I was listening to an audio book recently: Challenge to Succeed by Jim Rohn. I recommend it to anyone interested in self improvement. In the audio Jim makes many good points about wealth, health and state of being. The most important point he makes is this: “What you don’t know will hurt you.”

Any late diagnosed ADDer will tell you that this is too true. What if we had known 10 years, or, 20 years earlier? What if our parents had known and we were diagnosed as children? What a difference would that have made? We can deal with ‘what if’s’ all day long, but, what about today? Today there is a wealth of information available in books and on the internet. There is no reason we cannot self-educate ourselves about our condition, not in an information packed world such as ours.

As anyone knows that reads my blog posts and books, I am for positive thinking, affirmations, medication and having heroes to look up to. And yet, above all of everything else, education about ADHD is the absolute most important method to improve one’s quality of life and situation with concern to ADHD. When I talk to people who are thriving and have overcome tremendous difficulties there are always two things which they identify as their keys to success: Self-education and a PMA Positive Mental Attitude. For those who have success with medication, that becomes 3 keys; however, self-education is always first. Medication can’t teach or instill new coping skills. PMA – a positive mental attitude is developed by the more you know and understand, the more personal stories about ADHD you read, the more you learn about current research and the latest strategies and by helping others! There are books, audio books, Teleseminars, podcasts, blogs and so much more available to you, at your fingertips!

“If I had known…” Don’t let that be your statement, put it in the past. Start now, if you haven’t already, and if you are reading this I am assuming you have already started. I am telling you, the more you understand, the more you know… it will make a world of difference.

“Schooling will get you a job; Self-education will get you a life. – Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” Jim Rohn

For the person who refuses to self-educate with or without medication, nothing else will help them! Some have told me that they can’t read just one book at a time and that frustrates them. Why? Who made the rule you must read only one book at a time? When we went to school and had 6 classes in a day, how many books were we required to read at any given time? It’s okay to read more than one book at a time, its okay to listen to yet another book, or podcast, or teleseminar on the way to work. It’s not okay to do none of those things! I am telling you, we can’t rely on medication alone, or, PMA alone! It is being proven day in and day out that awareness of and self-education of ADHD is improving lives! Yes, some are pretty ticked off about having it and yes, some people hate and loathe ADHD, but, even so, to deny the existence of and not learn as much as one can about ADHD will just make things more difficult, not only for yourself, but, also for those around you.

“What you don’t know will hurt you.” Jim Rohn

~Bryan

PS: I do support medication and try to avoid writing about my personal experience with medication, because, I do not want to deter anyone from seeking proper treatment which could include medication. With that said, I had a very bad experience with medication and after nearly 3 years I am still recovering. If I had self-educated myself about medication for ADHD and self-educated myself about side effects and withdrawal syndrome I would have known that I was taking medication NOT designed for ADHD and I would have known that going cold-turkey off of it could lead to my current situation with discontinuation syndrome. Now, answer me this (I know I can’t change the past), – would that information have been valuable to me before taking the medication? Yes, I can blame others, doctors or an industry, or, I can try to make others believe medication is destructive. Well, since I don’t agree with those things, let’s move on. Truth be told, I have another personal experience with medication which has also been detrimental and which, for my own reasons, I will not share. However, I have since discovered I could have learned all I had wanted or needed to know about the medication if I had chosen to self-educate myself. Every bit of information that could have given me an informed personal choice was already available on the internet. That’s all I am saying – self-educate. “But, Bryan, it’s not your fault… you didn’t know…” That’s the point exactly. Uninformed decisions with consequences can be pretty unforgiving and lasting. Thankfully, Dr. Charles Parker is writing a book about ADHD medication which will help explain the factors we need to know. How did I make it without medication? That’s already been written.

   Send article as PDF   

This is an important article which helps to demystify the confusing, and often worrisome, information out there on stimulant medication and ADHD. I am making it available to you here on ADDer World, please feel free to download and read:

ADHD and Stimulants – Harvard Review of Psychiatry

It (1) summarizes the existing knowledge of ADHD, (2) provides the
relevant history and trends, (3) explains the controversy, (4) discusses
what is and is not unique about ADHD and stimulant pharmacotherapy, (5)
outlines future directions of research, and (6) concludes with a brief
analysis of how two North Carolina counties have established community
protocols that have improved the screening, treatment, and societal
consensus over ADHD and stimulants.

