…when you have ADHD!
Are you a person with ADHD who is creative? There might be quite a bit of overlap between ADHD and creativity.
People with ADHD are naturally curious, impulsive, chaotic, sensitive and playful. Two core symptoms of ADHD, inattention and impulsiveness, suggest a connection between ADHD and creativity. Mind wandering and drifting can lead to new, useful, and creative ideas. Dr. Ned Hallowell, a world authority on ADHD, likes to say: “What is creativity but impulsivity gone right?”

What Characterizes a Creative Person?
Create people are always finding new ways to do things. They are the innovative problem solvers. Creativity might show up in obvious ways, such as painting or playing the piano: the big C. You may also be creative in lesser-known ways, such as driving home from work a new way every time: the little C. Creative personalities thrive on growth, change and novelty. They tend to get bored with anything that is boring or repetitive or that stays the same way for too long.

In the book, “Wired to Create,” authors Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire suggest that three hallmarks of creativity are plasticity, divergence, and convergence. Plasticity involves exploring the novel with openness to new experience. Divergence calls for independent and non-conformist thinking. Convergence is the ability to conform with precision in a practical sense to make your ideas fly.

The authors go on to say that creative people have messy minds and messy processes. They also engage in rapidly switching thought processes, generating new ideas and expanding on existing ones.

Common threads in all creative fields are having a good read on one’s inner and outer life, heightened sensitivity, a high tolerance for disorder and disarray, unconventionality, a willingness to take risks and the ability to exact order from chaos, according to the late Frank Barron, a psychologist and researcher who studied the personalities of highly creative people in the 1950s and 1960s.
The challenge for all creative people is to be able to switch between the imagination network and rational ways of thinking.


Are People with ADHD more Creative?
It’s quite possible that people with ADHD are more creative, although there are some who say that there is no established link between ADHD and creativity. There are a number of ADHD characteristics that overlap with those of creative people.


Divergent Thinking
People with ADHD tend to be divergent thinkers. Divergent means the tendency to be different or to develop in different directions. People with ADHD have been recognized for out-of-the-box thinking. This might also be called lateral thinking, as we have had to come up with alternative ways to do things in order to be successful.

Divergent thinking is not the same thing as creativity, but people with the ability to think divergently have a larger capacity to be creative, according to the late Sir Ken Robinson, a British educator who explored the problems created by the lack of creativity in education.

“It’s the ability to see lots of possible answers to a question, lots of possible ways of interpreting a question,” Robinson says in the article, “ADHD: Pioneers of Divergent Thinking?” “To see multiple answers, not just one.”


Hyperfocus
A 2018 study showed that adults with ADHD had higher and more frequent episodes of hyperfocus when it came to hobbies, school and screen time. Similar to mind wandering, this ability is also extremely beneficial for creative and artistic tasks.


A Wide Lens of Attention
People with ADHD have a wide lens of attention, the ability to hyperfocus, take risks and make unobvious connections, writes Diane O’Reilly in Stifled Creativity and Its Impact on the ADHD Brain. “These are the essential traits that make up the ‘neurology’ of the creative mind,” she says, “and we have them in abundance.”

Highly Sensitive
Creative people tend to be highly sensitive, Kaufman and Gregoire write in Wired to Create, processing more sensory input in order to pick up more of what is going on in their internal and external environment.


Unconventional and Rejection Sensitive
The very traits that distinguish highly creative people, such as unconventionality makes them easy targets of rejection. Kaufman and Gregoire state that there is a high price to pay for being creative: tireless work, solitude, isolation, failure, and risk, as well as ridicule and rejection.


Challenges to Unleashing Creativity when You Have ADHD
Even though people with ADHD tend to be divergent thinkers naturally, there is also the need for convergence to bring any creative project across the finish line. Creative processes draw on the whole brain, both the imagination network and the executive function network. Insightful problem solving requires the ability to harness a mix of intuitive processes as well as analytical processes and the flexibility to switch between the two.

People with ADHD struggle with the prefrontal cortex, that part of the brain that is like the CEO of a company. Issues with the prefrontal cortex affect planning, prioritizing, time management, and task initiation. They also impair the ability to estimate time, sustain attention and pace oneself.


What Happens in the Brain When we are Creative?
Art enhances brain function by affecting brain-wave patterns, emotions and the nervous system, writes Merriam Sarcia Saunders. A marriage and family therapist, Saunders notes that art can raise serotonin levels, just by experiencing it. Actually creating art affects learning, motor skills, and attention, she writes in an article subtitled “How Art Builds Confidence.” Plus, there’s its meditative impact and the confidence that follows by solving problems in a unique way.

