When you sign up to be notified about his book’s release you will receive a white paper about ADHD medications, here’s the outline of that paper:

• This paper is a comprehensive outline of my forthcoming book
• I want to keep you informed when The Guide becomes available – with no obligation to purchase.
• You will be better able to understand ADHD meds with this white paper the day you receive it.
• It contains multiple links to the many posts and references I have been speaking and writing about for the last 3 years at CorePsych Blog
• Including specific notes on the evolving diagnosis of ADHD
• Including multiple notes on comorbid diagnosis and ADHD
• Including specific notes and reference resources on drug-drug interactions
• Including specific durations of each stimulant medication
•  Including specific notes on the Therapeutic Window to use with your doc
• Including suggestions about how to work with your medical team

Go to this link to sign up.

I do not personally endorse or take any ADHD medication. I am posting this as a personal favor to Dr. Parker, to help get the word out. I believe this to be very important for the many lives in need and affected by this often confusing area of treatment for ADHD. Chuck demystifies the ADHD medication mystery for you and me!

~Bryan

PS: Dr. Charles Parker is a member of our ADDer World ADHD Social Network. You may leave a comment for him on his page here. Talk directly to one of the doctors on the front lines of ADHD treatment. Be sure to find out where and when he is having his next keynote address and maybe you could let your doctor know about it.

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CUTTING THROUGH THE CRAP OF MAKING NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!

I am on a roll with finding the most hysterical New Year’s Resolutions for anything or anyone! This one is by far the MOST helpful and interesting of them all! If you have been plagued each new year with making and breaking your list of resolutions, I have found the PERFECT list that will assist you in nailing down the most simplistic list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2009.

First, make your list of your top 10 New Year’s Resolutions. Next, follow this step by step approach to deleting the resolutions that you truly will never follow or that are most likely to fail. Simplify your resolutions by following these steps:

After you listed your 10 resolutions, then:

a. Cross off the ones you’ve tried before, but ditched before January 15th.

b. Then cross off the ones you’re doing for your friends/co-workers/family/partner/etc.

c. Next cross off the ones TV commercials have berated or guilted you into doing.

d. Now cross off the ones you generated by saying, “I should/would/could…”

e. Then cross off the ones you think “your life will be perfect when…”

f. Next cross off the ones you’re doing out of spite, jealousy, anger, hate, or revenge.

g. Now cross off the ones you know your heart is not really into.

h. Then cross off any others that are variable on your mood, hormones, stimulant medication, etc.

i. Now look at your remaining list. If you feel strongly that these resolutions will still be important to you in April when you’re trying to get your tax returns done, you’re on your way to success!

IMPORTANT: If everything on your list is crossed out, you just learned why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work for you. This knowledge is key to breaking the vicious cycle. Pretty cool, huh? Now just think of how much time and energy this little worksheet will save you in years to come. The ultimate resolution making/breaking solution.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ~ Dana ~ http://girlygirlsbeautyguide.blogspot.com

If you have not joined www.ADDerWorld.ning.com yet, you are missing out on some fantastic Blog Posts concerning life with ADHD and much more!!! Join.

Bryan

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“What does ADHD mean to you personally?”

Hi my name is … and I am an adult with ADD. I have had ADD and been diagnosed, believe it or not, since 1st grade, I am now 35. I am and have been extremely successful in my journey with ADD. I was a little slower initially in school, but thankfully my mother was very realistic, and held me back in 1st grade. The best decision anyone could have ever made for me. I continued to be extremely successful in school graduating at the top of my class in high school and college. I have an enormous amount of energy and a personality that most would die for. Throughout my life, I was able to direct my ADD energy to athletics. I was a cheerleader at the University of Georgia, and loved every minute of it. I am an over achiever and always are trying to compensate for the path God has chosen for me. I have two beautiful little girls, an awesome husband and obviously and adorable bulldog to complete my life. Currently, I have had a lot of problems with my ADD. I don’t know if it is the age, or lack of exercise, but life with adult ADD has been more difficult than as a child. I have just been put on Adderall and Wellbutrin, and I am still questioning myself as to why? I have gone so many years without medication. It has only been a week and I am not sure this is the right route for me. I was on paxil for 7years, a quick fix when I was in law school and had a six month old baby. Now, I have to face the music, and it has been a very difficult four weeks without the paxil. I am only hoping that the SSRI withdrawal will eventually go away. I figure that I have lived with ADD for 35 years and need to overcome this mile stone. I am determined to defeat this withdrawal, but life is not easy right now. On a personal level ADD has been the push I needed to become successful.

