I was quoted in an article on Adult ADHD in Monday’s Globe and Mail Newspaper (the major National Canadian Newspaper) written by Adriana Barton, Oct. 3rd, 2011 p L1 in the Life section.
Sarah Byth the Vision Vancouver parks commissioner who is the first elected politician in Canada and the US to go public with ADHD is profiled in the article.
I was quoted on Adult ADHD coaching in the article and on the positives of having adult ADHD. I think it was a great well researched article. I do disagree with Dr. Russell Barkley, there ARE advantage of ADHD, 99.9% of all research studies on ADHD are looking for the negatives of ADHD, and there are true negatives but almost no one is looking for the strengths of ADHD.
What you don’t look for you won’t find. Barkley’s done great research on the pathology of ADHD, and there are true negatives of adhd. But Barkley is not a clinician he’s a researcher. He doesn’t actually treat ADHD patients, like clinicians such as Dr Ed Hallowell who has ADHD does.
Dr Hallowell considers ADHD a strength wrapped in a challenge. Talk to clinicians or Adult ADHD coaches who focus on adults with ADHD and you’ll find them talking about the strengths of ADHD as well as the negatives. They don’t consider ADHD 100% pathology.
The title of the article highlights a huge problem with adult ADHD in Canada, Coping With Adult ADHD: First You Need a Diagnosis. But you can’t assume that you can get a proper one reasonably easily. The vast majority of adults with ADHD are undiagnosed and untreated.
Many doctors, psychiatrist and psychologists have no training on adhd, especially on adult ADHD. At UBC medical school they only get one hour on ADHD during their whole program, totally inadequate.
Why doesn’t the The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and other provinces properly educate doctors and psychiatrists on ADHD, especially adult ADHD by demanding family doctors take Continuing Medical Education courses on ADHD in adults and children?
The preamble of The Canada Health act states that
the objective of Canadian Health Care policy is “that continued access to quality health care without financial or other barriers will be critical to maintaining and improving the health and well-being of Canadians.The primary objective of the Act is to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.” (Section 3).
Well by that definition, aren’t BC and other province are violating the Canada health act by not providing “reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers”? The barrier being not finding enough doctors competently trained in diagnosing and treating ADHD in adults and children. I hear this complaint constantly. Will someone with ADHD have to sue the provinces to allow ADHD adults and children to get properly diagnosed and treated?
What did you think of the article?
Hi there,
Came across this article while researching adult ADD. After reading just a few articles, I felt like I’d found answers to problems that had plagued me my whole life. When I read the sentence in this piece about the positives of ADHD, I was very eager to know what these positives were… well, WHERE are they?!?!?! This teaser for the main article is misleading, and it was very frustrating to not be able to read the end of that thought.
I guess it would never had occurred to me that a disorder like this would have positives. Now that I realize I may have been dealing with ADD my whole life, I would love to hear some insight about positives. Please include a link, or finish that thought. Do have ADD or something? 😉
Hi Mary Ann, please check out the ADHD strengths category on my blog
Pete,
Thank you very much for taking the time to get back to me.
After I’d posted my comment, I had to step away from my computer. When I was able to return, I re-read the article, and found all of the very useful links. The specific link I’d wanted was at the top of the page – simply not where I’d been expecting to find it.
I was so relieved and grateful to find all of this information, and all the more thankful for your kind and conscientious act of getting back to me. Thank you again!
you’re welcome Mary Ann
I appreciate your blog. REALLY. I work in the helping profession and I can’t tell you how often a teen tells me they have ADHD and believes full heartedly they should be ashamed of it. I myself was diagnosed about a year ago and have been fortunate to be properly informed about ways to deal, as well as medication. I intend to start a blog of my own soon, that explores the positives and helps those under informed. Specifically those who struggle with grades. Having ADHD undiagnosed has made too many simple things difficult, and nearly destroyed my college education. Having ADHD diagnosed gave answers, and being well informed about it is why I am performing better in school than I have since third grade. (In third grade I had a high reading level, its the last time l can recall doing well in school.) I’m glad you’re pointing out lack of training, and lack of positives. When I tell my ashamed ADHD students I also have ADHD, I tell them proudly, and they look at me in disbelief. Now they brag about me to their peers and gloat about having ADHD “and so does Ms. Shull!” That was longer than I intended, but had to say I appreciate your posts!