Music strengthens learning and impacts every area of the brain. Music builds auditory, visual/spatial strengths, the motor cortex. Like art, music has a calming effect on the nervous system. Music is linked to areas of speech and language, reading comprehension, problem solving, brain organization, focus, concentration and attention. For more on this subject, read “How Music Unlocked my Son’s ADHD Brain,” by Sharlene Habermeyer.


What Helps or Hurts Creativity?
In addition to art and music, creativity is enhanced by settings that are open and informal. The opposite is also true. Creativity can be shut down when there is pressure to get something done, when someone is breathing down your neck, when people around you are closed, rigid or judgmental. People with ADHD can have so many projects started and unfinished that it leads to shut down and overwhelm.


How Boost Your Creativity
Consider trying one of the following ideas, which appear in Jenny Garrett’s article: “23 Ways to Spark Your Creativity.”

• Set aside a few minutes a day to be creative.
  
• Find a unique way to accomplish a task.
  
• Find time for reflection and downtime.
  
• Expose yourself to art, music or nature in a greater way.
  
• Find a creative community of kindred spirits and connect with it often.
  
• Hire a coach to support you, both in starting and finishing your project.
  
• Hire an assistant for the tedious tasks related to your art to free you up to do what you do best.
  
• Take a retreat day.
  
• Journal.
  

For support in unleashing your creativity, click here to schedule a FREE, first-time consultation.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”--
Albert Einstein

“Thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box.” –
Frederick Ullen
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The square pegs in round holes. The ones who see things differently.”--
Apple Ad, 1997

(“Are People with ADHD More Creative?”- Gawrilow and Gondarzi, sientificamerican.com)

You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, because on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish! This is true, whether you are cooking corned beef and cabbage, baking Irish soda bread, wearing green, watching an Irish movie, or going to see the Chicago River dyed green! Images of leprechauns, shillelaghs, four-leaf clovers, and a pot of gold all come to mind! You might even see Irish step dancers or join in a song, such as “When Irish Eyes are Smiling!”
 
Sometimes our eyes are not smiling when we’re struggling with the challenges related to living with ADHD! We might be overwhelmed by our own ADHD, not to mention our children’s struggles piled on top.
 
When emotion overwhelms us, the “smart” part of our brain goes offline. The prefrontal cortex disengages, and our feelings run the show. We can’t think straight! This usually happens when we are under stress or feel threatened. The neurons in the brain stem put us into survival mode, and they move the body into a state of “fight, flight, or freeze.” The brain must react in a split second, deciding how to protect itself by either attacking, running away, or playing dead.
 
The part of our brain that regulates emotions doesn’t know the difference between a tiger chasing us or an upcoming presentation for work. It detects fear and kicks our body into high gear, flooding every cell with cortisol and adrenaline.
 
The best way out? Slow, deep breathing. Also called diaphragmatic breathing, belly breathing is the best way to shift our focus away from the stressor. Fresh oxygen helps bring the logical part of the brain back online and gets us to a place where we can think again.  
 
Dr. Dan Siegel devised a model using the hand to demonstrate what happens when to your brain when you are under stress.  It is called “The Flip Your Lid Model” *
 
What is Belly Breathing?
Belly breathing involves taking deep breaths that engage your abdomen as well as your chest. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped respiratory muscle under the rib cage. It does its greatest work when you take a breath. When you breathe deeply, the diaphragm contracts, so your lungs can expand into the extra space, letting in as much air as necessary.
 
How does deep breathing help with stress?
Inhaling brings oxygen to the body and to the brain. When you exhale, you trigger a relaxation response. This response calms down the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s ability to relax. When we focus on the rhythm of our breathing, we stop focusing on the stressor.
 
How do you practice deep breathing?
The best way to practice deep breathing is to lie in bed or on the floor. When you take a deep breath, you will notice that your belly moves toward the ceiling as you fill with air.  When you exhale, your belly will move naturally toward your spine or the floor. You can inhale through your noise and exhale through your mouth.
 
Three things to remember:

1. Breathe slowly
2. Breathe deeply
3. Exhale longer than you inhale

 
What are the benefits of deep breathing?

