The ADHD Subtypes

 By Dr. Neff, who is one of us. Check out her website neurodivergentinsights.com.

Help youself, use tools!

I believe that one doesn't have to indulge in "being mentally ill" or having a "disorder" as others around oneself claim or in articles written by people who often don't know how it really is.

I'm usually not into Newspeak, but I have seen too often, what the word "Disorder" does with people. They start believing, that something is wrong with them, they are not worthy, etc., and are not able to see the positive side because they are told too often that they don't function because they are not like the majority.

That, of course, can be utter bs!

I don't have the H of ADHD, in fact - like my dad - I don't have enough energy but being stubborn - I'm a Taurus or maybe just so - by nature, I don't give up on my tiredness, pain or constantly having dozens of thoughts at the same time in my mind. I use tools that help me!

As a kid I constantly heard I was not good enough, my mind was up in the clouds, and I was constantly incompetent and stupid. When I got older I was constantly told, I was depressive, because - like my dad - I liked sitting for hours, reading a book a day and I always thought "Nooooo, I'm not in that dark place. I like life, I enjoy going out and like meeting people and having fun!" My mother, born in the 1940s didn't know better and also didn't care. Also, doctors in my country in the 1980s and 1990s didn't know better.

When I moved to the US in the beginning of 2000 they finally found out that - tada! I have ADD and I got meds that helped me concentrate and have enough energy.

I took the meds (Ritalin in the US, Concerta afterward in my country) and used the chance to build up my life and become the assistant of a CEO of a construction company - without ever having finished high school!

A big role in accomplishing that were the AD(H)D traits hyperfocus, thinking out of the box for problem-solving, energy (muahahaha!), and being really able to multi-task!

But, as good as I was, I had one negative trait - forgetfulness!

Until my favorite boss, the CEO, said to me "You need to always carry a pen and paper with you!". I was surprised and thought "How many secretaries can remember everything when she's on the phone, talking, writing things down, and then the boss throws tasks at her while running by!" but started doing so and it indeed worked - I stopped forgetting.

Since then I write down every single task - no matter how big or small.

At home, I write down all appointments in my Google calendar on my phone as well as on a paper calendar that is hanging on a wall of my anteroom, so that I always see it when I come home or before I leave home. Like that, I can't forget appointments.

I also keep my shopping list on my phone because there is nothing more annoying than going to the supermarket and then coming home just to find out you have forgotten something you really want or need *facepalm*

Older generations are often clean and tidy. My mum either had a mild form of OCD next to ADHD and a personality disorder or was demon-possessed but nothing ever lay around, everything was neat and tidy like in a museum.

I am clean and hygienic, but I am not extreme like my mother at all. In private - not at the job - I have learned to live with my ADD trait of doing things, then starting something else, and then going back to the first thing I did. When I am too tired or lazy to do something I have planned, I don't stress myself and do it the next day. Being a hardcore single of course makes being that way easier!

Having cleaned several houses for other people I have noticed that others who have not been diagnosed with AD(H)D are not cleaner or tidier than me. They are just distracted by their TV instead of AD(H)D which doesn't make one or the other reason and person better or worse.

Anyway, using tools, that can help you be and stay organized can also improve the way you see AD(H)D, your personal traits, and with that also your whole life!

The Worst Foods for ADHD

How Food Can Affect Your Child's ADHD

The latest scientific findings show that certain foods might play a role in worsening ADHD symptoms. Here's what you need to know to create a better ADHD diet.
By Wyatt Myers - Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

For years, doctors have speculated that certain foods may play a role in ADHD. Although much research has been done on the subject, it’s still not believed that food actually causes ADHD. What diet does seem do, however, is worsen ADHD symptoms or trigger symptoms that mimic the signs of ADHD in children. “Excessive caffeine and excessive use of fast foods and other foods of poor nutritional value can cause kids to display behavior that might be confused with ADHD,” says Frank Barnhill, MD, an expert on ADHD and the author of Mistaken for ADHD. The following foods in particular have been implicated in ADHD in one way or another.


Candy
Candy is loaded with sugar and artificial colors, which is a bad combination when it comes to children with ADHD who often need to follow an ADHD diet. Both of these components have been shown to promote ADHD symptoms in studies. “With the high content of sugar and artificial coloring, candy is a huge contributor to ADHD,” says Howard Peiper, author of The ADD and ADHD Diet.

Soda
If you have ADHD, consider eliminating soda. These sweet drinks often have many of the same sugars and sweeteners that make candy a bad idea for kids on the ADHD diet. Soda also has other ingredients that can help worsen ADHD symptoms, such as high-fructose corn syrup and caffeine. “Excessive sugar and caffeine intake both cause symptoms of hyperactivity and easy distractibility,” says Dr. Barnhill.

