Cross posted to BC ADHD
Dr. Margaret Weiss was interviewed on News1130 Radio by News 1130 Anchor Ben Wilson Twitter, staff bio for ADHD Awareness Week in BC.
Ben did 4 Interviews on ADHD In BC During ADHD Awareness Week Starting Tues Oct 15th at 7.05pm and going until Friday October 18th. Thank Ben and special thanks to News1130′s Bruce Claggett for helping to make this happen. Bruce’s staff bio.
Dr Margaret Weiss MD, PhD, FRCP(C) also has a master’s degree in public health and she used to lead the BC Children’s ADHD Childrens clinic and the short-lived BC Adult ADHD clinic at the same place until the BC Liberals killed it after a year-long wait list of 12-14 months.
She has created an ADHD rating scale, The Weiss Functional Impairment Scale, written a book on ADHD, ADHD in Adulthood: A Guide to Current Theory, Diagnosis, and Treatment and is on the board for CADDRA. She now runs a private clinic in West Vancouver, The Weiss Clinic for ADHD Care.
Sadly the audio was on a website that no longer exists.
The story is below.
ADHD Awareness Week
UBC’s Dr. Margaret Weiss is a pre-eminant expert on the condition
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – All this week the News1130 Evening Show is marking ADHD Awareness Week with a series of interviews with experts in the condition, such as people who help support and coach those with it, and people who have ADHD themselves.
We wrap up our series with Dr. Margaret Weiss, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UBC and author who’s one of the pre-eminent experts on the condition.
What is ADHD?
By definition it’s a condition that is considered to be a developmental and neurobiological disorder. Genetic and neurological differences lead to hyperactivity.
Not just motor-functions but talking too much, feeling restless inside, always being on the go, difficulty focusing and attention and finally, impulsivity. These are often people who are stimulus seeking and will try anything before realizing the consequences.
Is this something you’re born with or can you develop it as an adult?
We like to say it’s a common final pathway because it’s 80 per cent genetic.
If you’re an adult with ADHD, the chances of each child having ADHD is 57 per cent.
Same for children that come to the clinic. Many of their parents will have ADHD. In that case, yes, you are born with it.
I’ve had mothers who’ve said their fetuses were different and so active that they’ve fractured a rib. On the other hand, anything that damages the brain will lead to difficulty with attention which is probably the most sophisticated part of our thinking function – lead exposure, a traumatic brain injury, fetal alcohol syndrome will all affect and present in a similar way.
We’re all paying a huge amount for this disorder but we could be paying upfront and preventing ADHD.
How has ADHD awareness increased?
There is now a recognition all over the world. This was sponsored by the World Health Organization but there’s now a strong world federation of ADHD.
The emergence of awareness among families that deserves the same kind of funding, donations and services as diabetes and cancer.
Just like depression and anxiety, this is not a disorder of laziness and boredom or a lack of morality, this is something we can treat.
The Weiss Clinic for ADHD Care is in West Vancouver, call 604-281-1219.