Exposure to Traffic Pollution in Pregnancy, 1st Year of Life Appears Associated with Autism

http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1393589

ADHD Drugs Impact The Brain's Reward System

Two to three percent of children in denmark meet the standards to be diagnosed with ADHD, making it extremely important to understand how ADHD drugs work. Now, University of Copenhagen researchers are gathering new information about the impact of ADHD medicine by utilizing a new mathematical reconstruction of a small part of a particular brain region which processes reward and punishment, which always involves the chemical dopamine.

Jakob Kisbye Dreyer, postdoctoral candidate at the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, said: 

"It had been discussed for years whether treating ADHD with Ritalin and similar drugs affects the reward system to any significant degree, simply because the dosage given to patients is so low. We are the first to show that some components of the dopamine signaling pathways are extremely sensitive to drugs like Ritalin. We have also developed a unified theory to describe the effect of such drugs on the dopamine signal."

A 2006 study looked into the effects of ADHD drugs on the brain and said that "they primarily target the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region of the brain that is associated with attention." 

Dreyer stresses in the new study, which was published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, the significance of understanding what happens during treatments with ADHD medications, such as Ritalin, because knowledge helps to develop more advanced drugs, and also to comprehend the psychology behind ADHD. 

Human behavior is driven by unconscious assessment of the cost to gain ratio. The new findings demonstrate that ADHD drugs lessen the signals regarding expected consequence or punishment. 

Dopamine, a chemical found in the brain, assists in several processes which alter human behaviors. Certain activities, such as having sex, taking narcotics, winning a competition, and eating, boost levels of dopamine being released. The researchers believe that dopamine plays a part in urging us to repeat behaviors that had, in the past, been linked to reward. 

Dreyer explained:

"Control mechanisms in the brain help keep the dopamine signal in balance so we can register the tiny deviations that signal reward and punishment. We discovered while trying to describe these control mechanisms that our model can be used to examine the influence of Ritalin, for example, on the signal. Suddenly we could see that different pathways of the reward system are affected to different degrees by the medicine, and we could calculate at what dosage different parts of the signal would be changed or destroyed."

Ritalin and other ADHD medications have been seen to have inconsistent results, because high dosage increases activity and low dosage decreases it, often making it difficult to find the right dosage for each individual patient. 

"We can explain this double effect using our theory. The dopamine signal in the part of the brain that controls our motor behavior is only affected at a higher dose that the dose usually prescribed for treatment. Also, our model shows that the threshold between a clinically effective dose and too high a dose is very low. That may explain why the small individual differences between patients have a big impact on treatment," concluded Dreyer.

Written by Christine Kearney.

(medicalnewstoday.com)

Could Fidgety Philipp be proof that ADHD is not a modern phenomenon?

by Roger Dobson

According to a new study Zappel-Philipp, a character in the 1846 children's book Struwwelpeter, is probably the first written mention of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by a psychiatrist.​psychiatrist.

The book, written for his son by Dr Heinrich Hoffmann, founder of the first mental hospital in Frankfurt, contains a series of short stories about a boy called Zappel-Philipp, which translates as Fidgety Philipp.

In a study in European Psychiatry (published online ahead of publication at www.aep.lu/publishing/) Dr Johannes Thome, professor of psychiatry at the University of Wales School of Medicine, Swansea, and co-author Kerri Jacobs say the character has all the symptoms of ADHD.

“It is astonishing how clearly the typical symptoms of ADHD are depicted in Hoffmann's book. Struwwelpeter can be considered the first description of ADHD symptoms by a psychiatrist and thus represents an important document of medical history,” says the report, which suggests that Hoffmann's description of ADHD was probably based on his psychiatric experience with children.

“Many of the ICD-10 [international classification of diseases, 10th revision] criteria for ADHD are fulfilled: Philipp fails to give close attention and to sustain attention for his task and does not listen to what is being said to him. The symptoms of hyperactivity are evident: he fidgets and squirms on his seat and exhibits a persistent pattern of excessive motor activity... Finally, his impulsive behaviour causes significant distress within the family.”

They add, “It has been argued that ADHD is a typical result of the adverse conditions of modern society, thus questioning it as a nosological entity.

“In such a situation it can be useful to go back in the history of medicine. By doing so, it is possible to show that the typical symptoms of ADHD were described as early as 1846.”

(British Medical Journal, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Food, Toxics and ADHD: Old Fears, Ever Stronger Science

by David Wallinga, M.D.

Posted: 11/09/2012 10:35 am

A Harvard study just published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine journal, associates a mother's low level exposure to mercury while pregnant with greater risk of her child later developing ADHD-related behavior.

The research coincides with another study earlier this year that correlated the increased prevalence of ADHD in the U.S. -- along with other developmental disorders, including autism -- with the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to the American food supply. The link is that until quite recently, it was common for HFCS to be manufactured using mercury-contaminated caustic soda.

Together the findings are leading to closer examination of the myriad toxins that fetuses are exposed to such as lead, nicotine, pesticides, and mercury; science consistently shows such exposures early in life contribute to the development of brain and behavior disorders later in life.

In the case of mercury, exposure from food occurs through the consumption of fish, HFCS and food colors according to a 2009 article published in the Behavioral and Brain Functions journal. Through its website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture records average annual consumption in the U.S. of 9.5 pounds per year of fish and shellfish and 28.7 pounds per year HFCS.

In the recent study, Harvard researchers collected fish consumption data and hair samples from pregnant mothers, testing the latter for mercury. Their children were followed, including neuropsychological testing at 8 years of age to determine signs of inattention, impulsive behavior or hyperactivity -- the hallmarks of ADHD. The researchers determined that fish consumption during pregnancy can protect somewhat against ADHD -- it's known, for example, that fish and shellfish provide the human body with the essential omega-3 fatty acids required for maintaining neuronal plasticity and learning capacity. But that's not the whole story. As the mother's prenatal exposure to mercury increased in the study, so too did their child's later risk of developing ADHD behaviors.

So, the trick is to eat fish, but to try and avoid mercury. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises women and children to eat smaller fish with lower mercury levels, and avoid eating larger fish of the species containing higher mercury levels. Low-mercury seafoods are species found at the bottom of the food chain: sardines, clam, tilapia, haddock, flounder, squid, salmon, oysters, crab, scallops, sole, trout, shrimp, catfish, crawfish, and anchovies.

On the other hand, HFCS is of no nutritional value. It is the most common "added sugar" in food and drinks, and the most ubiquitous single ingredient in processed foods today. This explains why American eat or drink 28.7 pounds of it each year. In a recent report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that children reduce their dietary intake of all added sugars, including HFCS, to prevent the development of diseases associated with them.

The chlor-alkali chemicals once widely used and perhaps still used to manufacture HFCS can leave trace amounts of mercury in the product, according to researchers in a 2009 article. In Europe, HFCS is not widely consumed and blood mercury levels are much lower in European populations compared to Americans. Consumption of HFCS creates a number of pathways for the development of autism and ADHD. According to a Mercury Toxicity Model published in 2009, the consumption of HFCS can lead to mercury accumulation in the brains and bodies of individuals in certain sensitive populations. This bioaccumulation may occur, for example, when HFCS consumption helps create mineral imbalances that interfere with the elimination of heavy metals such as mercury. When heavy metals accumulate in a child's body, delayed or altered development of the brain and nervous system can occur, and, in some cases behavioral disorders arise. If the child is also diet-deficient in magnesium or calcium, it increases even further the risks to them from accumulated heavy metals.