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

I just read a very good article by Dr. Eleanor Rolnick about a decade long Norwegian study involving 23 children with ADHD who were put on milk free and gluten free diets. The theory that milk and gluten interfere with the breakdown of certain proteins was developed by Dr. Karl Ludvig. The theory is a metabolic predicament which seems to be triggered when eating milk and gluten and therefore may accelerate ADHD. 22 of the children in the study showed almost immediate mental health improvement, overall behavior, as well as enhanced attention span with increased learning capabilities!

“Long term monitoring of these children has found their disorders to be manageable while the challenges they once faced have virtually disappeared.” – www.keepmecurrent.com

So, what do I think of this? Actually, I must concur with the results of this study, with the results of my own recent diet change! It has been long noted that after eating is when kids usually have the most problems and so it was noted with me too, when looking back in time. That, I believe, is why we blame so many problems on sugar, even though it has been disproven that sugar is the culprit. Many still believe sugar to be the main issue, but that is because problems seem to occur most frequently after meals! In some cases, with allergies for example, it might not be obvious because symptoms can occur hours or even a day or two later.

I was having more serious issues a few months ago and my symptoms were escalating. I talked about it with a good friend of mine, Gina Pera, and she recommended asking Dr. Charles Parker about it. You may remember a recent post I did with Dr. Charles Parker when I interviewed him. He knew right away that my symptoms went further than ADHD symptoms and were indicative of a metabolic issue. He asked me about gluten and milk specifically. Turns out I am allergic to wheat and dairy products. Furthermore, because of where I live, I was vitamin D deficient!

I have nearly eliminated gluten and dairy products from my diet. And I feel much better. As a matter of fact so many issues I was suffering from have either gone away or have significantly improved! What I appreciate most in this diet is that my mood is so much more even. I am able to think things through much better and see the good in things I might not have noticed before. The improvement from eliminating gluten and dairy products is nothing short of remarkable. Yes, I still have ADHD, but it is far more manageable and the positive sides of ADHD are easier to access now!

A good place to visit and learn more is Dr. Charles Parker’s blog. He has written quite a bit about ADHD and metabolic issues. The original article about this Norwegian study can be found here.

Please, remember that I am only relating my personal experience and it is important to see a doctor before making any diet changes or other health related changes. Milk is also known to be good for those who do not have dairy/milk allergies or other negative health issues concerning milk.

Have you tried any such diet changes? What were the results?

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

I have talked to a lot of people lately who want results through medication. I don’t have anything against medication and I think medication can help certain individuals, but the more I talk to people who have taken medication the more I learn that mediation is all some seem to have, that all of their hopes are reliant on medication. Someone told me recently that they would be more excited about my book and blog if it talked more about medication and if I had used medication to successfully overcome my ADHD condition.

Sorry, don’t want to disappoint anyone, medication does help some people and I am happy it does such, but for a great many of people medication has not helped them and they still seek the magic pill which will help them break through the foggy barrier of ADHD. You know, when you read about someone overcoming ADHD life struggles through the use of medication many read into that medication is some sort of cure and it is the answer above all others. I don’t buy into that. I wish there was some magic pill, I really do, but the truth is that there is no cure. The ultimate cure for ADHD is not what we want, it is the process of learning to cope and overcome our innate ways, to find ways to use those ways to benefit ourselves and others. The problem therein is that most of us with ADHD have problems finding motivation and inspiration to overcome and cope with our struggles. We need that light at the end of the tunnel. Medication provides such a light in a way, but it’s not at the end of the tunnel.

Someone wrote me recently thanking me for my story and told me of his story of using medication through much of his childhood and how it was a miracle and helped him so much, but when the medication wore off and he could not find a replacement which helped, he was lost and suddenly found himself in a world of struggles which medication had always helped him with, but he had never learned any real life coping skills for his raw unmedicated ADHD. I think that’s a dilemma which should be studied. Some think you can learn habits and coping skills while on medication… I wonder about that. If medication is the influence, the drive which gives a person abilities they lack without the medication then what they learn and succeed at while on the medication is influenced by what? They needed what?

