Signs of ADHD

By Donovan Baldwin

I have ADHD. I was not diagnosed until I was in my 60's. Here's some facts about people like me:

1. I might explode if I don't say everything, right now, no matter what.
2. Once a conversation gets past the first sentence I'm lost.
3. The answer to a question in the middle of a conversation is uhhhh.
4. Post-it notes and scraps of paper are how I keep track.
5. Grown-ups do things that don't really matter to me
6. A repetitive system works for me...until it doesn't any more
7. A calendar or appointment book...which I forgot I had anyway
8. Trying to decide which white socks to buy
9. Taking out the garbage and winding up washing the car
10 Finding strange things in strange places, with no idea why.
11.Remembering why
12. Wanting to keep driving because your mind is quiet...or busy
13. Lying awake for three hours because your mind won't shut up
14. Thinking of something and doing it...right then...no matter what
16. You clean a room by throwing everything away, or stacking it
17. You need a pet that cares for itself (spouse)
18. "Fun" equals "sensory overload" equals "not fun"
19. Multiple "Windows" open on your computer (5 - doing good)
20. Out of sight, out of mind...literally.
21. You stop studying an instrument as soon as you know how it works.

Adult ADHD - Hyperactivity and Being Stuck in Time

In the letters, ADHD, the "H" stands for "hyperactivity".

This "need for speed", or, at least, movement, can manifest itself in many ways.


It's one reason those of us with adult ADHD may move on to the next thing before we are finished with what we are doing, for example. It may also manifest itself by our getting up, moving around, fidgeting, etc.

As children, this hyperactivity may be more noticeable, but, we adults have often learned to control it to some degree.

However, the need to "do" something is often still there exerting a force on our lives, much like a magnet exerts an unseen force on nearby iron filings.

People who have adult ADHD experience the effects of the condition at various levels and in various ways, so, when one person talks about their experiences, someone else may not relate to it 100%. But, realizing that someone is affected in a given way may give insight into something that you have experienced but not quite understood.

In my adult ADHD world, "hyperactivity" sometimes actually manifests itself both as "activity" AND "inactivity".

I recently used an example of this to explain to my wife why, even though I love to travel, I don't always find ways to enjoy short visits to specific areas.

When I arrive at a new place, or, one I haven't been to in a while, I have to run around looking at things and places, but, not "doing" anything. I feel driven to "hit the high spots" right off the bat.

Hyperactivity at work.

Then, I begin to become aware of activities or interests which extend beyond simply driving down the street where I grew up and looking at the place I used to play with my dog. However, it takes me a couple of days to begin to see the various opportunities in the area rather than just sightseeing.

But, as I begin to realize that I am leaving in a couple of days, I start to shift back to a waiting mode and just feel like sitting around, because something is "going to happen".

It's like that today, even at home. I have promised to take my daughter to the local Greek Fest at noon. Even though it is still 8 AM, I feel unable to DO anything, even type this short post simply because I am ready to DO the noon thing, and, my hyperactivity will not let me put it to the side to do something else.

I don't know if anyone else experiences this sort of problem with adult ADHD, but, as I said, we each have our own unique experiences.

Adult ADHD - Why I've Got To Do It NOW!

Many people who know someone with adult ADHD wonder why "those people" have to drop what they are doing and immediately start something new, just because someone mentions that it needs to be done.

Well, I drive my wife crazy with this one all the time. Even when she starts a statement with, "You don't have to do it right now...", or, "Finish what you're doing first..."

Seldom works.

The instant she says whatever it is, I have stopped what I was doing and started on her request.

Why?

There actually are a couple of reasons...at least in my world.

WHAT DOES THE "H" STAND FOR IN ADHD?

Hyperactivity, right?

In a kid, you expect a lot of running around, but, in some adults, at least, "hyperactivity" can simply be the Mad Hatter in your head telling you to "Move along...."

As soon as you add a new item to my "list" of things to do, my brain shoves it to the top, and I feel almost compelled to start on it. Right away!

Another reason, at least for me, is years of experience in the fact that, if I don't do it now, it's going to get lost in the sequence. I may have the best intentions in the world of doing "B", as soon as I am done with "A", but, if "C" comes along in the meantime, I am going to forget all about "B". In fact, I might STILL quit "A" before I am finished and move on to "C"...never mind about "B".

In other words, if I don't do it now, it probably isn't going to get done. Then, I will feel bad at another failure to do what I was supposed to do, and, whoever wanted me to do whatever is probably going to interpret my failure to follow through as laziness, or that I just don't care.

Of course, when I drop what I am doing to do what I was asked to do, I am also failing to complete that task.

If I was doing something for someone else, now they are going to be disappointed. If I was doing something for the person who requested "B", they will not be happy that I completed "B" (or at least started on it), they will probably only be upset that I didn't finish "A".

If I was doing something for myself, I will see not completing my project as a(nother) failure, AND, I will be upset that I was not allowed to complete what I wanted to do.

Recognition and Treatment

It can be hard to recognize that someone has adult ADHD...even if it's you.

I wondered for decades, "What's wrong with me?"

I didn't know how to recognize ADHD.

People told me in one breath that I was very intelligent, and that I should be able to do great things, and, in the next, that I was lazy, and/or had my head up my....

Well, you fill that one in.

Most of my early education, in the 1950's and 60's was in Catholic schools, and nuns knew nothing about "learning disabilities", especially if you were intelligent, and I tested at the "genius" level. For me, grade school and high school were pure HELL.

When I went into the working world, I was able to hold my own, but, every day, no matter how good the job or how nice the people, was 24 hours of fear. I was afraid that people would figure out all the mistakes I made, most of which I was able to cover because I WAS intelligent enough to work around, or cover up, most of my screw ups.

Still, I failed at jobs, failed at relationships, failed my own expectations, and failed at fulfilling anything that COULD have been my destiny.

And always, I asked, "What's wrong with me? I am a genius. I work hard. Why can't I do the things 'ordinary' people seem to do with ease?"

Over the years I saw the tests in magazines and read descriptions, and wondered...

Then, I just figured, "Nah. Can't be a real thing. I'm just broken in some way."

Finally, a doctor in the Atlanta area diagnosed me with ADHD.