Fructose consumption also can lead to the development of autism, according to another study, by interfering with the expression of a key gene, called the PON1gene. When normally "expressed" in cells, this gene is responsible for producing a protein or enzyme that breaks down organophosphate pesticides. If not broken down and excreted, these pesticides wreak havoc on the brain and nervous system. While American children continue to ingest organophosphates on fruits and vegetables -- especially including from snap beans, watermelons, tomatoes, potatoes, pears, cucumbers, grapes, lettuce and apples -- he or she also eat or drinks 28.7 pounds per year of HFCS. It turns out HFCS is the same substance scientists use to suppress PON1 gene expression and create disease conditions in animal experiments.[1],[2]

Food and diet are key factors in potentially mitigating the interactions between genes and toxins in the environment and protecting against neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and autism. In consuming the standard American diet, the sad truth is that pregnant women cannot realize these protections. Instead, the fast and processed foods so common to this diet contain lead, mercury, pesticides and other toxic substances that may impact fetal brain development.

For families planning to get pregnant, and hoping for the best outcome, here's some simple advice: Try and avoid eating or drinking high-fructose corn syrup and alcohol as well as other chemicals found in processed foods. And, eat fish low in mercury and plenty of whole, organic foods.

But shouldn't an America that struggles to compete economically, to educate top-notch workers for the future, and to cut health-care costs also be helping out these families? No approach to health or education reform is worth its salt without an explicit discussion about the policies we need to raise healthier kids by curbing the use of mercury, pesticides and HFCS -- and, hopefully helping to curb the expense of ADHD and related disorders as well.

References:

[1] Ackerman Z, Oron-Herman M, Pappo O, Peleg E, Safadi R, Schmilovitz-Weiss H, Grozovski M: "Hepatic effects of rosiglitazone in rats with the metabolic syndrome." Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2010, 107:663-668.

[2] Costa LG, Giordano G, Furlong CE: "Pharmacological and dietary modulators of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and expression: the hunt goes on." Biochem Pharmacol 2011, 81:337-344.

(huffingtonpost.com)

Does ADHD Really Exist?

Why is this a problem?

Occasionally I read about people who claim that ADHD doesn't exist. As if you cut down on sugar intake, turn off TV and computer games, and spin around 3 times and click your heels it will magically disappear.

Well, that is not true. For the people who have to deal with the challenges of ADD, especially adults, who often have few resources available to them, this is like kicking someone when they're down. Many people with ADD don't seek diagnosis or treatment for themselves or their children because of the stigma created by some judgemental ignorant people.

Would you tell someone who's a diabetic that he shouldn't take insulin, it's not good for them, diabetes is a phoney condition thought up by the drug companies and all they have to do is stay away from the chocolate bars and have happy thoughts?

Why is it that people who would not assume they're knowledgeable enough to make pronouncements of the validity of physical medical conditions assume that they are knowledgeable enough to make sweeping pronouncements of the validity of mental medical conditions?

Why do they then decide (usually without doing any real research on the subject) that they know enough about what are acceptable and unacceptable treatments ( i.e., Ritalin as a tool of the devil theory) and condemn someone for using what they deem are unacceptable treatments? As if the brain is easier to understand than the body.

While ADHD is sometimes underdiagnosed, overdiagnosed and misdiagnosed, most commonly UNDERdiagnosed, it is a real condition with often severe negative consequences for the person who has it. 

Once they learn about the condition and begin to deal with it, by medication, coaching, therapy, support groups or other methods. Then they can start focusing on and developing the advantages of having ADHD. 

Unfortunately, too many people with ADD don't even get diagnosed because of the misinformation and stigma out there by the ignorant (occasionally vocally ignorant). You can't deal with what you don't know you have.

So I've put together a few links to articles that give hard, clinical evidence of the existence of ADHD as a real condition. If you have ADHD, how you decide to treat it should be your choice not something that is dictated by others. After all you're the one who has to deal with the consequences of your choices (or of simply continually researching the condition with little action).

Sample Response to a Person with a General Lack of Knowledge of ADHD

If someone simply has a lack of knowledge about ADHD, or believes the myths out there, you can give them this blood pressure analogy to explain it.

" We all have blood pressure. If it's in x range it's normal, if it's in y range it's a cause for concern, and if it's in z range you have a medical condition called hypertension and have to be treated for it."

You could use a similar example with blood sugar levels. I.e., occasionally low blood sugar, hypoglycemia and diabetes. You could also use the example of clinical depression. Some people have some of the symptoms of depression on occasion i.e., they may feel sad and depressed for a single day but that does not make them clinically depressed. You need to have a certain number of symptoms over a certain period of time and a certain degree of severity.

Most people have some of the symptoms of ADHD on occasion, but just becasues you're sad for a weekend, that doesn't make you clinically depressed. What makes it ADHD is:

• How many of the symptoms you have
• How severe the symptoms are
• The degree that they negatively effect one or more areas of your life
• How long they have been a problem in your life.

Sample Response to a Person Who's Strongly Denying ADHD Exists

If that doesn't work and you're dealing with someone who is strongly denying that ADHD exists and claiming that ADHD is a not real condition, thereby stigmatizing those with ADHD and preventing other people who may have undiagnosed ADD from seeking treatment, you might consider asking them this question,

"What do you know about ADHD that the following institutions don't?

American Medical Association (AMA)

Canadian Medical Association

Canadian Psychological Association

Canadian Psychiatric Association

Surgeon General of the United States

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)

They all say ADHD exists and is a real condition.

What research have you done that show's that all of the organizations above are wrong?"

Clinical Evidence of the Existence of ADHD as a Real Condition.

International Consensus Statement on ADHD PDF

From Attitude Magazine. 75 international scientists were deeply concerned about the periodic inaccurate portrayal of ADHD in media reports. So they "created this consensus statement on ADHD as a reference on the status of the scientific findings concerning this disorder, its validity, and its adverse impact on the lives of those diagnosed with the disorder as of this writing (January 2002)"

Here's one particular quote I like

"To publish stories that ADHD is a fictitious disorder or merely a conflict between today's Huckleberry Finns and their caregivers is tantamount to declaring the earth flat, the laws of gravity debatable, and the periodic table in chemistry a fraud."

Two anterior regions of the corpus callosum were significantly smaller

in ADHD boys. MRI scans assessed the frontal circuitry in 18 ADHD boys in comparison to 18 matched controls. They found that two anterior regions of the corpus callosum (the rostrum and the rostral body) were significantly smaller and concluded that this was evidence for frontal lobe dysfunction and abnormal development. The callosal fibres in the rostral body relate to the premotor cortex, which is critical for “the suppression of relatively automatic responses to certain sensory stimuli”. This is consistent with a defect in the person’s ability to inhibit responses, which is considered by Barkley to be the fundamental deficit in ADHD.