Cake Mixes and Frostings
Cake mix and frosting contain the high amounts of sugar and artificial colors that can lead to hyperactivity and other ADHD symptoms. Naheed Ali, MD, ADHD expert and the author of Diabetes and You: A Comprehensive, Holistic Approach, adds that these products are often also loaded with several artificial sweeteners. “When frosting and cake mix contain artificial sweeteners, they increase the risk of ADHD symptoms more than natural sweeteners would,” he says.

Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular among kids, especially teens. Unfortunately, they also have a veritable treasure trove of ingredients that can worsen ADHD symptoms: sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, caffeine, and other stimulants. “Energy drinks are high on the list of things that cause teens to display behaviors mimicking ADHD,” says Barnhill. They have no place in a healthy ADHD diet.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Most fruits and vegetables are healthy choices for an ADHD diet, but some frozen varieties can contain artificial colors, so check all labels carefully. Barnhill says these can cause ADHD symptoms for another reason as well. “Foods treated with organophosphates for insect control have been shown to cause neurologic-based behavioral problems that mimic ADHD and many other behavior problems,” he says.

Fish and Other Seafood
Dr. Ali says that eating fish and other seafood with trace amounts of mercury can cause ADHD symptoms in the long term. Some of the worst culprits are shark, king mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish. “Mercury, like cellulose, is extremely hard to digest and can accumulate in the brain over time,” explains Ali. “This can lead to hyperactivity.” Talk to your doctor or ADHD nutritionist about the best types of fish to include in your ADHD diet.

Other Food Sensitivities
According to a recent study, many children with food sensitivities can exhibit ADHD symptoms after they are exposed to certain foods. Based on the results of the research, some of the common foods that can cause ADHD reactions include milk, chocolate, soy, wheat, eggs, beans, corn, tomatoes, grapes, and oranges. If you suspect a food sensitivity may be contributing to your child’s ADHD symptoms, talk to your doctor about the possibility of trying an elimination diet.

(everydayhealth.com)

What was the last book you FINISHED?!

I liked the question and I was astonished of the answers, because I didn't know there were others who experience the same as I do, so I thought I share this here on my blog :)

ADD Crusher

A Little More About You: Struggle with books? What was the last book you read – um, actually, what was the last book you FINISHED?! Some ADDers can read like lightning, while all too many are still hoping to bang out those last three pages of Green Eggs and Ham. How about you, fellow Crushers?

Unlike · · Share · 1015 · 44 minutes ago ·

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It's kind of my fav. :-)
43 minutes ago · Like · 1
        

I don't read books very often, although I enjoy them. I just find when I do read that I must read the entire book in a few days or I become forgetful. lol
39 minutes ago · Unlike · 3

books?? lets just say i have a hefty fine at the library because I forgot to return the books - twice and never finished reading the first one!! lol
39 minutes ago · Unlike · 1

I'm a fast reader;that was one of my strengths in school;that and spelling.I also had a good feeling for understanding language structure but I hated learning grammatics.It required concentration and that I didn't have...
38 minutes ago · Unlike · 2
Last book I finished was "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen.That was last week.I can finish books because I enjoy reading.Doing things I enjoy is rarely a problem;it's doing what I not enjoy that is a struggle.
34 minutes ago · Like

Love to read! ...it just takes me a year to finish ONE book. And, I set it down, pick it up a month or two later, forget what I read, so have to re-read. Love to read...just wish it was easier to concentrate and retain.
34 minutes ago · Unlike · 3

last one was The Cat Who..Could Read Backwards..i'll read a 500pg book in a day , if I like it.
33 minutes ago · Like

A whole book? I can barely grt through the title!
31 minutes ago · Unlike · 1

The last several books I have read and finished:
        Outfitting the devil - Napoleon Hill
        How to Win Friends and Influence people - Dale Carnegie
        Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
        World on the Edge - Lester Brown

I have been attempting to find an eBook version of Seven Habits of Highly Effective people, sadly I have had no luck.

29 minutes ago · Like

I will totally over focus on a book that I think is good or gripping. And never finish the ones that aren't.
29 minutes ago · Like · 1

I forget what i read paragraph to paragraph and gotta constantly go back n reread to just forget the next one.

29 minutes ago · Unlike · 3

I can read for hours but I read really fast and have a hard time retaining what I read.
26 minutes ago · Like

I'm definitely one of the speed readers. In the last 3 days I've started and finished Anne Rice's "Tale of the Body Thief", Anthony Bourdain's "Medium Raw", and "Dalamar the Dark" (a Dragonlance novel), and I've also got "The Soulforge" (another Dragonlance book) and a Peter Beagle collection called "Sleight of Hand" in my bag (not yet sure which I'll pick up next). It's rare that I'm not reading at least 2/3 books at the same time. ♥
23 minutes ago · Like · 1

wow, I always thought it was just me who forgets what I read...
15 minutes ago · Like

Are you kidding--I barely finished reading this post! There are a gazillion books I WANT to read, but I haven't finished one in almost 2 years. My husband got me a Kindle for my birthday--I'm hoping maybe it will help. I've actually almost finished a Dickens book in the last few weeks with it, not sure what the difference is.
4 minutes ago · Unlike · 1

depends sometimes i get hella sucked into the plot (this goes for television too) and i'm hooked. it's that intitial hump. but yeah, it's gotta be like "Lost" or something epic for me to get sucked in, but once i am it's on.
39 minutes ago · Like · 1

I'm stubborn and I think that have served me some.
34 minutes ago · Like

I like reading coz tv is to slow I lose interest or patience reading I can go as fast as I want
23 minutes ago · Like

(ADD Crusher on FB)

An Overview of Inattentive ADD

Inattentive ADHD is one of the three subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Inattentive ADHD is sometimes referred to as ADD which is short for Attention Deficit Disorder. This subtype of ADHD is also called ADHD predominantly inattentive (ADHD-I, ADHD-PI). I will use all these terms interchangeably.

Symptoms:

ADD differs from the other two subtypes in several ways. The characteristic symptoms of the inattentive subtype are inattention, easy distractibility, disorganization, procrastination and forgetfulness.

About a third of people with the Inattentive subtype also have coexisting lethargy and fatigue and people with this variant of ADD are said to have Sluggish Cognitive Tempo or SCT.

People with ADD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo have fewer or no symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsiveness and they are less likely to have a co-existing diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder or Conduct disorder. Hyperactivity and Impulsiveness are symptoms that are the hallmark of the other two subtypes of ADHD, the Combined type of ADHD referred to as ADHD-C and the Hyperactive/Impulsive subtype of ADHD which is referred to as ADHD-HI.

People with this condition have been shown in studies to perform more poorly in school than people with the other subtypes of ADHD but they are less likely to suffer the adverse life outcomes, such as substance abuse disorder or law enforcement problems, seen more commonly in people with the other two subtypes of ADHD.

Causes:

The cause of ADHD-PI is unknown but genetic influences are thought to play a major role. It is estimated that up to 70% of people with ADD have a relative with Inattentive ADD. Other factors that may play a causative roll in ADD and SCT include:

Dietary allergies-It is possible that certain people may have increased ADHD-PI symptoms after consuming certain foods or food dyes.

Environmental Factors and Toxins - pesticides and lead have both been implicated in causing increased symptoms.

Prematurity and Traumatic head injuries- may be related to an increased risk of symptoms.

Social Influences- maternal separation and other social factors are being studied to determine their role in causing this condition.

Testing:

ADHD questionnaires are standardly administered to diagnose this condition. These questionnaires consist of a series of symptoms questions where parents and teachers rate the severity of symptom sand the perceived degree of disability caused by each symptom.

Other diagnostic methods include computerized programs that measure attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. The computerized test can give a more objective view of symptoms which is important because parent and teacher questionnaires responses can vary greatly and often do not agree on the severity of disabling characteristic of the ADHD symptom.

Treatment:

The appropriate dose of medication, which may be lower in the case of treating ADD than it is for the other subgroups of ADHD.

The following is a list of medications used to treat Inattention:

Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine,Vyvanse) - most commonly used stimulant treatment (along with methylphenidate) for all subtypes of this condition.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana,Metadate) - some people may have a genetic basis for NOT responding to methylphenidate.

Atomexitine (Strattera) - non-stimulant therapy.

Alpha-2A-Adrenoceptor Agonist (Intuniv, Clonidine) - especially useful for combined ADHD and Tourette's syndrome

Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac) - useful for the treatment of associated depression or as a second line treatment for ADHD-PI when stimulants fail.

Try-cyclic Antidepressants (Norparmine,Tofranil) - also used for treating co-existing depression but the try-cyclics can have unpleasant side effects and must be used with extreme caution in children.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) - Wellbutrin is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and is another second line treatment for the inattentive subtype.

Behavioral therapy is useful sometimes alone and sometimes combined with medication to better treat issues related to motivation, persistence, academic issues and social skill problems. Behavioral therapy may be more useful for ADHD-PI than it is for the other subtypes.

Lifestyle skills treatment generally addresses lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise and stress reduction.

Classroom treatment methods include: Classroom management, parent support training and classroom accommodation.

Additional useful treatment methods include:

Vitamin supplementation - to address potential deficiencies in Omega-3 fatty acids, iron or zinc.

Behavioral therapy and Coaching.

Psychotherapy - to treat the problems that can co-exist with Inattentive ADHD such as anxiety, depression and social phobias.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) - to address common areas of cognitive weaknesses.

Social skills training methods - to address the problems that result socially from the inattentive symptoms of ADHD-PI.

The symptoms and treatment for Inattentive ADHD are different from the symptoms and treatment of the other subtypes of ADHD. People with Inattentive ADHD and parents of children with ADHD must assure that an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD is made in order that this subtype of ADHD be appropriately managed.

(www.everydayhealth.com)