Feel free to join ADDer World to start sharing your life stories and communicating with your fellow ADDers! If you would like to read all responses to the question “What does ADHD mean to you personally?” and get to know these wonderful, sharing members, simply join today. It’s free and well worth it!

Bryan

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I highly recommend several books which are written specifically about ADHD. My book, One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir, is one of those books, – It is about my life growing up with Undiagnosed ADD and how I eventually overcame my struggles to become successful and happy in my own right - my story and the lessons learned from the hindsight of my life thus far. I have had a many ups and downs in my life, twisted roads and seemingly endless loops of taking steps forward only to find myself at the start again, or further behind. In order to get better and overcome many of my struggles I had to give up on certain things and some things I had to remain steadfast with, even when it seemed the worst was still to come.

The Dip by Seth Godin is a book I recommend for ADDers as highly as I do certain books written specifically about ADHD. (Seth doesn’t have ADHD, but he could have fooled me! *Correction: Seth reveals in the comments below that he does indeed have ADHD) The Dip is a motivational and inspiring book about knowing when to give up, yes, give up, let go and when to not give up, – no, do not give up and stick with it, making it through The Dip. ADDers have a tendency to give up and berate themselves for giving up, but what if we should give up on certain things? Giving up isn’t always bad or as terrible as we perceive it, sometimes it is the right thing to do. On the contrary though, there are things which seem difficult and trying, but we don’t want to give up on them, no matter what and we stick with them even when others would tell us to stop, try something else and move on. But, when should we give up, and when should we stick with it? That, my friends and neighbors, is what The Dip is about. It is an extraordinary book, which in of itself seems, and is, simplicity itself, but then again, simplicity always is the most confounding and complex reality… isn’t it?  ~Bryan

A Member of the Interactive ADDer World, our community for those with ADHD and related to ADHD in some way, recently posted a review there about Seth Godin’s book, The Dip. I have copied that review here for you to read and enjoy, if you have not joined and become a member of ADDer World yet, here’s the review:

Godin, Seth. The Dip A LITTLE BOOK THAT TEACHES YOU WHEN TO QUIT (AND WHEN TO STICK). Copyright: Do You Zoom, Inc. 2007. A review by GF (member of ADDer World Community website)

“Quitters never win and winners never quit,” according to the late football coaching great, Vince Lombardi. “Bad advice,” asserts author, founder and CEO of Squidoo, and well-known television and business blog personality, Seth Godin. Furthermore, Godin continues, “Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.”

Being the best in the world at that one thing that matters most to you is seriously important. Our minds, unfortunately, especially our ADDer minds, are capable of infinite distractions and excuse making. Who has not heard of someone described as a ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’? Like Jack, perhaps you prefer to be thought of as well rounded, rather than just an excellent salesperson, house framer, or teacher.

However, ask yourself what qualities you would want in a physician if you were newly diagnosed with liver cancer. Would it comfort you knowing that your doctor always finishes at the top of his age group in the New York Marathon? Can play three musical instruments rather well? Or enjoys his friends’ compliments as a talented sushi chef?

Most likely you would you choose someone ranked by her peers as one of the top three liver cancer specialist in the state. Sure, a music background may make for smoother bedside manners, but what you really want is the physician who will give you the best shot at a long and healthy life.

The reward for being best in the world is exponential. Think about it: being the best is rare. It is scarce. Gold, not manure, is priced in hundreds of dollars an ounce. The world richly rewards scarcity, not abundant mediocrity. Jack is never rewarded. This book is about tough love.

What, then, is the dip? It is the boring, difficult, inconvenient time after the excitement, positive feedback, and the fun of a new relationship or project has worn thin. The dip is drudgery; it is an artifice society creates to KEEP YOU OUT of the inner circle. The dip creates scarcity, and scarcity creates value, says Godin.