Brain Imaging Data of ADHD

Psychiatric Times August 2004 Vol. XXI Issue 9. Amir Raz, Ph.D. Assistant professor of clinical neuroscience in the department of psychiatry, at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Documents how advances in the functional imaging of the living brain are shedding new light on our understanding of the pathogenesis, pathophysiology and treatment of ADHD.

Brain Scans Reveal Physiology of ADHD

Psychiatric News 2004. New high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of the brains of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder indicate significant and specific anatomical differences within areas of the brain thought to control attentional and inhibitory control systems, compared with brain scans of children without ADHD.

The images are thought to be the most advanced to date to reveal the anatomical basis of the disorder. Includes two 3d scan photos.

Cerebral glucose metabolism in adults with ADHD

The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers measured adults with ADHD with a PET scan. None of the adults had ever been treated with stimulant medication. RESULTS. Global cerebral glucose metabolism was 8.1 percent lower in the adults with hyperactivity than in the normal controls. The largest reductions were in the premotor cortex and the superior prefrontal cortex--areas earlier shown to be involved in the control of attention and motor activity. The largest reductions were in the premotor cortex and the superior prefrontal cortex--areas earlier shown to be involved in the control of attention and motor activity.

The dopamine theory of ADHD

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. The dopamine theory of ADHD is supported by neuroimaging, genetic and stimulant medication studies, which confirm an inhibitory dopaminergic effect at striatal/prefrontal level. Anterior and posterior attention systems are involved in inhibition, working memory and orientation. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and subtypes are likely to reflect deficits in both inhibition and working memory, and may be heterogenous.

PET, SPECT Studies Find More Evidence of Dopamine's Role in ADHD

From Medscape. Free registration required. Studies using positron emission tomography (PET) and other approaches suggest new details about the underlying biology of ADHD. Released here at the 50th annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. 3 different studies mentioned.

Caudate nucleus volume asymmetry predicts ADHD symptomatology in children.

Journal of Child Neurology. 2002 Dec;17(12):877-84 Schrimsher GW, Billingsley RL, Jackson EF, Moore BD 3rd. Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

A greater degree of right to left caudate volume asymmetry predicted subclinical inattentive behaviors in a sample of nonreferred children. This finding is congruent with neuroanatomic models of attention emphasizing lateralized alteration in prefrontal/striatal systems. The results support the view that clinical ADHD is the extreme of a behavioral continuum that extends into the normal population.

ADHD is characterized by a delay in cortical maturation

Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of the USA

We found maturation to progress in a similar manner regionally in both children with and without ADHD, with primary sensory areas attaining peak cortical thickness before polymodal, high-order association areas. However, there was a marked delay in ADHD in attaining peak thickness throughout most of the cerebrum: the median age by which 50% of the cortical points attained peak thickness for this group was 10.5 years (SE 0.01), which was significantly later than the median age of 7.5 years (SE 0.02) for typically developing controls (log rank test χ(1)2 = 5,609, P < 1.0 × 10−20). The delay was most prominent in prefrontal regions important for control of cognitive processes including attention and motor planning. Neuroanatomic documentation of a delay in regional cortical maturation in ADHD has not been previously reported.

Supporting info and movies here

Cortical Thinning of the Attention and Executive Function Networks in Adults with ADHD

Cerebral Cortex 2007 17(6):1364-1375. ADHD has been associated with structural alterations in brain networks influencing cognitive and motor behaviors. Volumetric studies in children identify abnormalities in cortical, striatal, callosal, and cerebellar regions.

We carried out a structural magnetic resonance imaging study of cortical thickness in the same sample of adults with ADHD... Compared with healthy adults, adults with ADHD showed selective thinning of cerebral cortex in the networks that subserve attention and EF. In the present study, we found significant cortical thinning in ADHD in a distinct cortical network supporting attention especially in the right hemisphere involving the inferior parietal lobule, the dorsolateral prefrontal, and the anterior cingulate cortices. This is the first documentation that ADHD in adults is associated with thinner cortex in the cortical networks that modulate attention and EF.

Attention and Executive Systems Abnormalities in Adults with Childhood ADHD: A DT-MRI Study of Connections

Cerebral Cortex 2008 18(5):1210-1220; doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm156. In this study of adults with childhood ADHD, we hypothesized that fiber pathways subserving attention and executive functions (EFs) would be altered. To this end, the cingulum bundle (CB) and superior longitudinal fascicle II (SLF II) were investigated in vivo in 12 adults with childhood ADHD and 17 demographically comparable unaffected controls using DT-MRI. Relative to controls, the fractional anisotropy (FA) values were significantly smaller in both regions of interest in the right hemisphere, in contrast to a control region (the fornix), indicating an alteration of anatomical connections within the attention and EF cerebral systems in adults with childhood ADHD. The demonstration of FA abnormalities in the CB and SLF II in adults with childhood ADHD provides further support for persistent structural abnormalities into adulthood.

Volumetric MRI analysis comparing subjects having ADHD

with normal controls. Despite similar hemispheric volumes, ADHD subjects had smaller volumes of (1) left total caudate and caudate head (p <0.04), with reversed asymmetry (p < 0.03); (2) right anterior-superior (frontal) region en bloc (p < 0.03) arid white matter (p < 0.01); (3) bilateral anterior-inferior region en bloc (p <0.04); and (4) bilateral retrocallosal (parietal-occipital) region white matter (p < 0.03). Possible structural correlates of ADHD response to stimulants were noted in an exploratory analysis, with the smallest and symmetric caudate, and smallest left anterior-superior cortex volumes found in the responders, but reversed caudate asymmetry and the smallest retrocallosal white matter volumes noted in the nonresponders.

ADHD: More Prevalent Than We Thought?

LARISSA HIRSCH, MD Instructor of pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Hospital, medical editor for KidsHealth.org and CHARLES A. POHL, MD, professor of pediatrics and associate dean of student affairs and career counseling at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia

There are frequently stories in the news and talk among the public of the over-diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in today's hypervigilant society. However, a study recently published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine may serve to debunk this common belief...Interestingly, only 47.9% of the caregivers of children who met the DSM-IV criteria in the past year reported that the disorder had been diagnosed in their child...Children from the lowest income group received less consistent treatment than those in higher income groups.

The Froehlich study indicates that we are under-diagnosing ADHD. We need to be on the lookout for children with this disorder, make an accurate diagnosis, and do our best to follow affected children closely.

7 Myths about ADHD

From Schwab Learning.

Real Science Defines AD/HD as Real Disorder

From CHADD. Some of the most prestigious scientific-based organizations in the world conclude that AD/HD is a real disorder with potentially devastating consequences when not properly identified, diagnosed, and treated. Excerpts from the following organizations.

American Medical Association (AMA), Surgeon General of the United States, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)

Take the 5 minute Adult ADHD Screener test by Harvard, NYU and the WHO.

