When I was diagnosed in 1991, ADHD was a relatively new phenomenon. My mother was a speech pathologist, so she had some knowledge of ADHD. But all of her experience centered around little boys. My younger brother was extremely impulsive and physically hyperactive, so my mother began to suspect that he needed an evaluation. When […]
Category Archives: ADHD
5 Lies I Tell Myself About My ADHD
There are roughly 8 million adults in the US living with ADHD. Less than 20% of those who meet the criteria have been diagnosed, and even less seek help. Source Unfortunately, living in denial prevents some people from realizing that life can actually get better. I lived this way for a long time, so I […]
All The Best Highlights From The Annual International Conference On ADHD
I stood in line trying not to stare. In front of me, a woman was talking to one of my personal idols. Luckily my heart was pounding hard enough that I could not hear what she was saying. So I walked up to Terry Matlen, introduced myself, and told her how happy I was […]
Why We Have Cognitive Distortions And How To Make It Better
My husband and I were sitting together listening to the list of infractions our son had committed in his first grade classroom. Behaviorally, my son was not doing well. Academically, he was doing quite well. As the kindly school administrator continued to talk my mind raced, “He is going to get moved to a special […]
Your Guide To Executive Functions: Action
One of the hallmark symptoms of ADHD in both adults and children is impulsivity. Acting and speaking impulsively can cause some problems in your life. The older you get, the more the world expects you to self-regulate. In the book, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Dr. Russell Barkley describes ADHD as a 3-pronged problem including […]
Your Guide to Executive Functions: Memory
Not to get too deep, but memories are what make us human. Visualizing the past and future and predicting outcomes is what separates us from our pets. Think about the last thing you ate. Can you remember what it was? Who was around? Did it taste good? If you are anything like me you have […]
Your To Guide Executive Functions: Emotion
Managing emotions with ADHD has been a major topic of conversation in our private group. Many of us struggle to handle anger, frustration, insecurity and a variety of other emotional and mental health issues. ADHD doesn’t usually travel alone. Being a woman and a mother in the age of The Real Housewives, and expecting […]
Your Guide To Executive Functions: Focus
In the last post, we discussed the difficulty for ADHD when it comes to activating ourselves to action. Or as I say, “getting started.” And we looked at the work of Dr. Thomas Brown for reference. For so many of us, getting started is just the first hurdle we must overcome in order to get […]
Your Guide To Executive Functions: Activation
Executive functions are the cognitive management system of the brain. This entire management system is impaired when someone is living with ADHD. Source For the purposes of this series, I will be using the model designed by Dr. Thomas Brown. You can find his website HERE. Executive functions are a weekly topic of […]
Big Changes Start With Tiny Habits
“Forget big change, start with a tiny habit.” -BJ Fogg, PhD Habits are unconscious, and habits are what get us through the day, whether we like it or not. But habit formation, which is essentially behavior change, is so much bigger and harder than I ever imagined. In his Ted Talk, Stanford researcher BJ Fogg, […]
