life with adhd ~ an addult view

COKE TAKES ON ADHD

2007-02-17T15:04:00.000+11:00

"The STATS ADHD costs the U.S. an estimated $75 billion a year in lost productivity 8 to 12 percent of American workers have ADHD 1 in every 12 adults has ADHD"

COKE TAKES ON ADHD - By Diane Loupe

"There’s one in every office: the guy who’s smart, funny, interesting, creative and energetic—but also impulsive, chronically late and given to go on tangents in meetings. He’ll finish a report at the last minute, and it will be riddled with careless mistakes. That is, if he can find it on his messy desk to begin with. " [read more]

Source: sundaypaper.com 02/18/07

Article: Is High Self-Esteem Bad for You?

2007-02-04T12:50:00.000+11:00

It is commonly accepted today that self-esteem is a cause of people being able to achieve success. However, there are voices that argue that self-esteem is a consequence of people achieving mastery in different areas of their life. For instance, check out this article:

"For more than thirty years, promoting the development of higher self-esteem has been a major goal for clinical psychologists and educators. Although this emphasis on self-esteem has never sat well with adherents of traditional religions, and although an occasional academic psychologist has complained that psychotherapy promotes self-indulgence, the mass media have for the most part been supportive of the self-esteem movement. But a spate of recent articles suggests that the tide may be turning. " [read more]

by Robert Campbell Walter Foddis

Article: Attention Deficit Disorder--Conceptions and Misconceptions

2007-02-04T12:47:00.000+11:00

This article by Moss David Posner M.D. (February 3, 2007) has some really thought provoking ideas about adhd, definitely worth a read:

"It seems that every day we open the newspaper or go online we see another article about Attention Deficit Disorder[i]. The subjects and titles of the articles vary from condemnation of the very notion of the existence of such an entity, to “natural” treatments for the problem, to warnings of dire consequences ranging from insanity to addiction with the use of medications, to attacks on “the drug companies” as having created the notion in the first place, to congratulations to those who are blessed with the “gift” of the disorder, and to treatments, from medications, to meditation, to physical therapies, hypnosis, and prayer ... [read more]

Finding right position key for employees with ADHD

2007-01-15T20:30:00.000+11:00

The following article gives an insight into the adult adhd experience at work, sometimes confusing, sometimes frustrating - where a person can be trying as hard as possible but still comes across as 'lazy' or 'unmotivated'. It can be very depressing.

January 12, 2007: Andrea Kay in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

"I've got ADD," Daniel told me, when he called to talk about his career. "I need help, but I've got ADD," he repeated. He must have told me 10 times. He's not the only one. There was Janice and Jane and Mark and others. And they insist they have problems in their careers because of their condition. Odds are, they're right. They are referring to attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADHD), a developmental condition that affects brain functioning and causes problems with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, explains Eve Smukler, a
Los Angeles psychotherapist and coach with a focus on ADHD.

End of year wrap up 2006

2006-12-10T13:25:00.000+11:00

Well another year passes! It has been a busy year:

started another degree and passed the first year in spite of 'just in time' essay techniques
achieved my New Year resolution for 2006 - managed to tidy up my study ( and it only took 11 months to get there)
worked way too much and spent too little time with family and friends (looks like a New Year resolution evolving here)
had a good year at work, achieved targets in spite of evil & malicious co-workers and lack of funding (why do people have to bring their psychoses to work?)
managed to be more organised than ever before - not sure how that happened but getting an assistant at work could explain it?
planning my annual vacation for February - this keeps me sane for the rest of the year

Altogether another busy year. Must say having meds to call upon has really helped. I try not to take them all the time, but when things get busy I really need the help to focus.

When Mom has ADHD

2006-11-12T12:59:00.000+11:00

Some interesting notes about women with adhd towards the bottom of this article, click the link to read entire article:

Women with the disorder face special challenges, Columbia doctor says

By LINDA H. LAMB llamb@thestate.com

"When Peggy Ashley filled out a medical form for her hyperactive son, the doctor took one look at her messy handwriting and made a gut-level diagnosis." Read more

Press release re Free Online ADD Test

2006-11-12T12:52:00.000+11:00

ADHD Expert Releases Free Online ADD Test
PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
ADHD expert Tellman Knudson is now providing special resources that provide others like himself diagnosed or affected with ADHD the real secrets, tools and ... for more click here

Does modern life exacerbate adhd?

2006-11-11T19:18:00.000+11:00

I've been thinking about this a lot lately - does modern life, parenting and education styles exacerbate adhd? I have come to think that in the past the application of higher levels of external structure on people tended to mask their adhd to a certain extent. If you think about it people with adhd have a low internal locus of control, that is very likely physiological in origin. This means that if parents, school and society impose an external locus of control then many individuals with adhd will pass for 'normal'. Hmmmm, interesting to think about!

Keeping myself sane by planning next holiday

2006-11-11T19:14:00.000+11:00

I know this is not exactly the right thing to spend tonight doing, but I just cannot face my exams next week without knowing I have my holiday planned.

This time I am going to northern Norway. It should be interesting to go that far north & it will certainly be colder than Sydney in February!