She gave me an Aderall prescription. I took the first pill, and, about 15 minutes later, I was in a book store, reading labels on the books on the shelves.

That's when it hit me.

Up until that moment, those books would have been a blur. Not a visual blur, but, a mental one. The sheer mass of book spines should have been causing me to practically run out of the store.

On that day, however, I was casually reading each and every title and author on each and every spine.

The next day, I drove my 45 minute drive to work, from Stone Mountain, Georgia, to Alpharetta. I was, as usual, in stop-and-go traffic. Shortly before I arrived at work, I realized that not only had I been able to keep track of traffic, and my own driving, much better than usual, but, I had also thought about a specific topic for almost the entire drive, AND, had actually arrived at a conclusion, rather than jumping from thought to thought and arriving frustrated that I had spent so much time spinning my wheels...literally and figuratively.

I had my own experiences with recognition and treatment of my ADHD, and, each of us is different.

If you have, suspect you have, or know someone who might have adult ADHD, Emily Willingham, PhD, has written an article you might want to read: Adult ADHD: Recognition and Treatment Approaches.

Weighted Belt Helps ADD Kids

I am not going into much depth here, as a lady named Brenda Nicholson recently covered this quite extensively in a post to HER blog, An ADD Woman.

In the post on her blog, A Miracle Belt for ADHD, she starts with a review of a book, Playing Catch with Destiny: How the Miracle Belt Changes Lives, by Michael Williamsen.

Originally intended to be a baseball story with its focus on minor league player, Matt Bruback, it eventually changed direction and became a description of how Matt had developed the "miracle belt for ADHD" which is mentioned in the title.

As Brenda Nicholson points out in her post, the important story for those with ADHD is the additional tool for dealing with ADHD.

I won't go any further with a review. I have not read the book, Brenda apparently has. You can read her review here.

You can also visit the Miracle Belt website.

As I mentioned, I don't have a lot to say personally about the book, but, I will mention that my grandson has ADD, and his mother, my daughter, is trying to raise him without medicating him. She has worked closely for some time with counselors and teachers, and one tip she got was to make him a weighted vest. She bought the material and the weights, and, with the aid of her sister, since she is visually impaired, was able to make the vest.

He has worn it at home and at school. Teachers have noted the difference it makes in his behavior, and, he, a second grader, already realizes how much it helps when he feels like "my brain won't shut up", and even asks for it at times.

Do You Really Know What It's Like to Live with Adult ADHD?

Actually, that's a trick question, because each person with adult ADHD is a different person, with different levels of the condition, different symptoms, varying levels of symptoms, different abilities which help or hinder coping, family support, or lack of....

Well, you get my point.

I am pretty classic.

I forget things, particularly if there's a list of instructions or a sequence involved.

I am easily distracted. What I call my "Look! There's a squirrel!" condition.

I cannot focus. Don't try to talk to me if the TV is on. If you want a serious discussion, or really want me to listen TO YOU, turn the TV or radio off. Don't talk important stuff to me in a crowded room or other busy place. I am probably going to lose track of what you are saying anyway, but, it will happen faster.

I am a genius, and that helps. I can figure out what you wanted, what I'm supposed to do, and....having adult ADHD, I just lost that train of thought.

It happens.

One other thing.....

I feel stupid, ashamed, and embarrassed every time it happens. Over the years, many people have drummed into me that I am lazy, stupid, disinterested...or...just plain no fun to be with.

Those are some of the things I feel. If you have adult ADHD, you may have different experiences. If you do NOT have adult ADHD, you may be trying to understand someone who does.

A recent article, What It's Like to Live With Adult ADHD offers another person's view of what life is like if you suffer from ADHD.

The author Jaime Lutz, a writer and comedian currently living in Brooklyn, sums up part of her point of view in this paragraph:

"Panic over starting a new job; depression and feelings of low self-worth from consistently failing at tasks that other people find easy; and, most of all, skepticism and condescension from other people who think it's not a "real" disability. I'm far more embarrassed telling people I have ADHD than telling them I take antidepressants."

As I read through Jaime's article, I noticed that while we have similarities, we also have differences, which I pointed out at the start of this post. As I said, we are not all alike and specific symptoms and difficulties may occur from person to person.

One difference between us, which may account for some of the other differences, is that she was diagnosed as a child AND as an adult, while I was not diagnosed until I was in my 60's, in the meantime, I was simply regularly informed that I was lazy, no good, and stupid. More than one person in my life informed me that, "You've got your head up your ass."

By the way, one additional point that both Jaime and I and most other people with adult ADHD share: additional mental disorders. Most people who have adult ADHD have at least one other mental disorder. I have mild OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Jaime says she suffers from depression and anxiety disorder in addition to ADHD. I personally used to have what I now recognize as panic attacks, but, I just did not have time to deal with them and learned to just tune them out.

It's a good article and worth the read if you are interested in knowing what it's like to live with adult ADHD, or just want to compare your experiences with someone else's.

Adult ADHD - Lists, Patterns, and Repetition

By Donovan Baldwin

Everybody with ADHD has a different set of experiences, problems, and solutions.

For me, one of the best things that ever happened to me was being diagnosed. Once I had that, I could forgive myself for some of the things I had done, as I realized that they were part of the condition.

However, it WAS KNOWING that gave me tools to work with...or, at least, set me on the path to finding those tools.

As I researched ADHD in general, and adult ADHD in particular, I became aware that I, like many others with the condition, had stumbled on some of the tools for coping with adult ADHD by accident.

One simple tool is the list.

Even "ordinary" people can benefit from a list, whether it's a "to do" list, a packing list, or a shopping list.

In one of my favorite books, The Art of Thinking, by Abbe Ernest Dimnet, which was published in 1928, I believe, the author recommends using lists to accomplish various tasks, as most humans cannot keep up with all the details involved in packing for a trip or a major shopping trip.

For the person with adult ADHD, a list is invaluable.

Not only does it allow you to use time BEFORE the event to cover all your bases, it allows you to effectively perform all the actions required, or acquire all the goods required, but, it also allows you to forgive yourself for what you didn't get, since it wasn't "on the list".

Patterns are another adult ADHD coping device.

Every morning, I make coffee for my wife and myself.

