Essential Ideas for Parents

> You don't think in the whole time humans have evolved that we haven't had this kind of condition already in some form Of course we have. Know how we, as humans, dealt with people with mental disabilities (those who survived natural selection) in the past? A combination of "Man up", and sanitariums. We told them, "Stop being <pick a mental condition here>, or we'll throw you in a hole from which you'll never escape, and we can stop worrying about it." These two methods "worked" for a lot of mental conditions we just now have names, diagnoses, and cures for. > Or is it maybe because we are fed the idea that we _need_ to be focused If you think that the only problem with having ADHD is the lack of focus, you don't know what ADHD is. I recommend watching the following video to see what the true problems encountered by those with ADHD are. [VIDEO] > those who have come up with the idea that we should be medicated for this condition Like those who have received medication, and are suddenly able to think like everyone else is capable of? The medication is not a crutch, it's not a magical focus pill, it's not a "i can focus better because I have more energy"... it's a bridge between "can't" and "can". It doesn't make you focus, it makes you capable of focusing. It doesn't make you not procrastinate, it lets you actually consider the consequences which are separated from the action by a time period greater than 30 minutes. It doesn't expand your memory, it makes you capable of acces

Via /r/adhd: >"In her book she advocates a "gluten free diet" and makes the repeated claims that "big pharma" are pushing these drugs on kids, who are simply a bit "different"" I don't know about you, but IMO if a person is advocating against gluten to cure ADHD, they probably aren't worth listening to on anything. If you want to have an informed opinion on ADHD, watch this video: [VIDEO]

You should all watch this video, it will completely change how you see ADHD... It's long, and it's worth it.[0] [0]: [VIDEO]

I watched this amazing 3 hour long video/info on ADHD shared by nickysielicki in this thread below. [VIDEO] After viewing this video, it seems like many people diagnosed for ADHD could be in the CDD/SCT like. This distinction was not made few years back. In fact ADHD sounds seriously scary after looking at this video.

I encourage everyone to watch this before they comment on ADHD: [VIDEO] While it won't make you an expert, it will perhaps help you understand what it is people with ADHD suffer through. There are bad doctors and bad policies out there which are being resolved. They don't diagnose young children anymore even if it seems likely since some children will "catch up" and stop exhibiting symptoms. This is the source of many teens and adults today that discover that once they stop taking medication they don't need it. As our understanding of the disorder grows so does our ability to accurately diagnose it. That said, while I can't speak for the person you replied to that shit is incredibly frustrating. Your empathy is unusual and appreciated but regardless of the rate of misdiagnosis you are not a doctor and are admittedly entirely ignorant about it. I can't emphasize enough to those reading this that no matter how much you might doubt it, the people who work in this field do in fact know more about it than you do and making an armchair diagnosis or questioning a doctor's diagnosis does nothing but make you look like the kind of know-it-all that really knows nothing while maligning someone who has to read ignorant comments like yours in every damn discussion on the internet where ADHD comes up. I know it's easy to think you've got all of the answers when understanding complex problems comes naturally but these doctors don't spend nearly a decade or more in school sitting around with

Yep. ADHD is not a problem of perception, it's a problem of motivation. A problem of inhibition. "ADHD is a failure to direct behavior forward in time." "They are best thought of as executive deficits, not attention deficits." For anyone who wants to really understand the disorder (even those who have it and think they have a good grasp on it) Dr. Russell A Barkley, PhD is a great place to start. In particular this video, "Essential Ideas for Parents": [VIDEO] If you have ADHD I can't recommend his books enough.

If you'd like to learn more about it this is basically the best video you could watch in my opinion: [VIDEO] It's quite long so I'd watch it at 1.5x and/or in chunks. Even though it's for parents of children with ADHD it makes it clear with good examples what they're dealing with. Also worth keeping in mind that the disorder is different for adults in some ways.

This is FUD. ADHD is well researched, and well understood by those who study it. The problem is that people think ADHD is just an issue of self discipline or attentiveness. It is not. It is a serious disorder with serious effects that are unambiguous. No doubt there are stimulant seeking people who claim to have ADHD to get stimulants, and people without ADHD representing that they have ADHD may lead to the impression that the disorder is ambiguous when it isn't. Also if someone has ADHD for long periods of time they may have co-mobidity with other disorders such as depression, etc. and this also may muddy perceptions. ADHD is not strictly an attention issue. It's named for attention because that is an early and obvious symptom but it is much worse then that. Calling the disorder an attention deficit disorder has turned out to be very bad as it leads people to the wrong mental model of the disorder. Thinking that it's just laziness on the part of the patent or the patents parents, in the case of children. This is a tragically misguided perception, based in ignorance and the poor choice of names. In actuality ADHD is a developmental disorder that is a more general impairment of executive function that includes regulation of emotion, working memory and the internal perception of time and other effects in addition to inattentiveness. This impairment is due to abnormal dopamine transport that can be clearly observed in MRI studies. These studies have been repeated many times in m

These are very old studies. It is now known that ADHD is a genetic disorder. In fact it has unusually high correlation. It is absolutely not caused by environmental factors. Though there is one virus (that I'm aware of) that may cause it. It is not only an issue of attentiveness, but ranter all executive functions. The poor naming of the disorder, and the observability of a persons focus, causes people to over emphasize the inattentiveness symptom. If you are interested in understanding the reality of ADHD I'd suggest watching some of the talks by Dr. Russel Barkely. Here: [LINK] For a more complete talk: Here: [VIDEO]

One important thing to note for people reading this is that hyperactivity doesn't always persist into adulthood with the other symptoms or is greatly reduced and is often turned inward (mental fidgeting). As far as your firings go, if you haven't watched this video and/or read this doctor's books they really help with understanding exactly what you're dealing with: [VIDEO] It's long but worth watching at faster playback speed and in manageable chunks. Key takeaways: "Attention deficit" is less of a symptom and more of a measurable consequence of other symptoms: Impaired inhibition/impulse control, excessive irrelevant activity and impaired persistence (think discipline). Once you understand why you fail you can start addressing or working around your gaps, particularly the ones that any medication you may be on fail to address.