By determining which dip is the right challenge to stick with and then leaning into the dip or obstacle, you may succeed from your perseverance, when others find it easier to quit. What was Woody Allen’s secret for success? Just show up (having a talent for comedic writing did not hurt him, either).

Whether it concerns finding a loving mate, gathering power, or building wealth, we live in a competitive society. The system depends upon us, the majority (the average), sticking with the wrong goals and quitting the right goals when we encounter the dip.

If the goal is hollow, Godin believes in quitting early. Most people are afraid to quit. We continue in meaningless jobs and deplorable relationships because we are afraid to take a calculated risk. Instead, we settle for mediocrity and expressing present frustrations.

Here are the author’s “Three Questions To Ask Before Quitting”:

QUESTION 1: AM I PANICKING?
Quitting is not the same as panicking. Panic is never premeditated. Panic attacks us, it grabs us, it is in the moment.

QUESTION 2: WHO AM I TRYING TO INFLUENCE?
If you are considering quitting, it’s almost certainly because you’re not being successful at your current attempt at influence.

QUESTION 3: WHAT SORT OF MEASURABLE PROGRESS AM I MAKING?
If you’re trying to succeed in a job or a relationship or at a task, you’re either moving forward, falling behind, or standing still. There are only three choices.

When the goal is meaningful and worth pursuing, then expect the dip, gather your resources and mentors (ADD coaches, perhaps?), and prepare yourself for a difficult slog. Having a scarce and valued skill – being the best – and taking pride in the effort to be the best will get you noticed and rewarded.

By GF, a member of ADDer World the interactive community for those with ADHD, their families, mentors and friends.

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Thanksgiving reply By Chris AKA Dawg:

AD/HD is unfairly classified as a mental disorder and the diagnostic language tends to emphasize only what’s wrong. “Impulsive,” for example, is used as a bad term. But you could say spontaneous. Rarely do you meet a person with ADD that isn’t creative somehow, and what is creativity, but a kind of impulsiveness? No one plans to have a creative thought. It just pops into your head.

In my photo’s I uploaded my certificate for the online study course for doctors that I completed. That’s not a fake and I really am registered with the site as AKA_dawgm PHd but I’m not a doctor. If I can come to Thanksgiving dinner I would be more than happy to assist you in educating your family.

See, (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting approximately 8%-9% of school-aged children and 4.4% of adults.( most likely higher because many never get diagnosed.) Although recognized and treated for decades, our understanding of the causes and underlying pathology associated with ADHD has made incredible progress in the past 5-10 years. I like dark meat and I’ll peal potatoes cause I can put a hurting on the spuds.

One thing your family might find astonishing is that ADHD is a highly genetic disorder. Risk of having ADHD is increased substantially if a first- relative is also diagnosed (including parents and siblings) progress is being made in identifying the specific molecular genetic risk factors for ADHD, but given the complexity and heterogeneity, currently no genetic tests can be used to reliably predict the disorder that would be clinically useful.

While sitting down for turkey we could point out that in a widely cited study of 140 children with ADHD and 120 kids without ADHD in the parents of ADHD children were 14.7% compared with 2.7% in the parents of non-ADHD children, suggesting that parents of an ADHD child were 5.4 times more likely to also have ADHD. For siblings, 20.0% of those with an ADHD sibling also were diagnosed, vs 5.0% of siblings of control children, suggesting that having a brother or sister with ADHD makes one 4 times more likely to have ADHD than the general population. Twin studies establish the genetic basis of a disorder by examining the likelihood of 1 child having a disorder if their twin also has the disorder — also referred to as concordance rates. If a disorder is strongly genetic in nature, the concordance rates for monozygotic (identical) twins will be higher compared with dizygotic (fraternal) twins. Results from many twin studies of ADHD support the idea of the disorder being strongly genetic in nature. Across studies, heritability estimates ranging from 0.60 to 0.95 have been reported, suggesting that between 60% and 95% of the variability in ADHD and ADHD symptoms can be explained by genetic factors.

While I’m pretty good a carving the bird I normally don’t use sharp knives in other people homes in case of an accident. I don’t want to bleed on anyone’s carpet.