Take A Walk To Boost Your Energy

2006-11-05T19:16:00.000+11:00

No more excuses about not exercising, as per this article:

"Take A Walk To Boost Your Energy - MediaIndia 4 Nov 2006

A walk may boost your energy and help fight fatigue if you are feeling tired, suggests a new study. Patrick O'Connor and colleagues at the University of Georgia analysed 70 studies on exercise and fatigue involving more than 6,800 people, reported the online edition of health Magazine WebMD. More than 90 percent of the studies showed the same thing - sedentary people who completed a regular exercise programme reported improvement in fatigue levels compared to groups that did not exercise. "It's a very consistent effect. The results show that regular exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue," said the study published in the Psychological Bulletin. "
Read more here
Source-IANSSRM

Exams next week

2006-11-03T23:27:00.000+11:00

OMG where has the term gone? I've been meaning to open the books & study but now time for exams has arrived & I still have not read them!!!! Looks like a busy weekend cramming for the tests?

Patch new option for treating ADHD

2006-11-03T20:41:00.000+11:00

Patch new option for treating ADHD: "WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- Medication for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can now be delivered through a patch, researchers reported Friday.

The patch, called DAYTRANA, is meant for children 6 to 12. It gives physicians greater control over the amount of time a child is on medication, as it is easily administered and removed, said Dr. Timothy E. Wilens, a consultant to Shire, the company that produced the patch and funded the research."

By Leah Carliner Nov 2, 2006, 20:10 GMT

Click here for more details

ADHD or too many distractions to focus?

2006-10-09T22:14:00.000+10:00

The following is amusing take on the way we sometimes ask kids to focus on too much & then blame adhd...

By Lane Filler (lane.filler@shj.com)
Published October 8, 2006

Quinn, my 5-year old daughter: "Doctor, my father simply has no ability to
focus. I think he has ADHD."

Doctor: "Can you give me an example of
this behavior you call 'unfocused?' "
Quinn: "Last night I was trying to have a serious conversation with him about how badly I need a My Little Pony Gameboy. It's a straightforward issue: I have no My Pretty Little Gameboy, thus my clear need for one. But he couldn't focus. He'd listen for 30 seconds, then say, 'Go wash your hands for dinner.' He'd listen for another 30 seconds, then say, 'When I was your age we played with mulch.' "
to read more click here

The Story of Fidgety Philip - by Heinrich Hoffmann

2006-10-08T15:25:00.000+10:00

This is a very funny poem that I came across that describes the symptoms of adhd in 'Fidgety Philip' very accurately. The poem dates from the 1840's and part of a series of verses for children. The excerpt that follows could easily be a vignette from my own childhood:

"See the naughty, restless child,
Growing still more rude and wild ,
Till his chair falls over quite.
Philip screams with all his might,
Catches at the cloth, but then
That makes matters worse again.
Down upon the ground they fall,
Glasses, bread, knives forks and all.
How Mamma did fret and frown,
When she saw them tumbling down!
And Papa made such a face!
Philip is in sad disgrace."

Herr Hoffman seems to describe a child with adhd is like indeed!

Sound slumber linked to learning

2006-09-30T14:02:00.000+10:00

by PEGGY CURRAN, The Gazette
Published: Sunday, September 24, 2006

"Reut Gruber has a simple, old-fashioned remedy for the modern plugged-in child.

Bring back bedtime. Turn off the TV, put a curfew on the computer, lower the lights and crack open a storybook.

Gruber, a clinical child psychologist and sleep researcher at the Douglas Hospital Centre, isn't surprised when parents complain that their sons and daughters are hyper, fidgeting when they ought to be sleeping, then fractious and disruptive in class the next day.

The poor kids are exhausted."

Click here for full article

I know many people with adhd sleep poorly. When I get more z's I feel a lot better, but it is hard to get to bed when you are feeling all hyper!

Inspiration

2006-09-24T21:34:00.000+10:00

Now that I have some thinking time again I want do some new stuff. So I have been seeking inspiration from various sources. There are 3 areas related to physical activity that I'm going to concentrate on:

1) Learn a new physical skill - now Jacq over at ADHD & Me has been talking about kayaking and has a very nice picture on her blog. This has inspired me to book lessons in kayaking for next month, thanks Jacq :-)

2) Re-commence something I used to like and do - so it is back to weight training again. I even own all the equipment already.

3) Have an adventure - this is inspired by the film "8 Below", so in February next year I am off on another dogsledding vacation (this time in the Arctic).

Now, how to make all this happen?????

Health Canada revises ADHD drug info to warn about agitation, hallucinations

2006-09-24T21:29:00.000+10:00

Health Canada revises ADHD drug info to warn about agitation, hallucinations

"13:06:02 EDT Sep 21, 2006
TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada is revising its prescribing and patient information for all ADHD drugs in Canada because of the 'potential for psychiatric adverse events.'

These have included rare events of agitation and hallucinations in children, spokesman Paul Duchesne said Thursday from Ottawa."

Read more

Tobacco, Lead May Be Missing Link To ADHD, Children

2006-09-24T21:19:00.000+10:00

Research indicates that tobacco & lead may be factors in adhd:

"Study Stresses Importance Of Staying Away From Toxins During Pregnancy

POSTED: 1:58 pm EDT September 22, 2006

UPDATED: 8:05 pm EDT September 22, 2006

NEW YORK -- Millions of children suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They cannot seem to sit still or concentrate on anything for any length of time at home or in school, but a new study may offer new clues into what causes the condition."

for more click:
WRAL.com - Health - Tobacco, Lead May Be Missing Link To ADHD, Children

Lost (not in cyberspace) & Busy

2006-09-24T21:06:00.000+10:00

A few people have wondered where I have gone as it has been a while since my last post. It has been a really busy time for me the past few months. My boss asked my team to deliver a national website & TV campaign in 6 weeks (this usually takes a few months longer) for a client. It was very hard! The project had several creative directors (who all hated each other). Anyway we got it done, launched and survived. The team and me are now catching up on some sleep.

Simultaneously with all of this I had booked in some work on the house, electricians, painters etc. Nothing like doing renovation when you are busy at work ;-)

BUT (because I didn't really have enough stuff to do), just before the project was dumped on us, I had enrolled in a law degree. Which, for adhd'r is a really big call. Of course, several assignments were due throughout the project. That nearly did my head in. There is so much stuff to read (and, as far as I can tell, judges do not know any plain English at all and they have a predilection for snippets of Latin and Old French). I rarely move without my legal dictionary these days. Anyhow had the results back for my first assignment and did OK. We'll see how it goes for the next ones.

Whew! Just writing all of that made me tired. It is not surprising that I have not read anything unrelated to work or school for months now, let alone posting on a blog. But the important thing is that I survived and managed to meet all the obligations. A few years ago I would have failed to deliver on most of this stuff and been having a quiet little breakdown somewhere. The meds have really helped me - went and got my prescription refilled regularly.

Press Release: Struggles persist for adolescent girls with ADHD

2006-06-30T13:50:00.000+10:00

The following item from a recent UC Berkely press release is very interesting. It highlights the onoing problems experienced by girls with ADHD, noting that they display more disorganised or inattentive behaviour than boys. I still think girls are being ignored in this regard.

By Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations 29 June 2006

"BERKELEY – As they enter adolescence, girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show fewer symptoms of hyperactivity. But they continue to lag behind their peers academically and have a greater proclivity for other behavioral and emotional disorders as well as for substance abuse, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.

In a much-anticipated, five-year follow-up study of one of the largest samples of girls with ADHD ever examined, UC Berkeley researchers found not only that difficulties for girls suffering from the disorder persist during their teens, but that insidious new problems can emerge. These findings are published in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

"As girls with ADHD mature into adolescence, on average they don't show as many visible symptoms of the condition, especially the most noticeable form - hyperactive behavior," said the study's lead author, Stephen Hinshaw, who is a UC Berkeley professor of psychology and chair of the psychology department.

"But we can't get fooled into thinking things are fine. Delinquent and depressed behaviors, risk for substance abuse, symptoms of eating disorders, high need for services, difficulties with peers - these problems hit girls with ADHD harder than they did for the comparison group without the condition," he added.

Since 1997, Hinshaw and his team have tracked a racially and socio-economically diverse group of girls with ADHD through summer camps and into adolescence, comparing them with girls who did not meet the criteria for ADHD but were otherwise demographically matched.

The childhood study, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), included a sample of 140 girls with ADHD and 88 without the disorder. The girls were aged six to 12. Together, they attended five-week camps where they were closely monitored as they partook in art and drama classes and outdoor activities. Those taking ADHD medication volunteered to go off the drug treatment for much of the summer camp study. The counselors and staff observing all 228 girls and monitoring their interactions did not know which of them had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Published in 2002 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, the initial study found that girls with ADHD are more likely to struggle academically and to be rejected by their peers, compared to the comparison peer group. Results also suggested that girls are underdiagnosed for the disorder because they are more prone to "inattentive-type" ADHD, which is marked by disorganized and unfocused behavior rather than the disruptive, impulsive conduct seen in boys.

The latest findings show that these problems clearly persist into adolescence. According to five-year follow-ups of 209 of the girls in the study, although the fidgety, impulsive symptoms exhibited during childhood had subsided in many cases, the learning gulf between girls with ADHD and their "normal" peers had remained large in all cases, and had actually widened in math and reading skills. Moreover, in many cases, risky behaviors had surfaced.

"Girls with ADHD have impairments that are not transitory but that persist through adolescence. And they are persisting in areas of function that are really crucial for success in adulthood," Hinshaw said. "They're behind academically and socially. Even if symptoms improve, underlying deficits seem chronic, and we need to do a lot more for early intervention."
For parents coping with difficult teenage ADHD behavior, Hinshaw warned, adolescence can be tricky as they try to strike a balance between encouraging their daughters to stick to their treatment regimen -which may involve medication, family therapy, school supports, or a combination - while supporting their need for autonomy.

"At the very time adolescence is occurring for these kids, demands for independence are increasing exponentially," he said.

For the follow-up study, the researchers spent two half-days with each of the girls as well as with their parents and caregivers, conducting intensive interviews and tests. The girls' classroom teachers also provided information. The objective was to learn how the girls, whose ages ranged between 12 and 17, were doing emotionally, socially and academically. The investigators also measured key cognitive functions such "executive planning skills," which include time-budgeting, adjusting to changes and goal-setting.

Hinshaw said he hopes these new findings will underscore the need for long-lasting professional intervention for children with ADHD and convince families struggling with the disorder that it's a misconception that ADHD is not a "real" condition - and that diagnosis and treatment are crucial.

His research team has won a new NIMH grant for a 10-year follow-up study of the same girls. It is set to begin later this year.

Some of the girls in the study are also participating in a UC Berkeley brain imaging project to pinpoint the source of poor executive function skills, a common component of ADHD.
As many as 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with this developmental and behavioral disorder, which is characterized by poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, aggression and other symptoms that are inappropriate for the child's age. The treatment regimens that have received the greatest research evidence are stimulant medications and various forms of behavior therapy.

Although the news is sobering, many of the girls with ADHD did show improvement across the five-year follow-up interval. A few made substantial recoveries. But on average, problems persisted and new ones emerged, which suggests that careful monitoring and treatment are essential, Hinshaw said.

In addition to Hinshaw, authors of the study are Elizabeth Owens, Nilofar Sami and Samantha Fargeon, all of UC Berkeley's psychology department and Institute of Human Development."

Source: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/06/29_adhd.shtml

Article: Study reveals how attention deficit drugs work (Jun 26, 2006)

2006-06-29T14:19:00.000+10:00

Study reveals how attention deficit drugs work
June 26, 2006 by Paroma Basu

"Although millions depend on medications such as Ritalin to quell symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), scientists have struggled to pinpoint how the drugs work in the brain.

But new work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is now starting to clear up some of the mystery. Writing in the journal Biological Psychiatry, UW-Madison researchers report that ADHD drugs primarily target the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region of the brain that is associated with attention, decision-making and an individual's expression of personality.

The finding could prove invaluable in the search for new ADHD treatments, and comes amidst deep public concern over the widespread abuse of existing ADHD medicines.

"There's been a lot of concern over giving a potentially addictive drug to a child (with ADHD)," says lead author Craig Berridge, a UW-Madison professor of psychology. "But in order to come up with a better drug, we must first know what the existing drugs do."

A behavioral disorder that afflicts both children and adults, ADHD is marked by hyperactivity, impulsivity and an inability to concentrate. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 2 million children in the U.S. suffer from the condition, with between 30 to 70 percent of them continuing to exhibit symptoms in their adult years.

Despite public anxiety over the treatment of a behavioral condition with drugs, doctors have continued to prescribe meds like Adderall, Ritalin and Dexedrine because - quite simply - they work better than anything else.

ADHD drugs fall into a class of medications known as stimulants. ADHD stimulants boost levels of two neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers in the brain, known as dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine is thought to play a role in memory formation and the onset of addictive behaviors, while norepinephrine has been linked with arousal and attentiveness.
Berridge notes that scientists have learned little about how ADHD drugs work because past studies have primarily examined the effects of the medicines at high doses. High-dose stimulants can cause dramatic spikes in neurotransmitter levels in the brain, which can in turn impair attention and heighten the risk of developing addiction.

"It is surprising that no one was looking at low-dose (ADHD) drugs because we know that the drugs are most effective only at low doses," says Berridge. "So we asked the natural question: what are these drugs doing at clinically relevant doses?"

To answer that question, Berridge and his team monitored neurotransmitter levels in three different brain regions thought to be targeted by ADHD drugs: the PFC and two smaller brain areas known as the accumbens which has been linked with processing "rewards," and the medial septum, which has been implicated in arousal and movement.

Working with rats, the researchers conducted laboratory and behavioral tests to ensure that animal drug doses were functionally equivalent to doses prescribed in humans. Then, using a type of brain probe - a process known as microdialysis - the UW-Madison team measured concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine in the three different brain areas, both in the presence and absence of low-dose ADHD stimulants.

Under the influence of ADHD drugs, dopamine and norepinephrine levels increased in the rats' PFC. Levels in the accumbens and medial septum, however, remained much the same, the scientists found.

"Our work provides pretty important information on the importance of targeting the PFC when treating ADHD," says Berridge, "In particular it tells us that if we want to produce new ADHD drugs, we need to target [neurotransmitter] transmission in the PFC."

In the future, Berridge and his colleagues plan to look deeper within the PFC to gain more detailed insights into how ADHD medicines act on nerves to enhance cognitive ability.
Other contributors to the study include UW-Madison co-authors David Devilbiss, Matthew Andrzejewski, Ann Kelley, Brooke Schmeichel, Christina Hamilton and Robert Spencer, and Yale Medical School researcher Amy Arnsten. "

Source: University of Wisconsin - Madison News

Article: More poor on ADHD drugs

2006-06-17T11:34:00.000+10:00

A recent article in the Border Mail newspaper notes that there is a socio-economic element to prescription of drugs for adhd:

"POORER children are more likely to be prescribed drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because they can’t access alternative treatments, the Australian Medical Association says.

Medicare figures show kids in lower socio-economic areas of NSW are up to 10 times more likely to be put on ADHD drugs than those in affluent areas.

Scrips for the two major ADHD drugs available on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme were issued at a rate of one for every 25 children under 14 in poor areas.

AMA vice-president and child psychiatrist Dr Choong-Siew Yong said the trend was likely to be true for Australia as a whole.

It was not surprising given that families in poorer areas generally presented with more problems than in affluent areas, Dr Yong said.

But he said it was also likely that poorer children were not accessing the non-medication treatments recommended before they’re prescribed ADHD drugs dexamphetamines and methylphenidate, marketed as Ritalin.

These alternatives include individual and family group counselling, behavioural management strategies, school support and treatment for other conditions like depression and anxiety."

Aspie Quiz

2006-06-17T11:25:00.000+10:00

Just did the Aspie Quiz and my results were:

"Your Aspie score: 151 of 200
Your Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 74 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

Your dyslexia / dyscalculia score: 144 of 200
You likely have dyslexia and/or dyscalculia

Your nonverbal IQ-test score: 6 of 18"

Recent ADHD News

2006-06-10T11:13:00.000+10:00

Prisoners successfully exercise their brains
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
PRISONERS have been successfully treated for the first time with a revolutionary 'cure' for dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a ..."

Premature Babies Much More Likely To Have ADHD
Medical News Today - UK
Danish researchers have found that premature babies are 70% more likely to become children with ADHD if they are born at 34-36 weeks. ...

Article re Susan Greenfield's less than helpful comments

2006-05-28T16:11:00.000+10:00

The article below from Guardian Unlimited Education from the UK notes some recent comments by Susan Greenfield. She advocates limiting use of drugs to treat adhd in children - a noble cause. But she also comments that adhd may be simply caused by overuse by kids of electronic media. From such a well educated woman this type of comment seems to ignore the significant amounts of research that indicate adhd as a neurochemical disorder with complex genetic and psycho-social origins. One would think that at this stage of our knowledge of adhd the prudent scientist would merely say that we know that this is a disorder with complex interplay of genetics and psycho-social factors and that further research into the impact of electronic media and computers is warranted before any definitive statements are made. But that's just me prudent Pru!

The article follows below in full (sometimes the site delete old articles so I've reproduced it in full & attributed fully):

Greenfield: IT culture is changing children's brains
Donald MacLeod
Thursday April 20, 2006

Guardian Unlimited

Children are spending so much time watching electronic media that it is changing the way they think, Baroness Susan Greenfield, neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, told the House of Lords today.

She also warned of the dangers of "medicating the classroom" with drugs such as Ritalin.

The crossbench peer, who is director of Oxford University's Institute for the Future of the Mind, urged the government to investigate the effects of new developments in IT and mind-altering drugs rather than "stumbling" into new technologies.

She said a recent survey of eight to 18-year-olds claimed that children were now spending on average 6.5 hours a day using electronic media, and asked what impact this screen and multimedia culture would have on thinking and learning.

A recent study found that 92% of nine to 19-year-olds have accessed the internet from a computer at home or school. But 30% have received no lessons at all on using the internet and only 33% of regular internet users have been taught how to judge the reliability of online information.

"Perhaps the increase in the prevalence of hyperactivity might be explained by sustained exposure to an unsupervised IT environment, where only short attention spans were needed," said Baroness Greenfield.

She added: "I am not proposing that we become IT-Luddites, but rather that we could be stumbling into a powerful technology, the impact of which we understand poorly at the moment."

Baroness Greenfield said there was a "growing scandal developing under our very noses as technologies such as cognition-enhancing drugs, mind-changing software and electronic devices that interact with brain and mind are being applied to our children with insufficient thought and regulation.

"There is no doubt that with an understanding of how learning occurs, some wonderful technologies exist to help us to realize our full potential, but applying the technologies in inappropriate or thoughtless ways may be changing the very way in which our children think," she added.

She said there was an "appalling overuse" of Ritalin to drug school children diagnosed with alleged behavioural problems. "We should give more thought to changing the shape of our classrooms to fit our children, rather than trying to medicate our children to fit them," she said.

Baroness Greenfield also pointed out that the "much-discussed abuse of proscribed drugs, in particular cannabis ... might well change attention spans and cognitive abilities without ever becoming apparent as a medical problem."

She urged the government to involve the public in a widespread debate about what was needed in a 21st century education system.

"The human brain is exquisitely sensitive to any and every event: we cannot complacently take it as an article of faith that it will remain inviolate, and that consequently human nature and ways of learning and thinking will remain constant."

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1757811,00.html

Article: Genetics of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

2006-05-28T14:40:00.000+10:00

Interesting article dating from 2005 (reproduced from Genetics and Health) follows below. The article highlights again the complex interactions of genetics, environment, and other factors in diseases such as adhd.

"Genetics of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
By Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD

The controversial use of Ritalin in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has brought the disorder into the public’s consciousness. Anyone who has ever dealt with children for longer than a few minutes knows that they all exhibit classic behaviors of ADHD - inability to sit still, concentrate, or control their behavior. The difference is that these behaviors are developmentally appropriate for toddlers and pre-school kids, but not for older children and adults.

It’s estimated that 3-4% of children and 1% of adults are affected by ADHD. In addition to the symptoms I mentioned above, children and adults with ADHD are also at increased risk of psychiatric disorders, including drug and alcohol abuse, antisocial behaviour, anxiety, depression, and general and specific learning difficulties.

ADHD tends to run in families - having a mother, father, or sibling with ADHD increases a person’s risk of ADHD four- to eight-fold. Clustering of ADHD in families suggests that genes are most likely involved. Here are some of the candidate genes that have been idenfied so far:

* dopamine D4 receptor gene

* dopamine transporter gene (DAT1)

* dopamine D5 receptor gene

* synaptosomal-associated protein gene (SNAP-25)

* dopamine {alpha}-hydroxylase gene

* serotonin 1B receptor gene

* serotonin transporter gene

* ß4-nicotinic receptor subunit gene

* noradrenergic transporter gene

* brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene

* chromosome regions 5p13, 6q12, 16p13 and 17p11

It’s not just genes, of course, that contribute to someone’s risk of developing ADHD. Environmental exposures are also important:

* Prematurity

* Low birth weight

* Pregnancy and/or birth complications

* Mother’s use of alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy

* Early and severe parental neglect

* Receving adequate emotional care and warmth

* Inconsistent parenting

* Parental divorce

* Family conflict

* Early institutional rearing

* Closed head trauma

* Exposure to lead

Neither genes nor environment act alone. For example, children exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy AND had the genetic variation of DAT1 associated with ADHD were more likely to exhibit hyperactivity-impulsitivity and oppositional behaviour. And, sometimes genes only seem to have an effect in the presence of environmental exposures, i.e., DAT1 is associated with ADHD only in children whose mothers had drunk alcohol during pregnancy.

Like other neuropsychological disorders, such as autism, ADHD is a complex disease that has a wide range of symptoms and severity. Understanding the genes that come into play will help focus research, diagnosis, and treatment.

~The British Journal of Psychiatry (2005), 187:103-105"

Joined a gym - gotta get fit

2006-05-28T14:05:00.000+10:00

Just joined a local gym - after 2 years off it is time to get fit again. It has been 12 months since my surgery, so I no longer have any physical excuse. It is just a matter of getting into a routine and living through the first few weeks (I know that the first few weeks feel really bad). I know it is good for adhd to get regular physical activity - I just need to focus (hahahaha).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Debate in Western Australia

2006-04-29T13:16:00.000+10:00

Following is an excerpt from a radio program transcript on ABC Radio Australia, Saturday 19 June 2004. The interviewer Natasha Mitchell is talking with Dr David Hay, an adhd researcher from Curtin University in Western Australia, who heads up the Australian Twin ADHD study.

The really interesting thing here is Dr Hay's research, which indicates a strong genetic component to adhd.

"Professor Hay runs one of the world's largest twin studies into ADHD and his results suggest that the disorder has a strong genetic or biological basis. And his team is recognised for confirming that ADHD in fact exists on a continuum.

David Hay: All of us are sometimes inattentive, all of us are sometimes fidgety, but it's the person who is so inattentive, who is so hyperactive that it messes up their life at home, at school, at work, with peer relationships. That's what makes up ADHD and that's what we mean by a 'continuum', we're making a decision. We have to say, someone who's got this range of symptoms, we have to give them a label and have to give them help.

Natasha Mitchell: Well there's considerable debate about the line in the sand and we can come to that in a moment, but what is the genetic contribution to that line in the sand?

David Hay: It's very strong. One thing we've gone on to do in the last few years is to actually identify that there are generally distinct types of ADHD.

Many of your listeners will think of ADHD as being the hyperactive kid, because that's what you see on television; it makes a good story. But in fact the child who's purely hyperactive and impulsive is the rarest type of ADHD. The more common type is the child who's got the hyperactive impulsive symptoms and inattention. And the most common type is the inattentive type, and we've shown in fact that these represent three distinct genetic groupings and that's an important observation itself, it gives some backing to the diagnostic system we make. But the genetic component is very strong, I mean I've worked in behaviour genetics for something like 30 years and I've never come across any behaviour that's as genetic as ADHD. And the genes are where we would expect them to be. ADHD and the stimulant medication affects a chemical in the brain called dopamine and we now have four or five genes which are replicated in many studies throughout the world which affect ADHD. So we've got a large genetic component and we've honed in on some specific genes."
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/mind/stories/s1132023.htm

ADHD in Children and Adults - The Health Report: 9 May 2005

2006-04-29T11:22:00.000+10:00

The Health Report: 9 May 2005 - ADHD in Children and Adults

This radio transcript has a really interesting discussion with several Australian adhd specialists - the most interesting messages were that:

a multi-modal treatment approach works best (i.e. medication plus behavioural intervention). Which has been my argument for many years!
adhd may be under-diagnosed as medical professionals are not educated about it
genetic predispositions to adhd are not understood very well as yet

"There's been a very large American study, the multi model treatment study, which when it first came out caused real shock cause they found that well maintained medication was more effective than not just behavioural intervention but behavioural intervention plus medication and this had enormous impact. But three years down the track it's now clear that behavioural intervention does help as well but very, very expensive behavioural intervention, they had summer camps, they had parent training programs, they'd teach your assistance a whole range of things."
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s1360262.htm

Oops - forgot to go to family lunch!

2006-04-29T11:05:00.000+10:00

Had an adhd moment the other day and forgot to go to a family lunch on ANZAC day. In very bad books with family at moment. But I forgot to write it down when they phoned and consequently it went right out of my head. I did apologise, but unfortunately the host was one of my non-adhd in-laws :-( If only it had been one of my side of the family hosting all would have been well, as they are all forgetful like me.

Personal DNA Quiz

2006-04-22T11:27:00.000+10:00

Took this quiz again and came out as:

Advocating Leader

My Personal Dna Report

Back from the Frozen North

2006-04-14T14:18:00.000+10:00

I recently spent a month visiting eastern Canada - Ontario and Quebec. It was my first time in the snow and it was fabulous. I hired a 4WD and went skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling - it was great fun. Canadians are really nice - it makes you want to go back there again (& they are really polite too). They've also got some spectacular scenery. Quebec is definitely a great place for snow mobiling - thousands of kilometres of trails. Canadians seem to me to be more similar to Australians than Americans. Dog sledding is a hoot too. The dogs were adorable, just like in that moveie "8 Below". The temperatures ranged from 0 degrees celsius to about -24 degrees celsius. Thanks to my trusty warm weather gear I was toasty.

Getting Things Done - How?

2006-04-14T14:13:00.000+10:00

Have been reading a lot of stuff on Getting Things Done (a.k.a. GTD) - not sure how I can move myself beyond just reading about it though. Tomorrow I will go to the office furniture shop to buy some shelves. My Easter weekend task is to tidy up and organise my study. I want to be able to find things when I need them. Hoping the GTD way will help.

What to do now?

2006-04-14T14:03:00.000+10:00

Dropped out of my linguistics course - it was too dull. Now I'm pondering what to do next? Perhaps hypnotherapy? Need to do something so I don't just watch TV all the time. Stopped taking my meds too. Not really causing a problem (yet). Time will tell I suppose.

Getting Organised - the GTD approach

2006-01-16T12:55:00.000+11:00

On How to Save the World, which is Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays blog he has a great entry from December 23, 2004 on : "GETTING THINGS DONE: BREAKING PROJECTS DOWN INTO SHORT TASKS"

He includes a fabulous flow chart to help you - it is really worth checking out!

You can click this link to see the flow chart on Dave's page here

Photo from work Xmas party in Sydney

2006-01-10T11:05:00.000+11:00

This is a photo from my recent work Xmas party, which was held down beside Sydney Harbour. It is easy to see why Sydney is such a great place to live. It was a warm night and we all had great fun.

ADDF - Attention Deficit Disorder Forums

2006-01-07T23:08:00.000+11:00

This site is worth checking our for people with adhd or those who have to live with them ...

Attention Deficit Disorder Forums

ADHD blog template changes

2006-01-03T19:23:00.000+11:00

I keep fooling around with my blog template - just cannot seem to find a template that 'feels right'. The left side navigation is where I'm at right now. Not sure about the colours and layout tho'.

ADHD and Driving

2006-01-03T19:05:00.000+11:00

It is my personal belief that no person with adhd should be allowed to drive any car except an automatic. This is based on my personal experience driving both manual (stick shift) and automatic vehicles. There is just too much stuff to pay attention to in the car as well as futzing about changing gears!

"March 08, 2005
ADHD and Driving
Spring is the time many parents will begin to teach their teens to drive. (Although it sure doesn't seem much like spring in my part of the country!) But those with ADHD are more likely to have crashes and receive more tickets than their non-ADD counterparts, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Knowing the obstacles to safe driving ahead of time might help you to mold a more responsible driver. "

Article: How I cured adult ADHD by Mike S. Adams

2006-01-01T19:38:00.000+11:00

This is a really interesting take on ADHD and goes to support my view that cognitive behavioural approaches can assist. Although I do not agree with Mike's extreme views on the nature of ADHD. I think that we will see a growth in neuroscientific evidence for ADHD and similar syndromes in future. But still this is an interesting perspective, perhaps we should use punishment in general as a training tool (even though we don't use this approach for dogs anymore, maybe humans are different to dogs)?

By Mike S. Adams, Sep 7, 2005

"One of the toughest things about being a teacher is dealing with all the latest ?syndromes? in our culture of victimization. Whenever a real problem like racism diminishes, there is always someone willing to redefine the problem to help maintain the population of ?disadvantaged? Americans. This is usually followed by the invention of a new problem that actually increases the population of ?disadvantaged? Americans. Consequently, victimization has become a growth industry that supplies more jobs for social workers despite their increasing irrelevance in relation to the real problems of modern society.

Often those fictional problems take the form of ?disorders? like adult ADHD. I always know which of my students have been told that they suffer from adult ADHD. They are often late and sometimes leave class early to go potty, unlike most students who go potty before class begins. They blurt out the answers to my questions constantly ? always without the courtesy of a raised hand. And, usually, they fall asleep in class (probably from exhaustion) after the fifteenth or twentieth interruption. Later, they are awakened by the cell phone they forgot to turn off before arriving in class.

After being diagnosed with ADHD, two things usually happen to the newly ?disadvantaged? student. First, a psychologist tells the victim that he cannot pay attention nor control various impulses. Next, he is given a dosage of drugs. Neither one of these responses actually works. In fact, telling him that he cannot pay attention ? rather than that he simply does not pay attention ? usually reinforces the problem. The drugs don?t work because, again, the disorder is fictional.

But, fortunately, I have discovered a cure for students with this so-called disorder, which I am now sharing (free of charge, mind you) with my readers. Here?s how it works.

At the beginning of the semester I lay out a few ground rules with my students. For example, they are not to bring cell phones into my class. They are also forbidden from walking into class after the lecture has started. But I don?t just tell students not to do these things. I also make them sign an agreement (on the first day of class) that they will not do these things under penalty of writing a research paper if they break the promise.

The first student to ever violate the agreement was named Chris. After he walked into my class very late one day, then interrupted it approximately fifteen times by shouting out the (usually wrong) answer to a question, then fell asleep in class, then woke up and went potty (thankfully in the restroom, not in his seat), I sent him the following letter:

Chris: Your research paper this semester will take the form of an interview of either:
a) A teacher, or b) A psychologist.
If you choose "A," you will be asked to conduct an interview on how the teacher?s job is made more difficult when students 1) come to class late 2) sleep in class 3) interrupt the lecture by blurting out answers without a raised hand, and 4) get up and walk out in the middle of a lecture to go to the restroom.

If you choose "B," you will be asked to conduct an interview on the causes of the following behaviors: 1) coming to class late 2) sleeping in class 3) interrupting the lecture by blurting out answers without a raised hand, and 4) getting up and walking out in the middle of a lecture to go to the restroom.

Whether you choose "A" or "B," the paper must be, at present, one page long. It is due with your final exam. Between now and then, one more page will be added to the length of the paper, each time you 1) come to class late 2) sleep in class 3) interrupt the lecture by blurting out answers without a raised hand or 4) walk out of class during the lecture to go to the restroom.

If a medical condition is responsible for any of these behaviors, reasonable allowances will be made.
Dr. Mike S. Adams

Of course, Chris did write back to say that a medical condition ? adult ADHD -was responsible for his behavior. But I quickly informed him that his condition was a fiction and that the behavior was fully under his control. Thus, the assignment stood.

Chris made the choice to cooperate. And, wouldn?t you know it, every one of the disruptive behaviors he exhibited disappeared the very next class period. Of course, he made that choice simply because it was easier than writing a 600 page research paper to cover the projected pace of about 600 interruptions he had set during the first few classes.

Psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and social workers around the world will surely be angry with this present column ? largely because it provides a rather simple solution to a rather simple problem. They will no doubt also be angry over my seemingly calloused attitude towards those who suffer from adult ADHD. But I choose not to pay attention to them ? remember, paying attention is a choice for adults ? until they answer a few simple questions. For example:

Why did my solution work so immediately and so effectively after, presumably, years of therapy and drug prescriptions failed?

Will you continue to use the term ?irresistible impulse? to describe what is obviously merely an impulse not resisted?

Are you at all concerned that other fictional disorders will be exposed by other equally simple experiments?

How can one be a part of a helping profession, if he does not, first and foremost, help people to help themselves?

And, finally, what will happen if you ever win your war upon free will? Will you protect people from the prospect of failure? Or will you deprive people of the prospect of success?"

Mike S. Adams (http://www.dradams.org/) will speak at Ohio University in Athens, OH, on October 5th. After the speech, he will answer the questions of those who raise their hands.

Find this story here

Hottest day in Sydney since 1939

2006-01-01T18:45:00.000+11:00

It was 44 degrees C (that's 111 degrees F) in Sydney today - that is a very hot day. Wish we had air conditioning! It is still 44° C now at 6.50 pm, no relief in sight until a southerly change sometime tonight. Really looking forward to going to Canada next month now - at least it wont be too hot there.

All the spiders are coming out and hanging down to try & cool down (some are dying from the heat). I did not realise we had so many spiders inside our house!

Large bushfires are threatening homes on the Central Coast north of Sydney, with the main freeway and rail lines between Sydney and Newcastle closed.

Myomancy: The Business of ADHD

2006-01-01T16:00:00.000+11:00

A good post here about the influence of big business on ADHD at Myomancy:

"The Business of ADHD Drug companies make lots of money from ADHD. This is not news but it is worth keeping an eye on what the drug companies are up to. Pharmaceutical Business Review has a good article on the general state of the ADHD medication market which includes this titbit:

'Most drugs prescribed in the EU are genericized and are very cheap; in fact high-priced Adderall XR (Shire Pharmaceuticals) is not available in the EU or Japan and there are no drugs promoted at all for ADHD in Italy'.

If Italy can survive without masses of ADHD drugs you must ask why their schools are not overwhelmed by hoards of uncontrollable hyperactive kids? Maybe its because the drugs, over the long-term, make no difference or even make the problem worse?

In Business Week they have a short piece on New River Pharmaceuticals and their new drug NRP104 for ADHD. New River claim it is 'a safer, abuse resistant and effective alternative to current amphetamine-based therapies' but then they are hardly likely to say its a more dangerous, less effective treatment are they?

December 29, 2005"

Some new ADD blogs added to my blogroll links

2006-01-01T14:31:00.000+11:00

Some more adult ADD sites to keep an eye on:

Adult ADD Help

Lost Time: Adult ADD

One of the things I'm trying to do is collate a set of useful & (mostly) non-commercial ADD related blogs. It's great to find new ones! One thing I have noticed is that ADD maintained blogs tend to be a little sporadic in their updating (to be expected really ;-)

Happy New Year - 2006

2006-01-01T14:16:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year to all - as the Vulcans say, may you "live long and prosper"!

Dropped out of university - changing direction

2005-12-31T14:11:00.000+11:00

Well I finally admitted to myself that I hated studying linguistics at uni & dropped out. Could not keep paying money to study something I don't enjoy. Instead, I'll take a few months off (going on holiday to Canada for a month) and then redirect my studies in a new direction. There is a bit off a crossroads ahead for me: will I study something directly related to my current job - such as postgraduate law - or will I study something that is a personal interest but might not directly relate to my current job - such as hypnotherapy? Decisions, decisions - I think I'll relax over my vacation and make the decisions when I
get back.

what was I thinking?

2005-12-18T12:16:00.000+11:00

I must have been mad to enrol for linguistics! It is dull, dull, dull. Did I mention it is dull? I already know I need high engagement & exciting courses. So what did I enrol in ? A course that is dull, dry, stultifying. Well I've dropped out now and not before time. I'm going to lay off study for a while & see how I feel next year.

Not sure about university any more

2005-11-05T22:49:00.000+11:00

I'm in the first year of a masters degree in linguistics and I don't think that this is the right course for me. Linguistics is taking me away from my real interest - which is corporate communication and behaviour. Maybe I need to change courses?

Starting over ...

2005-11-05T22:42:00.000+11:00

Well it looks like I'll be starting over from scratch with this blog since I've lost my old posts and cannot seem to re-load from archive.

Trying to be philosophical about it. It is really a chance to do something new.

Blog crisis - lost posts ...

2005-10-30T15:20:00.000+11:00

technology: sometimes it's your friend ...

maybe it is a sign to just start again?

ADHD Medication Fact Sheet - Stimulant Medications

2005-10-08T11:11:00.000+10:00

A useful overview of the major medications available on about .com (NB: product names may differ between countries):

ADHD Medication Fact Sheet - Stimulant Medications