I want one!
These are used in schools. It provides some resistance for a bouncing foot. Genius!
Why I think it’s genius? It allows the rhythmic motion of a body part. Sitting still and having the brain be active is difficult for me and probably for people with still developing frontal lobes…like kids up to young adults in their 20’s.
Life is full of emotions. Understanding how you feel and how to navigate through the ever changing emotional landscape is vital.
Dr. Alan Watkins presents a new way to visualize emotions and proposes evaluating them subjectively by being an observer. A perspective that has a large mindfulness component.
I don’t think drugging or forcing yourself to sleep regular hours is productive. Sleep therapists are starting to think so too.
The 9 to 5 culture is based on factories and tending machinery. In today’s world this is becoming less of a requirement.
Employment can be challenging. Many ADHDers change jobs every 9 to 18 months. This can be because the novelty and challenge has worn off.
Turning towards challenge can provide the necessary engagement for an ADHD brain. Every job change I made was a promotion or a raise but it did take it’s toll on having to learn a new job every time.
One thing that may help you regardless of your diagnosis is this career book
What Color is Your Parachute?. I have found it useful in figuring out my careers. It will probably be in your local library. Do the exercises and it will help you decide what career path you take.
David
Rick Green, of Totally ADD, has posted the funniest ADHD test I’ve ever seen.
The Unofficial Test for ADHD Adults
I think this video is genius because it includes questions that test for other conditions like depression, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, OCD and bipolar disorder.
Rick was recently awarded the Order of Ontario medal. He’s another person using their ADHD Superpower.
I was diagnosed as an adult fifteen years ago. For me, scaffolding for my traits, medication, exercise and education has worked. Not too trendy but I do what works for me. Tried the trendy stuff but that has faded.
External scaffolding is a kind of technique that helps to minimize the negative effects of ADHD:
I like the ADD Crusher scaffolding techniques:
ADD Crusher – Alternative ADD Treatments Natural ADD Remedies
Medication that works for me, I have tried different kinds. I currently use stimulant medication. There are examples of good and bad uses. It ends up being a lot cheaper than medicating with Starbucks’s.
Exercise especially aerobic and exciting. I ski, mountain bike and skateboard. I also practice martial arts.
Education on current understanding of the disorder and what is and is not valid. Not everything on the internet is correct and knowing how ADHD works helps filter out the disproved or just plain wrong. There are some very popular beliefs and models out there that overlook the true disorder.
Those studies get caught up on the manifestations of symptoms or statistics of a study group that are biased towards certain behaviors. It is probably a part of why you posted this question. An example of these studies or methods over emphasize learning difficulties or addiction in ADHD overlooking day-to-day strategies.
Everyone procrastinates…ADHD’ers procrastinate in the same way as everyone else but there is also something else going on. Procrastination from getting off-task by a distraction or avoidance of tedious tasks are traits of ADHD and normal people.
Jumping to one-thing-after-another shows a dis-regulation of attention in ADHDers. For example, to tighten a cabinet screw, I go into my garage to get a screwdriver. I see that I haven’t assembled the shelves I bought last week so I try to finish that. I remember I needed that screwdriver for fixing the cabinet hinge in the kitchen so I leave the unassembled shelves on the floor and go the kitchen. When I get to the kitchen I take out the burnt french fries I put in the oven just before I tried to get a glass of water in the cabinet which I saw has a screw loose on the hinge.
Many people take for granted that they can remember to turn on the timer so the french fries don’t get burned but ADHDers have a difficulty with little things. These little things that we forget or distract us can add up to disasters.
I still haven’t finished those shelves in the garage.
Probably…maybe. As an adult with ADHD, I usually found the challenge and amount of information very engaging in higher level and graduate courses. Doing well was easier but I didn’t always do better.
In general, regardless of level, I would say people with ADD/ADHD do better in courses in which they have interest in and are engaged. The higher-level ones may provide more challenge to engage the ADHDer but could also frustrate and confuse. The research-based aspect would allow more in-depth study of outside reasearch providing novelty which could prevent boredom or distract the ADHDer from getting any work completed.
I feel ADHD should not be the deciding factor in whether a person should pursue their academic goals.
“Brain fog” is a symptom, an outward sign of something going on. The source might be ADHD. When ADHDers are taking the right meds sometimes they report the “brain fog” or “cobwebs” are cleared.
Brain fog is not necessarily correlated with ADHD. Brain fog feelings can be caused by different conditions and these need to be ruled out before an ADHD diagnosis can be made.
Some doctors don’t think the diagnosis of ADHD is valid. Why? There can be many reasons: Maybe they want to sell lots of books? Everyone can appear distracted or hyperactive at times so there is misunderstanding of what is really going on. The symptoms of ADHD change through life but most continue to have hyperactivity of the mind.
It was first believed that children outgrew the disorder because it didn’t “appear” they had any impairment later in life. As time goes on we understand the disorder better and know that you don’t have to be physically hyperactive to have ADHD.
There is no single test for the disorder. The affects of the disorder are evaluated by testing symptoms and brain functioning. If this disorder isn’t fully understood a doctor will tend to diagnose a more superficial symptom or condition.
Some cautiously avoid discussion because they don’t know or understand enough to confidently diagnose. Mis-diagnosis and prescribing a stimulant with addiction potential and street value is something they may not be comfortable doing.
A concern you may have is getting an ACCURATE diagnosis of what is going on. ADHD is not easy to diagnose, there is no one test or scan that is reliable on its own. There are also a lot of other things that cause similar symptoms and need to be ruled out as the cause. Here is an article that may provide some information on how you will proceed.
Getting an ADHD Diagnosis: 3 Common Mistakes
If you are looking for an evaluation for a diagnosis see a specialist.
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