The strongest evidence for association of a particular gene variant playing a role is associated with the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4). In particular, a specific polymorphism of this gene results in odds ratios for having the disease show a 34%-90% increase in risk for having ADHD in individuals who carry the particular gene variant. That’s off the hook kind of odds.

Other genes positively associated with the disorder are; Dopamine beta-hydroxylase gene, dopamine D5 receptor (DRD5), dopamine transporter gene (DAT1, also known as SLC6A3), synaptosomal-associated protein 25 gene (SNAP-25), also a ton of interest in the serotonin transporter gene (also referred to as SLC6A4) but not positive.

Do folks still eat yams? I like um. Another thing is that brain imaging techniques, including PET, structural MRI, and fMRI, have rapidly advanced our understanding of the specific brain regions that are involved in the pathophysiology of ADHD; while asking for seconds on the stuffing we can point out that the regions implicated primarily include parts of the cerebellum and circuits that connect the frontal lobe and striatum;

I love green bean casserole and fruit salad with cool whip BTW and would be happy to bring one of these dishes

It actually hasn’t always been a part of nature as it’s genetics are relatively new and we can trace it back some 1100 years (or maybe 11,000 can’t remember now but even 11,000 years is “new”) and through natural selection has been shown to be a desirable trait.

Keep in mind while deciding what pie; pumpkin or cherry, to have ,that the majority of children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD are affected by other co morbid psychiatric conditions.

I’ll be stocking up on the miracle whip too, cause I’ll eat a few turkey sandwiches per day until Christmas! Hope this helps!

This is a posting by a member of www.adderworld.ning.com it has been reposted here with permission. If you would like to read all postings, please feel free to become a member HERE.

Thank you Chris!

~Bryan

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Is that my brain I smell burning? By Chris AKA Dawg

Sundays are the best day of the week for me! I’m sure that after my last post.(what does blog mean anyway?) You might be scared to dive in to Dawg’s dark and deranged recent history but there’s not much more to tell. It is a huge weight off my shoulders to have “told my story” I have wrote 20 pages of things that weighted my heart and mind over the last few plus weeks and have been hovering in the AD/HD online community. Hovering is a bad word; more like flying at 600 MPH two feet above the tarmac, throttle down, hand on the stick ready to pull up. Hyper focusing if you will and taking it all in. I’m not exactly pulling up to the arrival gate, but I’m on the ground. “you may now turn your personal electronic devices on!”

I have always had a good sense of my strengths and weaknesses and the surprises left to discover regarding the D are limited to the science and what and how I can tap into for the positive. I’m proud to say a lot of what I’ve learned regarding the wiring I already knew. What works for me, what I’m successful at, the importance of positive thinking and self confidence. I also recognize the things that a detrimental to my emotional stability and the self damaging cycles. Surround yourself with people that support you not criticize you. And allow further investigation encompassing the “why”

Divorce has been a hot topic around here and I want to remind everyone that not having the D doesn’t guarantee success or happiness in love. Know the difference between Problems that many married people face and the ones that are unique to this community or just you. Do the best you can and ask GOD for guidance and be aware when it comes to you. Ask for help here.

Know that given a stressful or emergency situation. High risk or completely surprising, riding by the seat of your pants; regardless of your past, or chronic underachievement lack of educational success, the smart odds makers bet on the D. Their high adaptability and experience dealing with discouraging situations utilizing creativity and unique, fresh approaches make them the best “dark horse” wager on the table. You’re going to make it people. I would bet cash monies on it.

And… for your Google, brain melted, and slightly manic AD/HD fact of the day……

Efficient sequencing techniques and the almost complete human genome sequence have identified the variants DRD4 linked to the D as “desirable” through natural selection.

This is a posting by a member of www.adderworld.ning.com it has been reposted here with permission. If you would like to read all postings, please feel free to become a member HERE.

Thank you Chris!

