Adult ADD Strengths

Tonight’s Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group Meeting will be on the topic of ADD and Work. I’ll be leading the discussion

It will be from 6:30 to 8:30 at Ravensong Community Health Care Center, 2450 Ontario St, near main and Broadway.

You may want to look at some of the ADD and work articles on my ADD website

We’re still looking for a permanant home so if you know of one in the central Vancouver area that’s near public transit that will fit 15-30 people, let me know.

The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on the problems of Adult ADD

I get wives on the phone saying, ‘If he doesn’t get help soon, I’m leaving,”‘ says Joy Toll of ADDults with ADHD (NSW),a voluntary organisation. Toll works on the organisation’s helpline.

Unfortunately some men who have ADD but are not officially diagnosed often stay in denial too long, sometimes with severe negative consequence. I have had many calls and emails from men who are in the midst of:

a) severe relationship problems with their wife/girlfriend
b) an ongoing divorce
c) just getting out of a divorce

where untreated ADD is a large factor in the these problems.

Want something more functional than a regular watch?

Check out these top ten geek watches at Product Dose

Prehaps you want the Midas Remote Control Watch? A watch with a built in universal remote, handy for forgetful ADDers, “honey where did I leave the remote? Oh never mind.”

Or the Mr.Gadget 1GB USB 2.0 Executive Watch. Perfect backup for ADD road warriors who forget their backup disks.

for more geek chic check out their post on the Powerfilm Solar Rollable Solar Charger. 3 sizes to charge anything from a cell phone to a golf cart.

The FDA has approved of Noven Pharmaceuticals’s Daytrana ADHD Patch for children 6-12 years old. Noven Pharmaceuticals has licenced it to Shire, makers of Adderall XR

It is expected to be in US pharmacies in mid 2006.

It’s methylphenidate (same ingredient in Ritalin and Concerta )that’s released slowly through the skin and is supposed to be used for 9 hours, though doctors can shorten the time. The effect is supposed to last for 12 hours. However with other extended release ADHD medications, your actual mileage may vary. This may be true for this medication too, time will tell I guess.

They say it will stay on during exercise, swimming and bathing.

It’s no secret to those who understand Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that many reporters in the media have ADHD. The fast paced, constantly new, multitasking, creative, stimulating environment is a natural fit for them. The adrenaline fuelled deadlines that help them focus are also a bonus. You won’t find may ADDers on the assembly line.

I think if you were a radio talk show host and didn’t have ADD you might be at a competitive disadvantage, i.e., from competing with radio talk show hosts with ADHD, who can self medicate their active ADD brains with very creative stimulating work that boosts their dopamine levels which helps them focus. ADHD stimulant medications are designed to boost dopamine levels in the brain.

Here’s 8 Advantages of having ADD as a Radio Talk Show Host

I was interviewed (April 5th) on the Tina Oliver talk show on CFUN Radio, AM 1410 on the Montreal case of an ADD student expelled for his behavioral problems, while the parent claimed it was because she took her child of Ritalin and refused to put him back on. We also had a few callers. I hope to get the audio file and blog it in the next few days. Tina has ADD and also views it as a strength. One of the main way’s she deals with is running which is a great way to boost Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine, 3 neurotransmitters associtated with ADD. I’ve been on her show twice and enjoyed it both times. I don’t know if it’s the host or the medium or both, but I seem to enjoy the spontaneity and interactivity of radio.

I was interviewed in ADDitude Magazine with my Co-Author Jeff Hamilton. The subsequent is published in the April-May Issue, and is I’m told it’s a 2 page article (haven’t seen it yet).

It will be about Jeff’s story dealing with ADD as an adult and how he used me as an ADD Coach, as well as ADD medication, therapy, diet and exercise to deal with his ADD.

Jeff talks about it on our Pills Don’t Teach Skills Blog, where we’re looking for a publisher or a book agent.

ADDitude Magazine is the largest magazine on ADD in North America,

This is from a study from my hometown, Vancouver, at the Dept of Psychology at UBC. Charlotte Johnston and C. Murray examined the impact of maternal attention on parenting behaviors, studying 60 mothers of children with ADD. Some mothers had ADD some didn’t.

They

…completed self-report and laboratory measures of monitoring of child behavior, consistency in parenting, and parenting problem-solving abilities. These parenting behaviors were selected because of their established links to the development of child behavior problems. As predicted, mothers with ADHD were found to be poorer at monitoring child behavior and less consistent disciplinarians compared with mothers without ADHD. There was some evidence to support the prediction that mothers with ADHD were less effective at problem solving about childrearing issues than control mothers. The differences between the 2 groups of mothers persisted after child oppositional and conduct-disordered behavior were controlled.