Today I would like to pass on my heartfelt thanks to you, the readers! Thanks for the opportunity to write about something that means so much to me! Well, I’ve thought a lot about what I want to write in this post, but there are no perfect words, so please allow me to skip directly to the gift giving!
In the tradition of the holidays and to pass on my deepest thanks to you, I am giving away my latest eBook, How to be Happy Every Day – Even if you have ADHD. It is my holiday gift to you. Click Here to download and save it. Nothing is required of you, simply click the link and it is yours.
There’s a lot to say about ADHD, and we know the devastations and the ramifications of untreated ADHD. Oftentimes treatments don’t always work all that well and we spend years, upon years looking for the magic potion, yet, sooner or later we come to a point when we realize that one doesn’t exist. Or, does it? No, probably not, but something else does exist and it can come pretty darn close.
Have you ever been beat down, physically punished to the point that the pain is so horrible you can’t even see straight, much less think straight? I have, more times than I care to remember. I’ve been through horrendous, painful things that have been brought on by my untreated, undiagnosed ADHD and a lot of it before I ever reached my teens.
If you’re tired of hearing about all the bad, negative things about ADHD then this post is for you! This post isn’t to downplay the serious consequences of living with ADHD, it’s to take another perspective and reframe it in a positive way which has worked for me. Of course, many of these on my list have serious consequences which I have had to work through. ADHD isn’t curable, but sometimes we let it kick us when we are down and like the boxing coach says, ‘stay down’. I’ve never been one to ‘stay down’, I’m stubburn like that!
There’s a new study out that shows what I have known and has already been proven in my life already. And that is psychotherapy or, more specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with ADHD improve and cope.
The study was conducted by: Steven A. Safren, PhD, ABPP; Susan Sprich, PhD; Matthew J. Mimiaga, ScD, MPH; Craig Surman, MD; Laura Knouse, PhD; Meghan Groves; Michael W. Otto, PhD and is published in Journal of the American Medical Assn. Author Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (Drs Safren, Sprich, Mimiaga, Surman, Knouse, and Otto and Ms Groves); Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Safren, Sprich, Mimiaga, Surman, and Knouse); and Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Otto).
Thanks to the science of ADHD we have medication which is helping people cope day to day, and for some fortunate people medication has completely changed the way they live their lives for the better.
Without science ADHD would not be classified as a disorder and we would still be stuck in the dark ages of ADHD, meaning ADDers are considered dumb, stupid, lazy, and unmotivated etc…
Without the science of ADHD some may still be spanking and punishing children in ways that are unhelpful and destructive. Science has pointed out that such corporal punishment can be detrimental to a child’s intellectual and emotional development. I may never be able to put into words how thankful I am for this type of research.
We now know that the symptoms of ADHD can be quantified, thanks to scientific research and accordingly diagnosed by qualified professionals.
Just yesterday Lara let me know it would be wonderful to donate ALL 4 of her books for giveaway contests on our ADDer World ADHD Social Network!! These will be upcoming contests and will be random drawings from members who get their name into the hat by participating with comments, replies and blog posts.
We currently have two other books, after Bryan Robinson’s The Art of Confident Living, which will be given away in similar contests! The Books are by Dr. Nancy Irwin YOU Turn and Kenneth Kaye Ph.D. with Nick Kaye Trust Me.
Not only can you win a valuable book, but you will also show all of us your tremendous ADDer World Sprit!
Yeah! You ROCK!
Check out the current contest for Bryan Robinson’s book The Art of Confident Living and get your name in the hat.
Being on the fence allows me to view things from a perspective where I can take in both sides and make decisions, choices and base beliefs on the facts all sides present (what I can make of them). Personally, I think it is a mistake to join one particular side of an issue and allow it to consume everything – life isn’t that simple and wars get started by this way of thinking, due to anger, resentment and inflexibility.
Typically, each side of an issue has both merits and faults. My experiences have taught me that nothing is as clear cut as it seems when it comes to human beliefs and relations.
My position(s) are as simple as they are complex. Here are a few or more:
Yeah, I wrote that title. Yeah, I said it! What are you going to do about it? I will tell you what you might do about it. I said might, because, it is up to you and this exercise is about choice. Exercise? …
“I thought that having a medicine and reading and learning would mean there was a cure and if I followed the yellow brick road I’d arrive where everyone else in the world already is, the city called “Normal”. I thought it meant I’d be “normal”, like everyone else and that I’d fit right in and be considered a citizen and at long last I would belong.”
When I sit down to write an article or when I answer a question posed to me about ADHD, I pull from my experiences. And from my experiences, I would like to make one thing absolutely, positively clear:
You have got to have something to believe in, even if you have ADHD!
I have ADHD inside and out, from the right side of my brain to the left side and right down the middle! ADHD is not separate from who I am, it is not something which has divided a line down the middle of my brain and said this is my portion and this is where I stay. No, ADHD is part of everything I do, say and feel, act and contemplate. It is all encompassing. If I do something positive, ADHD is involved. If I do something negative, ADHD is involved. If I do something neutral, mysteriously enough, ADHD is involved. And by the way, yes, thanks to ADHD I can do some things better than other people can, because, they don’t have what I have. We are all unique individuals. ADHD is me!
"One Boy’s Struggle is a real eye-opener. It should be read by all parents struggling to understand how best to support their ADHD children. Adults with ADHD will likely find validation and new hope from reading Bryan’s story.” ~Dr. Edward Hallowell
CHADD Educator of the Year for 2010, Dr. Katherine Nell Mcneil, "Highly recommends" One Boy’s Struggle
“A very brave and moving memoir.” Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Katherine Ellison, author of 'Buzz'.
"Gripping account of both the struggles and positive polarities of ADD written beautifully in a honest, open and courageous manner." David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D.
"Anyone with ADD or with friends, loved ones or colleagues with ADD will be informed and touched by Bryan’s book." Bryan Robinson Ph.D. author of 'The Art of Confident Living'
Thank you!
I just want to add a special thank you to all those who have read ‘One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir’. Thanks to you it has become one of the top selling books for my publisher, this means that it is reaching people all over the world.
It is an honor to have written a book that is meaning so much and benefiting so many. It is my hope that one day ‘One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir’ will be read by every teacher and parent, as well as read by every adult with ADHD. If you own a copy and have read it, please consider passing it on, loan it out to friends, a support group or donating it to your local library.
All material provided within this website is opinion only, and is not to be construed as medical advice, instruction or direction of any kind. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website. Visit a health care professional before making any decisions about your health.
I have ADHD inside and out, from the right side of my brain to the left side and right down the middle! ADHD is not separate from who I am, it is not something which has divided a line down the middle of my brain and said this is my portion and this is where I stay. No, ADHD is part of everything I do, say and feel, act and contemplate. It is all encompassing. If I do something positive, ADHD is involved. If I do something negative, ADHD is involved. If I do something neutral, mysteriously enough, ADHD is involved. And by the way, yes, thanks to ADHD I can do some things better than other people can, because, they don’t have what I have. We are all unique individuals.
