I had just completed my 45-minutes of punishment on the treadmill when my wife asked me how my workout was going. “About like a root canal, full of pain, but unlike a dental procedure where the pain is focused on your mouth, I pretty much hurt all over. “ I had to do my resistance training next, so it was like a double tooth procedure. I love the benefits that I get AFTER I finish exercising, including improved brain health, more energy, more focus, and likely better physical conditioning. But getting through the actual workout is a pain. Here are some ways I have managed to continue the routine since 1995.

1) Likely you had some 120 lb gym teacher in grade 9 tell you how wonderful it is to exercise. Well, we know that is a load of ………….. Basically this set you up for failure. If they had just said that it was a horrible procedure that humans need to do for their overall health and to improve brain functioning, better outcome at school, better sex, well then, perhaps we would be motivated to exercise daily. Stop lying to us gym teachers, health club experts, and anyone else pushing fitness. We know the truth. Accepting that exercise was not fun, was the key for me to work at it daily.

2) Use a heart-rate monitor and get a program. The heart-rate monitor helps me understand what effort I need to put out to get the desired benefit. Helps me see daily changes, improvements, and provides me with that structure I need.

3) Vary your program. I use www.goaltracker.ca that sends me my exercise tasks daily. I take Tuesday’s and Saturday’s off to recover, but on other days, every morning at 6:00 a.m. I’m told what to do through emails that I have scheduled to arrive. Some days my target heart rate is 140 bpm for 30 minutes, others 120 for 45 minutes and twice a week 160+ for 20-30 minutes. (Make sure you get an expert tell you your targets after a fitness evaluation before you get started as I did). Emails remind me to exercise daily.

4) Do resistance and stretching as well.

5) Reward yourself for doing the exercise. For me, it is a glass of chocolate milk and peanut butter on one or two pieces of multigrain bread. I absolutely love thinking of that reward as the pain of exercising wants me to quit.

6) Notice the brain health benefits. With ADHD, you need to document the positive change, or at least notice it as another benefit to the exercise.

7) Do not focus on weight loss. It is about getting healthy and having more energy. That’s it.

Get started on your exercise program today. Talk to a fitness evaluator, get a program and get ready to feel the pain, then the great benefits. It should be a vital tool in your ADHD strategy tool box.

If you watch a successful professional or business owner diagnosed with ADHD for a while, you may think they are just jumping from task to task, idea to idea. It can be hard to follow. One minute they are working on this project, the next minute something else. They appear to you, to be distracted and unfocused.

If you watch them every day, however, you will notice that they continue to jump from one goal or area to the next, BUT THEY ARE THE SAME AREAS OR GOALS. Distracted Focus, as I define it, is the ability to move from one goal or area of work to the next, to gain the most efficiency from levels of concentration and to maintain interest. Doing the same task over and over again can be very boring for someone with ADHD. Part of harnessing the energy is to use this new strategy.

Let us assume for a moment that you have defined 3 work place goals to accomplish one month from now. Let us also assume that using a tool such as www.goaltracker.ca you have broken those goals down to specific tasks you need to do daily, with the poorest level of focus that will still allow you to perform the task at an exceptional level. You start working on a report that needs to be completed in two days, but 20 minutes into it realize that your focus level is getting much worse, to the point where it is painful to continue, and the work quality is beginning to suffer. You then review tasks and notice that you are to brainstorm creative solutions to a new web design task that your current (distracted) focus level will allow. You work at that task 40 minutes, and then go for a 10-minute walk. When you return your focus level is better, but still not good enough to continue working on the report, so you move to join a meeting with colleagues to plan another assignment. Within the two-hour time slot, you have moved around to three different tasks linked to three different goals, but you have performed exceptionally at them.

Now, if you do not have ADHD, you may think that this is a typical day for most in any office anywhere in Canada. What is different for the person with ADHD is that they are guiding their actions based on focus levels and interest that they are constantly monitoring and matching to the tasks. Within the time frame required to accomplish the goals and by using the Distracted Focus technique outstanding performance and achievement are realized.

It takes practice, training, and use of software tools to properly learn to use the Distracted Focus technique. To an outsider who may not understand ADHD it may appear to be an exercise in “jumping from one task to the next without completing anything” (I have read many school reports with this comment for ADHD children). Little do they know the outstanding performance and work product that will prevail if just allowed to use this strategy.

