ADHD & Obesity: An Under-Recognized Problem
EATING is one of the most routine things people do, yet healthy eating and weight regulation remain a challenge for many individuals. This is especially true for those with ADHD. Several recent research studies looked at the relationship between ADHD and obesity, citing it as an under-recognized problem. A longitudinal study found that men with…
Read MoreSpontaneous or Impulsive? How to Know, What to Do
MOST OF US CRINGE WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD IMPULSIVITY, as it brings to mind what our impulsive decisions or behaviors have resulted in. Impulsivity can cause accidents, inefficiency, poor performance reviews at work, and adversely affect treasured relationships. What is impulsivity and how does it differ from spontaneity? Most of us like being spontaneous,…
Read MoreEntering College with ADHD
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS diagnosed with ADHD, reaching graduation day can feel like meandering across the finish line of a marathon. Years of hunting effective strategies for executive functioning, organization, and testing culminate in a brief yet triumphant walk across the stage. As proud (and, perhaps, exhausted) families snap photos, they often wonder and worry…
Read MoreWhat Works for You in the Workplace?
MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE with the concept of disclosing their disability in the workplace, and for many good reasons. Disclosure involves giving out personal, medical, and disability information to an employer. It can be overwhelming and fearsome. The applicant or employee wonders: • How much information should I provide? • When is the best time to…
Read MoreADHD & Rarely on Time? It’s Not Just About Time Management
ARE YOU ALWAYS LATE FOR EVENTS? Do you often turn in papers, reports, or projects after their deadlines? If so, you are not alone. Many adults with ADHD struggle with understanding and using their time well. Despite trying a million different tricks and techniques, they can’t stop miscalculating how long things will take or procrastinating…
Read MoreEnough Is Enough: The Adult ADHD Guide to Saying No
DO YOU AGREE TO DO THINGS and feel resentful later? Can salespeople persuade you to go over budget? Do you “go along to get along” all too often? This happens to everyone occasionally. For adults with ADHD, saying no can be a challenge. Executive function issues and nonlinear thinking make it hard to weigh pros…
Read MoreGraduating into Adult Life
FOR MANY YOUNG ADULTS, college graduation marks the start of real adult life with balancing a job, living in an apartment or group house instead of a dorm (or navigating living at home as an adult), planning out meals, paying bills, and having other responsibilities as well. For those who went straight from college to…
Read MoreUnderstanding and Supporting Your Emerging Adult
UNDERSTANDING OUR EMERGING ADULTS is an essential step to supporting their growth and developing independence. Transgenerational expectations for how individuals should “progress” in life don’t apply like they used to, as today’s emerging adults are different than those of any other generation. Cultural, economic, healthcare, educational, and technological changes have pushed back the clock for…
Read MoreFailure to Launch: Treating It as a Process, Not a Failure
A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUNG ADULTS continue to live at home with their parents, appearing to others to be unmotivated to lead more independent, self-sufficient lives. They often feel stuck and unable to move forward, even when provided access to different supports. Their parents are also often at a loss about how best to help.…
Read MoreMastering Your Adult ADHD
ACCORDING TO Steven Safren, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Miami, not all adults with ADHD find that medication reduces their symptoms enough. And for those who do experience significant symptom reduction, many still lack the concrete skills and strategies needed to help them effectively navigate around areas of persisting challenge. Thanks…
Read MoreMindfulness for Fidgeters
TODAY EVERYONE IS SO FOCUSED ON STAYING CONNECTED AND WORKING HARDER. We want to learn more, produce more, keep up, communicate, and cram as much into our day as we can. Whether in school, at work or in our personal lives, we are focused on productivity, outcomes, and staying connected. We seem to have lost sight…
Read MorePut Down the Stick, Pick Up a Feather: Adult ADHD & Self-Criticism
MANAGING ADHD AS AN ADULT requires more than just taking medication and putting a few systems and structures in place. It is a complicated condition that relies on self-education, setting intentions, and exerting effort for self-management—which are not always easy for adults with the condition. But the hardest part to manage, I believe, regardless of…
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