(addcoach4u.com)

How to teach autistic children

In the last three decades there has been a gradual increase in the number of children being diagnosed with autism. It is unclear if this has been due to actual increases in the percentage of children being born with some form of autism or if it is because of changes in how autism is diagnosed. Currently, there are 1-2 children out of a thousand being diagnosed with autism worldwide. This figure is higher in the west; in the United Kingdom 10 out of a 1000 children are autistic while in the United States of America, 11 out of a 1000 children are diagnosed autistic. The causes of autism are yet unclear, although it is known that genes are a factor and that autism can be inherited. Many other causes are being investigated without clear evidences yet being found; these include environmental pollution, parental drug taking (including cigarettes and alcohol) and childhood vaccinations. Recent hysteria about autism being linked to the MMR vaccination has been mostly discredited.

So what exactly is autism? It is difficult to give a simple definition of autism as people who are autistic are very different from each other. Some autistic people may not be able to speak, communicating with pictures and signs, while other autistic people will demonstrate genius like abilities within a narrow field e.g. maths, art or music. In general, true autism develops early on, in the first eight weeks of pregnancy and is identified within the first three years of a child’s life. Three other conditions are often referred to by the same word, but are quite different; these are Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and PDD-NOS. Quite often, autistic children also have other learning disabilities such as dyslexia at the same time. There is no known cure, the condition lasts for the whole of a person’s life and develops with time. You cannot tell someone is autistic by looking at them; the condition is diagnosed by looking at how a person behaves, particularly how they interact with other people. Autistic people find it difficult to make friends and understand and express emotions. They also do not like change, have a narrower range of interests, activities and behaviours than the general population and are more likely to be visual learners.

In some ways teaching, autistic children is similar to teaching any other children, only some teaching techniques become more important than usual. Some autistic children have above average memory abilities so it may be possible for them to learn arabic alphabet and memorise important chapters. Paying careful attention to the following principles will make it easier for an autistic child to learn:

1.Stick to a regular pattern of activities; all children like routine but this is more important with autistic children as they are resistant to change.

2.Keep a tidy learning area; all children are distracted by clutter, but autistic children can be over-stimulated very easily, so keep any visual items that are unrelated to the current learning task out of the way.

3.Give regular breaks; this is good for all learners. Every twenty minutes, change the activity or incorporate a short break. With autistic children, some may not like breaks as often, especially if it is their favourite activity, others will refuse to do more than a few different activities. It is very important not to push an autistic child when he/she is stressed, frustrated or tired. Allow them to take a break to relax before continuing, rather than push them to finish the task before taking a break even if there is only a little bit left.

4.Find out what is the preferred learning style of the child. People in general display different learning styles, but this is accentuated in autistic children. Have activities that will stimulate more than one sense and work out which sense the child finds easier to learn with. Most autistic children are visual learners, but not all. It is important that you find out which style or combination of styles each particular child finds easiest to learn by.

Remember that each autistic child is different from other autistic children. You need to find out what each particular child can and cannot do, be patient, give plenty of praise when the child does the right thing and find his/her strength. Some autistic people display above average memory and concentration and can excel in certain activities, especially if it is their favourite subject.

Mohammed Mominur Rahman
Senior Tutor and Education Consultant.

Mohammed has a B.Sc. in Psychology and Management from Aston University. He has been teaching in various organisations for over 20 years and has worked with people with learning disabilities and amnesia. Currently he teaches children from KS2 to KS5. Some of his students are autistic and learn quran, read quran online and face to face with him.

(eaalim.com)

5th Annual Virtual AD/HD Conference®

http://adhdconference.com/

Ability and inability and "sickness" of a HSP

A guy wrote on a HSP-Facebook page:

It's a funny thing this ability of feeling everyone, combined with the inability of understanding the very same.

That is so so so so true!

And a woman wrote on the same page:

Today was a tough day, I told two of my closest friends that I'm an HSP, they compared that to having schizophrenia or Aspergers syndrome. They were questioning whether medication would make me better. They questioned how I trust my perception of situations around me.. It really hurt. I do not have a mental disorder, I'm just different.... How does one deal with this situation?

I wish I could give her some advice, for I know that situation very well. Yesterday a bro told me he couldn't marry me, because I was sick - oh well ... his bad, not mine :)

It's Good To Be Sensitive! - 25 Wonderful Aspects Of Highly Sensitive People

Wonderful article!

http://richawriter.hubpages.com/hub/Its-Good-To-Be-Sensitive-25-Wonderful-Aspects-Of-Highly-Sensitive-People

Winnie Pu hat ADS

Winnie Pu hat ADS

Controlling Anxiety

Larry Silver, M.D.

Q: "My 18-year-old becomes very anxious as her long-acting stimulant wears off. She asked about taking a higher dose. What do you think is going on here?"

A: The anxiety might be a rebound effect, which sometimes happens as medication wears off, or it might be her reaction to the return of her symptoms (especially if it wears off during class or at another inconvenient time). You may want to discuss a dose increase with her doctor. See if this lasts longer and doesn't cause anxiety. One other caution: If your daughter has an anxiety disorder [see "When AD/HD Is Only Part of the Story"], the stimulant could be exacerbating this. If so, this condition must be treated in addition to AD/HD.

When to Give Kids Another Dose

Larry Silver, M.D.

Q: "My seven-year-old son takes Adderall. He is fine while on the medication, but when it wears off, he becomes defiant and mean. Is this a side effect of the medication?"

A: One possible side effect for Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Adderall (or any of the stimulant medications for ADHD) is “rebound.” This means that, about 30 minutes after the last dose wears off, the child or adolescent becomes very irritable (or hyper or loud or aggressive). These behaviors typically last for an hour.

The solution might be to add an additional, short-acting dose so that the medication wears off only at bedtime, or to decrease the last dose to see if the rebound is less severe. If giving an additional dose late in the afternoon, you should carefully monitor your child’s appetite in the evening (when many children with ADHD eat their largest meal), to ensure that appetite suppression doesn’t interfere with proper nutrition. If neither approach works, it may be necessary to try a different medication.

(additudemag.com)

Stand Up for Your Child with ADHD

How parents can explain ADHD to doubters both in and outside the family.

by Edward Hallowell, M.D.

You are sitting on the sidelines of the soccer field watching a melt down from your daughter with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). She stomps off the field, throws her water bottle on the ground, and argues with a teammate — all because she missed a kick.

You’re not surprised. It’s 4 p.m., and her ADD medication is wearing off. It’s a difficult time of day for her, and you’ve learned to joke together about late afternoon, calling it the witching hour.

Then the mother next to you mutters, “Someone ought to get that kid under control!” and your blood boils. You’d love to set her straight, but you hold your tongue.

You are less likely to hold back when the criticism comes from family. You expect support from those you love. So when your sister says, “Really Mary, you ought to discipline that child!” you probably don’t want to let her comments go unanswered.

You’ve told them a dozen times that she has ADD, but they “don’t believe in it” or “don’t get it.” Their criticisms are an unfair indictment of your parenting skills — and of your child. You know you’re not incompetent, and they should, too. What to do?

Talk Down Your Family

Unless you want to be forever banned from your sister’s house, take a just-the-facts approach. Tell her that it’s important to you that she learn about ADHD, so that she can better understand her wonderful niece. You can facilitate her education by giving her a book about attention deficit or by explaining what you know about the condition.