~

I don’t want to confuse or do too much comparison on what I am about to write and please only take it as a comparison. Have you ever been drunk and found yourself doing things you would never do if not under the influence? We call liquor false courage for a reason. Now, just imagine if getting drunk did not involve getting ‘drunk’ and gave one the benefit of ignoring their fears and beliefs, sort of like Marijuana. What then? My point is simple, we are not completely our true selves while under any sort of substance legal or not legal and when it wears off our fears and our struggles remain… then what? Medication is not a cure, it’s not and what one learns as far as how to cope while using medication is subject to the influence of that medication. I mean if the ADHD struggles are improved thanks to the medication what then is learned as far as coping? The actual reality of ADHD unmedicated is usually far different and subject to different ways of coping and no two people react to medication the exact same.  Don’t you think? I am not a doctor and this is simply what I observe, so please do not stop your meds without talking to a doctor, because the medication has benefits and isn’t a bad thing – I am only iterating that medication is not a cure as far as I know and it does have influences which are not there when the medication is absent, otherwise it would be a cure… right? And each individual is different and has some different experiences under the influence of medication…

However, I do believe the ultimate benefit of medication for younger people is through education, academically speaking. This is the area in which I do support medication, because I believe that medication, when it works, helps children remain alert in class and study. This is different than coping with ADHD. Coping with ADHD means to learn to deal with, overcome and use their raw ADHD traits and tendencies – with medication those habits and tendencies are improved and therefore, thankfully the person is not subject to the full reality of ADHD unmedicated and whatever coping skills they learn are for the medicated form of ADHD. If the medication ever wears off later in life then it is highly likely the person will be facing something else entirely than what they are used to and have learned to deal with.

Medication can seem like a cure when it works and it can be described as magic for some. I don’t use it, I never have. In a way I am grateful for that and that doesn’t mean I will never use medication if I find the right one for me, it’s just that I will already know how to deal with the raw power of ADHD if I never find that medication. You might think it wasn’t so bad for me then to become who I am today with such a positive and hopeful attitude as you find in my writing on my blog and in my book. Consider for a moment that PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) is something I deal with and have been in a depression most of my life thanks to undiagnosed ADD. Please, don’t be fooled by who I am today and compare it with an easier passage of some sort. Ten years of therapy later, I am who I am and am pretty darn proud of who I am and what I have achieved and overcome without the influence of medication.

Do you want to know what helped me the most, besides direct professional therapy? Caring people, mentors, people who recognized who I am as a person and took an interest in helping someone else. In my opinion that is more of a cure than medication is. Medication is a substance which changes the chemical balances in the brain, whereas human caring helps build traits and habits which last a lifetime without any chemical substance and will not dissipate. Remember the first Karate Kid movie? A real, tangible life experience made him whole and lasts a life time. This leads me to another question I am often asked:

What can I do if medication doesn’t work?

If you are a parent please beware of severe punishment. Such punishment does prove to be effective for the short term in order to quiet a child and make them submit, but it will have to be repeated again and again to be effective for longer term; however, this builds resentment in the child and makes them feel as though they are a very bad person. Over time such punishment can lead to depression and more serious self-destructive issues. The punished child might even take out their frustrations and confusion on others, we read about it in the papers all the time and we are all so very shocked when we do and that is a shame of all shames. My book talks about how punishment made me seem as though I was a quiet and well behaved child. Even if I say so myself, my book probably has one of the best descriptions of how a child changes under the pressure of punishment and why people would be shocked about me, if I had not had good mentorships from others and my mother.

 Children with ADHD are confused and feel lesser than their peers already – severe punishment just pushes them further into an abyss. Instead, consider trying a reward system for children and change it up regularly to keep their interest. The thing about it is that any child with ADHD or ADD needs constant positive attention and caring, without such constant caring and attention the child will become subject to caring of others and a parent has little control over the friends a child chooses and all too often children with ADHD or ADD find themselves in the wrong crowd, simply because it is easier to fit in.

Medication isn’t cheap and neither is therapy, we read and are influenced by the rich and famous who overcome their struggles with the benefit of lots of money to enable them to try just about everything money can buy. Many can’t afford therapy and cannot afford medication or private schools and such. I could not afford therapy for a while either, so I know this situation. However, there are many other lower cost methods of helping a person with ADHD. Mentorships are very effective and were very effective for me. Caring people don’t cost much and if you’re lucky they don’t cost anything at all. I have been very fortunate in my life to meet people who cared about me and helped me along with positive advice and suggestions. It’s amazing what positive feedback and positive influences have in the life of someone with ADHD – it is far more effective and longer lasting than punishment. With this I have learned more about personal coaches for those with ADHD and they are usually affordable for most people. When I consider what mentorships have done for me, I highly recommend finding a coach or personal tutor. Looking back on my life, I now know that positive mentorships saved my life. Seek out support groups in your area, there are caring people who have tremendous experiences with ADHD and lead support groups – I can’t recommend this enough and this goes for partners, spouses and parents of those with ADHD too.

My very best wishes to you,

Bryan

P.S. Please remember I am not a doctor. I am only sharing my thoughts from my experiences and what I have observed. Only make decisions about medication with a doctor.

   Send article as PDF   

I would like to share this article that came up about replacing Ritalin with Marijuana!

http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/content/view/147/1/ 

Although I can understand where the researcher is coming from concerning marijuana, I do not agree with this type of therapy for adults and especially not for children. I have personally seen what daily intake of marijuana can do to a person over time and although marijuana is probably beneficial to someone being treated for a terminal and painful disease, it can be terribly destructive to others. I believe there are side effects and dire consequences to daily (Street) marijuana use. Furthermore, many who use it seek harder stuff eventually, not always, but the risk is there – why get anyone started on it at all? That’s just what I think and believe and also believe the research is valuable, but there must be other ways and methods.  

Since I originally posted this article, many things have changed and there is now more research available. I closed the comments on this post; however, this topic is continued on our ADHD Social Network. Here is a direct link to the thread for this topic on Medical Cannabis for ADHD You may post relevant links to research and voice your opinion/experience.

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

I have been reading something rather disturbing in the news lately. Some doctors are giving prescriptions for ADD ADHD without a thorough examination for diagnosis. Basically, people come in and complain they can’t concentrate or stay focused and receive a prescription for ADD ADHD medication. “Oh Dread!” no wonder we have complaints of over diagnosis!

I don’t know if the news is true or how many people have reported this, but if it is true and even if it is only a few people, this is not good for anyone, especially Adder’s who are already trying to make it in a society which is filled with denial about ADD ADHD. I frequently write about everyone having Adder traits and I stand by that; however, I mean it in a way which we can all relate. Who hasn’t misplaced their keys, been distracted or drove in the direction of work on an off day? We all share some traits and we can all benefit from positive reinforcements. Medications, on the other hand, need to be prescribed only to those who need them and when a full diagnosis has been given. Medications can and do help many with ADD ADHD; however, there is a lot more to prescribing than just handing over a signed piece of paper—especially since no two people are exactly alike and there are a wide range of doses even for one type of medication. And let’s not forget that there are many other disorders and even illnesses which can appear to be ADD ADHD, but are not.

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

I have a very good friend who has been taking fish oil for almost a year and she has shown improvements in both mood and concentration. Significant improvements that is noticeable and not simply negligible. Off and on, I have taken low dose fish oil supplements and each time I had a wonderful day of concentration and cheerful mood. I am serious. If I could get over my worrying about mercury I would take the fish oil daily, so, I have no experience other than my friend when it comes to long term value. 

Scientific research is proving that fish oils are beneficial to ADD, ADHD, Depression, Bipolar and many other mental disorders. I have put together some links concerning fish oil research and you can make your own informed decision:

http://www.unisa.edu.au/researcher/issue/2006January/story4.asp
http://www.fattyacidtrip.com/category/adhd/
http://www.durhamtrial.org/
http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/depfishoil
http://www.ect.org/selfhelp/fishoil.html

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Okay, okay, -time to talk about medication. I have received a multitude of requests to talk about medication or even answer specific questions concerning medication and it is about time that I got around to talking about medication.

