Tips for Parents With ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

This article is dedicated to all those parents with ADHD who are just starting their journey to finding answers, along with those old hands who may have been at it for a while. The good news is that there a number of simple self help strategies  for parents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that can help them cope. The bad news is as of yet there are no magic bullets or miracle cures.

As one of the many parents with ADHD you may be able to reflect back on your childhood and find that indeed one, or both, of your parents had the condition. In fact, statistically speaking this has at least a 50 percent probability of being the case. Perhaps you can remember dear old dad constantly forgetting things or misplacing his car keys. Or perhaps mom, who struggled with her self esteem, couldn’t quite get you to where you were going on time, and who had a tendency to leave projects half finished only to start another one without warning. Maybe you share some of these same characteristics, and quite possibly your children will share in some of the fun as well.

So if you have a few minutes why don’t we jump right in to a few tips for making parents with ADHD lives a little easier.

*Clean up the mess: Organization by disorganization is the motto for most parent with ADHD, and disorganization is one of the ADHD characteristics that may get worse with age. Their houses and office areas generally are filled with piles of clutter that would overwhelm even the most proficient cleaning crew. Now is the time to clean it up by enlisting the help of a friend, family member, and if it is really, really, out of control hire a really patient professional cleaning crew.

*Provide yourself with a simple daily routine: With inattention and impulsivity reigning supreme there is little chance that parents with ADHD can just wing it effectively. Just too many distractions and too little time! By providing yourself with an outline for each day, along with a little extra time to make it happen, you will be taking a giant step to alleviating many of the self imposed daily pressures of life. One additional though, make it simple because the more you complicate it the more you will be opening the door for your ADHD symptoms to creep in and muck it up.

*Write down or record your thoughts: The mind of an ADHD person is like a blender churning out zillions of fleeting thoughts in record time. Have you thought of something you should do and just a few minutes later not be able to remember what is was? Well welcome to the world of the ADHD mind. To overcome this you should keep a note pad, along with multiple pencils handy in multiple designated areas of your home, along with one in your car. One should be kept in the kitchen right alongside the calendar to keep track of daily events, another in your home office area, and still another in bathroom since many of our more unique thoughts can materialize in this area.

*Keep a positive attitude: In my opinion one of the most dangerous secondary symptoms of attention deficit disorder is low self esteem. This can unravel into a full blow case of depression if one is not careful. The first rule of defeating a negative attitude for ADHD parents is focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t do. Remember being ADHD is not all bad with some of the most brilliant minds in history having the condition. You may have more energy than every else (though it may not seem like it), you may be braver the average person not afraid to take risk, and you may be more creative with great ideas constantly flowing through your mind.

Additionally, if you are constantly focusing on the negative, your children will adopt the same attitude, especially if they are struggling with the same ADHD characteristics that are causing your negativity.

What else? Some ADHD parents may feel as if they need a little bit of extra help to wrestle this mental monster to the ground and have found that help in the form of homeopathic natural remedies for ADHD. These formulas have been shown to be quite effective and void of the serious side effects so often associated with conventional prescription ADHD mediations.

Impulsivity The Often Understated Serious Symptom Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In the world of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) there is daunting amount of information available deciphering the pros and cons of inattention/lack of concentration and hyperactivity/restlessness. But when was the last time a friend of acquaintance wanted to tell you about their impulsive ADHD behavior?

I believe the answer for most is never, or rarely, that is unless you signed up for an all exclusive ADHD impulsivity cruise. But in so many ways impulsivity is the one symptom that when combined with the inability to focus, or that bundle of energy we refer to as hyperactivity, that can really produce serious negative life changing consequences.

Think about it. Isn’t it that poorly thought out impulsive action that is most likely to get you into to trouble with the law, your friends, your family, your boss, or your co-workers? Isn’t it the driving force that made you abruptly quit your job or say something out of line to your spouse or significant other. Wasn’t it the driving force that made you decide missing work or school was a good idea. Yes impulsivity can create many different problems and when combined with either inattention or hyperactivity can open the door for a life full of negative twist and turns.