Making coffee sounds like a simple task, but, if you have ever taken, or taught, as I have, the course on how to talk someone through making a peanut butter sandwich, you realize that even such a simple activity has a lot of finite and discrete steps.

It is easy for someone with adult ADHD to get lost in the process.

However, having a pattern helps.

I found that if I went in cold, especially just out of bed in the morning, I could really screw things up. I would up with hot steaming cups of water (no coffee), unsweetened coffee, or my wife's coffee in my cup and mine in hers, and neither of us likes our coffee the way the other does.

Now, I set up the cups left to right in the same order every day (and at the QuikTrip when we stop there for coffee), and set the sweetener packets behind them in the proper order. I then put in the sweetener, add the coffee, add the cream...etc. In fact, since I know exactly where the cups and the sweeteners should be, for example, I can even set everything up the night before (while I am still wide awake), and stumble through the process in the morning with my eyes closed...metaphorically speaking, since I AM dealing with boiling water.

Repetition is another adult ADHD coping tool.

Some actions, including the coffee ritual, are done regularly. If I repeat them often enough, they can become more natural and rely less on my "Look! There's a squirrel!" brain to complete the task without missing something.

As they say, practice makes perfect.

These are tools that I use almost daily...well, the coffee ritual IS not only daily, but multi-daily. I would really like you to leave a comment to let me know whether or not this has been of help to you, and to share YOUR tools and techniques for coping with adult ADHD.

Is Your ADHD Untreated?

While many adults with ADHD try to live with their problem, some experts believe that it is really in your best interest to seek treatment.

In the following article, Scott Shapiro, MD, an Assistant Professor at New York Medical College, who specializes in Adult ADHD gives us his thoughts on whether or not adult ADHD needs to be treated...or, just lived with.

What Can Happen When Adult ADHD Goes Untreated?
By Scott Shapiro

When someone tells me they are depressed but every type of treatment in the book, including medications and several trials of different therapies haven't worked, I start wondering if something else is going on. Many times, symptoms of ADHD can masquerade as other diagnoses. People with ADHD often have "mood swings" and difficulty with mood regulation. This isn't in the DSM V criteria, but if you have worked with hundreds of patients with ADHD, you know that ADHD causes mood swings. When someone with ADHD is sad or in a funk, they have a hard time shaking it. And when they are excited, they are really excited. This is one of the gifts and wonderful traits about people with ADHD. They are passionate people, passionate about life and passionate about letting other people know about it. If one doesn't spend the time getting to know the person, might think the person has bipolar disorder. Yes, bipolar disorder and ADHD do have a higher rate of occurring together; however, more often that not, people with ADHD who say they have mood swings really mean "ADHD swings" not manic swings.

Many clinicians were taught that if someone presents with depression and ADHD, first treat the depression and THEN treat the ADHD. In my opinion this is just backward thinking. Very often, the patient feels depressed, frustrated, and has lost interest in work and other activities, but this can be because he has experienced one failure after another or has gone from one job to the next. In our experience at the Hallowell Center, when you treat the ADHD, the person begins to acquire the ability to achieve their goals, improve relationships, meet deadlines, remember to pick up the children, avoid accidents on the road, remember their tickets before driving to the airport and feel a lot more competent, confident and happy.

Unfortunately, when patients are treated for depression with antidepressants, or worse, treated with atypical antipsychotics for bipolar disorder and kept on these medications for months or years, their symptoms often do not improve and might worsen. I have never seen this data in the literature, but during my training at Massachusetts General Hospital, I was taught a VERY IMPORTANT PEARL. Never, never, never take away someone's dopamine. Dopamine gives us zest for life, motivation, and enables us to pay attention. It is the piece of the puzzle people with ADHD may be missing that inhibits and blocks them from reaching their potential. Guess what antidepressants and antipsychotics do? Through a feedback loop, these medications can decrease the function of dopamine in the frontal lobes and limbic system.

Treatment:

Treatment for ADHD must be individualized, as each person is unique. But there are some general guidelines that are helpful to remember. People are complex and their lives are complex. Treatment isn't about writing a prescription and seeing the patient once a year. Treatment is about helping people develop a comprehensive strategy to move on with their lives and achieve full potential.

Here are five ways that we can help our patients:

Many patients are often not diagnosed as children. Thus, by using a simple 5 minute screening tool in the office or waiting room, we can help our patients that may have been misdiagnosed as borderline, chronically depressed, anxious or bipolar disorder.

Here is a site that you can give your patients: http://counsellingresource.com/lib/quizzes/adhd-testing/adhd-asrs/


1. Many patients feel that ADHD is not a "real diagnosis" and thus don't get evaluated or treated. However, by explaining to the patients that SPECT and PET scans show differential blood flow in the prefrontal cortex in ADHD patients versus non-ADHD patients can help reinforce to the patient that this is a "real" issue.

2. Patients with ADHD have difficulty with planning and time management. Thus, they often forget their appointments or are late.

This can be extremely annoying for a busy clinician, in addition, to the patient not getting the necessary care.

Thus, a way of improving the show rate for these patients includes encouraging them to write the appointment in their calendars immediately when the appointment is made, requesting that they show up 30 minutes before their appointments, calling them the morning of their appointments (not the night before) and by charging them for missed appointments.

3. Encouraging your patients to purchase a weekly calendar and to use it on a regular basis instead of relying on post-it notes or on smart phone. Many ADHD patients do better when they see things visually.

4. Help the ADHD patient to see that they have many strengths and that ADHD is just one aspect of who they are. In addition, even though they have compensated for it most of their lives, validate that it may have been a difficult struggle and that it can get better.

5. Help the patient to understand that many of their behaviors such as underperforming at work, engaging in high risk sexual activity, or challenges in their relationships are very common in patients with ADHD and that this can get better over time with treatment, either medications or behavioral treatments.

6. people with ADHD often have difficulty maintaining and focusing on relationships. Social connection is one of the primary pillars of helping someone improve. This MUST be a part of the treatment.

7. Too often, the treatment focus is on deficits or problems. This is how we are all trained-what is the problem and how are we, the treatment provider, going to fix the person?. People come to us with so many gifts, talents and strengths. It is essential to help the person realize their strengths and show them what extraordinary challenges they have already overcome. The best gift we can give our patients is showing them their own power, potential and the possibilities of what CAN be.