> ... he started hitting himself on the head ... :( I know what that feels like. I see that there are numerous helpful responses already. Here's a couple links: 1) How to ADHD ( [LINK] ) 2) Lecture by Dr. Barkley. Essential Ideas for Parents: [VIDEO] Type "Dr. Barkley ADHD" to see shorter snippets.

I also like the idea that it would be better labeled, “intention deficit disorder”. Dr. Barkley’s talk completely altered my understanding of the disorder. I always knew I had it. My life roughly paralleled the author’s. After failing out of school, I found workarounds that got me through the second time (thanks to extremely supportive parents). This video, combined with my wife’s urging, caused me to find a legitimate doctor who specialized in it (he’s ADHD too), and get treatment. I was already doing well with my coping mechanisms, but my life took off like a rocket with treatment. If anything in the article or the comments resonates, I would watch this ASAP: [VIDEO]

It a literal brain development impairment. We can look at the bright side, I do too, but it is a biological difference in our brain construction from the norm, and it has wide ranging impacts that go far beyond our ability to do work. Do you have extreme bouts of emotional distress? Emotional / angry outbursts? Blurt things out that get you into trouble? Experience difficulty with dating? Lose shit constantly? Participate in risky / dangerous / mid-guided behaviors? ADHD is a big disorder. Look into it: [VIDEO]

ADHD is terribly misnamed, and doesn't usually manifest as physical hyperactivity in adults. It's an executive function disorder. This means things like time blindness – difficulty conceptualizing and persisting tasks into the future, and difficulty keeping short term goals in mind. I think about it like packet loss, but for intent. With healthy executive function, one's goals and intents are persistent streams that can be held on to like a train track. (This is based on other people's description of how their mind works – I would consider that ability a superpower). With ADHD, the tracks will just fall out like a trapdoor every so often – sometimes every few seconds. You have to reinitiate the connection, but because the thing that failed is the same thing that remembers what to connect to, I have to reestablish what I want to do in the first place, and it's usually not the thing I was doing before. So I end up shooting around in semi-productive bursts, unable to see things to completion. The other counterintuitive thing is hyperfocus – people with ADHD periodically experience the inverse. I spent nearly every waking moment in the last 3 days working intently on a software project I'm interested in. Short bouts of intense concentration (especially if you don't feel in control of their application) do not mean you don't have ADHD. They could mean the opposite. Here's the best explanation I've ever seen of the subject: [VIDEO]

The brain forms differently in ADHD individuals. Certain regions have slower or stunted growth. If you’d like to know more, it’s explained in the beginning of this lecture: [VIDEO]

I very much agree and share a similar experience. Struggling with ADHD is not a matter of not being able to focus. Part of the issue is directing and keeping attention on non-pleasant tasks that are stacked up against a brain chronically low on dopamine and norepinephrine transmission. As someone with diagnosed and treated ADHD, these articles are misleading. In my opinion it's dangerous to claim "Do this ONE behavioural thing and your ADHD goes away (or gets easier.)" After struggling with ADHD for 25+ years I can tell you: These life-hacks don't work. Please, consult with a medical professional instead. It'll save you years of agony and disappointment. Again, if you have – or suspect – ADHD, work with a psychiatrist to discuss diagnosis and treatment options. Period. Quoting Dr. Russell Barkeley "ADHD is one, if not the best-understood psychiatric conditions. We understand it for several decades now - it's also called the diabetes of psychiatry because there's treatment"[^1]. So, we know what it is and have known how to treat it. It's a neuro-genetic disease, and we have had working medications for – I think – 50 years including the obvious methylphenidate and dexamphetamines. After reading the article and so many like it, I feel frustrated because I think they're predatory. They're targeting neuro-divergent people like myself. And boy, did I fall into those traps over and over again until I enrolled in actual medical treatment. I'll assume that Jacqueline writes and publis

> Haven't been able to get my new prescription yet (ran out yesterday) but other than that, I take 30mg/day dexedrine XR. Heh, snap. I ran out of my medication yesterday and haven't got my new prescription either. What got me this month was that I only got 28 days worth of pills which is so petty - I don't get 31 days worth on the majority of months that have more than 30 days! But anyway, that aside I'm glad to be in the UK where I get my 108mg/day methylphenidate and 10mg/day Ramipril for a tenner a month. > I've consistently been recommended ritalin/methylphenidate as something to try, I do plan on trying it at some point but dexedrine helps me so much I don't think I need to go to anything else. I still want to try methylphenidate though to see how it is. Be aware that you might be underwhelmed when compared to dexedrine, the effects are way less obvious immediatetly - methylphenidate is closer to cocaine chemically than amphetamine in fact. There's an old (2006) book called "Speed, Ecstasy, Ritalin: The Science of Amphetamines" that's pretty interesting if you want more detail. > Probably~ I was somewhat high for 4-5 days at first but it was actually incredibly distracting because I would do crazy stuff like fall over in the shower because it felt too good for me to focus. That shower was just repaired, I nearly broke it again. Lol, I've managed to destroy a freezer and my own PC through amphetamine-induced over-zealous housecleaning sessions. > Always nice hearing someo

I would echo this and share with the parents: [VIDEO] Also Russell Barkley has since fully retired though has been very active in diaseminating what's happening in (good and bad) research, plus other lectures on [LINK]