosed with ADD, there is a need to know more about this condition, which is neither a phase nor a disease but a medical condition that requires counselling for early diagnosis, accurate and timely treatment and to help make the ADD-er a successful, balanced and capable person. At times, outward signs of ADD may not be present and therefore the condition can be difficult to diagnose but with proper check-ups and tools, the mannerisms and undesirable behavior of ADD can be toned down and controlled considerably.

Therefore, a combination of various symptoms, ADD which can generate many problems, both pyschological and mental besides careless behavior, should be treated in a timely manner by experts in the medical field so as to grant genuine and timely help to the sufferers for whom living with ADD is a harsh reality, not just a phase in life. It is a mistaken belief to assume that people with ADD are not suffering and its just a bundle of indications; ADD-ers require understanding, support and treatment and its wrong to expect them to simply snap out of it as its not a stage, but a reality.



Eric

lilnecs asked:


I have a research paper I’m doing on ADD in Teenagers. Any reliable pages for that

Tiffany

Trevor Price asked:


Though the symptoms of attention deficit disorder may seem obviously apparent, the disorder often goes undiagnosed in adults. People dealing with it might be constantly fidgeting, easily aggravated, chronically impatient or unable to focus on a task. They may jump from activity to activity or have trouble concentrating.

But are these the symptoms of a youngster suffering from ADHD? No, they’re the evidences of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And though Adult ADHD is extremely prevalent amongst adults, particularly those who suffered from the disorder as a child, it’s often either difficult to spot or attributed to stress or immaturity. To find out more about this disorder, including how it’s treated and it’s symptoms, read on.

How Common is Adult ADHD?

About 1 to 2% of adult men and women, or roughly 5 million Americans, have problems maintaining attention or controlling their movements and impulses. ADHD refers to a spectrum of difficulties in restraining motion and paying attention.

Unfortunately, the symptoms they suffer from are often harder to spot and will be missed by doctors and even the patient themselves.

The Symptoms of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

- Restlessness, fidgeting and squirming

- An inability to sustain any form of focused activity (like reading) for a long period of time

- An inability to remember small details and constantly being distracted

- Difficulty concentrating on what others are saying

- Impatience - for example, irritable when forced to wait in line or traffic

- Pronounced mood swings that run from depression and unhappiness to high energy excitement and happiness

- Failure to stay on a single task, and instead jumping from task to task

- Time management and punctuality problems

- Aggressive or irritable personality reflected in a hot and easily flared temper

- Impulsive decision making - for example, with relationships or purchasing decisions

- Easily frustrated and unable to handle stress and everyday hurdles

- Poor body image and low self esteem coupled with an inability to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise

- Lack of Maturity

Instead of running around the room, breaking things and throwing toys on the floor like a child with ADHD may do, an adult with the disorder will simply constantly be in motion. They’ll often tap their feet, fidget with their hands or move around in their chair.

Steps to Treating an Adult

There are support groups and medical professionals out there who can help you get treatment for your disorder. You can try contacting physicians in your area that work with children suffering from ADHD or you call the Attention Deficit Disorder Association. They can often refer individuals to qualified and experienced professionals in their area.

And remember, though the symptoms of attention deficit disorder may seem similar to those often associated with stress, adults need to be serious about attending to this often debilitating disorder. It can be treated - and with the right drug treatment program administered by an experienced doctor, having adult ADHD treated is a life-changing experience.

The treatment is certainly preferable to the daily frustrations that accompany the disorder.



Crystal

thelongestday41 asked:


In my life i have add attention deficit disorder and i believe it effects me greatly and i was wondering if there any groups in the United States or New Jersey we where can talk about have attention deficit disorder (ADD(?

Deborah

inkster7 asked:


I am in sales and have trouble at times with the details in paperwork. It’s becoming a problem because if mistakes are made it can be costly. I go back and check my work, but I don’t always catch things. Any helpful ideas are appreciated

Jessica

G asked:


My son 7 yrs old has problems in the school and family doctor suspects that he may have something like this and I am waiting for the pediatrician’s appoinment. Does anyone has these problems and explain what are these and how to cope up with these?

Lois