Working with patients who have ADHD can be frustrating at times, but can be extremely rewarding. Just like cigarette cessation, it can have a significant impact on a patient's life, but with appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and intervention, a patient's health and well-being can greatly improve.

Scott Shapiro, MD, an Assistant Professor at New York Medical College, specializes in Adult ADHD. He provides assessment, med management, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy all in one place. If you would like a consultation with Dr. Shapiro, call 212-631-8010 or visit his website at http://www.scottshapiromd.com.

Dr. Shapiro's approach is warm, collaborative, and effective.

Article Source: What Can Happen When Adult ADHD Goes Untreated?

Article Link: Your Friends Don't Know What It's Like to Have Adult ADHD

I recently came across an article which very accurately describes for me, at least, a lot of what it is like to live with adult ADHD. I say "for me", since each case of adult ADHD is different...and, in fact, one person's experience can vary from day to day, or even from hour to hour.

Someone with adult ADHD may be solving all the problems of the universe one moment...or even one hour, and, as I like to put it, "...see a squirrel". In the article, the author used a doorknob to explain what happens, but, for me, the way my dog used to act when she saw a squirrel was a perfect example. Everything gets dumped "overboard", and the squirrel becomes the whole focus of the universe...until another "squirrel" runs by going the other way.

Anyway, it's a great article, especially the whiteboard and big red letters analogy. Everything is "NOW", with no filter.

I drive my wife crazy because she will ask me to do something, intending for me to do it later, and, I will stop whatever I am doing and start to work on whatever it was she asked me to do.

It's a double whammy.

Ask someone with adult ADHD to do something and they have to do it NOW. Also, since people with ADHD are well aware of all the times they screw up by NOT doing what they are supposed to do WHEN they are supposed to do it, they know that if they don't do it now, it won't get done.

Anyway, read the article If Your Friends Ever Say They Have ADHD, Just Show Them This.

Working Memory - The Gift I Forgot I Gave

I mentioned "working memory" in a previous blog post, so I'll just expand a little bit with an example from my own life.

So, I'm standing at work and my cell phone goes off. I've got a text message from my wife.

"Thank you! I love it! How thoughtful!"

Now, any husband will tell you this is great...if you can remember what you did.

Eventually, through judicious questioning, I find out what it is (this happened a couple of years ago, so I've forgotten again what it was).

Anyway, simply forgetting was not necessarily the adult ADHD thing.

The fact that I forgot a couple of minutes after I did it was. I was doing some things on the computer one night, ordered something as a surprise for my wife, gloated for a second, and started doing something else...which essentially erased the immediate memory of "the wonderful deed I had done".

That's the way it is sometimes. I am doing something, for a perfectly good reason, and a minute later don't know that I did it, or, if I remember doing it, I don't remember why I did it.

My brain moves on to the next thing, and each action and event erases, at least in working memory. Working memory is what you use to get things done, particularly in a sequence or group.

It's a bit like putting several things in a basket until you need them. For most people, working memory can hold at least a small pile of "stuff"...directions, lists, sequences, groups...etc. However, person with adult ADHD, or a child as well, working memory is more like a conveyor belt than a basket.

We usually get either the first item or the last, or the most important (and people with ADHD are often very poor at assigning priorities). Sometimes, I'm not even sure why I remembered one thing and not another.

Here's an example of adult ADHD at work. I actually started another sentence, thought of a comment which needed to be added above. Added the comment, and "Poof" the sentence I was going to add, along with the idea behind it, is completely gone. Well, there's still tomorrow. I can add it then...if I remember what it was.

The Pagagraph About ADHD That Caught My Attention

I was reading an article in Time magazine back in 2009 and read a paragraph that really hit home to me, a 68 year old man with ADHD.

The article, "Better Learning Through Fidgeting", by John Cloud, covered a study on how fidgeting affected, or might be involved in the learning processes of ADHD kids.

The idea seemed to be that ADHD kids SHOULD be allowed to fidget as this helped them focus on their work. In some way, it stimulates their ability to absorb and retain data.

However, it was a description given by one of the researchers which got to me as the reporter was passing on information from Mark Rappaport, a professor at the University of Central Florida:

"...many teachers don't understand how ADHD kids process information. 'If you go into a typical classroom', he [Mark Rappaport] tells me, 'You might hear, "Take out the book. Turn to page 23. Do items 1 through 8, but don't do 5." And you've just given them four or five directions. The child with working memory problems has dropped three of them, and so he's like, "Page 23 - what am I supposed to do?"'

As I read that paragraph, at age 64, I was almost overwhelmed with a flood of memories which came out of my days as a student, as an accountant and fiscal consultant, my years in the U.S. Army, my time as a truck driver, and my days as an optician...days in which I lived in fear of "dropping the ball" as I was given string after string of instructions and information...most of which I could not remember.

I faked my way through everything, and, as often happened, I seemed to spend as much time covering up my mistakes as I did doing the work I was supposed to do.

Just one little paragraph, but it encapsulated a portion of my life over a 60-year period.

10 Mythis About Adult ADHD

While it is hard to deal with life when you are an adult with ADHD, one hardship is having to function in a world full of myths about adult ADHD. The following article outlines some of the more common of these misunderstandings about Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults:

Adult ADD & ADHD - Top 10 Myths
By Jean Meriam

Adult ADD/ADHD is gaining recognition amongst professionals and society at large. It is perceived by many to be a new disorder, discovered or made up by psychiatrists in the last decade. Like most things we perceive of as being new, adult ADD and ADHD are subject to skepticism and myths. There is suspicion on many fronts that adult ADD/ADHD and even childhood ADD/ADHD is a made up disorder created by psychiatrists in association with pharmaceutical companies to sell a new type of drug. While skepticism and awareness are healthy ideals, in the case of adult ADD/ADHD this skepticism does not seem warranted. The symptoms are very real and wreak havoc in the lives of those with the disorder.

Adult ADD/ADHD has been present with us for much longer than many people aware. It is not a new disorder, but one that has only recently gained recognition amongst and been labeled by professionals. Most adults who have been diagnosed with the disorder are those who should have been diagnosed in childhood but were not. And while the symptoms and signs of adult ADD/ADHD are real to its sufferers and treatment has been proven to alleviate these symptoms the myths continue. So what are some of the most common myths surrounding the diagnosis do adult ADD and ADHD?

