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Signs of Adult ADD or ADHD

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:07:00 +0000

If you’re in a chronic state of disorganization, procrastination, or you can’t seem to get much accomplished, you might be wondering what’s wrong. The answer might be that you are suffering from adult add or adhd.

Maybe your parents or grandparents had similar behavioral issues

and so it must be genetic? And you need to know if there is anything you can do about it? And to make matters worse your child is showing signs of all this same problem. Well the symptoms that define what you are looking for may include:

Inability to concentrate on what you are doing
Difficulty in completing what you are doing so you may be doing one task before finishing another one or even reading more than one book at a time.
Buying things that you mean to do but never get around to doing them.
Daydream and doodle instead of getting down to what needs to be done.
That you don’t like yourself and neither does anybody else.
That nobody understands what you are going through.
You may be constantly doing certain tasks, fidgeting, cleaning or compelled to do certain things in certain ways and it upsets you that other people don’t do these things the same way that you do.
You may focus on an issue – whatever that issue is – repeating scenarios and conversations in your head so it never gets resolved
Lacking self confidence and belief in yourself

Well, here’s my disclosure. I had all of those feelings and thoughts this morning and you know what when I ask people at random – they did too! So what does that mean that we all have ADHD / ADD? Because that is how it is defined as a checklist of symptoms over a period of time. I had been supporting children and families with behavioral challenges including ADHD / ADD for many years before I suddenly woke up to the fact that I may well have it myself because I hit the checklist. Now I don’t believe for one minute that I do have these conditions but I could quite easily talk myself into believing it. Especially when I go into some of the forums that post discussions around these symptoms.

All of a sudden, a light goes on in people’s minds. They focus on these symptoms and suddenly there is a reason for them to explain why they haven’t actually got the life they truly want – they have finally got a label to hang it all on! And others on these forums who have been down the same road on these sites, rub their hands with glee that they are ‘helping’ someone out here and point them off to the doctor. There are huge profits being made by pharmaceutical companies in supporting the ADHD /ADD industry. Very little is known about what causes it and that is no surprise when some of those symptoms are common to most of the population of the world at any given time

Now, I don’t question that taking these drugs helps people feel better, but what we need to do is find out why. How do these drugs work? What are their side effects? And just as these conditions vary from individual to individual so too, do the side effects of the medication they take to control it. And if these magic formulas work – why are they still on these sites talking about the same old symptoms? Why haven’t they been cured?

There are other ways to deal with your symptoms in an individually focused way. Change what needs changing from within and measure that change for yourself. Define your goals and measure your journey step by step but most importantly inform yourself of what that journey entails. And finally…celebrate the success of being you. Believe it or not… There are tools out there to help you do just that.

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Dealing With ADD/ADHD People

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:07:00 +0000

When I was a child ADD/ADHD was not a diagnosis that had been identified. I was considered hyper active and was the child who presented a challenge to the teacher because I could talk to my neighbor, and at the same time know what question the teacher was asking and then answer the question. If you were in my school I could have been the one sitting in the hall so I couldn’t talk to my neighbor.

It used to be that anyone who couldn’t stay organized was easily distracted, and tended to be overly energetic. Children were labeled "problems" and adults were thought to be lost causes. But today, we realize there is an organic brain condition that causes some people to think and function differently than the majority of the population. These people are often very creative and intelligent people when they are in a supportive environment.Here is some information to help us learn more about Attention Deficit Disorder – also known as ADD to the general public.

Those who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit thrive in a structured environment. They can be most productive by setting up simple systems for completing daily tasks and follow the same daily routines. For instance: getting ready for the day, cleaning the house or finishing up the day at their office.

They need to have a lot of reminders if they tend to forget appointments, get distracted, or lose their train of thought. It may help to have an organizing buddy or friend to support them in their goals to stay on track. Setting an alarm on their watch, putting up sticky notes, or making a running list of things to-do in a single notebook or planner will help. Sticky notes can be lost or become clutter so a notebook or planner can be the most effective way to keep track of things that need to be done and appointments to keep.

Those with ADD are accomplished people and need to focus on those things they have accomplished, not focusing on the 15,000 things they haven’t done yet. As with everyone they need to pat themselves on the back for what they have done in any given day and know there is always another day to accomplish other things that need to be done.
Published by Adult Add Help

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Adult Treatment for ADHD

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Today, the majority of the population has heard about or seen commercials that address Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. This disorder, also known as ADHD, has actually been around for a long time but the problem is growing. However, many people are just now becoming aware that ADHD can also affect adults, which can be extremely, disrupting to both home and work life. In this article, we wanted to specifically, address adult treatment for ADHD. Keep in mind that the first and most important step for any adult is to have a proper evaluation with a reputable doctor that specializes in ADHD.

With this, the appropriate treatment plan can be designed and implemented. The interesting thing about adult ADHD is that as many as 50% had ADHD as a child.