Another option is discussing your daughter’s doctor’s appointments with your sister. Sharing information about the ADHD diagnosis tests, as well as the doctor’s opinions, may help her understand that ADD is real and that it is the cause of your daughter’s behavior.

You might take the same approach with a mother-in-law, but let your husband do the talking. If that doesn’t work, there might be other reasons why she resists your daughter’s diagnosis. Her behavior might remind her of your husband’s behavior at that age — and evoke anger or unpleasant memories.

You can figure this out by asking some “why” and “what” questions: “Why don’t you believe what we are telling you?” “What is it, specifically, that is bothering you?” are good starting points. Your mother-in-law’s anger is valid, but it should not invalidate a diagnosis of ADHD.

Educate Your Friends When a close friend says something about your child that upsets you, avoid inflammatory debate. Instead, offer guidance to help her respond supportively.

If a friend says, “David would do fine in school, if he would just try harder,” point out that David is trying very hard, but that it takes him longer to acquire the study, time management and organizational skills that come easier to other children.

Explain the key elements of David’s ADD, and the efforts that your family is making to support him. If you need help, there are a number of good resources, including my own Delivered from Distraction and A User’s Guide to the Brain, by Dr. John Ratey.

Finally, ask your friend if she might be willing to accept your daughter for who she is. In doing this, your friend gets a “two-for”—she expands the circle of people who are cheering your daughter on, and she recognizes the effort that you are making on your child’s behalf.

Don’t Forget About You

Supportive friends and extended family are only part of the picture. Make sure that your child knows, every day, how much you love her. Several studies suggest that loving acceptance by parents is the most important thing teens with ADD need in dealing with symptoms.

Showing your love and affection will buoy your child’s sense of hope and help the family weather any criticism that will be directed their way.

(additudemag.com)

The Meaning of ADD/ADHD

The more children know what ADD/ADHD means, the better. Here's how and why you should explain the meaning of ADD/ADHD to your child.

by Larry Silver, M.D.

Your son or daughter has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). You’ve done your due diligence, learning about the condition and how the symptoms affect him, academically and socially. Great. But have you shared what ADD/ADHD means with your child? Does she understand why she does things that upset others? Does he know why he is taking medication and how it works? Saying, “You are so hyper all of the time” makes your child feel he is doing something wrong. Saying, “Sometimes your brakes don’t work so well, so you say and do things that might upset your friends” is better.

How Well Should You Explain What ADD/ADHD Means?

Explaining ADD/ADHD to your child, and giving him the words to tell you how his symptoms affect him, will allow you to work more effectively with doctors, teachers, and family members. Martha’s third-grade teacher tells her mom that she is not paying attention during math period. Martha knows how ADD/ADHD affects her and knows the reason for her inattention. “I sit next to a window in math class, and I can’t filter out the noises coming from the playground. The noises make it hard for me to listen to the teacher.” Martha’s mom asks the teacher to move her daughter away from the window. Her grades improve.

Alex, a fourth-grader, gets into trouble running around and bothering the other kids during lunchtime. Like Martha, Alex knows about ADD/ADHD and knows how to talk about it. His dad asks him why he is acting up. “Dad, my brakes work fine until around 11:30. Then, they don’t work too good, and it is hard for me not to run around.” His dad asks, “When do your brakes start to work again?” Alex says, “When I go back to class after lunch.” Alex’s dad realizes that his morning dose of medication wears off around noon and that his afternoon dose doesn’t kick in until he returns to class. That explains his hyperactivity in the cafeteria. He asks Alex’s doctor to switch to a longer-acting medication, and the lunch-period problems stop.

If your child doesn’t understand how ADD/ADHD affects him, he can’t tell you what’s bothering him. Worse, he feels bad about his behaviors because he doesn’t know what’s causing them.

Using the Right Words to Explain the Meaning of ADD/ADHD

There are three groups of behaviors that you may need to explain. Some kids will have one of these, some two, and others all three.

• Hyperactivity: difficulty sitting still; being fidgety and squirmy.
• Inattention: This might be noticed as distractibility (difficulty blocking out unimportant auditory or visual stimulation, having a short attention span); lack of attention (difficulty blocking out internal thoughts); executive function difficulties (problems with organization of materials and thoughts, resulting in losing, forgetting, or misplacing things; difficulty organizing and using information; difficulty with time management).
• Impulsivity: speaking or acting without thinking.

Once you know which behaviors your child exhibits, use the right words to describe them. Here’s what I tell patients:

Explaining Hyperactivity to Children With ADD/ADHD

“Our brain is amazing. It has one area that makes our muscles move. I think of the pedal in a car that makes the car move. It’s called the accelerator. Next to this pedal is another one called the brake. The brakes slow down the car. Some children have a problem with their brakes, so the motor is always running and it is hard to slow down or stop the car. When your brakes don’t work well, it is hard to slow down your body.”

Explaining Distractibility to Children With ADD/ADHD

“Our brain is always reacting to things we see and hear. If we paid attention to everything around us, we couldn’t pay attention to the teacher’s words or to what Mommy is asking you to do. Our brain has a way of blocking out what is not important, so that we can pay attention to what is important. I call this part of the brain the filter. One set of filters blocks out unimportant sounds and another blocks out unimportant sights. Your filter for blocking out unimportant sounds is not working well. So anything you hear comes right in and gets your attention, distracting you.”

Explaining Inattention to Children With ADD/ADHD

“In addition to being able to block out unimportant things we see or hear, we often have to block out unimportant thoughts. When I ask you to hang up your coat, you may be busy thinking about the play date you will have with your friend. Our brain has filters to block out unrelated thoughts, so that we can focus on what we should be paying attention to. If this filter is not working, you seem to be distracted because you are focusing on other thoughts.”

Explaining Executive Function Problems to Children With ADD/ADHD

“There is a part of the brain that helps children keep track of their things. I call this the organizer. Sometimes your organizer does not work as well as you would like. So you might lose, forget, or misplace things.”

Explaining Impulsivity to Children With ADD/ADHD

“Our brains have lots of thoughts and ideas running around in them. Some thoughts are helpful; some aren’t. It is important to think about all of them and to pick the right ones to act on. To do this, our brain has a part I call the pause button. When you press it, you tell your brain to wait until you have considered all of the ideas floating around in your head. If your pause button is not working well, you act on your first thoughts. Only later do you realize what you have done or said, and wish that you had thought more about it.”

Explaining Medication to Children With ADD/ADHD

“Your brakes don’t always work well, so Mommy and the teacher get upset with you. This medicine will help your brakes work better, so that you are not as active. People will not be so upset with you, and you will feel more relaxed.”

When your child understands her ADD/ADHD and how it impacts her, life becomes less unpredictable and confusing. She will understand why certain behaviors happen, and not get down on herself for having them. Find your own words for communicating with your child. You -- and she -- will benefit.

(additudemag.com)

12 Ways to Help Your Child Cope With ADHD

Try these methods to help your child manage ADHD without taking meds.

Indulging My Inner Three-Year-Old

When my symptoms peak and stress levels rise, I unleash the toddler within.