Working for someone else and having ADHD can be a challenge. If you also have oppositional behaviour (find yourself disagreeing with superiors on most issues and verbalizing it) you may find yourself starting or running your own business out of necessity. Some managers do not like being challenged at every step of the way, even if your suggestions make more sense. The boredom of working for someone else can also lead an adult with ADHD to start their own business. If you fit this profile, here are some strategies to help you achieve your success.

1) If you have a child with ADHD, start teaching them business principals at an early age. It could mean helping them with a small lawn cutting business, service business, or even joining an organization like Junior Achievement.

2) As an adult in business, clearly focus on your short-term and long-term goals. What do you need to do today to help you achieve those goals?

3) Contract out the work you do not do well. For me, it is all the paperwork and detail necessary to run a business. Having a partner who is great at the skills you lack, bookkeeper or accountant is extremely valuable.

4) Learn the implementation rules. (My term) You likely think you have a great business idea every day or minute. So what. The key point is how will the idea be implemented, what are you going to do about it? Remember 9 out of 10 times a business idea is likely not going to make it. Use models such as the “minimal viable product” strategy located in the book “The Lean Startup,” by Eric Reis that will help you put a process in place and teach you how to test your ideas.

5) Stay focused. While having ADHD can make this strategy challenging, we do know that it takes many years to develop expertise in any given area. (from 10-20 years to be an expert) If your small business or professional practice is taking care of your family, and you are making even a small profit, you may want to stick it out for the time it takes to finally hit your “sweet spot.”

6) Get supports. Remember the negative self-esteem often associated with ADHD can drag you down and stop you from starting the successful small business you deserve to have. Be around those that support you and believe in your potential for success. Dump those who want you to fail.

7) Learn strategies to deal with banks. Banks and Credit Unions want one thing, to make a profit on you. When negotiating with banks, look at what is available for small business loans or government programs. Educate yourself and shop all loans. They love you one minute, hate you the next, want to give you money when you do not need it and are not there when you do. Accept that as realty. They are not your friend. Work with at least 3 different banks at all times.

You are likely aware of the stigma that goes along with the diagnosis of ADHD. Many do not understand that there are many types of the condition, not all result in hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour for example. On the website www.trackadhd.com, we asked the poll question regarding “stigma” and as many as 70% of respondents indicated that the stigma associated with an ADHD diagnosis stopped them from seeking help. Not getting a proper diagnosis leads to the development of negative self-esteem, failed attempts at school and career, risk of depression, or problems in relationships. Most of us who have the diagnosis speak out on a regular basis on how ADHD is a condition that when properly treated and managed can lead to superior performance. It is a myth to believe that having ADHD makes you or your child somewhat less likely to be successful, enjoy an amazing career, and rewarding family life.

Just today a national online newspaper reported that an NFL player has been suspended when a banned substance was found in a recent urine analysis. The “substance” according to the player was part of his medication and treatment for his diagnosed condition of ADHD. While obviously, we do not know all of the details, linking ADHD treatment with a suspension from the NFL adds to the already common stigma and public misconception. Is taking medication to help with ADHD cheating? Well, if not why, is it grouped together as an illegal substance such as steroids in this current example?

While I am sure, this is not the intent of the league or the player, making this issue a public matter can help no one. It reinforces the idea that there is something wrong when an adult seeks out assessment and treatment for suspected ADHD. It reinforces the stigma associated with taking medication to manage ADHD symptoms.

The decision to take medication for ADHD is a personal, private one, only made after consulting psychologists, physicians, and health care professionals. For many adults, medication can be very helpful and when used in conjunction with the strategies we discuss in The ADHD Fix a path to success.

Sounds like the NFL administration, management and drug enforcement experts need to consider the impact of their decisions and public disclosures on the well-being of others outside of their sport. There are likely a number of 12-year old little league football players with ADHD, now fighting with their parents because they do not want to take a “banned” substance. Shame on you NFL.

Take the online class “Coaching students diagnosed with ADHD” for free at www.theadhdacademy.com Just type in the code word "football" on the payment page, and it’s free for registrants this month.

Using the right strategy to get the results you want in a social or business situation can be a challenge with ADHD. Often impulsive reactions or emotions can take over and result in an action that will contribute to failure.

