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Conquering the Stigma
Depending on a person's particular circumstances, speaking up about having AD/HD can be difficult and downright scary. The immense misinformation and lack of understanding about AD/HD leaves many of us living quietly dissatisfied and unhappy. As a child I can remember feeling too afraid or embarrassed to ask for extra help on school assignments. Even through college I continued to fall short of the success I truly desired because I didn't ask for help. When I entered the work force, I realized very quickly that I was working much harder and longer than many of my co-workers just to survive! I struggled with things that seemed to come intuitively to others. Many of my issues revolved around such details as keeping track of records and contact information, not calling people back on time, arriving to work late, or taking lunch and coffee breaks at inappropriate times. Alone, these issues can easily be managed, but when compounded, they can cause great difficulty. I was caught in a frustrating cycle of failures, hanging on to and reliving each one as part of some self-destructive daily affirmation.
For me, seeking help from a psychiatrist initially and later working with a professional coach was what I needed to pull me out of the cycle of chaos that I was experiencing. I had stop worrying about what people might think and start worrying about how I was living. I believe that many people are hesitant to address their AD/HD for fear of scrutiny and humiliation. However, a new day of understanding has dawned!
"Increased public awareness of adult AD/HD is essential in encouraging self-identification and diagnosis. Awareness also helps reduce stigma so that people are not hesitant to get the appropriate help they need for the management of their symptoms to improve the quality of their lives," says Michele Novotni, PhD, chief executive officer of ADDA.
With the inauguration of Res. 370, a resolution has been passed designating September 7, 2004, as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day. This day is very important to the AD/HD community for a number of reasons. Most importantly, this day promotes open discussion among both the AD/HD and non-AD/HD community and further validates this disorder as a real issue that deserves everybody's attention!
 Read the entire resolution
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Life in Balance
-Remembering the Little Things
Balance is the art of distributing your energy carefully throughout the areas of life. For people with ADD, this can be quite a challenge! Here are a few ideas for establishing and keeping balance:
First, it is important to reflect a bit on where you energy is currently being used. Does it leave you feeling in control? Does it leave you with energy to spend on your personal goals? If not, then think for a moment about where your energy is most valuable and what you get in return for your time. One way to free up time for yourself is to streamline the small things you are responsible for.
If you find that you frequently forget to do small routine things around the house, or at work, it is worth the time to build in a routine of daily maintenance. For example, if you have several small things to do in the morning before you leave for work, you might want to design a cycle of movement: If you prepare your coffee maker the night before, in the morning you just hit the "on" button, and while it is brewing you can get a few small regular tasks out of the way? put a wash load into the dryer, feed pet, water plants, pack a lunch and then sit quietly and enjoy coffee. By doing this you can get many small items out of your way (and off of your mind!) for the whole day!
You won't have to wonder if you remembered to feed your pet, or when you will have time to water the plants. They are built in little routines that "catch" the little things that add up! Those of you working on the home environment section of The ADD Audio Coach already know the advantage of linking and streamlining tasks (like vital objects / mail / recyclables, etc.!) You can do this with just about any task you have to remember on a regular basis. Voila! From one step to the next, these items are taken care of and you will have more time to spend on the things you enjoy!
We love hearing your ideas! If you have discovered any great tricks/routines, take a moment to share them! Check out the new message forum on the LifeLifters website and drop us a line!
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Adult AD/HD Survey
A newly released online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ADDA and Lilly provides us with some interested data. This survey was conducted from April 27 through May 3, 2004. The survey population consisted of 503 adults aged 25 to 65 years old who are diagnosed as living with AD/HD.
What was the General finding?
(71 percent) wish they had received better treatment. (55 percent) of those adults diagnosed with but not treated for AD/HD as children regret not having treatment.
What happens When AD/HD is left untreated?
(77 percent) with AD/HD reported that the condition has affected their ability to initiate and maintain romantic relationships. As well as their ability to follow through on things (85 percent), attain educational achievement (64 percent), succeed in the workplace (64 percent) and handle stress (64 percent).
Does the quality of life improve after diagnosis and treatment?
(57 percent) of adults with AD/HD surveyed also said their life has improved since being diagnosed.The majority of those who perceived improvements after being diagnosed felt relief in knowing what had been holding them back (75 percent) and felt better about themselves in general (63 percent).
Self-test for adult AD/HD
ADDA and Lilly are both working very hard to promote awareness, diagnosis and treatment for AD/HD. They have combined their efforts with the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a self-test, Adult AD/HD Self Report Scale (ASRS v. 1.1), for adults who suspect they are living with AD/HD. This test is not a definitive tool by any means. It?s intent is to determine the possibility of existing adult AD/HD and advise on the need for a more comprehensive assessment from a trained and qualified professional.
Take the self-test(ASRS)
Read the complete survey
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