• Your heart, lungs, and blood vessels work more efficiently at delivering oxygen to the body’s tissues and the brain. The brain, though only 2% of the body in size, uses 20% of the body’s oxygen, according to Marten Nedergaard, MD, in the Journal, Neuron.
• Your brain waves change frequency, generating fewer sleepy delta waves and more healthy alpha waves.
• You are calmer, better able to make decisions and experience less frustration.
• You can relax with a calm mind and body.
• You lower your heart rate.
• You lower your blood pressure.
• You improve core stability.
• You can improve symptoms of anxiety and PTSD.

 
What will happen if I breathe deeply and sing, too? 
There are numerous studies that have focused on the health benefits of singing. You don’t have to be a pop star or an opera singer, either. Singing in your car or the shower qualifies! Check out this article to learn 11 amazing benefits of singing.
 
On this St. Patrick’s Day, put the excellent tool of deep breathing—and even singing—into your ADHD toolbox. Take a deep breath and belt out a tune! Irish or not, your eyes (and the rest of you) will be smiling!
 
For strength-based support, check out the fee resources at ADD Joy of Life Coaching.
 
Additional Resources

• Video: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain
• How Deep Breathing Opens Up the ADHD Brain
• Just Breathe: Diaphragmatic Breathing for ADHD
• 11 Amazing Benefits of Singing That You May Not Know

                                                                   www.addjoyoflife.com

The Best Valentine is the One You Give Yourself…Especially When You Have ADHD...
 
February is the month that we think about love as we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  What if we were to give ourselves some of that love?

I have often joked that I must have a hole in my head as a person with ADHD. If truth be told, I might add that I have also felt at times as if I had a hole in my heart!
 
I overheard a conversation between a wonderful little girl I know and Santa this past December. When Santa asked if she had been a good girl this year, she said “no.” It hurt to hear this special, talented, and kind child respond in this way, because of how she viewed herself due to her struggle with ADHD-related challenges. The greatest side effect of ADHD is the loss of self-esteem!
 
Why do we feel like second-class citizens, unworthy and undeserving, as people with ADHD?
 
The Title of ADHD
Our shame may start with the disorder’s name. The title “Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder” is less than stellar. Who wants to identify with a disorder that has deficit in its title? According to psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey, people with ADHD don’t have a deficit of attention, but rather a surplus of attention. The problem is controlling it. At its heart, ADHD is a disorder of self-regulation. Hallowell and Ratey are working to change the title to “Variable Attention Stimulus Trait,” or VAST. 
 
We Define Ourselves by the Challenges we Face
We might believe that the disorder comprises our identity. It’s important to remember that you HAVE ADHD; you are NOT ADHD. Big difference! Yes, you have ADHD and it needs to be treated to have a good life, but it is not your sum and total. This is the disability perspective.
 
Someone once said to me: “You are so organized.” I thought to myself, “If they only knew!” Was I organized? Yes. Was it hard for me? Yes! Shouldn’t I get even more credit for doing something that was difficult?
 
The more we are on top of our ADHD, the better our life becomes. ADHD gets smaller and we get bigger. ADHD does not define us.
 
We Retain Negative Messages
Many of us have heard the same messages repeatedly as we struggled with the challenges associated with ADHD, especially in school: “Behave. Stop talking. Sit down. Sit still. Pay attention. Try harder!” to name just a few. One client was accused of not paying attention in class because he was making origami figures while the teacher was speaking. She called on him repeatedly, and each time he answered accurately because using his hands while listening helped him to focus. We know that fidgeting while sitting still increases neurotransmitters in much the same way as stimulant medications do. (“The Body-Brain Connection: How Fidgeting Sharpens Focus,” by Roland Rotz, Ph.D., and Sarah Wright)
 
The Lack of Knowledge about ADHD
We have often heard ignorant statements regarding the reality of ADHD, even though ADHD is one of the most researched areas in mental health. It is acknowledged by the Institute of Mental Health, American Psychological Association, and the Department of Education. (“Is ADHD Even Real: How to Respond to Haters and Naysayers,” by Deborah Carpenter.)
 
The Brain Doesn’t Have a Wheelchair
The struggles we face with ADHD are due to cognitive challenges that are not seen by the naked eye. If you were in a wheelchair or had a bandage on your arm you would receive sympathy and understanding. The cognitive impairments we experience are significant and impact everyday functioning. Just because others can’t see the front of your brain doesn’t mean that the impairment isn’t real. (“The Brain Doesn’t Have a Wheelchair”)
 
Lack of Knowing and Leveraging Strengths
What are you good at? The best advice for people with ADHD is to do what you are good at and hire out or get help for the rest. You never go wrong when you follow the strength trail. 
 