On Saturday, I was returning home from a business trip when the airline told me I had to get my seat number when I returned at the Gate. I asked a “Service Representative” and she told me that I would just have to wait, but it looked like the flight was overbooked.

My thoughts centered on the fact I had purchased my tickets some two months before this trip, they had taken my money, so how could they now say I may not make it home? The anger started to well up, comments such as “no wonder you’ve gone bankrupt so many times” or “perhaps you need more competition so you wouldn’t make these stupid mistakes” raced through my mind. But then I remembered the strategy discussed in The ADHD Fix, where I needed to take action that would be most likely to see me get a ticket and get on that flight.

I went to four, yes four different employees until I was finally told that 30 minutes before the flight some seats would be “released” and that it is possible that I may get on the flight. With each request, I thanked them, wished them a great evening, even though most were not helpful and did not really care much about my predicament. One airline employee told me that if I had purchased my seat assignment when I paid for my ticket (a special trick to increase revenue, a bit like buying a car and then having to pay extra for the wheels) I would not be in this predicament. It was my fault that I was in this situation, not theirs. I thanked her as well for the advice and wished her well.

When the time came my name was the first announced to get a seat. Now it may have been plain luck or good fortune, but I do know that any one of those employees could have pushed a button and caused me to wait another 3 hours for the next flight, or perhaps wait until the next day to make it home. Using the right strategy (calm, thank you, yes, you do have power and control over my outcome, and I respect that, yes, you are overworked and underpaid, and I respect that too) was the right one to use. What I was really thinking did not matter.

When you are in a situation and start thinking thoughts or feelings of anger stop and ask yourself, “What do I want the outcome to be in this situation?” Then review your strategies, relax and choose the best one that will work. Impulsivity and emotion are rarely helpful in these situations, especially if you have ADHD and are at the airport.

This week’s guest newsletter author is Joshua Svec B.A. M.A. https://www.theadhdacademy.com/coaching/

A lot of strategies and tips are often given to help a child with ADHD “wind down” for bed time, but how can adults “wind down?” After work or school, adults with ADHD may need time to relax or “wind down” as well. If that time is not utilized by adults, or it is prolonged it may have negative effects on relationships. Personally, after I have spent a day working the last thing I would like to do is stay “on” by continuing with some work or being forced to talk to my loved ones. It is not that I do not enjoy spending time with my loved ones; I just need time for myself to step away from the stimulation of the day and relax. Instead of doing tasks I am forced to do, I need time for myself doing tasks I enjoy, such as reading, cooking, or exercising. After my “wind down” time I feel refreshed and better able to communicate or enjoy other’s company. How often do adults with ADHD need to “wind down?” Personally, I need my “wind down” time every day throughout my work week.

Negative ways to “wind down”

There are ways of “winding down” that may be negative. Getting home from work or school and sitting in front of the television alone for 3 hours, not wanting to be disturbed is a negative way to “wind down.” Explore activities you personally enjoy doing on your own. Try to choose activities that are productive and/or beneficial to your overall well-being. For example, meditation/relaxation exercises, or working out/exercise.

Communicate this time to your loved ones

Let those around you know this is YOUR time you need. Communicating this point, or allowing those around you to understand this point, may be beneficial to those relationships. If you like, you may try doing activities you and your loved ones may enjoy together to share this time, such as an exercise class, or going for a walk. However, it is important for your loved ones to understand the reasons for the task and to place focus on the task itself. For example, when going for a walk, place focus on the walk itself and simply enjoy each other’s presence.

Remember to share an accomplishment from today / this week / this month with me via twitter by explaining it, and then hash tagging ADHDwin. (#ADHDwin) Follow me on twitter: @joshuasvec

About the Author JOSHUA SVEC B.A. M.A. is an ADHD Coach and Academic Coach, Director and Lead Coach of The ADHD Academy and co-author of The ADHD Fix (www.theadhdfix.com).

For more information regarding ADHD Coaching please visit: https://www.theadhdacademy.com/coaching/

Just how many hours do you work each week? I get asked this question a lot. I usually respond by saying that I work from 40 to 80 hours a week, and sometimes it goes up to 100 hours a week. It can be difficult to explain, given the fact that I just got back from a skiing week up north and still managed to put in my 40 hour minimum work week. Since I started using the self-task focus matching strategy that we discuss in our book www.theadhdfix.com , I have been able to increase my productivity and quality of life significantly. Here is how it works:

1) Each hour someone with ADHD is laser focused-from a 1-3 on our scale out of 10 (lower number means more focus) it can translate to 2-4 hours of productivity. If I am working on projects at 6 in the morning with a laser focus of 2, using my self-task focus strategy, I am doing 3-4 hours of work in one actual hour. You can measure this many ways, including amount of work completed, productivity, or the final benefit of the work.