1. ADD/ADHD is a disorder of children. Adults can not have ADD/ADHD.

While it is more likely to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD as a child, adults can and do suffer from the symptoms of adult ADD/ADHD. Most people who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD as adults already had the disorder as children, but were either not diagnosed or misdiagnosed.

2. Adults with ADD/ADHD simply need to lead more disciplined organized lives.

Adults with ADD/ADHD have tried to lead more disciplined and organized lives, but have failed. The medical disorder makes it difficult to impossible for adult sufferers to maintain the focus required to stay organized and on track.

3. ADHD symptoms can be overcome without intervention.

Some adults with ADD/ADHD find enough self help treatments to live an organized disciplined life. They create to do lists, take advantage of calendars and timers,and find other ways to organize their live. For many adults with ADD/ADHD these methods do not help and they need to seek help from physicians, personal organizers and counsellors.

4. ADHD is a made up disorder.

With the large number of children currently diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, parents and others are beginning to question whether ADD is even a real disorder. The symptoms that those diagnosed with the disorder endure and the effect these symptoms have on the lives of those with the disorder are very real.

5. People who seek medication for ADHD are really just drug seekers.

Ritalin has been and continues to be abused by adults who use the drug for a quick high. Some have compared its effect as almost cocaine like in adults who do not need the stimulant medication. Ritalin, though, is not usually prescribed to adults with ADD/ADHD. Longer lasting medications with a slower build up such as Concerta and Adderall are prescribed to adults. The effect of these medications are less intense than those of Ritalin so are not attractive to abusers.

6. Medication can cure ADHD.

Medications can help with the symptoms of adult ADD/ADHD but are not a cure for the disorder.

7. You're not hyperactive so you don't have ADD.

Only adults diagnosed with ADHD deal with the hyperactivity component of the disorder. This symptom shows itself in signs such as restlessness and risk taking. Adults without hyperactivity are diagnosed with ADD rather than ADHD. These adults share almost all the same symptoms as those with ADHD, but are not as likely to be hyperactive and restless.

8. Children with ADD/ADHD always outgrow the disorder.

While many children do outgrow their ADD/ADHD symptoms a large number carry the disorder with them into adulthood. SOme who seem to have outgrown the disorder may simply have found useful coping methods that help them live their lives without professional intervention.

9. You can not lead a normal life with ADD

Most adults with ADD/ADHD function very well. Medical and other professional interventions have helped some, while many work with their ADD/ADHD personalities to create lives that are very compatible with the disorder.

10. Medications help all cases of adult ADHD

Medication is helpful in approximately 58% of cases. Some adults find a combination of medication along with ongoing support from a counsellor or other professional to be more helpful. Others find the side effects of medications to be intolerable and function better with the with the help of professional cognitive treatment, or self help methods.

For further information about the signs and symptoms of ADD/ADHD in adults, the full list of symptoms is shown in this article [http://hubpages.com/hub/Adult-ADHD-and-ADD-Symptoms-and-Signs]

Jean Meriam is a freelance writer from Canada, with a background in psychology and health. To read more adult ADD/ADHD article by this author, please view her profile at [http://hubpages.com/profile/JeanMeriam]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean_Meriam
http://EzineArticles.com/?Adult-ADD-and-ADHD---Top-10-Myths&id=3931783

Adult ADHD: Natural Treatments Vs Prescription Drugs

By Mark Rosenberg, M.D.

Several of my patients have attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). It can be a frustrating condition to live with and, usually, prescription medications seem like the only recourse. However, as I share with my ADHD patients, there are some things you should know about the pros and cons of ADHD medications and alternative methods of treating the condition and I'd like to share those with you here today on this informative natural health news publication.

ADHD - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

If you've been diagnosed with adult ADHD, or are wondering if you might have it, take heart, you're not alone. Approximately 9 million American adults have the disorder and you'd share it with some well-known people including actress Marilyn Monroe, painter Vincent VanGogh, writers Emily Dickinson and Virginia Woolf as well as TV game show celebrity Howie Mandel, and U.S. Olympic hockey winner Cammie Granato.

The most common symptoms of adult ADHD are the following:

• Inability to concentrate and focus attention for any length of time. Can be highly disorganized and have difficulty adhering to any structure. Can cause work, educational, and personal relationship strains.
• Characterized by high "manic" energy levels at times, hardly sleeping, over-productivity, followed by extreme lows of energy and depression. Attracted to high activity situations, environments, stress, chaotic lifestyles. Low tolerance for frustration cannot control temper, frequent verbal and physical fights with people, destructive tantrums.
• Symptoms in women may be much less obvious than in males and may be mistaken for monthly hormonal shift symptoms.

Medication Options - Pros and Cons

Once ADHD is diagnosed, it is generally most easily controlled with once-a-day stimulant-type prescription medication like Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, Concerta and non-stimulant type Strattera, even though the FDA has not approved use of Ritalin in ADHD adults. In fact, the use of ADHD drugs rose 90%, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, between the years 2002 and 2005. ADHD gained a lot of attention and many adults were diagnosed with it - likely because the condition was overlooked, or misdiagnosed, as a child. Many were finally able to gain control over their symptoms and success in their lives.

Pros

Most ADHD medications are successful in about 70% of patient symptoms with these results:

• Calmer, happier mood, ability to concentrate, "stay on task", organize their life.
• Improved social relationships in school, work, interpersonal, more compliant with "going with the flow" instead of oppositional or combative behaviors.
• Improved impulsive and risky behavior - money spending, drugs and alcohol addictions, unsafe driving, irresponsible sexual behavior.

Cons

As ADHD drugs contain stimulants, many side effects can occur in adults taking the drugs:

• Can aggravate high blood pressure or heart rates especially in African-American males.
• Can interact with antidepressants; headache, stomachache, insomnia, loss of appetite.

Ritalin and Concerta are generally the preferred ADHD medications because they have fewer side effects and are successful at treating behavioral symptoms of ADHD.