There are several indicators of a strength. There is fast learning. You yearn to do it. It is easily acknowledged by others. You want to develop it. It is steady and consistent. It gives you confidence, and it brings you a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.
 
It is very important to acknowledge strengths as you tackle challenges. Strengths, in fact, can be leveraged against the challenges. Not everything is ADHD. We have distinctive preferences as individuals, based on our unique personalities. 
 
A wonderful free assessment I like to do with all clients is the VIA Character Survey. It gives you your top 5 character strengths, which are not performance based. It is free at www.viacharacter.org.
 
Get Treatment: The Best is Yet to Come!
How does your ADHD get in the way? What exactly is the tool or strategy to manage it?  The more dialed in you are, the more of the real you can show up.  Having skills is empowering, as opposed to feeling out of control. You can do this!
 
People with ADHD have the biggest hearts in the world. Find a lovely red heart and put in somewhere in plain sight. Be your own Valentine, because the best Valentine is the one that you give yourself!
 
For partnership in building your personal toolbox, set up a free consultation.
 
“The crux of the ADHD journey has as much to do with letting go of the false beliefs you have about yourself as it does with adding tools and strategies.”
--“A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD,” by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank

​A few years ago I heard actress Jessica McCabe, YouTube sensation, speak in St. Louis. Host of the YouTube channel, How to ADHD, Jessica’s weekly program teaches children and adults tips and techniques for managing ADHD in a funny, fast-paced, ADHD-friendly way!

Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, Jessica grew up with excellent supports her mother put in place. As a young adult, the budding actress began to flounder, unable to keep a job or manage many of the responsibilities of adult life. She couldn’t seem to remember her lines. Plus, her agent told her she was too big and needed to lose 10 pounds.

When Jessica crossed paths with a life coach, a defining moment happened. When she relayed her agent had told her “you need to be smaller,” the coach simply said to her: “You need to be bigger.”

With tears running down her face, Jessica said, “when you create space for yourself, you create space for others.” And that’s exactly what Jessica did in launching her YouTube career. In making herself vulnerable, she forged a connection with countless others in the ADHD community who suffer, bringing hope. You can hear Jessica’s story in a TED talk, “Failing at Normal: An ADHD Success Story.”

Here are a few questions for you (and me) to ponder as we start the new year:

• Where are you “living small”?
• In what area of your life might you live larger?
• What would “living larger” look like?
• What risk are you willing to take?
• Who or what can support you as you step forward?
• For whom can you create space?

Most of us are playing it safe in some part of our lives. Maybe there’s one thing that you have always wanted to try. It might be bravely stepping forward to get an ADHD diagnosis. Or creating boundaries with family members who don’t believe that ADHD is real. It might look like doing that one thing you are afraid to do. Every step forward strengthens your game, making the next challenge easier. Our own vulnerability can connect us with others. Join me in making this new year our largest yet!

Need support in living larger or creating space for YOU? Contact me today for a free consultation.

I recently saw a story on Good Morning America about a man who started a gym for paraplegics. Wesley Hamilton, founder of Disabled But Not Really, survived a shooting that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Hamilton’s goal is to inspire people with paraplegia, helping those in the disabled community to achieve healthier bodies, minds and lives.

Hamilton was awarded a $1 million gift by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, a California-based organization that supports programs and research that helps people with spinal cord injuries.

In his Good Morning America interview Hamilton stated, “the man who shot me meant me to die, but instead he gave me a whole new life.” He went on to say, “I am living my purpose, and everybody is seeing that you must follow your dreams despite the circumstances that happen to you.”

The Impact of the Diagnosis

Receiving an ADHD diagnosis can rock your world. For some, it brings a sense of shame. For others, there is a feeling of relief because it explains so much. Those diagnosed as children have a very different experience than those diagnosed later in life.

There are those who call ADHD a gift. People with ADHD can be incredibly creative, can hyper focus and brainstorm better than most people. ADHD also comes with daily challenges, such as managing time, following through, planning, organizing, and managing tasks at home or at work.

The Real Gift of ADHD

The real gift of ADHD is that we are forced to understand how we roll. Most of us have incredible daily coping strategies, even if we haven’t seen them as such. The neurotypical population tends to be sequential in their approach to tackling tasks.  People with ADHD tend to create solutions in a way that works for their unique brain wiring. The flexible thinking required has been called lateral thinking.

Thinking Outside of the Box

I have heard many clients share creative solutions to their challenges over the year. Check out these examples of ADHD creativity in action:

Paper problems: A road warrior struggled to do paperwork for his job, until he bought a car desk. Now, his desk goes along for the ride.