2) If I am able to generate 3 hours of focused work on a given day that usually translates to 8 hours of productivity when compared to a non-ADHD professional.

3) I have learned that if I start at 6:00, or earlier in the morning, I can usually complete 12 hours of “productivity” within 4 hours.

4) Usually I would work for 2 hours, then exercise, then work for another hour, then have a snack, and complete my 4th hour of focused effort.

5) Afternoons are a bit of a crap shoot for me and less productive, but I can usually get in 2 hours of ADHD work, which translates into about 4 hours of productivity.

6) This concept does not work for cardio exercise. If I have to do a 45-minute inclined walk with a heart rate of 128-130, I cannot do 20 minutes at 165 and get an equal result.

7) To maximize your time with ADHD, you need to use the self-task focus strategy, and learn to organize your tasks around this skill. Your levels of energy, creativity, intelligence, and work ethic will all come to fruition if you plan properly.

This ADHD productivity level is available to you for school, work, or professional tasks. Get started learning the self-task focus strategy today, and begin to realize your success.

It happens every year. You start feeling guilty about your money management skills, diet, lack of exercise, or lack of commitment to your partner. So you decide that January is the time to make changes. You decide to save 10% of your earnings each month, eat health food, exercise at least 4 times a week, quit smoking, or spend more quality time with your spouse. You make these promises as part of your annual New Years' Ritual. One big problem; you've done this every year for the past ten years, but nothing changes. As an adult with ADHD it is even less likely to happen. Here's why, with some suggested solutions.

1) Having a wish or making a promise without thinking it through can be unrealistic. Impulsive promises can get you into trouble. Are you really willing to do the work and sacrifice to accomplish these challenges?

2) Just like those creative ideas that overwhelm you on most days (one of the gifts of ADHD), New Years' Resolutions are meaningless unless you have a PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THEM.

3) That plan should involve taking one goal at a time (yes, call that a goal not a promise, wish, dream, or resolution) and map out what you need to do each day to accomplish that goal.

4) For example, you need a daily plan of activity to increase your exercise levels. I recommend our free software www.goaltracker.ca that allows you to break down your long-term goal to shorter achievable daily and weekly ones. It will help you plan an exercise schedule, and remind you, through text message or email each morning, to do that specific exercise.

5) Get social support. Wanting to quit smoking for example requires the use of a number of strategies and techniques, including the support of your friends and family. We have also created a free site to help you quit smoking at www.trackquitsmoking.com. If you are still a smoker and know someone else that smokes one of you will die prematurely because of this bad habit. Start planning to quit this time.

6) Having ADHD means that when you set long-term goals you need to be very deliberate in breaking them down to daily achievable tasks. Don't, for one minute, believe that by making the promise that is all you have to do to accomplish them.

January should be like all of the other months of the year. Having ADHD means that you build the structure and daily achievable goals into your life that over time will result in your success.

ADHD Fix: 15 strategies you need to use to achieve your true potential. Available on kindle or at www.theadhdfix.com

Send your comments to me directly at drsvec@drsvec.com

"To watch Dr. Svec's video on why you can't diagnose ADHD in a 5 minute office visit go to www.drsvec.com and click on "YouTube"

Did you e-track today? www.trackadhd.com

One of the questions that keeps popping up as I do the Canada wide radio tour to promote our book The ADHD Fix, is “how does an adult know when they should get an assessment for ADHD?”

Here are some points to remember:

1) If your child has been diagnosed it is highly likely that one of the parents also has ADHD;

2) You are having problems in relationships, often related to impulsivity or boredom;

3) You have a habit of not doing as well as you can at work or in school;

4) You find that your mind is always racing, and it makes you go from one task to another without finishing any of them;

5) If you have been to your medical doctor, and no other explanations or conditions could be contributing to your current problems;

6) You have completed the Adult ADHD Severity Scale that is found in our book or at www.trackadhd.com and have a high enough score that suggests an evaluation;

7) Your spouse or partner thinks you have ADHD;

8) Your performance on tasks at work or school is extremely variable. One day you do amazing work, the next day it is not acceptable.