Alternative Treatments - Pros and Cons

Because ADHD medications are not 100% effective in controlling all patients' symptoms, ADHD sufferers have turned more and more to alternative methods to help deal with their symptoms. Here are some of the more common ones and their effectiveness/drawbacks:

• Exercise: Always a good idea for ADHD patients. Helps relieve stress and burn off excess energy. Works best in tandem with medications, though.
• Biofeedback: Uses repeated exercises to help the ADHD patient gain focus and control and improve listening and following instructions - what ADHD patients lack.
• Homeopathy: Medications like Stramonium, cina, and hyoscyamus niger, central nervous system calmants, are used in ADHD patients with success in some patients.
• Herbal medications: St. John's Wort, Valerian, gingko biloba and lemon balm may help some mild symptoms of ADHD but likely cannot control stronger symptoms.
• Food allergies/sensitivities: Food allergens or sensitivities may aggravate ADHD symptoms, particularly sugar and food dyes. Indeed, many people with ADHD do show improvement on sugar-restricted diets. If there is an allergy to specific foods, like coloring dyes, or gluten, ADHD symptoms can also be aggravated.

As I tell my patients, ADHD can be a frustrating condition to live with. However, a combination of treatments including medications, exercise, even biofeedback can help you gain control over your symptoms and lead a happier, healthier life!

Stay well,

Dr. Mark

I am one of the few doctors in this country who is board certified in anti-aging and am currently the Director of South Florida's Institute For Healthy Aging. With more than two decades of experience in treating thousands of patients, you could say I've seen it all. I treat a wide range of medical conditions- from cancer to obesity- and believe that natural, practical alternatives carry the day.

I believe that education is fundamental to prevention and wellness. I've partnered with other medical experts and developed an online health education site,

http://www.HealthyAnswers.com, which offers a wealth of natural health information, written by top physicians and medical experts.

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Getting a Life Coach to Find Your Way Out of Adult ADHD

By Eshean Butler

ADHD can be troublesome enough when you are a child if you can't seem to get all your homework done in time with your mother watching over you.

What must it feel like to be all grown up with a job, a marriage, a child of your own to take care of, and to still not be able to get a handle on anything?

Adult ADHD, surprisingly, is a problem that still hasn't received the kind of attention it deserves. Two out of three children with ADHD grow up to have that disease as adults. Adults who have ADHD today often don't realize that they do. About the first time that they ever realize that they might have a mental illness is when their own child gets diagnosed, and they begin to put two and two together.

Adult ADHD is often something that people have been fighting their entire adult lives and their childhoods as well. These are the people who as children had a great deal of trouble setting themselves up for a task at school and completing it - getting distracted, disorganized and losing concentration along the way.

Some adults with ADHD, even if they've never actually found out that they have the disease, have managed to figure out some kind of a system for themselves to get by on. They might be very bright and they might manage to somehow get by through life. But they just aren't achieving their potential. If they didn't have ADHD, they would be so much better off.

One way that people with adult ADHD deal with their problem is that they hire a life coach at about $100 an hour to help them figure out what they are doing wrong and how to correct things. While it does sound kind of expensive, most people don't need to see their life coach more than four or five times. But the biggest problem that an adult with ADHD has is that he can't usually figure out a system that will work for him keep to it. Most of his time is spent worrying excessively about how his day is slipping through his hands with nothing to show for it.

Is a life coach an alternative to taking medication?

Not really so.

A life coach is totally different and hiring one is something you do to just help yourself. The first thing a life coach will do for you is to help you not start any new projects. The more a person with organizational problems has to do, the more difficult it becomes for him to organize things. Whatever new ideas one gets for projects to start, one certainly needs to write them down for a future date. But one can't get started on them and overburden oneself.

With help from the life coach, the person with ADHD chooses just a couple of goals to achieve, and then gets on the job. With enough discipline and with the consultant looking in to check one's progress, one learns the skills one needs to become a proper functioning adult. The life coach isn't a therapist. He doesn't give you advice on what is going on in your head and how you can control your thoughts. He just tells you what exactly you are doing wrong on a practical level, and tells you that you need to stop doing that.

How you stop doing it is entirely up to you.

It works very well with people who have accepted that they have a problem and just wish to do whatever it takes. With people who might be in a certain amount of denial, or who just want to throw money at the problem and have the life coach set everything right for them, such a system may not really work.

Basically, if you have adult ADHD, you do need the coaching, of course. But you also need medication and therapy. Pretty soon, you should be able to set up a few healthy habits and become an adult who is in control of his life.

About Adult ADHD - Overview and Resource

By Donovan Baldwin"

When asked to imagine a person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), many people come up with the image of a hyperactive child in a store, an apparently undisciplined and disruptive kid in the classroom, or a kid who takes longer than necessary to finish a homework assignment...if it gets finished at all.

What many do not realize, however, is that while it is true that ADHD afflicts millions of children, it is also a disorder that affects upwards of 8 million adults.

How Can Adult ADHD Be Recognized?

Many people tend to think of ADHD as a childhood disorder, but do not realize that as many as 80 percent of children with ADHD will continue to exhibit symptoms into adolescence. Some will eventually reach a more normal state, but up to 65 percent of children will continue to exhibit symptoms of ADHD into adulthood.

NAMES CAN HURT

Adults with untreated ADHD may be perceived as "scatterbrained", "disorganized" or "lazy", word which I often heard as a child and continued to use to define myself as I became an adult. What many people are unaware of is that ADHD is not just "sloppy thinking" but is actually an impairing neurological disorder, rather than just an organizational or behavioral problem.

In a book titled "Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" the author, Dr. Lenard Adler, who is director of the Adult ADHD Program at New York University, presents recent information for the growing number of adults who suspect that they, or a loved one, have ADHD. The easy-to-read book reviews previously unrecognized signals of ADHD, misconceptions about this poorly understood disorder and information about how to get an accurate diagnosis....and treatment options.

How Can Adult ADHD Diagnosed?

Unfortunately, there is no single objective test to determine if someone has ADHD. In his book, however, Dr. Adler has included a simple self-screening list which allows an individual to get an idea of their status. This screener has been adopted by WHO, the World Health Organization, and helps the reader assess whether they, or someone they know, have symptoms of ADHD.

Dr. Adler urges his readers to fill out the screening device and bring it to their physician for a more formal evaluation.