While diagnosing ADHD in children is not overly difficult, with adults it is more of a challenge. The reason is that as adults, most of us live busy, hectic lives, which could account for the distraction, depression lack of concentration, insomnia, and hyperactivity associated with ADHD. Therefore, if you suspect that you have this disorder, you need to talk to a good doctor who can make a firm diagnosis. With that, the adult treatment for ADHD would vary depending on the individual. Remember, while there is a long list of symptoms associated with ADHD, not every adult has the same symptoms or the same intensity of symptoms. The type of adult treatment for ADHD your doctor prescribes would likely involve drugs that serve to stimulate the mind but in many cases, antidepressants, cognitive training, behavioral skills training, and psychotherapy can also be very, beneficial.

Suffering from this disorder typically means at work having trouble grasping simple concepts, not being able to pay attention in meetings, not having the skill to follow through with tasks, and many times, and having difficulty maintaining healthy relationships. At home, families can be torn apart as he mother or father with ADHD no longer helps around the house, is not capable of having the same interaction with the kids as before, feels depressed because of not being "normal", and so on. While many adults with ADHD are reaching out to doctors for adult treatment for ADHD, others are going through a self-diagnosis mode, which can be very dangerous to recovery.

Although conducting research and educating yourself on the disorder is strongly encouraged, it is truly imperative to seek professional help in overcoming the disorder. With the stimulants prescribed, the imbalance of catecholamine metabolism in the cerebral cortex of the brain, which occurs in people with ADHD,is brought back to normal levels. These agents work by enhancing the body’s availability of norepinephrine and dopamine. Just as with children, the most common drug prescribed is Ritalin although today, we see a number of new products on the market that have been successful. For antidepressants used in adult treatment of ADHD, the concentration of catecholamine in the central nervous system is improved. The goal of the antidepressants is that they inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and if tricyclic antidepressants are being prescribed, they will help inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.

For the adult living with ADHD, antidepressants are particularly helpful by reducing affective instability while also controlling coexistent mood disturbance. Remember, while self-diagnosis should be handled with carefully, self-therapy is another tool that many people find useful. This means to learn how to plan and organize your day, whether for work or for home. You can also take classes, read books, or listen to audio that teaches you how to avoid distractions by working in a clutter-free environment, arriving to work early when the environment is quiet, using timers to help remind you of appointments and meetings, and breaking large projects down into more manageable tasks. In other words, when it comes to adult treatment for ADHD, you have many viable options, things you and your doctor can agree on together.

Published by Adult ADD Help

By Amber Snow
Published: 8/9/2007

ADD Sleep Problems

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Like many insomniacs, I have a hard time waking up in the morning,

but I have an even harder time falling asleep at night. When I spoke to my doctor about this problem, she offered me a very simple solution: take 3 hours to "wind down" before bed. Don’t do anything stimulating in the evening that will engage your brain. Relax, unwind, and you’ll find yourself falling asleep much easier at night.

Many people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD) often find themselves chronically tired during the day, but they can’t sleep at night. This can be true for adults and children alike. Some of us seem to have our own internal schedule – a body and mind that want to sleep all day and be productive at night. Unfortunately, most of the world doesn’t work this way. Many people with ADD have a schedule to conform to, and find themselves suffering with sleepless nights and sluggish days.

But if we have a potential solution – like not doing anything stimulating 3 hours before you go to bed – then why do we still have a problem? I know that if I can manage to spend a relaxing evening free from stimulation, I have a much easier time both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Unfortunately, relaxing and winding down in the evening is not as easy as it seems. Two main symptoms of ADD are hyperactivity (which can be physical and/or mental) and impulsiveness. These are 2 things that constantly tempt the brain to get active. Additionally, once a task or project is picked up, people with ADD have the potential to over-concentrate on it and lose track of time. In order to avoid this and wind down, I find it best to stick to a routine. I have to schedule my activities for the evening, and not allow myself to get caught up in anything that I find engaging, like emailing, talking on the phone, or even picking up an interesting book.

When scheduling your evenings and developing a routine, whether it is for yourself or your child, identify the one or two things that usually provide the most stimulation and eliminate them from the pre-bedtime hours. In my own routine, I begin my wind down by shutting off my computer right after dinner. This prevents me from getting caught up in email, research, or any other number of interesting things that the Internet has to offer.

The next thing to consider when planning your routine is to schedule in "down time" for some serious relaxing. For me, this can mean taking 15 minutes to meditate, going for a walk with my dog, or even just sitting in my favorite chair and breathing deeply. Whatever it is, I do it alone.

And finally, set up a "signal" that will let your body know it’s time to start shutting down. The very last thing I do at night is brush my teeth. This is my signal to my body and mind that the day is now over and it is time to rest. You may choose to do some light reading, tuck in the kids, or make your lunch for tomorrow – what it is doesn’t matter, as long as it’s the same small task repeated every night.

Once you have developed your schedule, make it a routine. People with ADD often work well with this kind of structure. You can change the activities you plan for each night, as long as you stick to the basics. Get your body and mind used to winding down in the evenings, and you may just find yourself falling asleep easier at night!

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By: Jennifer Koretsky

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The Maverick’s Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free resources and information on adult ADD, visit www.ADDmanagement.com . To learn more about Odd One Out, visit www.odd-one-out.net .

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