Messy mats: A momma who wanted her car to stay clean replaced her mats with Astro turf. It worked, plus it made her feet feel good!

Superstore solution: A woman who felt overwhelmed when out shopping now orders groceries online and has them delivered.

Cleaning help: A client who struggled with clutter was able to clean her house as long as she was talking to a friend on the phone.

Child’s play: One mom who tired of leaving things behind began bringing her kid’s supplies to playdates in a wash basket, so she could see what she had.

Office supplies: A businessman who felt fidgety during meetings now plays with a Think Ink pen or a spinner ring in order to focus while seated.

White space: One businesswoman who found herself too distracted at home to do important paperwork now stays overnight in a hotel, so she can complete her bill-work in a distraction-free environment.

Memory through movement: A woman who wanted to remember phone numbers found that she could recall them if she created a series of dance steps.

Shower power: A person who often had great ideas while showering began using Aqua Notes to capture them.

Super speller: A student with poor spelling grades now aces spelling tests, because he takes them standing up.

Oral ability: Another student finally passed history class, once his teacher let him test orally.

Sensory stickers: One client found that touching Velcro or Calm Strips allows him to focus better when seated in school.

Calming clothing: An anxious person began wearing compression shirts and pants in order to keep calm.

Soothing touch: A lady who loves snow improves focus by running her fingers through snow dough.

Musical memory: A student memorizes facts for tests by singing them to a familiar melody, like Old MacDonald.

Background sound: One of my clients listens to broadcasts in Chinese when she studies, so she isn’t distracted by the words. (She doesn’t speak Chinese.)
 
What Does it Take for You to be Successful?

The challenges of ADHD can be converted into incredible self-knowledge! What if ADHD becomes the vehicle for us to truly understand ourselves and what we need?

What is in your ADHD toolbox?

How can your strengths lead you forward to new heights?

With the right support, individuals with ADHD can be as successful as anyone else.  Let’s not define ourselves by the challenges! Once ADHD is managed, it gets smaller, and your life gets way bigger.  

Once you embrace the diagnosis, all things are possible! Is ADHD a gift? No. The gift is what we discover about ourselves that can lead us forward.
 
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” - Helen Keller
“Conventionality is the refuge of a stagnant mind”- Alexandra Townsend

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​Stop! Look! Listen!

When my kids were young, I remember something they learned to do before they would cross a street: Stop, look, and listen!

Due to impulsivity and hyperactivity that come with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, many of us have a hard time putting on the brakes! Add to the mix feeling overwhelmed, running behind, and the tendency to be emotionally reactive. It all contributes to an anxious way of being in the world. What if we could find peace by adding a pause?

What happens when we pause?

When we stop long enough to breathe, it sends fresh oxygen to our brain and slows the flood of stress chemicals heading there. Hitting the pause button helps us become more aware of the emotions that are making us feel out of control. The pause allows us to think about what might have triggered the strong emotion and consider what actions we might take instead of exploding. It’s a key weapon for managing our emotions.

What does the pause look like?

The pause can take many forms. It will be shaped by the situation and our needs in the moment. It might look like:

• Counting to ten in a volatile situation or walking into another room.
• Waiting before you commit to something. Instead of an instant “yes,” you say, “I’d like to think about that,” or “I will get back to you.” 
• Being very clear on what you value most, creating and living by the priorities in your life.
• Taking time to be thankful at this time of year.

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to pursue the pause. The power lies in realizing that you can.

The pause provides a choice

There is a symbol in music, called a rest, which means to be silent. A rest symbol allows you to absorb what you heard previously, positioning you to move forward. Another words, the pause is active, not passive!

I am reminded of a quote by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust after three years in concentration camps. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space,” Frankl said. “In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
​
For support in creating the pause in your life, click here to schedule a complimentary 30-minute coaching session.

“Reframing ADHD: Discovering New Perspectives.”

This year’s theme for ADHD awareness month is “Reframing ADHD: Discovering New Perspectives.” ADHD is real! Nearly every mainstream medical, psychological and education organization in the US long ago concluded that ADHD is a real brain-based disorder. They also concluded that children and adults with ADHD benefit from appropriate treatment!  

ADHD was first described in 1795 by the German physician Melchior Adam Weikart in his medical textbook in a chapter titled, “deficits.” It was studied extensively in the 1970s, with more than 10,000 scientific papers published on the disorder.

ADHD, one of the most prevalent and misunderstood conditions in the world, may have affected you or someone you love. If so, then ADHD has touched your life.