9) While you have a lot of creativity, rarely do you get on with it and follow through completing those ideas.

If you think you may have ADHD because of some of the issues mentioned, complete the Adult ADHD Severity scale and then take those results to a psychologist or medical doctor’s office to explain how the symptoms are impacting your life. Then ask for a comprehensive assessment that should include a brain image.

It’s finally happening. Apparently, government and school administrators know more than parents do about what is best for their children. A school in Toronto has banned all footballs, soccer balls, baseballs, volleyballs, basketballs, etc. with the exception of sponge balls from recess. They don’t want to take any chance that a child or parent helping on yard duty, or teacher would get hit by a ball.

Some time ago, they outlawed any physical contact between children on the playground. Tackle football, British Bulldog, and even tag are now banned at most schools.

ADHD children and teens need to be very active, engage in cardio activity at least three times a day to help with concentration and focus when later asked to do school work. This cardio usually takes the form of soccer, basketball, football, or some sort of game. As we discuss in our book, The ADHD Fix, cardiovascular activity is a key strategy to help us achieve our potential.

For me, it is a Human Rights Issue. Children and Teens with ADHD need this exercise at recess to thrive in the classroom. It is discriminatory to deprive them of this activity realized through games that often require the use of a “ball.” If we ban recess activity, children and teens diagnosed with ADHD will need at least two 30-minute classes of physical and health education each day to meet their needs. Now how are we going to pay for that?

I think if school administrators had it their way, our children would be tiny robots that sat still all day, rarely questioning authority, not taking risks, and always doing as they were told, never causing any headaches. If that were the rule and norm, very soon ADHD students would be banned from schools altogether, because we just don’t fit in with those expectations.

Parents, children, and teens need to take a stand on this one. Let’s pass a law banning the use of golf balls outside of school time by any administrator of any school system in Canada. Let’s make them hit soft sponge balls. Now that should help them put in time during their lengthy summer vacations.

The Facts

Goal Setting in Academics

Of all the University students who enroll in a 4-year program 25% never finish, the main reasons being a lack of clear goals. Explicitly setting goals can improve a student’s performance on any given task. Establishing clear goals increases student’s enthusiasm allowing for greater energy to be focused at achieving their goal; goal setting also increases a student’s persistence making individuals less susceptible to anxiety, disappointment, and frustration (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, and Shore, 2010). Writing out clear and precise goals has been shown to improve student’s grades, help students maintain a full course load, and has shown to be attributed to a positive outlook. The bottom line is goal setting is a must use tool for any student.

How to Set Goals - The Right Way

Specific

When setting goals it is important to be as specific as possible. In academics this can mean establishing the exact grade you wish to achieve in a certain class. The goal should be clear, and easy to visually see on paper. For example,

Goal this Term

1) 87% in Psych 211

Specificity should also apply to how you will achieve your goal. A well thought out plan of action is needed to achieve your goals. What do you need to do tomorrow at 7am to further reach your goal? Strategies should be formulated to help reach your set goal. If you want an 87% in Psych 211, a strategy could involve setting one hour of study time towards that goal prior to practise. Organize and write out a weekly plan that includes the time spent focusing on your goal. It is important to visually see your plan of action in the form of a schedule.

Realistic

Goals need to be reachable. When establishing your goals for the academic term they should be within your potential. Unrealistic goals can lead to a decrease in confidence and low self-esteem. Setting unrealistic goals takes the control away from you. It is like trying to scoop up water with spread fingers, frustrating and deterring. Make sure when establishing your goals they are not farfetched, but don’t short change yourself also. In formulation, your goals and plan of action, know that it will take commitment and hard work to reach your potential and achieve your goal.

Challenging A realistic challenging goal can be a motivational tool. Your goals should not be easy to achieve. Challenging goals demand high levels of performance compared to easy goals. In order to achieve your full potential your goals need to be challenging.

Time

It is important to establish when your goal needs to be completed by. For academics this may already be established for you in the course outline. When formulating your plan of action the completion date of your goal is necessary. The completion date informs you how much time you have left, which is vital when tracking your progress. If you realize you are reaching your completion date too quickly and have not progressed, you can re-establish your plan of action to ensure you have a better chance of achieving your goal.