Five signs of impulsivity in the ADHD adult

*Figuratively speaking societal niceties and patience often go out the window. Examples would be speeding through that redder than red stop light despite knowing the dangers, using your shopping cart a battering ram at your local grocery store or supercenter, and refusing to wait in line at your favorite restaurant or local bank.

*Controlling temper outburst may be a regular problem. There is nothing worse than watching an adult throw a childlike temper tantrum when things don’t go their way. This trait is one of the more common ones associated with adults with impulsive ADHD.

*The old food in the mouth trick can be a common occurrence. This can be a symptom with long term negative consequences especially in an office or academic setting. It’s not all that great at parties or social setting either.

*Intruding or butting into conversation which you weren’t inviting, or are unwanted, all the while not realizing you are doing so.

*Becoming more aggressive and impulsive when alcohol or drugs are involved. Alcohol, drugs, and certain over the counter medications tend to remove what little control the impulsive ADHD personality may over their emotions and/or actions thus increasing the changes of impulsive behavior. The frequency will depend a great deal on the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain at any given time and the type of drug being used. Talk to your doctor for information on this one.

What next? For those adults struggling with impulsive type of ADHD finding an effective treatment option is an important first step. The most common forms of treatment are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and non-stimulant medications such as Intuniv or Strattera. While effective in about seven out of ten cases all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings.

The risk of side effects has prompted many to consider  non-prescription options. A couple examples of these are behavior modification therapy and/or natural ADHD remedies. Natural remedies for the impulsive type of ADHD are an effective side effect free way to address erratic, and impulsive, behavior and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other non-prescription alternatives. They also have been shown to produce long lasting results just over half of the time.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Getting The Facts Before Deciding On The Best Treatment

An interesting fact has come to light recently in regards to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is that fathers are not so involved in actively parenting their children. This can lead to many problems, not least the good cop and bad cop parenting scenario. Each parent may have different parenting styles and the child is quick to spot this and manipulate it to his advantage. He may have ADHD but he never misses a trick!

Another fact in dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is that the father, because of work commitments may leave a lot of the organization of the house to the mother so she is the one who determines what the schedule and routines are.

But when we are looking at a combined treatment program for ADHD, we have to ensure that fathers are much more actively involved. This can happen in many ways. The first is to ensure that the actual behavior modification program is actually discussed by both parents and they are both signed up to any of the rewards and consequences that they might want to implement.

If a father is actively involved, he can play a more active role in determining the success of the child not just on the sports field but also in academic achievements, growth in social skills and also in managing and coping with life skills in general.

Another way that fathers can be involved is that they are present at doctor’s appointment together with the child and that he knows exactly what is going on with his child’s treatment. He should also be there when talking to the child’s teacher as this is often left to the mother to deal with.

It is a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship and could be the turning point for many couples when they work on the problem together and give each other the support they need. In this way attention deficit disorder can be faced and the challenges overcome. One great way is to find an alternative treatment to psychosytimulants if these are disturbing your child too much. The second way is to find a behavior modification program that you can both work on together and that you find helpful.

In dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is essential that the two parents are still living together that they also tackle this together, Many couples have found that mutual support for their child has led to a stronger and more stable relationship.

If you want more information about what could be the best possible treatment for your child, why not check out the sites below. They have been a lifesaver for thousands of parents and they could be for you too!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Found in Nine-Percent of Children in the USA According to Recent Survey