Adult ADHD Blog (A Woman's Perspective) | posted by Jane D.

http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/1/9625.html

The Right Way to Fight: ADHD Relationship Advice

Relationship advice from experts who say that "fighting fair" keeps dust-ups from turning destructive in an ADHD marriage.

by Michele Novotni, Ph.D.

Filed Under: ADHD and Marriage, ADHD and Relationships, ADHD Communication Skills, ADHD Dating,ADHD Social Skills

It's no secret that people with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) have trouble regulating their emotions. This can lead them to jump to the wrong conclusion or to take offense where none was intended. Mild disagreements can quickly turn into bitter fights.

Before your anger gets the best of you, follow this ADHD relationship advice -- tested by real marriages -- to make your union stronger.

When one or both "halves" of a couple have ADHD, anger, resentment, and quarreling are all too common. But don't take it from me. Consider these statements made to me recently by some of my clients in ADHD marriages:

"Tom can go from zero to 100 in 10 seconds," says Tom's wife. Unfortunately, she isn't talking about driving. She's talking about his anger.

"There's just no reasoning with her when she gets upset," John says of his wife. "It's like quicksand. The more I struggle to escape, the deeper I sink."

"I don't understand why she gets so upset," says Bob. "Out of the clear blue, my wife gets mad and stomps out of the room, slamming the door behind her."

If people with ADD are to minimize strife in their relationships, they must "fight fair" and be willing to compromise. After all, in most disagreements neither partner is entirely right or entirely wrong.

Understand each other's values

What matters most to you? What matters most to your partner? If you take the time to find out where your values coincide - and where they diverge - your disagreements will be less likely to take a nasty turn.

Imagine a couple having a discussion about housekeeping. One partner (who values time above money) wants to hire someone to clean the house once a week. The other partner (who values money above time) considers that an extravagance. There's no right or wrong here - just a clash of values. So, rather than argue their positions, the partners talk about the values that underlie them. They compromise, and hire a cleaning person to come in once every two weeks.

Establish ground rules

These should govern how, when, and where arguments will proceed. If you or your partner takes ADD medication, for example, it's probably a good idea to limit potentially explosive conversations to times when impulsivity and other symptoms are fully controlled. If you have a hard time controlling your temper in conversations, perhaps you could agree to hold conversations via e-mail.

One couple I've worked with decided to discuss difficult issues only after the children had gone to bed.

Another couple agreed to wait until the weekend to have difficult discussions - because during the week they're simply too tired to think clearly.

One ground rule, above all others, is especially important: Stop any discussion right away if you or your partner becomes angry. Take a breather and return to the discussion 30 minutes later, after the anger has dissipated. Go for a walk, visit a neighbor, or play with a pet. You might consider this a time-out for grown-ups.

It's not always easy to delay discussions - especially if you or your partner tends to be impulsive. But it's a skill worth cultivating, for the sake of your relationship.

Restate your partner's words

If your partner says something with which you violently disagree, stifle the urge to pounce. Consider the possibility that you have missed - or misinterpreted - something. The best way to do this is to restate, in your own words, what you think your partner said - and how your partner feels. Then ask your partner if you've gotten it right.

Don't continue the discussion until you're certain that you understand your partner's position.

Look for anger cues

In many instances, it's possible to sidestep disagreements altogether if each partner watches for signs that the other is becoming annoyed.

Consider my client Bob and his wife, who always seemed to get angry at him "out of the blue." Once the three of us talked things over, Bob had an important realization: Long before she blew up at him, his wife showed many signs of anger - clenched fists, crossed arms, facial flushing, and changes in her tone of voice. Things got better between them once he started paying closer attention to these non-verbal cues - and once she agreed to try to express herself more directly.

Keep things in perspective

Arguments take a heavy physical and mental toll. Is it really worth the time and emotional stress? Often it's better to be like Teflon - and let things slide - than to be like Velcro, quickly grabbing on to every annoyance or perceived slight.

(additudemag.com)

Timers for ADD Adults and ADHD Children

These gadgets will help you get organized and get things done on time.

by Sandy Maynard

Most adults and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) do well using a simple kitchen timer. Decide how much time you need to do something -- five minutes, an hour, and so on -- and set it. When the buzzer sounds, it’s time to move on.

If you have trouble remembering to perform specific, recurring tasks (taking ADD/ADHD drugs, picking up the kids, and so on), you might do well with a WatchMinder (watchminder.com). This wristwatch-like device displays any of 60 preprogrammed messages and up to three customized messages. You can set as many as 30 alarms to vibrate or beep.

If you’re the sort of person who simply loses track of time, you might prefer a Time Timer (timetimer.com). This gadget, available in clock or watch form, as well as a computer program, shows remaining time with a shrinking red disc.

(additudemag.com)

Study shows spanking boosts odds of mental illness

People who were hit or spanked as children face higher odds of mental ailments as adults, including mood and anxiety disorders and problems with alcohol and drug abuse, researchers said Monday.

The study, led by Canadian researchers, is the first to examine the link between psychological problems and spanking, while excluding more severe physical or sexual abuse in order to better gauge the effect of corporal punishment alone.

Those who were spanked or hit as kids were between two and seven percent more likely to encounter mental issues later, said the research in the US journal Pediatrics, based on a retrospective survey of more than 600 US adults.

That figure may seem low, particularly since about half of the US population recalls being spanked in childhood, but nevertheless shows that physical punishment can raise the risk of problems later on, experts said.

"The study is valuable because it opens the conversation about parenting," said Victor Fornari, director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York.

The rate "is not dramatically higher, but it is higher, just to suggest that physical punishment is a risk factor for developing more mental disturbances as an adult," said Fornari, who was not involved in the study.

Previous research has repeatedly shown that children who were physically abused as youngsters suffer from more mental disturbances as adults, and are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than kids who were not hit.

But these studies have typically included more serious abuse.

The current study excludes both sexual abuse and physical abuse that left bruises, marks or caused injury.

Instead it focuses on "harsh physical punishment," defined as pushing, grabbing, shoving, slapping or hitting as a form of punishment from elders.

While 32 nations around the world have banned corporal punishment of kids, the United States and Canada are not among them.

Using a nationally representative survey sample of 653 Americans, they found that those who recalled experiencing harsh punishment as children faced higher odds of a range of mental problems.

Between two and five percent of disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar, anorexia or bulimia were attributable to physical punishment as a child, the study said.

From four to seven percent of more serious problems including personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and intellectual disabilities were associated with such punishments in childhood.

Researchers stressed that the study could not establish that spanking had actually caused these disorders in certain adults, only that there was a link between memories of such punishment and a higher incidence of mental problems.

The survey data came from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected between 2004 and 2005, and included adults over age 20.

Participants were asked: "As a child how often were you ever pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit by your parents or any adult living in your house?" Those who answered "sometimes" or greater were included in the analysis.

Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, said the parents' genes may influence both their response to raising an unruly child as well as their likelihood of passing down certain ailments.

"Parents who are resorting to mechanisms of corporal punishment might themselves be at risk for depression and mental disorders; therefore, there might be a hereditary factor going on in these families," she told AFP.

Future research could shed more light on the issue. In the meantime, the study offers a reminder that other disciplinary options such as positive reinforcement and removing rewards are viewed more favorably by doctors.