It is important to note the difference between short-term and long-term goals. Long-term goals should be the end result, as stated before, for example, getting that 87% in Psych 211. But, short- term goals can be used to get you there. You can establish short-term goals as sub goals to your one main, long-term goal. For example,

Goal this Term

1) 87% in Psych 211 a. 92% in first Essay (worth 15% of final mark)

By setting short-term goals that progress to your long-term goal you can chart accomplishments and stay motivated.

Visually Display Your Goals

Goals need to be written out and placed where you can see them every day. It is a well-known fact that if you are visually exposed to your goals every day, you have a far greater chance of achieving them. Type or write out your goals and place them in an area in your room or house you frequently visit. If your goals are private to you, simply place them on the back of the door to your room.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Keeping track of your progress is important during your plan of action. Frequently examine if you are progressing towards reaching your goal. If you are not on the right track, you may need to rethink your plan of action or consult a coach. If you are not even close to reaching your goal, you may want to consider readjusting your goal. Instead of losing motivation, new goals can be established from where you currently are in your progress.

After the completion of your goal allow yourself to experience accomplishment, but also evaluate what got you there. What strategies worked for you and which ones didn’t? Use these strategies to be more effective and productive towards your next goal.

Review the Steps

Establish specific, realistic goals and visually display them

Formulate a plan of action including a time frame counting down the day of completion

Keep track of your progress during your plan of action and evaluate strategies upon completion

Referrals

Having a coach gives you someone to provide feedback, give direction, hold you accountable, and to encourage your success. The focus is on YOU and how you will personally achieve your goals. Take a look at where you are right now and then consider where you want to be. Your coach will help you get there. For a free consultation, I have a few openings for coaching clients, you can contact me at jsvec@etrackhealth.com

About the Author

JOSHUA SVEC is an ADHD coach and student athlete coach, the co-author of The Adhd Fix (www.theadhdfix.com) and Director of The ADHD Academy (coming January, 2012).

Twitter: @joshuasvec

Work Cited

Morisano, D., Hirsh, J. B., Peterson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., & Shore, B. M. (2010). Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals improves academic performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(2), 255-264.

If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, you likely know what I mean when I talk about the pain of ADHD. If you are supporting a child or spouse with the diagnose you need to understand this very important concept. Just yesterday, I was conducting a radio interview for our book “The ADHD Fix” with Dave Dickson of CFax Radio in Victoria, British Columbia when we began talking about the different characteristics of ADHD that leads to psychological pain. Here are a few examples of how ADHD creates pain.

1) Because focusing on something takes work - the brain tires quickly, making you feel “pain” which at times translates to headaches. It is much easier for individuals without ADHD to “zone in” to a task than someone with ADHD.

2) The great difference between performance in once instance or day and the next. When you are trying to do work that requires a great deal of focus and concentration but cannot, because you are not able to focus, you perform poorly. The next day you try the same task, and because you are able to focus you do an exceptional job that draws raves from others. This difference over time causes significant psychological pain as others, including teachers, or even your spouse, may question your work ethic, character, or lack of maturity, when, in fact, it is the inability to concentrate that has led to this different performance.

3) The pain of depression. Constant failure and negative life experiences lead to feeling of helpless, hopeless thinking, then the pain of depression. Depression hurts.

4) Social Skills problems. Interacting with others takes work, and often the need to postpone the impulse to interrupt conversations for fear of forgetting what you need to say. The pain of social rejection can become a significant problem with the starting of school.

As we discuss in our book “The ADHD Fix” the self-task matching exercise, self- esteem enhancement, the building of social emotional intelligence and assertiveness can all help fight the pain of ADHD. Achieving your true potential means you start using these strategies today.

In our book recently released on Kindle “The ADHD Fix” Joshua and I discuss the important strategy of reviewing who is actually pointing the finger to say there is something wrong with your child, yourself or your partner that suggests ADHD.

Teachers: They are not trained to diagnose ADHD. Take the time to listen to them when they suggest a problem, but then search out your own answers. Remember, if someone in power or authority thinks your child has a problem, then by definition that fact means your child has a problem. The problem may be that the teacher or school thinks your child has ADHD, even though they may be gifted. Until you can prove differently, they will treat your child as if what they THINK is true.

Your Boss: Adults with ADHD are often identified by their boss when something goes wrong at work. It could be a meeting or office party or poor performance in general, but often issues will lead you to an assessment.