Article by Douglas Cowan

Keywords for this article: ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, FroehlichA new large-scale study reports some attention-getting numbers. The first attention-getting statistic is that about 9% of children or teens in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The second shocking statistic is that just above thirty-percent of them are getting medical treatment for their ADHD.There have been a number of similar surveys done in recent years, but this study is considered important because it used the most modern diagnostic criteria for ADHD today, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition.The ADHD Information Library has written and maintained for years that about 5% of children in the US had ADHD, and that it has been both over-diagnosed and under-diagnosed. ADHD has been over-diagnosed in the sense that often the doctor evaluations leading to a diagnosis don’t consider the differential diagnoses that need to be ruled out before diagnosing an Attention Disorder, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, head injuries, tourette syndrome, bipolar disorder, and more (see http://newideas.net/adhd/differential-diagnosis ). Our concern is that this study may have fallen into the same trap. Simply reporting that 9% of children or teens meet the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD is not the same as 9% of children or teens having ADHD. Rather, many children or teens who meet the criteria for ADHD actually have some other disorder. And we have reported that ADHD is under-diagnosed in the sense that only about one-third of the children or teens who actually have ADHD ever get treatment. This research study confirms that estimate.”There is a perception that ADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreated,” said lead researcher Dr. Tanya E. Froehlich, from Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. “But our study shows that for those who meet the criteria for ADHD, the opposite problem — underdiagnosis and undertreatment — seems to be occurring.” The researchers found that some 2.4 million children between the ages of 8 and 15 meet the medical definition of ADHD but an estimated 1.2 million children haven’t been diagnosed or treated, Froehlich said, adding that “girls were more likely to be undiagnosed.”The researchers studied the data on over three thousand children who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using interviews, the researchers were able to establish whether a child met the criteria for ADHD. Researchers also used data from doctors and the numbers of medications being used to establish diagnosis and treatment patterns, according to the report.The researchers found that of the nearly nine percent of children who met the criteria for ADHD, only about one-half of them had been diagnosed with the condition and only one-third were prescribed medications.Froehlich said more needs to be done to identify and treat children with ADHD. “It’s not a trivial disorder,” she said. “It can have an impact on the child and the family if it is not diagnosed and addressed. We need to redouble our efforts to help doctors spot the symptoms of ADHD and make an accurate diagnosis.”This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace medical advice from your physician or health care provider. Always consult your physician about ADHD.

About the Author

Find accurate and easy to understand information for parents of children or teens with ADHD at the ADD ADHD Information Library at http://newideas.net with over 350 pages of parenting tips, information, diet ideas, treatment options, information on medications, and alternative treatment options. Learn more about ADHD at http://www.cdc.gov

ADHD ? I Just Can’t Seem To Get Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Out Of My Head

Trying to settle on the cause, or causes, of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is enough to overwork any ADHD challenged brain, and yours truly is starting to feel the surge as overlooked and new ideas continue to flow into the old data bank that sits just above my shoulders. What might cause the ADHD brain to behave differently is complex one and after all those trying to figure it out must use their brain in order to find answers.

If you have a minute or two why don’t we explore one of the lesser known possible causes of ADHD before we move on to bigger and better things.

The year was 1990. The economy was rolling along pretty good and George H. Bush and his wife Barbara were in the White House. Unbeknown to almost everyone there was study being conducted by the National Institute of Health examining the brains of ADHD adults. More specifically the glucose intake of ADHD adults compared to non ADHD adults.

For those of you feeling a little medically challenged today glucose is a monosaccharide found in the blood and is one of the body’s (and mind’s) primary energy sources. When your glucose levels are low it is like trying to drive your car around with a tank full of bad low octane gas.

Okay back to the study. What the study found was that ADHD adults had a reduced glucose uptake compared to so called “normal” people. Well that was decades ago despite the good old college try scientists still don’t understand why this occurs and exactly what it means.

Talking behavior regulation

Whether you have ADHD, or just can’t resist certain temptations, all of us have our weaknesses. Nevertheless, some compelling research suggests that the root cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder lies one’s ability to control impulses, stay focused, and delay immediate gratification. This same body of research seems to suggest that this core problem limits the brain’s ability to conduct other executive functions.

So when you are on your diet and decide to have a couple of high calorie, high sugar, and high fat sweet roles you just might forget where you put your keys or wallet, and/or inexplicably drop something on the floor.

Other executive functions impacted by a lack of response inhibition are motor control, which includes hand-eye coordination and the ability to control impulsive foot or finger tapping; motivation; emotional regulation; and planning.

What else? For those struggling with trying to figure out a way to get ADHD out of their head finding an effective treatment option is an important first step. The most common forms of treatment are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and non-stimulant medications such as Intuniv or Strattera. While effective, all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings.

The risk of side effects, or perhaps lack of success (30% of the time), has prompted many to consider  non-prescription options. A couple examples of these are behavior modification therapy and/or natural remedies. Natural remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other non-prescription alternatives. They also have been shown to produce long-term lasting benefits about half of the time.