How Can Adult ADHD Be Treated?

Although there is no real "cure" for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that specifically help patients control its symptoms. In "Scattered Minds", Dr. Adler explains that the most common treatments include educational approaches, psychological or behavioral modification, and prescription medications, such as Adderall. Some people experience some help with high doses of Vitamin B-12.

Adults with unrecognized and untreated ADHD often experience a higher risk of lower educational and occupational achievement, difficulties in their relationships with family and friends, and a greater risk for driving accidents, work-related accidents, and traffic tickets. Adults who have not been treated for ADHD are 50 percent more likely to be unemployed as well as twice as likely to smoke cigarettes, and often use alcohol to excess.

Many tend to be "speed demons", thrill seekers, and "adrenaline junkies".

"Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
" illuminates previously unrecognized signals or symptoms for adults who suspect they may have ADHD. It emphasizes that ADHD is not some imaginary difficulty experienced by wierd people, but is very real and is an accepted medical condition.

Adults who have ADHD often have greater difficulty dealing with everyday problems than their peers and generally face challenges in their personal lives and careers that their peers do not encounter. If you suspect you or somebody you know may have adult ADHD, pick up a copy of "Scattered Minds
" and take the simple screening test you will find there.

The Difference Between Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Adult ADHD

By Scott Shapiro

It can be very challenging for even the most experienced clinician to distinguish the differences between Bipolar Disorder, Type II, Borderline Personality Disorder and Adult ADHD. Symptoms often overlap and these disorders frequently co-occur; however, there can be clues from the history and presentation that often help determine the diagnosis and the appropriate types of treatments. Below, is a case of a patient with a challenging diagnosis followed by tips on differentiating Bipolar Disorder, Type II, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Adult ADHD.

Case:

Anna* is a 46 year-old, married nurse with three children. She presented with persistent low-grade depression, anxiety, and irritability. She was on probation at work for poor performance. She also had a long-standing history of difficulty with friendships.

She complained of life-long depression with intermittent episodes of more severe symptoms. During the more extreme episodes, she overslept, felt more irritable and anxious. She reported chronic racing thoughts and difficulty concentrating.

She had a chaotic childhood. Her father was a successful, workaholic attorney who was also an alcoholic. There were frequent, explosive fights between her parents. Anna was the oldest of 3 children and at the age of 10, her parents divorced. She became ensnarled in their long, drawn-out divorce process. In pre-school and elementary school, she had been quite precocious, according to school reports. She listened well, followed instructions, and had many close friends.

However, as the fighting intensified at home around third and fourth grades her grades dropped and she began to exhibit behavioral problems at school.

The above case represents a challenging diagnosis. Below are tips to help determine the diagnosis and whether there is the possibility of more than one diagnosis.

Mood Swings

Mood swings in Bipolar Disorder, Type II last for one to four days and include the person feeling "hyper", "on top of the world", irritable, invincible, elated, or even depressed despite being in a hypomanic episode.

People with Borderline Personality Disorder also have mood swings but they have feelings of sadness, anger, rage, or depression that is more chronically present and triggered by criticism, disappointment or stress. Also, people with Borderline Personality Disorder rarely feel elation.

People with Adult ADHD also describe mood swings and difficulty with managing moods; however, the duration is usually brief and due to low frustration tolerance. Also, in Adult ADHD there are feelings of shame, irritability, frustration, and sadness secondary to difficulty with school, work and relationships.

Impulsivity

Similarly, the symptoms of impulsivity are present in all the disorders but with different histories. Impulsivity may manifest as sexual promiscuity, excessive shopping binges, poor decision-making, automobile accidents or speeding tickets, and careless mistakes. With Bipolar Disorder, Type II, the impulsivity is present only during the periods of hypomania compared to Borderline Personality Disorder and Adult ADHD, when the impulsivity occurs chronically or due to an emotional trigger.

Concentration

All three disorders present with difficulty concentrating or focusing. This creates challenges with completing tasks, jumping from task to task, and starting projects without completing them. These symptoms occur in Bipolar Disorder, Type II only during the hypomanic phase but can be chronic with the other two disorders.

History

In Borderline Personality Disorder, there is more frequently a history of feeling empty and lonely, chaotic relationships, self-injury, and an extreme fear of abandonment. There is often a history of significant physical or sexual abuse during childhood or severe emotional neglect.

In Bipolar Disorder, Type II, there is frequently a family history of depression or Bipolar Disorder, and the symptoms of depression start at an earlier age. Also, depression is the more frequent complaint than hypomania.

In Adult ADHD, the person has persistent challenges with sustained attention, focus, executive functioning, distractibility, time management, procrastination, and significant difficulty with organization.

These symptoms may appear in the other two disorders; however, in Adult ADHD, the symptoms must have existed since childhood. In addition, ADHD has the highest genetic component of all three disorders and is estimated to have a concordance rate ranging from 60-80%. Thus, eliciting a history of other family members with ADHD increases the likelihood that the person may be dealing with Adult ADHD.

All three disorders can manifest "racing thoughts". In Adult ADHD, these thoughts are intermittently present and are exacerbated when there is greater stress or challenge in the environment.

With Bipolar Disorder, Type II, the symptom of racing thoughts occurs only during the hypomanic phase. The racing thoughts are often described as "crowded thoughts" and thinking of new and creative projects.

In Borderline Personality Disorder, the racing thoughts are usually precipitated by an emotionally laden experience such as a fight with or criticism from a friend or colleague.

Case Continued:

Upon further discussion with Anna, she denied having hypomanic episodes. However, she described feeling empty, lonely and having low self-esteem. Under severe stress, she would become acutely agitated, suicidal, have feelings of worthlessness, and be absent from work.

Over her life, she has gone to the psychiatric emergency room 6 times for suicidal thoughts, but has never made an attempt. She has also had a partial hospitalization. In addition, she has a long history of self-injuring behaviors including anorexia, cutting, and unprotected sex with casual contacts.

Anna has Borderline Personality Disorder as well as dysthymia. My recommendation was to start schema therapy twice a week as well as start on an MAOI and to start treatment in an intensive Dialectical Behavioral Treatment Program (CBT). Even though a MAOI is not FDA approved for Borderline Personality Disorder or dysthymia, there research shows its efficacy.