Friends and fellow Adders, I do not take any prescription medication for my ADD.  I sure don’t—at least, not yet. I am still not sure which ADD medication I will take, or, if I will take any at all. I am still in the research process—just like many of you are. However, I might not choose to take any pharmaceutical medication at all. I have some reasons and I will share those with you. However, please, palezee, understand that I am not a doctor, I can’t and I won’t recommend any medication to anyone and just because I might decide not to take any prescribed medication does in no way mean that you shouldn’t. You and your doctor have to make that decision. Later in this article I will point you in the direction of a website that has some very good information about specific medications, but for right now, my focus is going to shift to a little history about me and this website ADDERWORLD:

I originally created this site as a directory for ADD ADHD websites because it took me forever to find information specific to my concerns using traditional search engines, and since I had bookmarked the websites I found to be the most useful, I decided to create a directory to help others find the information you need faster. While posting some links one day, the urge came upon me to write an article about my thoughts concerning ADD/HD. I did not expect the enormous positive feedback and ever since I have been positing ‘my thoughts’.

As many of you have gathered from reading ‘my thoughts’, I believe in positive thinking and positive redirection and positive feedback. I never really considered the impact of what I have to say and certainly did not expect to be talking about medication. I sincerely believe that being positive is the most important part in overcoming our inherent behavior as Adders, perhaps as important, and in some cases, more important than medication. Let me say here and now, it is not easy to become a positive thinker, even for folks who do not have ADD or ADHD. It is much more challenging for Adders, because many of us, like me, grow up thinking less of ourselves. Even if you were raised by the most caring and concerned parents you have been exposed to a society which can be unforgiving towards Adder behavior and I can almost guarantee that has had some negative effects.

It is indeed possible to become a positive thinker and it is possible to use positive thinking as a way of working with ADD/HD and, dare I say, make your ADD/HD work for you! Most of ‘my thoughts’ posted are about positive thinking and how it can be done. I have much more to say on the subject of positive thinking; however, this posting is about medication:

I am extremely nervous about pharmaceutical medication. It is the side effects which concern me. In the past I was prescribed an SSRI and I suffered through some nasty side effects. Because of those side effects I did something which nobody should ever do without consulting a doctor first: I quit cold turkey. No, please, don’t ever do that. The side effects of taking the medication was nothing compared to the withdrawal effects that came once I discontinued use. Oh my, that was a ride I will never, ever, – no never, ever, forget! With that said, the SSRI did somewhat help me for the brief period I was taking it. SSRI’s are not often prescribed for ADD/HD, but, we are all different and that is a very good reason why a doctor must be the one to prescribe any medication. I wasn’t necessarily prescribed the SSRI for ADD at the time, but, as it goes, that’s another story.

So, do I take anything for my ADD or do I only rely on positive thinking? For the most part I rely on positive thinking and positive visualizations of doing and completing whatever it is I want, need, or, have to do. Learning I have ADD made me also take into considerations foods and drinks. There are many types of foods and drinks which exacerbate the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. I try to avoid those as much as possible. In the diet category you will find a link to good advice on an Adder’s diet. In addition to diet and positive thinking, I take a multi vitamin which also includes Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba—about 60mg each.

The combination of the proper diagnosis, diet, positive thinking and vitamins with Ginkgo and Ginseng have made a much needed difference in my life with concern to concentration, mood, accomplishments and overall fulfillment. When it comes to calmness and slowing down my mind from over analyzing, I use Tai Chi movements and breathing exercises. Tai Chi is well known for its therapeutic effects on the mind and body.

In future articles I will write more details of my personal treatment plan, and if, and when, I decide to try specific pharmaceutical medications I will let you know!

Here are a few very good links to pages which explain specific medication, diet and Tai Chi:

Medication:

http://newideas.net/adhd/medication
http://www.additudemag.com/topic/Treating_ADD/ADD_Medications.html
http://add.about.com/cs/medications/a/blmedfactsheets.htm

Diet:

http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet
http://www.cspinet.org/diet.html
http://www.everydiet.org/adhd_diet.htm

Tai Chi:

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/what.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Chi_Chuan
http://www.taichiflow.com/about_tai.htm

Positive Thinking for Adders:

http://adderworld.com

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF