Helpful Lessons for Raising Challenging Kids
Each of my three children was diagnosed with ADHD at different ages, with my middle child being diagnosed first, then my oldest and finally my youngest. I can honestly say that I am still struggling with how to support each of them as they learn to become productive adults. My desire is to help them…
Read MoreIs it Time to Evaluate Your Relationship with Alcohol?
In 2019, I inadvertently joined a movement I didn’t even know existed. Within hours of researching information on reducing my alcohol consumption, I was introduced to new phrases like sober curious, Dry January, sober sprint, plus Quit Lit (publications devoted to decreasing alcohol intake). I discovered resources like This Naked Mind, Club Soda, and Alcohol…
Read MoreForaging for Information
In very simple terms, we do what we do for pleasure. That statement makes sense; otherwise, why would we do things that are boring, unpleasant, or uncomfortable if they don’t make us feel good? The question is, though, what makes us feel good? In a simplified view of the infinitely complex brain, the answer is dopamine. Dopamine…
Read MoreUnderstanding Meltdowns: The ADHD Volcano Model
A MELTDOWN CAN SEEM TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE. It’s one of the challenging or explosive behaviors we see in those who have ADHD. Sometimes it appears as poor self-esteem, yelling, rage, or tears. But sometimes the challenging behavior is your own in reaction to your spouse, child, sibling, or friend who has ADHD: “Why…
Read MoreCalling All “Brains”: How to ADHD
Today, unlike in years past, there’s a growing list of online resources that provide updated information on ADHD. Few, however, enjoy the popularity of How to ADHD, the brainchild of Jessica McCabe. How to ADHD has attracted more than 10,000,000 visitors to its website and boasts more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers. Currently, “Failing at Normal,”…
Read MoreAn ADHD Assessment Might Set You Free—No Matter Your Age
No one wants to feel like something is wrong with the way their brain works, or to be labelled or stigmatized due to their mental health symptoms. Fears like these—of being judged or having their lives worsen as a result of speaking up—hold people back from seeking support through mental health assessment and treatment services.…
Read MoreChoosing the Best Medication for Adult ADHD
Some simple questions have very complex answers. I am often asked, “What is the very best medicine for ADHD?” The right answer might be “The one that works,” but that is a bit glib. The best answer I’ve found is a redirection: “I don’t know which regimen is best for you, but I know how…
Read MoreInternet Addiction and ADHD
There’s lots of talk and concern about screen time these days. It’s not uncommon for someone to say “OMG, I’m totally addicted to the internet/my phone/etc.” That’s probably not a medically accurate diagnosis. But can you be addicted to the internet? Can you even be addicted to anything that isn’t a drug? The answer is…
Read MoreThe Best Aphrodisiac
THE ADHD RELATIONSHIP SEX SURVEY I CREATED—and somehow got 3,000 people to take—had a section that asked about the types of treatments that respondents had tried, how much effort they had put into it, and how effective they felt the treatment has been. There has certainly been a lot of research already looking at this,…
Read MoreCelebrating the 2019 CHADD Research Awards
THROUGH its Young Scientist Research Awards program, CHADD has supported emerging researchers for twelve years, encouraging excellence in the field and broadening our understanding of ADHD. The recipients of the 2019 Awards—Rosanna Breaux, PhD, and Samuel J. Eckrich, MS—were selected from a pool of highly qualified applicants by a team of seasoned ADHD researchers, which…
Read MoreTeach Your Child to Read the Room
WE’VE ALL SEEN SIGNS OF A CHILD who doesn’t quite know how to follow the unwritten rules of proper etiquette. The child with ADHD who barges into someone’s house and sits on the couch in a wet bathing suit. The teenager who tries to get the attention of his teacher while she is hurriedly packing…
Read MoreGame-Based Learning
An Update on LearningWorks for Kids LIKE SO MANY OTHER EXPERTS, clinical psychologist Randy Kulman long observed children with ADHD who, despite struggling mightily to pay attention at school, paid attention just fine when playing computer games. He began to consider an idea: What if he could design a program that uses popular computer games…
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