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The following blog post is by a member of the interactive ADDer World, NerdyMommy. She is a fun and charming ADDer that has a flare for expressing herself. She also has her own personal blog. I highly recommend reading her articles. I have read this particular post a couple times and agree with her assessment of our mask; however, I believe practice doesn’t just make perfect, it can make reality. I wrote about this exact subject in more detail in my book and this ‘mask’ or ‘pretending’ is not simply a way of manipulating what we do or how we act, it is a way of correcting our behavior and improving our quality of life as human beings! I believe anyone can do it. If you have read my book then you know how self- defeated, depressed and disillusioned I was growing up. It was a pathetic way to live and I punished myself for living that way daily and, of course, that punishment was meant to be a way to motivate myself out of my miserable daily scheme. Punishing one’s self is not the answer, it just pushes one deeper into depression and self defeat.

If we can pretend to be a certain way, then it is clear we can be a certain way. Practice makes perfect and when we pretend to act a certain behavior, well, that’s a way of practicing that behavior and therefore making it our own. We have the power to build habits and create better life styles for ourselves. If you don’t believe me, pretend to believe me and act it out for a while. Put your mask on and see what happens. I am not the same self defeated, depressed person I once was – I have inner strength, fortitude and a very healthy self esteem. In my book I explain the ‘why and how’ I transformed and I continue to improve every day, so can you!

Anthony Robbins, Norman Vincent Peale and other notable motivators have written about ‘acting’ the way you want to be and from reading their books it is sometimes difficult to understand what they mean and how to go about it. In my book “One Boy’s Struggle – A Memoir” I explain how I did it, as a real life person overcoming ADHD, depression, low self esteem and PTSD. It can further help to read about such a technique from a person who has actually put it into his daily practice and successfully lived it – creating a better quality of life for himself. When you read about me growing up with undiagnosed ADD, you may find it hard to imagine that young boy growing up to write a book, create a popular blog and an interactive world for ADDers – a man self assured, confident in who he is and successfully making his way through every tomorrow knowing things can get better, things are getting better! Once you have made it all the way through my story, you will see how things can and do improve once we take the right steps in the right direction and for me pretending is a way of ‘practicing’ the way I want to be. Or maybe it is all just an act? Let’s ask Aristotle:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
- Aristotle

Without further a due, here is the article by NerdyMommy “My Normal Mask”: 

I realized the other day, after getting lost in self analysis as I am wont to do….

I have a mask. I will call it my Normal mask, and I don’t intend to offend anyone who gets upset that I don’t feel that I am not ‘normal’ because I have ADD. It’s just easier to call it my Normal mask than my Conforming to the Socially Acceptable Behaviors of General Society mask – that’s just too dang long to type. Normal mask it is, no offense intended.

Back to the Normal mask. The Normal mask reminds me of those women who wake up an hour before their husbands so that they can put on their makeup, because they would be mortified that anyone sees them without their face on. The Normal mask is my way of presenting myself to the world in such a way that no one would ever suspect that I am, underneath it all, an ADDer. I believe I’ve perfected it over the years. I honestly think that 99% of people, who know me, work with me, are related to me, are friends with me… would never believe that I am an ADDer. Not that my symptoms are completely hidden or manageable when I have my Normal mask on, no….. but I have learned to compensate for them and make excuses for them in a way (often with self-deprecating humor), that people generally wouldn’t take me for an ADDer.

I can honestly say that the only people that I don’t wear the Normal mask for are my children and my boyfriend, and it only ever comes off in the sanctuary of my own home. My home is where I am myself, my true ADDer self. At home, I give myself permission to forget things, to walk into rooms and forget why I’m there, to lose things, to get lost when I’m having a conversation….When I step out the door, I put on the Normal mask, and there it stays until I return to the comfort of my own home.

Does anyone else have a Normal mask? Do you wear it all the time? Do certain situations threaten to make it fall off?

This is a posting by a member of www.adderworld.ning.com it has been reposted here with permission. If you would like to read all postings, please feel free to become a member HERE.

Thank you NerdyMommy!

~Bryan

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SIREN’S TOP 6 ADD MOMENTS…

What follows is a blog posting by Siren, we all enjoyed it with much laughter over at the interactive ADDer World site, I thought it would be just as funny for the rest of ADDer World readers too. These are Siren’s top 6 and only represent her personal experiences, thoughts and actions, so, be your pinky toes warned and don’t you go doing any of this! ~ The above picture is by Chris, also a member, he has now put us into the Matrix… Makes me wonder if we should be X-men or X-files?! Just kidding. Be sure to join ADDer World at this link, join the conversations and other, well, fun stuff… Enjoy~!