"The reality is, if 50 percent of the population has experienced being spanked in the past year, most kids are resilient. It is just that there are better ways for parents to discipline kids than spanking," Fornari said.

"And for some vulnerable kids, the spanking may increase their risk for the development of mental disturbances. So for those reasons it is important to really minimize or extinguish physical punishment."

The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes striking children for any cause and the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that doctors strongly discourage the use of physical punishment.

Source: AFP

(Islamweb.net)

Taming the Temper-Prone ADDer

If you overreact or get defensive for no reason, these anger-management tips can help.

by Sandy Maynard

Filed Under: ADHD and Anger, ADHD and Anxiety, ADHD Social Skills,

Do you lash out when your spouse reminds you — nicely — to take out the dog or pick up a gallon of milk? Do you fly off the handle when the boss asks you to turn in the next assignment on time?

I know many people who do, including myself. In fact, many of us adults with attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD) lack restraint when we think that someone is dissing us. The question is: Are they? Because many of us have low self-esteem — after years of negative interactions — we are hypersensitive to criticism, real or imagined.

Bursts of anger have repercussions that last much longer than the few seconds it takes to vent. Having an argument in the workplace can get you fired. Blowing up at a loved one can strain the relationship. And it all takes a toll on your self-esteem — bringing remorse or shame for days afterward.

Get the Anger Out?

My client, Mike, came to me to learn some anger-management strategies after he realized his ADD tantrums had damaged his relationship with his teenage son, who, like Mike, has attention deficit. Mike had long believed that “getting the anger out of [his] system” was healthy.

Until now. “My outbursts are creating a rift between me and my son that doubling his allowance won’t repair,” he told me. “I need to figure out how to keep anger in check — or I may make front-page news for strangling my son!”

I explained that most teens know which buttons to press, because they installed them. After a good laugh, we identified the times when Mike was most likely to lose his temper — after a tough day at work when he had screwed up an assignment. When he came home to find that his son hadn’t taken out the garbage — again — Mike got upset. If his son had a fender bender, received a parking ticket, or cut out of school early, Mike blew his lid.

Help, Don’t Yell

I reminded Mike that he must maintain realistic expectations about his son, who was easily distracted. Mike came to see that neither he nor his son was perfect, and that he should adjust his own imperfect behavior. Instead of yelling at his teen for forgetting to do a chore, Mike worked on helping him remember to do it by posting a list on a bulletin board in the kitchen and reinforcing it with text messages during the day.

If Mike’s son still forgot — or got into trouble at school — Mike learned to observe his rising anger, and figured out ways to short-circuit it. He took a relaxing walk with his dog and deferred discussions with his son until Saturday or Sunday morning, when he felt refreshed and less pressured by his job. He and his son were able to talk calmly — and productively — during those chats.

Finally, Mike found comfort in a local ADD support group for parents contending with similar problems. It is a great comfort to him to know that he isn’t alone with his anger problems.

Hit the Pause Button

Another client, Karin, who was sweet and personable during her visits, surprised me when she told me she had problems managing her anger at work. Karin was furious with a coworker who frequently blamed her for something that wasn’t her fault.

Instead of talking with the coworker or her immediate supervisor, she acted impulsively and went to the boss to defend herself. “Knowing that everyone thought it was my fault that the company lost the contract made me so angry,” says Karin. “I felt I had to let Mr. James know that it wasn’t.” Karin’s supervisor was livid about

We talked about a strategy that would let her indulge her anger without acting rashly. I suggested that she set a timer and let herself be angry for five minutes. After the time was up, she had to move on. I also had her place a visual cue next to her phone that would remind her to pause before taking rash action — like calling the boss. She rummaged through her photos and found a snapshot of herself and her kids making sand castles on the beach.

“Looking at the photo does two things for me when I get angry,” says Karin. “It reminds me that my job is not as important as it seems. What counts most is my relationship with my family. It also reminds me that my happiness doesn’t come from my job but from within—and that no coworker or boss can take it away from me.”

Karin still gets angry at work, so she has expanded her cuing strategy: She keeps a draft folder for e-mails labeled “Wait On.” If she thinks she is sending e-mail out of anger, she lets her message sit for 24 hours and re-reads it before hitting the send button. “Many of these e-mails never leave that folder. If I decide to send one, I edit out rude or inappropriate remarks before doing so.”

And when she does slip up and says something that she regrets later? “I own up to my mistake and apologize.” Not all of her apologies are accepted graciously, but saying she’s sorry makes her feel better about herself. As a result, her relationship with her coworkers has improved dramatically.

(additudemag.com)

Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) and ADHD

Everything you need to know about central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) -- including a symptoms checklist and information on diagnosis and treatment. Plus, how adults with CAPD and ADD/ADHD can use auditory processing activities and strategies to improve communication.

by Gina Pera

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/8666.html

AD(H)D - Practical strategies to ease communication tangles

For Partners of Adults with ADD/ADHD:

• Eliminate distracting noises (turn off the TV or computer) before speaking with your partner.
• Touch your partner on the arm or shoulder before speaking, allowing him time to shift his focus from what he was doing to the conversation you are having. 
• Ask your partner to repeat what you've said, to make sure it was understood. 
• Speak concisely, eliminating superfluous detail.

For Adults with ADD/ADHD:

• Recognize that listening closely to your partner means that you value him. 
• Listen first, respond second. Set aside what you were doing, what you're thinking of doing when your partner finishes talking, or unrelated topics. If you need time to shape a response, ask for it.  
• Use relaxation techniques to clear your mind before important conversations.

For Couples:

• For some topics, e-mail works best. An adult with ADD/ADHD needs time to formulate a response, without feeling the pressure of having to respond immediately. 
• Don't insist on eye contact when talking about something important. Eye contact distracts some ADHDers.  
• Walk and talk. Exercise reduces stress and increases blood flow to the brain.

When these strategies fall short, consider taking a stimulant, if you're not doing so already. "Stimulants often help transmit messages more reliably," Kutscher says, "as well as enabling the person to pay attention to the information being talked about." Both are essential to sustaining a relationship.

(additudemag.com)

Research Report: HSPs Are More Easily Bored in Their Relationships

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/1Aug10.htm

HSPs and Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Other Illnesses Perhaps Related to "Central Sensitization"

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/2May12.htm

Are ADD and high sensitivity connected or confused?

http://www.highlysensitivesouls.com/blog/?p=449

Highly Sensitive Person - Test

English:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm


Deutsch (German):

http://www.zartbesaitet.net/test.htm

HSP: The Challenge of Friendships

HSPs and the struggle with friendships

In the roughly fifteen years since I first learned about the HSP trait, I have met 100s (if not 1000s) of fellow sensitives both in person and through the Internet. One of the most common laments I hear goes something like this: "Why is it so hard for me to make and keep friends, when it seems so easy for everyone else?"

I can completely relate to these sentiments, as I have also struggled with relationship/friendship dynamics during most of my own life. Until at least my late 30s, my friendship patterns were largely shaped by the meta messages from society that I "should" be able to make friends with almost anyone, and then keep those friendships for a lifetime. You could say that I was more concerned about the "container" for my friendships, that the "content" of them. In the course of some serious self-inquiry, it became quite a puzzle for me to understand why so many friendships I formed started well enough, but would fade away very quickly.