Two years later, Anna's mood has stabilized and she feels much less anxious. In addition, she has been able to enjoy more pleasure in her personal life and career. She has currently been in a relationship for 14 months, and although the direction of the relationship is unclear, she feels more comfortable tolerating the unknown.

This case presents the diagnostic challenges distinguishing Bipolar Disorder, Type II, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Adult ADHD. Using the above distinguishing features and taking a thorough assessment improves the accuracy of the diagnosis and helps in the determination of an effective treatment plan.

References:

Hirschfeld RM,Cass AR, Hot DC, Carlson CA. Screening for bipolar disorder in patients treated for depression in a family medicine clinic. J Am Board Family Practice. 2005:18: 233-239

McIntyre, Roger. Differential Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Supplement to Current Psychiatry. Bipolar Disorder. 2011: 3-22.

* To Maintain confidentiality

Scott Shapiro, MD is an Assistant Professor at New York Medical College and specializes in Adult ADHD. He has a private private in New York City. For more information contact him at 212-631-8010 or visit his website at http://www.scottshapiromd.com.

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Adult ADHD - One Man's Story

Adult ADHD

By Dr. Robert Sprackland

"Robert, stop it!"

Those words haunted me most of my life, whenever people became overwhelmed by my behavior. I just didn't understand what their problem was. Neither did any of the voices in my head.

The voices were constant and all mine, not God or spirits, and they didn't tell me to do anything antisocial. Rather, each (I counted eight) was a stream of regular thoughts, running concurrently, like an eight-track tape playing all tracks simultaneously. I often wandered into a conversational mode described by friends as a "Robin Williams monologue," telling jokes, making puns, jumping from topic to topic, and even changing voices and character.

But my head had always been like that. To me, everyone else moved and thought slowly, took forever to get to the point. I was driving my friends, coworkers and family nuts, and I couldn't to do anything about it. I was also a compulsive eater, injuring my health. Even my decades of meditation practice could not control the internal restlessness.

Then an odd conjunction of events led to help. My sister-in-law, Tina, an Army physician, suffered an injury and needed help driving home from Illinois to New York. I was available, so I spent three weeks with the family, during which time Tina got to observe me at close hand. She soon bluntly told me, "I really, really, really think you have ADHD." When Tina, a lieutenant colonel and formidable diagnostician, uses three "reallys" in a sentence, you had better take her seriously.

But ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Me? I had thought ADHD, ADD, and all those other new acronyms were children's ailments. I couldn't have ADHD; I was from the generation that found super-fast flashing of movie trailers and TV shows with handheld camerawork difficult, indeed painful, to watch. My attention span could be measured in minutes and hours, not milliseconds and sound bites. I was a trained systematic zoologist, a profession dedicated to compulsive organization of vast amounts of data. No, I couldn't have ADHD.

But as we discussed my symptoms, it became clear that kids do not have a monopoly on brain chemical imbalances. I had all the usual symptomatic suspects. Despite earning my two masters and a doctorate, school had always been excruciatingly painful for me, from staying still in my seat to following laboriously slow lectures. I tested poorly because I either read too much into a question or knew about the rare exceptions. In conversations, I often completed other people's sentences.

Getting to sleep was always an ordeal because my thoughts would not turn off. Though I am very goal oriented, I found it difficult to complete some tasks because I had so many projects going on simultaneously. For example, I had spent a year writing a CD-ROM key to the sharks and rays of the world, but had put off getting it commercially published. On some tasks I focused like a laser, while on others I was dim as a candle. I saw my own physician and a neuropsychologist and, sure enough, got the ADHD diagnosis.

ADHD, first described as "defect of moral control" by an English physician in 1902, is a simple failure of the brain to balance levels of neurotransmitters called dopamine and norepinephrine, which help regulate moods. My diagnosis and subsequent treatment with Adderall radically and swiftly changed my life for the better. This amphetamine--an "upper"--actually quiets the ADHD personality. My hunger cravings are gone, I sleep well, get more things done, do them better, and haven't gotten on anyone's nerves lately--especially my long-suffering wife of thirty years! Overall, I have been clam and happy--not excited or ecstatic--every day since treatment began. Best and strangest of all, I now have only one thought in my head at any time. It is the psychological equivalent, I think, of having sent all the kids off to college, and I get the house to myself.

There has always been stigma attached to mental illness; it's "all in our heads." Mental difficulties are still seen as other than physical or physiological, and even Congress refuses to recognize mental illness for what it is. This stigma is devastating. As a zoologist, I understand how my insides work, so it didn't affect my decision to be treated, but for most people, being "mentally ill" ranks in the bad news category with heart problems or cancer--or worse! People who could benefit deny themselves help that could substantially improve the quality of their lives. We do not mock a person with a faulty heart for taking nitroglycerin; a person with a defective pancreas for taking insulin; or any of us with an overwhelmed or compromised immune system for taking antibiotics.

Even Viagra jokes are rare these days. Why, then, do we see such intolerance when another organ, the brain, is ill? Many influential people had ADHD, including Dustin Hoffman, Will Smith, Jimmy Stewart, Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and, of course, Robin Williams. Brain disorders are real physical manifestations that can often be simply treated. Unless our brains get moved elsewhere, mental illnesses will always "be in our heads." Those of us who can benefit from medication should take it, and the rest of us should support our loved ones who need it. It will make things much happier in our hearts and in our heads.

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Good Article: on Adult ADHD

"People think adults with ADHD choose to be lazy, unproductive or squander their assets. Apart from the diagnosis not being recognized, the disorder isn’t viewed as a serious neurological condition like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which it is."

This quote is from the online article, Expert Tips for Adults with ADHD - Adult ADHD Symptoms Aren’t Like a Child’s, By Jennifer Oldham. It's a good article for those adults who have ADHD, and maybe even MORE IMPORTANT for those who have to live with them.

Heck, WE already KNOW we're screwed up! We've been dealing with it for years. We have some understanding of what's happening, even if we don't know why or blame ourselves.

Those around us just think we're lazy, crazy, stupid, not teachable, a pain in the....

Well, they have THEIR problems...but sometimes we're IT.

Read the article, and check out these books which are recommended in the article:

Taking Charge of Adult ADHD

Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder