LIFE CHANGING ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ADHD

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1 LIFE CHANGING ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ADHD BY LAURIE DUPAR, PMHNP, RN, PCC

2 14 Life-Changing Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Senior Certified ADHD Coach and trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Laurie Dupar, responds to questions about diagnosis, testing, treatment, medication and addiction, ADHD and intelligence, outgrowing ADHD, navigating the treatment maze, best jobs for people with ADHD and much more! download it now!

1 what is adhd? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common medical condition that affects approximately 5% of the world s population.

3 1 what is adhd? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common medical condition that affects approximately 5% of the world s population. It is best known for how it affects children, but it continues to cause problems into adulthood for more than half. Each person with ADHD experiences it a bit differently. Most people are affected by difficulty paying attention to less interesting things, impulsivity, hyperactivity and being easily distracted. However, people with ADHD also commonly struggle with a lack of time awareness, disorganization, difficulty planning, prioritization, memory challenges, difficulty initiating tasks, following through, and much more. Imagine it s hard to keep your attention on any one thing for very long; time either speeds by or takes forever. The world is often experienced through a fog, like standing in the middle of a shaken snow globe or appears inaccessible as if you are standing behind a glass. The inner restlessness feels as if you are constantly on and doesn t stop even when you try to sleep. Emotions, words and behavior go from 0-60 mph in a nanosecond and happen without warning. Thoughts come rapidly, changing frequently, often without the ability to hold onto any idea for very long. These are some of the ways people describe their ADHD. Research is unclear as to what causes ADHD, but evidence strongly suggests that an ineffective or insufficient amount of certain neurotransmitters in the brain plays a part and is a result of simple genetics.

4 2 Is it called ADD or ADHD? Great question and understandably confusing, because both are used these days interchangeably! The correct professional term is ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is an umbrella term for all the different sub-types of ADHD. When someone is diagnosed with a particular subtype of ADHD, it is professionally correct to call it, ADHD Combined Type (both hyperactivity and inattentiveness), or ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type or ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type. The term ADD is commonly used by many people in the general public and the media. I am not sure why. Perhaps it is simply easier to say, however, it is not the professionally correct term. 3 Isn t everyone distracted at some time? Don t we all forget things, or act a bit impulsively? Aren t we all ADHD? Yes, everyone is forgetful or distracted on occasion now and then. The difference is that people with ADHD experience it so consistently that it creates ongoing problems and persistent struggles in their lives. It negatively and consistently affects their academics, work

social relationships. The key to knowing if your forgetfulness or distraction is related to ADHD is that it has existed since childhood and has persisted throughout your life.

5 social relationships. The key to knowing if your forgetfulness or distraction is related to ADHD is that it has existed since childhood and has persisted throughout your life. To know the difference between normal distraction and ADHD, ask yourself if your inattention, disorganization, and the inability to complete tasks are at the same level as that of your peers. Is it more problematic? Do you struggle more? If so, you might want to see your doctor about the possibility of having ADHD. 4 How is ADHD Diagnosed? How do you test for ADHD? First, before a diagnosis of ADHD can be presented, a thorough medical examination needs to be done to rule out physical causes of ADHD symptoms. Then, if other possible explanations are ruled out, consult a professional with training in ADHD to determine a potential ADHD diagnosis. Professionals who can diagnose ADHD include child psychiatrists, psychiatric mental health Nurse Practitioners, psychologists, developmental/behavioral pediatricians, behavioral neurologists, and clinical social workers. ADHD is diagnosed through a process of assessment interviews in which a person s history and how they act in their everyday lives (at home, school or work) are noted. The three key areas that are focused on to potentially diagnose ADHD are attention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, and the challenges and struggles with each. ADHD is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that the questions the mental health professional asks will help to eliminate other causes of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity.

To make a diagnosis of ADHD, professionals use a list taken directly from the American Psychiatric Association s (APA) latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to

6 To make a diagnosis of ADHD, professionals use a list taken directly from the American Psychiatric Association s (APA) latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to determine if you meet the specific criteria for the diagnosis. It is similar to when a medical doctor asks questions to determine if you are suffering from a simple cold or the flu. Your answers, experiences, behaviors, symptoms, etc., are what helps to determine if it is ADHD or perhaps something else. Unfortunately, there is not one magic test that will tell you whether you have ADHD or not. This is frustrating because so many other disorders have specific blood tests that help identify specific disorders or health conditions. With ADHD, there is currently no way to test the balance or amount of neurotransmitters in the brain using a blood test or brain x-ray/scan. The brain has a unique blood-brain barrier that helps protect it and keeps the neurotransmitters safely in the brain, preventing current technology from detecting them. 5 How Common is ADHD? Studies suggest that ADHD affects, conservatively, about 3-5% of the world s population. It affects people on every continent and culture. It does not discriminate based on ethnic background, and it does not care if you are male or female. Whether you are white, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, etc., ADHD does not discriminate. Equal numbers of boys/girls and men/women have ADHD. We now know that ADHD is not outgrown, nor is it something that develops as we get older. If you just found out you have ADHD as an adult, you had it as a child and just didn t know at the time.

7 6 What Causes ADHD? A single, specific cause for ADHD has not been proven as of yet. Studies of the brain and its functioning show that individuals with ADHD have a shortage of certain neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that regulate behavior). Some other theories for what causes ADHD are: damage, trauma, bacterial, viral or metal intoxication to the brain. There is a strongly-held belief by some people that food allergies cause ADHD. Food allergies may account for a small 3% of people with ADHD who also have allergic sensitivities, however allergies do not seem to be responsible for the majority of people with ADHD symptoms. Research suggests that the most likely and strongest possibility for what causes ADHD is that it is genetically inherited. If you have a child with ADHD, there s a 30%-40% chance that one or both biological parents has ADHD. If you have ADHD, there is that same 30%-40% that one or both of your biological parents has one type of the disorder. Just like eye color or hair color, it is passed from one family member to another. ADHD runs in families. 7 How is ADHD treated? There are a number of ways to treat ADHD and multiple theories about which is the best. Medical treatment typically involves medication to rebalance the neurotransmitters in the brain and, therefore, reduce symptoms. Some people try to manage their challenges with ADHD through diet and supplements. Some have found success with increased focusing using neurofeedback. Others approach the treatment of ADHD through behavior modification techniques. Often it is a combination of most of these that is most successful. Currently there is no cure.

8 8 Will my child outgrow Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? In the past, it was thought that people outgrew ADHD after adolescence. This was because it seemed that the severity of the main symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, diminished with age. We now know that ADHD is not outgrown, and most professionals have changed their viewpoint to now believe that rather than outgrowing ADHD, children learn to compensate for their challenges. As adults, they may not be as hyperactive physically as they were when they were younger, but often this hyperactivity shows itself in alternative ways, such as hyperactive talking or having a busy mind. Bottom line: They still have ADHD, but some children have just learned how to do things differently in order to get by. Studies have shown that 65% of children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to be challenged and struggle with symptoms of ADHD as an adult. This doesn t mean the other 35% have outgrown ADHD; more likely, they have learned effective ways to compensate. I have worked with clients in their 60 s and 70 s who are just finding out that the reason for their lifelong struggles has been related to undiagnosed ADHD. They are thrilled to have the chance to discover how much better they can function, finally knowing about their ADHD diagnosis and discovering ways they can better manage their ADHD symptoms.

9 9 What about the medications used to treat ADHD? Medication for ADHD falls under two major categories: stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants fall under the brand names of Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Dexedrine, Focalin, Metadate and Vyvanse. What these medications stimulate is the dopamine in the brains of people with ADHD, which rebalances the deficit of this neurotransmitter that typically exists and causes the ADHD symptoms. Common non-stimulants used in the treatment of ADHD fall under the brand names Strattera, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Clonidine and Intuniv. These act on other neurotransmitters either in the brain or the body and are thought to indirectly minimize the ADHD symptoms. There is no magic pill to cure or treat ADHD. This means that even though medications have been proven to reduce 80% of the symptoms, people still function best when they learn strategies to manage other areas that still challenge them. It s important to remember that most ADHD medications do not remain active in your body for 24 hours a day. Most medications typically last for 4-8 hours. You still have ADHD the other hours of the day and on weekends. Medications, when used in combination with learning skills and strategies to better manage your challenges, seems to have the best success. Behavior modification, biofeedback, coaching, psychotherapy, and support groups are just a few possibilities that can be used along with medication.

10 10 Why are stimulants used when the problem is hyperactivity? The physical hyperactivity in behavior seen in some persons with ADHD is actually a symptom of inactivity of the brain. When people are hyperactive, moving about, and restless, the physical movement of the body helps to increase the amount of dopamine available to the brain. Lack of enough dopamine getting to the front part of the brain is thought to be the main problem behind ADHD. When this front part of the brain, or executive function, is not fully accessible, the ability to pay attention, focus on things less interesting, stop before we act, etc., is nearly impossible. It is a bit like expecting someone with a vision problem to simply focus so that they can see better not happening! When we move, it stimulates the dopamine to be released in our brain. When more dopamine is available to stimulate these key areas of the brain, the symptoms are reduced because the person doesn t need to move around anymore.

11 Are medications for ADHD safe? Will they cause addiction? As surprising as it may seem, stimulant medication has been used to treat ADHD for over sixty years.

11 11 Are medications for ADHD safe? Will they cause addiction? As surprising as it may seem, stimulant medication has been used to treat ADHD for over sixty years. Ritalin has been used in the treatment of ADHD-type symptoms since the 1950 s. Because they have been used for such a long period of time, they have been studied extensively, over and over, which brings the advantage of knowing their long-term effects over generations. They are as safe as any medication can be; in fact, many studies have indicated that individuals treated with prescription medication are less likely to abuse other drugs because they do not feel the need to start seeking out ways to self-medicate their symptoms.

12 12 How can I be smart, having accomplished such things as graduating from college, being tested as gifted and getting decent grades in school and still have ADHD? It is a mistaken belief that someone who graduates from college cannot have ADHD. In fact, many people with ADHD are quite gifted, talented and intelligent, but due to the problems of inattention, distractibility, poor time management, disorganization or impulsivity, they do not achieve their fullest potential. Each person experiences ADHD in a slightly different way. For some, their symptoms are mild and their strengths help them compensate in order to experience success in school, work, etc. For others, their challenges in some areas of ADHD are severe, and they have not found ways to compensate yet in a successful way. Some of the most gifted and intelligent people we know of were/are ADHD and turned out pretty well. Albert Einstein had ADHD. Walt Disney, Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison all had ADHD.

13 13 What s the best job for someone with ADHD? The best career match for someone with ADHD is one that they are interested in, that they are passionate about, that highlights their gifts and talents and provides them the opportunity to minimize their challenges. People with ADHD can be anything they want to be, including: doctors, lawyers, teachers, athletes, actors, police, firefighters, accountants, writers, genetic counselors, environmentalists, therapists, entrepreneurs, engineers, public speakers, artists, musicians...the list is endless because the best career for someone with ADHD is a career that is uniquely suited to them. What do you really want to do 14 I have ADHD. Now what? Congratulate yourself on finding out! ADHD affects 3%-5% of the world s population. Children with undiagnosed ADHD are more likely to struggle with low self-esteem, poor social relationships and low academic scores. Undiagnosed ADHD adults are more likely to lose their jobs, feel dissatisfied with their lives, and experience divorce at two times higher than the general public. Knowing that you have ADHD is the first step to finding out how to better manage it, decrease the chaos, stop struggling and live life differently. Going through the treatment maze of ADHD alone can be a challenge. Gather your supporters, resources, friends, and family who are willing to support you in finding answers. What about those that don t believe in ADHD? Well, let them know you will get back

14 to them later, and give yourself a little space from them. Right now you need all the positive help and reassurance you can get. Many newly-diagnosed people wonder who they should tell about their condition. Should they tell their co-workers, spouse, parents, friends, family? I encourage you to tell on an as needed basis. Unfortunately, many people still do not believe in ADHD and can undermine your efforts or enthusiasm to find help. If you are a parent of a child who has been recently diagnosed, consider your child s age when you decide what to tell them and how much information to give. I find that normalizing ADHD is a great approach. ADHD is an explanation, not an excuse. Explain to your child that everyone has things they do easily and things that they have to work hard at to be able to do. For your child, ADHD might mean they will have to work a bit longer on homework, memorizing facts or learning how to write an essay. It doesn t mean that they can t learn or do anything.it just means they may have to put extra effort into focusing, planning, organizing, etc. Next, determine how you want to go about managing symptoms. For some people, this means working with a medical doctor and using medication. Others want to try alternative treatments such as biofeedback. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be useful for some as they work through old beliefs and behaviors that undiagnosed ADHD has contributed to. For many, the most powerful key to finding success involves working with a well-trained, certified ADHD coach who specializes in helping people with ADHD, understands their brain, and helps them design specific strategies to better manage their challenges and get things done.

15 If you want to find out more about working with a trained, certified ADHD coach, Contact Laurie at: Laurie@CoachingForADHD.com or schedule an ADHD Coaching and Strategy and Planning Session at: Here s to your success!! Laurie Dupar

In 1980, a new term entered our vocabulary: Attention deficit disorder. It

In 1980, a new term entered our vocabulary: Attention deficit disorder. It In This Chapter Chapter 1 AD/HD Basics Recognizing symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder Understanding the origins of AD/HD Viewing AD/HD diagnosis and treatment Coping with AD/HD in your