Now, I'm not for a moment suggesting that everyone doesn't stuggle with friendships and relationships, now and then. However, there definitely are certain distinct challenges for HSPs, and the whole issue of friends seems more difficult for the HSP, than for most people.

On the most general sense, it would seem that HSPs and non-HSPs often "interpret" and experience the same situations differently... and communication issues arise, even when both people have only the best of intentions. When you consider that only 15-20% of the population have HSP traits, it will generally hold true that most people the average HSP meets will not be HSPs. This can result in an almost immediate "I really don't get who you are" dynamic, which is a rocky foundation on which to start building a friendship.

"Mismatched expectations"

One of the things I have learned about HSPs (both from reading, and from interaction) is that they tend to be rather "deep" people. Most I have met in person loathe "small talk" and "polite chit-chat" and would much rather go directly to a profound conversation about the meaning of life, or the origins of God. However, except for the very self-absorbed, they do also recognize the need for this "idle chatter," as a tool to create connection-- and are generally willing to indulge in it to a limited degree.

Except during a period where I was struggling with social anxiety, I have really never had too much trouble making friends-- it's the keeping them that's the issue. This is where the "mismatched expectations" issue (almost always centered around "depth") comes to the surface. And it's a two-way street.

After a few days or weeks, many HSPs grow disillusioned when they start to realize that their new-found friend is really not interested in discussing anything that extends much beyond little league baseball, Paris Hilton's latest exploits, cookie recipes and truck repair. The HSP wants there to be "more" there... as one friend said to me "That stuff is just fluff of no deeper consequence." This desire to explore in depth also tends to come across with great intensity, which can be both offputting and intimidating to someone who prefers "lighter fare."

It works in reverse, too. I believe a lot of non-HS people are initially attracted to the depth and intensity of HSPs; but while we (well, at least I speak for myself) want that intensity to continue, for other people it's like "the novelty wears off" and they want to return to the less "demanding" way of interacting they consider their "normal." Actually, it feels like they just get tired of the intensity, and want me to "lighten up." It sort of reminds me of a saying my former therapist liked to trot out: "Opposites may attract, but they don't necessarily make good bed-fellows."

Setting Healthy Boundaries

There are other factors that sometimes contribute to an HSP's difficulties in keeping friendships, in the longer run. Not least of these is the tendency of many HSPs to have what I think of as "soft" boundaries.

Most HSPs I meet seem to be very good listeners, combined with a natural tendency towards compassion and empathy. How often have you-- as an HSP-- been told you are "really easy to talk to?" The problem with ever-patient listening is that sometimes it is simply not good for us to keep ourselves eternally engaged in someone else's problems and dramas. Where our "soft" boundaries manifest is when we realize that we really should leave the situation, yet we fail to detach ourselves.

The combination of soft boundaries with empathic listening often combines to create a dynamic in which the HSP gradually becomes someone's "therapist" rather than simply their friend. I'll be the first to admit that I am naturally predisposed to helping those with "broken wings," so I am sure that has influenced my choices-- and I know I am not alone. And yes, I realize that part of "friendship" is about sharing "troubles," but it soon ends up feeling like "one-way traffic," and I find myself pondering "does everyone have this much chaos and drama in their life?" And I am sure the fact that I don't tend to say things like "take your crap and drama to someone else" (which I understand many non-HS people do quite readily) also plays into the picture.

Introverts and Friendships

Many (about 70%) HSPs are introverts. Whereas introversion should not be interpreted as "antisocial," many introverts tend to feel that their friendships are "inadequate," because they compare their circles of friends to extraverts they know, and feel like they are coming up short. They also see themselves as part of a very outgoing society, and start interpreting their natural inclinations to prefer time spent alone as "wrong," which is a big mistake.

Faking who you are in order to make friends with someone will only add to the number of "failed" friendships, in the long run. After all, if you pretend to "like lots of people" and "do lots of stuff" when it's really not what you want, how long will it be before your inner frustration at "not being yourself" will show through your false facade?

Whereas I may get taken to task by some members of the HSP community for saying this, truth is that quite a few HSPs are "high maintenance," often imposing lots of "special needs" and considerations on people around them. There's nothing wrong with asserting one's needs, but a lot of people simply don't have the patience and determination to maintain a friendship with someone who "doesn't want to" participate in a wide range of activities, and insists they "can't" participate unless a laundry list of conditions are met.

Statistics... and the Right to Choose

So is there any hope? Are HSPs doomed to always struggle with friendships and social interaction?

Not necessarily. However, it is important for HSPs to revisit and restate their assumptions about "being friends" with people, and what friendship means to them-- away from "public expectations."

Friendships primarily form across some kind of common ground. It is common sense that if your "ground" (because you're an HSP) is a little bit different, there will simply be fewer people who share that ground in common with you. From what I have observed, many HSPs' distress over friendships can be tracked back to unhealthy comparisons with the so-called "standards" of western society. We're shown messages-- through Madison Avenue, Hollywood, and even our local communities-- that we "should" have lots of life-long friends. The medical community even says that people with many friends can live healthier and longer lives.

The keyword in reading that last sentence is "can." The rules do not apply to everyone.

Statistically speaking, there are simply fewer candidates who are "good friends material" for HSPs. Maybe that sounds defeatist or elitist, but the simple truth is that we all have the right to choose our friends. We also have the right to choose rewarding friendships that fit our individual needs for closeness and depth.

Is it "unfair" that HSPs-- who typically aren't the most socially outgoing people, to begin with-- have to "work harder" to make friends? Maybe it is, but we owe it to ourselves to choose wisely, even if that means we don't get to choose very often.

Dr. Elaine Aron-- who originally identified sensitivity as a "trait," rather than a "pathology"-- is a big proponent of HSPs befriending their peers. Now, that may sound a bit "exclusive," but the truth of the matter is that friends are like our chosen family. Whereas it may sound all nicely egalitarian and politically correct to choose "diversified" friends, the basic truth remains that we choose people to be with because we enjoy their company.

Speaking from personal experience, I happen to like the company of HSPs... and I highly recommend finding and making some HSP friends. Maybe that sounds hard... but it needn't be. Most of my HSP friends started as friends in cyberspace that eventually turned into "real life" friends. Remember, you always have the right to make friends at a pace that "feels right" to you, and the relative slowness of the Internet often works well for HSPs.

When you do choose non-HSP people to befriend, be aware that maybe the relationship will have its limitations-- and don't make the mistake of imposing your needs on someone who really doesn't understand where you're coming from. Take the friendship at face value, and allow it to "be what it is:" Maybe you can only "connect" with Susan in the context of gardening, so allow that to be, rather than dropping Susan because you can't talk deeper metaphysics with her.

Bottom line: As an HSP, the first step towards better friendships is to let go of societal and family expectations about friendships. Stop worrying about how many friends you "should" have, and take some time to figure out what "being friends" with someone means to you. And it's really OK to be "particular."

(denmarkguy.hubpages.com)