ADHD Center for Success

Science Daily (Apr. 1, 2010) — Mount Sinai researchers have learned that meta-cognitive therapy (MCT), a method of skills teaching by use of cognitive-behavioral principles, yielded significantly greater improvements in symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults than those that participate in supportive therapy.

The study is now published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Mary Solanto, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center examined the effectiveness of a 12-week meta-cognitive therapy group. The intervention was intended to enhance time management, organizational, and planning skills/abilities in adults with ADHD.

We observed adults with ADHD who were assigned randomly to receive either meta-cognitive therapy or a support group,” said Dr. Solanto. “This is the first time we have demonstrated efficacy of a non-medication treatment for adult ADHD in a study that compared the active treatment against a control group that was equivalent in therapist time, attention, and support.”

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The following article was published in the NY Times on July 19, 2010 and forwarded to me by one of my ADHD Success readers. The toll of ADHD on marriage and relationships can be overwhelming. Does this sound familiar? ~CoachRudy

Attention Disorders Can Take a Toll on Marriage

by Tara Parker-Pope

Does your husband or wife constantly forget chores and lose track of the calendar? Do you sometimes feel that instead of living with a spouse, you’re raising another child?

Your marriage may be suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

An A.D.H.D. marriage? It may sound like a punch line, but the idea that attention problems can take a toll on adult relationships is getting more attention from mental health experts. In a marriage, the common symptoms of the disorder — distraction, disorganization, forgetfulness — can easily be misinterpreted as laziness, selfishness, and a lack of love and concern.

Experts suggest that at least 4 percent of adults have the disorder, that as many as half of all children with A.D.H.D. do not fully outgrow it and continue to struggle with symptoms as adults, and that many adults with the disorder never received the diagnosis as children.

Adults with attention disorders often learn coping skills to help them stay organized and focused at work, but experts say many of them struggle at home, where their tendency to become distracted is a constant source of conflict. Some research suggests that these adults are twice as likely to be divorced; another study found high levels of distress in 60 percent of marriages where one spouse had the disorder.

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Let’s hear your comments on this article and this subject.

~CoachRudy

(HealthDay News) — Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) miss, on average, more than three weeks a year in workplace productivity, according to a new global reckoning of the problem.

Altogether, between 3 percent and 4 percent of adults worldwide have ADHD, according to survey data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Researchers say the condition can cause a serious loss of concentration at work due to chronic hyperactivity, forgetfulness and impulsiveness.

But many adult workers with ADHD may not know they have a problem, the team noted.

“While surveying mental disorders around the world, we’ve interviewed close to 200,000 people in almost 30 countries, and we’re discovering that an enormous number of adult workers — more than 3 percent on average — have untreated adult ADHD,” said study co-author Ron Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Kessler is also the director of the WHO’s World Mental Health Survey Consortium, which is based at Harvard.

Dr. David W. Goodman, director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center in Luthersville, Md., agreed that ADHD is an “under-diagnosed and under-recognized psychiatric condition that causes a tremendous amount of disability in the work environment.”

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Article By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

Last Updated: May 28, 2008

I recently learned of a book: “A Whole New Mind – Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the World.” In a chapter called “Symphony,” the author estimates that, “self-made millionaires are four times more likely than the rest of the population to be dyslexic. Why Dyslexics struggle with L-Directed (left brained) Thinking and the linear, sequential, alphabetic reasoning at its core. But as with a blind person who develops a more acute sense of hearing, a dyslexic’s difficulties in one area lead him to acquire outsized ability in others. As Sally Shaywitz, a Yale neuroscientist and specialist in Dyslexia, writes, “Dyslexics think differently. They are intuitive and excel at problem-solving, seeing the big picture, and simplifying . . . . They are poor rote reciters, but inspired visionaries.”

In my personal reading and research of successful adults with ADHD I find that several of the most successful adults with ADHD are also Dyslexic. Now that is certainly not to say that Dyslexia is a prerequisite for success but it appears the combination can be a profitable combination that some adults take to the bank.

In recognition of National ADHD Awareness Week, CoachRudy will be highlighted in a LIVE radio interview on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008. He will interviewed by local commentator, David Hurand on WCQS Public Radio in Asheville, NC. The topic is “Adults with ADHD”.

You can listen to the LIVE interview from the Asheville area on WCQS at 88.1 on the dial. You can also listen to WCQS Online at: www.WCQS.org and connect via your preferred media player.

Michael Phelps has suddenly become THE poster child for Attention Deficit Disorder – diagnosed at the age of nine and told by a teacher that he would never achieve in life. Of course, Michael proved his teacher wrong. Through pure dedication, persistence and a clear, unobstructed vision, Michael DID achieve his Olympic goal of winning ‘Nine Gold Olympic Medals’. Michael is truly a wonderful inspiration to youth and adults with ADHD.

Here’s what Michael says on ‘Sacrifice and Learning from Mistakes’:

On Sacrifice
“Growing up in high school, I wasn’t hanging out with friends every day or on the weekends. Doing normal high-school things was something I was willing to give up.”

Phelps stepped out and devoted himself to a seemingly unachievable goal. Hard work does in fact pay off, and by applying your talents and avoiding the temptation to divert along the way, you’ll reach your own podium.  

Learning from Mistakes
“Having my DUI happen was a learning experience. Being in a college environment, it’s my job to try and help make sure people don’t make the same mistake I made. I’ve learned so much, just from having an experience like that, and I think I’ve gown up more from that experience than from before.”

Much like your own, Phelps’ life isn’t without setbacks, failings and challenges. Following his DUI arrest at 19, Phelps visited several elementary schools, warning children about the importance of making good choices. By accepting responsibility for his actions, Michael learned from his mistake and made the best of an unfortunate situation.

I came across this interesting article titled: “Skepticism suddenly disappears when list of symptoms hits home”. The author makes some interesting points worth honest consideration so I thought I’d pass it along to my readers.

Skepticism suddenly disappears when list of symptoms hits home

I was thumbing through an old issue of Newsweek waiting for my daughter at the orthodontist’s the other day and came a cross an article about adult ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It turns out it’s not just for kids anymore.

I read the article with some skepticism. I have thought for a long time that ADHD is over-diagnosed. When a kid has trouble sitting through a school day or can’t seem to connect with his teachers, there’s the temptation to slap the ADHD label on him and prescribe medication.

Read more: http://www.marionstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/OPINION02/808280301

ADHDSupport.com, an educational Web site recently re-launched by Shire, is designed to provide families, caregivers, educators and patients with tools and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

ADHDSupport.com offers information about the recognition, diagnosis and management of the disorder, assistance with how to identify and select a healthcare professional and what to expect when meeting with a physician about ADHD. It also features a symptom tracker to help record ADHD symptoms to be used in follow-up discussions with the health care professional; practical tips on how to get organized, and stay organized, and the best ways to set and evaluate goals; and detailed information about events that may be helpful to people living with ADHD. 

Click here for more information

I heard this fascinating report on the NPR/BBC News report a few nights ago. I was sent this article today. This reminds me of Dr. Hartmans ADD theory about ‘Hunters and Farmers’.

“ScienceDaily (Jun. 10, 2008) — A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in their settled cousins.”

 For the complete article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609195604.htm

~ CoachRudy