It affects 6.1 million or 9.4% of school-aged children up to 17 years of age and up to 4.4% of all adults.1

Sometimes referred to as AD/HD or ADD, it’s all the same disorder. There are three primary ways ADHD shows up: inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or a combination of both.

Challenges people with ADHD face may include hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, and also the belief that they can’t reach their goals because of their ADHD. Individuals may struggle with distractions, procrastination, time management, disorganization, paper nightmares, emotional outbursts, poor planning, losing things, unfinished projects, as well as home, school, and work-related challenges.   

ADHD is not a behavioral disorder; it is a disorder of self-regulation. It frequently can be a hidden disorder. Individuals may experience upwards of a 30% developmental delay in age-appropriate skills and emotional development. For example, a 10-year-old may act more like a 7-year-old. Most children, teens, and adults with ADHD have trouble with executive functions, the brain’s control center.

Up to 70% of children with ADHD have at least one other co-existing disorder, such as a learning disorder, anxiety, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder, and 90% will struggle academically. An estimated 25-50% of people with ADHD experience sleep problems from insomnia to secondary sleep disorders, according to the Sleep Foundation.2 Up to 67% of children will carry ADHD into adulthood, and the family impact is often significant.

Psychiatrists Ned Hallowell and John Ratey are leading the charge to change the name of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They recommend calling it VAST, or variable attention stimulus trait, a term that “de-medicalizes” ADHD. They state, “ADHD is not a disease found in the realm of pathology, nor is it a deficit of attention, in fact it is an abundance of attention, however it can be unfocused attention, and that the challenge is controlling it.”3

No single test diagnoses ADHD. A comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, is necessary to establish the diagnosis and to rule out other causes. A complete evaluation will include a comprehensive history, ADHD symptom checklists, a standard behavioral rating scale, screening for possible co-existing conditions, a review of past evaluations and school records, and psychometric testing, as seen necessary by the clinician.

When speaking about the treatment of ADHD, the key word is multimodal. This means that the best outcome occurs when many interventions work together as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. A team approach may include medication, parent training, behavioral Intervention, school and work supports, ADHD education, ADHD coaching, and community support.  

We know that ADHD is a performance deficit, not an intelligence deficit. It is important that we maintain not only a strength-based approach, but a disability perspective.  Having ADHD does not equal “being” ADHD! ADHD is one of the most treatable disorders in psychiatry. With early identification and treatment, children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD can be among the most successful.

Learn how to thrive with ADHD!

Footnotes

1. “ADHD Statistics: New ADD Facts and Research,” ADDitude Magazine, peer reviewed by Sharon Saline, Psy.D.
2. “ADHD and Sleep Problems: How are They Related?” Sleep Foundation, Danielle Pacheco, medically reviewed by Alex Dimitriu, M.D.
3. “ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One.” ADDitude Magazine, Ned Hallowell, M.D., and John Ratey, M.D.

​Resources

CHADD: CHADD is the premier association for families and adults with ADHD. Membership includes the latest information on treatment, education, and rights for people with ADHD. It links one to others living with ADHD and engages in federal and state advocacy on behalf of all people with ADHD.  www.CHADD.com

National Resource Center on ADHD: A program of CHADD, it’s the national clearinghouse of information and resources on ADHD. Information found on this site is reliable, scientific, and research-based. https://chadd.org/about/about-nrc/

Attention Deficit Disorder Association: ADDA is a community of supportive ADHD adults that empowers members to reach their potential and helps them to thrive. www.add.org

ADDitude Magazine: ADDitude is an outstanding quarterly publication for families and adults with ADHD. Contact ADDitude and receive a free magazine. www.ADDitudeMag.com

ADD Joy of Life Coaching, LLC: ADD Joy of Life is a strength-based company dedicated to empowering young people and adults to experience success with ADHD through coaching, education, resources and community. Discover where your ADHD shows up AND what to do about it. Call today for your free consultation: (260) 415-3412, Cheryl.Gigler@addjoyoflife.com, www.addjoyoflife.com

Don’t Forget to Remember:
​A 9/11 Story About the Power of Trusting Your Gut...Especially When you Have ADHD!
 
While Jose Melendez-Perez was working as an immigration inspector at the Orlando International Airport, he encountered a man who “gave him the chills.”
 
Although the man was well-dressed, with his passport and visa appearing to be in order, Melendez-Perez had a strong gut feeling about Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi national. Something was just not right.
 
It is now believed that al-Qahtani was supposed to be one of the hijackers on United Airlines Flight 93 headed to the U.S. Capitol on September 11, 2001.
 