By Siren, a member of www.adderworld.ning.com

So is it common to be clumsy when you have ADD? I’m guessing so. Sounds good anyway. I mean, it just seems like that when I’m in my “dream world” while in motion or when I just don’t think, that I end up hurting myself sometimes. And it cracks me up. I was reflecting on some of my awesome (not really) historical ADD moments that caused bodily harm to myself. Some were caused by being in la-la land. Some were caused be not being able control my impulsiveness. So instead of reliving them again, I decided to not and just write a list. I’m thinking this could backfire after it is read by others showing that no, these weren’t a result of ADD, I’m just a clumsy dingbat. I hoping it is not the latter so here goes….

6. Have broken my pinky toe 7 times catching it on pieces of furniture. Feels great.

5. I wouldn’t be a true ADDer if I had never walked dead into a sliding glass door…..Hawaii 1985.

4. I was walking on the sidewalk in Birmingham. They had these (I still don’t know why the damn things were there in the first place) but anyway, they had these round cement posts that were, oh, about 3.5 ft. high going down the middle of the sidewalk. Probably there to keep psychos from driving on the sidewalk or using them as a passing lane… I dunno. Anyway, they were “caution color” yellow. And since I wasn’t paying attention, I found out that they were also exactly “crotch” high when I ran into one. I hit it juuuuust right and it sent me forward doubling over the damn thing. So guys, don’t think you are the only ones that are sensitive there. It hurt so bad but I was laughing so hard just kind of perched on the top of it by my belly with my arms and legs and head danging down. I just kinda laid there for a minute processing exactly what I had just managed to do. And to let everyone else walking the busy streets of downtown Birmingham enjoy the moment as well.

3. Uhhhhhh, this one is questionable ADD. Could just be spousal abuse. But, whatever. Broke my hand while I was pregnant…….On my husband’s head. And, yes, he deserved it, I swear. No joke, was prego AND in a cast for 2 months. Really difficult to get out of the bath tub too…with the cast and big ol belly. And of course a**hole was going to have no part of helping me do a damn thing. Not fun. And I don’t condone it. Don’t regret it, but I do not condone beating your spouse.

2. I tried to get paint off of my hands with paint thinner. Poured some on my hands….started rubbing it around working it in real good to get that darn paint off. My hands started, kinda, burning. Hmmm, I thought. I don’t remember paint thinner ever burning. I kept rubbing, it got worse. Ladies and gentlemen, (drumroll please)…It wasn’t paint thinner, it was STRIPPER. Burned my hands so bad I had to go to the doctor. Yes-siree, sure did.

And the #1 injury caused by having ADD or being just plain idiotic IS:

1. Ah, yes, this is a good one. One from college. I was living with a friend at the time. I had discovered her, I guess mustache bleach (yes, gentlemen, many dark haired women have to use that although I am not one). I wanted to lighten up my hair a little at the roots. Some redneck highlights, if you will. So I brushed some on at the roots at the front of my hairline and even added some sporadically around the crown of my head. I left it for a little while. Rinsed it, it turned out great! So a month later my roots were showing through again. I went back into the medicine cabinet and quickly got out Amy’s good ol trusty mustache bleach. Put it on right there in front at my hairline just like last time. I waited. Even waited a little longer this time to get it lighter. Rinsed it. But not only was the “bleach” coming out, so was my hair. Yep, had grabbed Amy’s NAIR. Hair removal crap. I looked like a 23 year old with a severe receding hairline. I learned to love hats real quick, y’all.

This is a posting by a member of http://www.adderworld.ning.com/ it has been reposted here with permission. If you would like to read all postings, please feel free to become a member HERE.

Thank you Siren!

~Bryan

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After yesterday’s important post about Milk and Gluten I thought a follow up post is important, considering that there can be withdrawal when one stops eating and drinking these foods. It’s the age old, worse before you get better thing. It sucks, and it is real, therefore must be addressed by anyone attempting such a diet, or a person might stop the diet completely in order to feel better in the short run.