Had Melendez-Perez not moved forward to investigate based on that gut instinct, there would have been a far greater loss of life on that fateful day. The airport inspector is credited with denying entry to the 20th hijacker of 9/11 attacks.
 
As we mark the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, the greatest loss of life on American soil since Pearl Harbor, lets remember the power of trusting your gut.
 
How We Make Decisions
 
There are more than three decades of research that point to the fact that decisions are made not only with the head but also with the heart and gut. All three of these areas—cognition, emotion, and intuition—are said to contribute to a good decision. The head analyzes information and applies logic. The heart senses the world through emotions and feelings. Gut intuition is said to be encoded in the brain, “like a web of fact and feeling.”
 
The head, heart and gut are all classified as functional brains, and science now shows that there are complex neural networks in all three. It is known in neuroscience as multiple brain integration. We want to make decisions with the wisdom of the head, heart, and gut. 
 
Decision-making has been traditionally viewed as a rational process, where reason dictates the best way to achieve goals. Investigations from different areas of cognitive science have shown that more human decisions and actions are influenced by emotional response and intuition than previously thought. Now, there’s a vast body of research into the nature of decision-making that looks at all three of these domains.
 
Why Decision-Making is Hard for People with ADHD
 
People with ADHD have a very hard time making decisions, due to the cognitive factors involved as well as the ability to trust themselves. We might make a decision reactively due to impulsivity and hyperactivity, certainly traits of ADHD.  Short-term memory issues play a role, as well our lack of personal boundaries. We tend to over promise and under deliver.
 
When making a decision, it can be important to check in with the three brains: our head, our emotions, and our gut. Have you ever tried to talk yourself into something that sounds good, yet your stomach hurts the more you think it over?   We may justify a choice based on some area we are passionate about, yet the facts supporting the decision are lacking.
 
Ask These Three Questions First
 
1. What are the reasons for and against this decision? (Head)
2. Is this decision something I can be enthusiastic about? (Heart)
3. How does this decision feel in my body? (Gut)
 
Use your head, listen to your heart, and trust your gut to make a better decision!
 
Last weekend, we honored those whose lives were taken on 9/11, as well as those whose lives were given in sacrifice for the greater good. Just like the Orlando immigration official did, I encourage you to trust your gut. It may save your life or the life of someone else.
 
Verbally processing a decision with a supportive person can make a huge difference! For support in decision-making and problem-solving, talk to a coach.
 
Links

1 - Head, Heart, and Gut: How to Use the 3 Brains, goodnet.org. https://www.goodnet.org/articles/head-heart-gut-how-to-use-3-brains

2 - (Head, Heart and Gut in Decision Making: Development of a Multiple Brain Preference Questionnaire, journals.sagepub.com

Our ADHD support group hosts a party each year at which members share their personal stories of success. Each time, I’m reminded that when people receive good treatment for ADHD, they move ahead. They’re no longer buried under the traits of ADHD. Instead of “living their ADHD,” they begin living their lives. This leads to changed relationships, better jobs, and going back to school, to name a few. As they step forward, they want more from life.

Change IS possible

Adults with ADHD often believe “I am who I am,” and that change is impossible. Melissa Orlov, an expert on how ADHD affects relationships, suspects this belief is more about fear than reality. She wrote a blog for Psychology Today titled, “Can Adults with ADHD Really Change?”

The article suggests that people who struggle with ADHD may not have optimized treatment. Repeated failures have led them to believe they are not capable of success. However, research has shown that change is possible, with the right support.

The most common treatment, medication, can “normalize” behavior in 50-65% of people with ADHD, researcher Russell Barkley states in his book, “Taking Charge of Your Adult ADHD.” It can significantly improve the behavior of another 20-30%!

We all know that the best treatment for ADHD is multimodal. Changes in brain chemistry through medication, exercise, mindfulness can make a huge difference. Just as important is behavioral change, such as creating new habits, having tools, structures and strategies in place that are tailored to you.

Change Happens in Stages

Generally, people don’t change their behavior overnight. According to the transtheoretical model, change is a process that involves several stages over time. This differs from a traditional view of change, seen as a one-time event, such as stopping smoking or overeating. Based on over two decades of research, (Prochaska and Velicer, 1997) the transtheoretical model found that individuals create change by moving through a series of stages. The right support in each stage is vital to the change process.

The Stages of Change

People generally move through each of these stages* in sequential order:

• Precontemplation: “I don’t need to change.” Everything seems hopeless and we doubt our ability to change.
• Contemplation: “I might change.” We know we are stuck, but we’re not sure we want to do what is necessary for change.
• Preparation: “I will change.” We have a plan in place and are making final adjustments to change, but we are not completely on board with change.
• Action: “I’ve started to change.” We are in action, working toward our goals with structures in place that will allow us to succeed.
• Maintenance: “I’ve changed.” In this final stage, we check that we are where we need to be and learn how to press the ‘reset’ button when we have setbacks.

What influences change?

To succeed, we must believe that we have the ability to change. We also must be able to plan and follow through on the actions required to meet our goals. We have to be able to persist, believing that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. It is important to note that the stages of change are a model, not a method of change.

Where are you today?

You might be staggering under the symptoms of untreated ADHD as well as executive skills challenges, such as getting started, planning, organizing, and managing time, to name a few. Your job or marriage may be on the line.
You may have tried to move ahead, but you really aren’t sure what type of help you need. Even if you know what help is needed, there can be the challenge of finding a provider in your area.  All that to say that the road to treatment can be rocky.

You can experience success!

Most of us want to succeed and do well in life. If we haven’t, it’s important to ask why not? What has gotten in the way? With the right support, people with ADHD can create change and be extremely successful! An ADHD coach can support you in sorting out the pieces of the puzzle, walking alongside you to create the life you really want.

Call today for a complimentary coaching session!
 
* Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D. “The 6 Stages of Change.” PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/stages-of-change-worksheets/ Accessed July 8, 2021
 

Getting Things Done with ADHD

Do you have trouble getting started? What about finishing undone things? As an ADHD coach, the four words I hear routinely are: “I HAVE NO MOTIVATION!” 

Here are a few definitions of motivation:

• The desire or enthusiasm to accomplish a task or achieve something.
• The act or process of giving someone a reason to do something.
• The mental processes that arouse, sustain, and direct human behavior.

Low motivation is often connected with tasks that we find boring and unstimulating. Some of the most challenging tasks are ones we do sitting down.

This might include schoolwork, work for our job, or anything we need to plan and organize. In the past year, adults and young people have been doing work remotely from home. This adds another layer of challenge, since home often has the connotation of letting down or kicking back. We are not moving our bodies or socializing in the same way we did before the pandemic. All the lines are blurred, and we flounder in a sea of sameness!

Individuals with ADHD can struggle with motivation due to a shortage of a brain chemical, a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Psychologist Russell Barkley states that we have lower dopamine levels than the average population. Dopamine has been called the chemical of motivation or the “feel-good chemical.” We experience higher dopamine levels when we are doing something we love, engaging in areas of strength, rewarding ourselves, or exercising. ADHD medication provides dopamine, which affects the part of the brain responsible for planning and organizing.

ADHD medicine isn’t a cure-all, however. Even when taking medication, we can have problems mustering the motivation necessary to complete tasks of low interest to us. Why? Certain tasks have strong emotional tags attached to them, says Tamara Rosier, a psychologist and ADHD coach. We may dislike doing laundry or paying the bills, for instance, because we have left wet clothes in the washer before or forgotten to make a payment.

The truth is sometimes we do have more motivation than others. We may wait around to feel motivated in order to start a task.

What could we accomplish if we had a foolproof plan in place – one that could help us launch into action, motivated or not? The sky would be the limit, right?

Here are a few ideas!

• Make sure to take your medication, including a bumper dose if needed.
• Always do your most difficult task at your best time of day. 
• Break tasks down into small segments, working no more than 25 minutes at a time (unless, of course, you are hyper focusing).
• Know (exactly) what you are going to work on at a certain time. 
• Think ahead, so that you will have whatever you need for the task.
• Create your own ADHD-friendly working environment.
• Use a standing desk and move while you work.
• Interest equals focus, so add interest to your task.
• Have something to look forward to, every day.
• Exercise.
• Get out in the fresh air.
• Do some tasks off-site, such as at a library or in your car.
• Simulate the rhythm and characteristics of your school or workday as much as possible.
• Alternate the boring with the stimulating.
• Reward yourself with open-ended tasks when you are done.

​One of the most helpful things you can do is to work with an ADHD coach. You can set up your day in a way that is brain friendly. This will boost productivity! Discovering how you work best is empowering and gives you a sense of control. 

Does motivation help? Of course! And with a plan in place, you can move forward, no matter what! This puts you in the driver’s seat!

Ready to create your own motivation plan? Talk to an ADHD coach, and take the first step toward getting things done.