(Edit Side Note: We have a Dietary Group on the ADDer World ADHD Social Network. We further discuss issues with Gluten and food allergies.) 

The following article is by Dr. Charles Parker, a member of the interactive ADDer World, he has given permission to repost:

Celiac Notes: Opiate Withdrawal from Gluten and Casein?

Opiate withdrawal from discontinuing gluten and casein? Cautionary note: sounds absurd until you see it.

You might want to warn gluten sensitive, celiac and casein sensitive patients about this odd and painful clinical phenomenon: Withdrawal after stopping wheat or milk products can be painful, exhausting, and depressing, with weakness, anger, and brain fog.

I have a very interesting and refractory client in Ohio who has struggled for years with a variety of severe reactions to psych meds, suicidal depression, mercury toxicity, and became completely regressed on previous withdrawal of Prozac before I saw him in DC. With autoimmune issues in abundance and at times psychotic like feelings of loosing control we tested him for gluten/casein sensitivity, hit pay dirt with positive findings, and asked him to go on a gluten free/casein free diet [GFCF is the acronym].

He felt remarkably better at first, better than he had in years, then the withdrawal set in. Having had previous experience with addictive opiates prescribed for pain, he recognized signs of withdrawal immediately. First a note on the opiate receptors from Great Plains Laboratory:

The peptides from gluten [gliadorphin] and casein [casomorphin] are important because the react with opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine. These compounds have been shown to react with areas of the brain such as the temporal lobes, which are involved in speech and auditory integration.

Children with autism frequently seem addicted to wheat and dairy products. Presumably, people with Autism and schizophrenia incompletely digest wheat and dairy products. These incompletely digested peptides are then absorbed into the body and bind to opiate receptors, altering behavior and other physiological reactions.                                      

And one more reference here:

Below is from the book “Dangerous Grains” by Ron Hoggan

The addictive nature of gluten is often overlooked. For some, the first days and weeks of following a gluten-free diet are characterized by food cravings, disorientation, irritability, sleepiness, depression, mental fogginess, fatigue, and/or shortness of breath.

If you are a member of this group, the very fact that you are experiencing many of these symptoms should reinforce the need to exclude gluten from your diet. These are common symptoms of withdrawal of detoxification from gluten-derived opioid and brain neurochemical imbalances. The evidence suggests that about 70 percent of celiac patients will experience these symptoms when beginning a strict gluten-free diet.

The take-home appears simple: if these symptoms occur, do go more slowly on the GFCF diet, respect the withdrawal process and support other nutritional and physiologic activities.

Be sure to visit Dr. Parker’s blog for more information. Thanks again Dr. Parker!

~Bryan

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ADHD by LCdc – AKA Lizard – A member of ADDer World

Life is long and life is short!! My mind is flawed, miles from perfect, yet i am a machine.
My mind grinds on and never tires, my body stalls often and sometimes falters!!

My mind – ahh – my mind – I feel the difference, I reap what it sows, I suffer its ebbs and flows!! I realize often how different my tide table of thoughts is from the reality around me.

I learn from my mistakes – AHHH yes – over and over again – too bad it seems to be the same mistakes!! I am a live wire that has lost its connection, I am a computer whose circuits are infected. I am a blast of energy that is driven by g-forces gone wild. I am a force of nature that has collided with the humanity that seeks to tame me and will always fail.

I am a moment in time and space that rips a hole in the Universal continuum and takes eons to disappear. I feel wrong, I feel diseased, I feel I am a mistake, I feel I can’t ever please the world (but they can’t live without me) I was brought into by a 1 in a million shot. I feel compassionate, I feel free, I feel i am a step away from you and i am in the lead!!! I feel like ME – YUP, I feel ADHD, but I am ME!!!

I have learned the hard way, maybe it’s the right way, maybe it is wrong. Maybe a higher power knew the path I was destined to follow and gave me a mind that was wired in high tension and wound so tight that I would forever be trying to untangle it and uncoil all the blows of humanity.

This is a posting by a member of www.adderworld.ning.com it has been reposted here with permission. If you would like to read all postings, please feel free to become a member HERE.

Thank you Lizard!

~Bryan

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