Your Spouse: Your spouse may be tiring of the problems that are occurring in your relationship. When you seek out help, the therapist or marriage counsellor may wonder about ADHD. Problems paying attention to your partner, boredom, impulsivity when it comes to monogamy may all be signs that an assessment is needed.

Your Child has been diagnosed: You have sat through an assessment-review of results with your child and you realize that you may also have ADHD.

If someone is pointing the finger and thinks you or your child has ADHD, you need to provide updated information to confirm or deny this suspicion. The very fact that someone THINKS you have ADHD makes them act as if this is fact. Seek out a comprehensive assessment to investigate this suspicion.

For further information on this topic, review Strategy 2 in our recently launched book The ADHD Fix: 15 strategies you need to use to achieve your true potential. Available on kindle or at www.theadhdfix.com

Last time I discussed the issue of ADHD and how it stops over 60% of us from seeking out an assessment or treatment. You might be wondering how the stigma got started in the first place and what strategies you can use to break through.

ADHD has been called many different things. From Hyperactivity, to Impulsivity, to severe behavioural problems, all of them suggesting some form of negative behaviour by the child. Often, it is the behavioural component of ADHD that is most obvious and usually treated. If you close your eyes right now and think of someone with ADHD, what do you see? Is it an out of control child, or rebellious teen, or do you see a skilled engineer or scientist creatively problem solving in their lab? The stigma of ADHD comes from the myth that hyperactive, aggressive behaviour represent most of us who are diagnosed. That is simply not true.

Use of medications to treat the symptoms of ADHD is also often linked to the stigma. Teenagers will fight the doctor or psychological visit for assessment, because they are afraid of the stigma of being prescribed medication. While medication is one option for the treatment of ADHD, many of us believe the myth that only a prescription can help us achieve are true potential. Here are some tips to help fight through this stigma and get the help you need.

1) Realize that ADHD can be represented many different ways, and that behaviour problems or hyperactivity are one type of ADHD that you likely don not have.

2) If you receive a proper diagnosis, it is up to your parents or yourself with regard to what method of treatment you choose.

3) The type of ADHD diagnosis that you receive will help you develop a plan, tool box, and set of strategies to achieve success.

4) Once harnessed you will surpass your non-ADHD peers or friends as far as school performance, economic, professional or social success.

As a psychologist, I understand the stigma associated with ADHD. As someone diagnosed with ADHD, I do hear the comments on occasion about my level of “brain” activity and impulsivity. But when I hear those statements, I am comforted to know that, as stated in that popular commercial, I get more done before 8:00 a.m. than most people without ADHD do all day.

To order your print version of Dr. Svec’s new book “The ADHD Fix: 15 Strategies You Need To Use to Achieve Your True Potential” go to www.theadhdfix.com

We have been trying to find the right title for my latest book on ADHD. It is an explanation of the 15 Strategies that I have been using with clients for the past 20 years to help them find their success. In reviewing the book again, it dawned on me that if a person with ADHD were to follow the strategies that I have outlined, then in essence they would be able to fix their ADHD. By “fix”, I mean the symptoms of ADHD would no longer be a problem as long as you continued to use the strategies. Like medication, once you stop using them or take them away it is likely that the negative effects of ADHD will again become a problem. We settled on “The ADHD Fix” as the title.

The list of the strategies includes some of the topics that I have discussed in previous newsletters. I truly believe that if you incorporate many of these into your “tool box” you will be able to achieve success. In the book, I also discuss complex ADHD, where you may have ADHD, a gifted profile, or some form of learning disability all at once. In future newsletters, I will discuss some of these topics. We expect the book to launch within the next week or so on Kindle and at our web site. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get your copy of “The ADHD Fix: 15 Strategies to Achieving Your Success.”

I am very proud of my son Joshua’s final chapter in the book, where he writes about his early and later life experiences in overcoming the symptoms of ADHD. This chapter will help if you have a teen or University aged child who will not seek out help for their ADHD symptoms. Joshua discusses the benefits of the assistance he received at the University of Waterloo. A must read for your child.

Table of Contents “The ADHD Fix” by Dr. Henry J. Svec and Joshua G. Svec B.A. M.A.

Foreword

Strategy 1: Release the stigma

Strategy 2: Ask who is pointing the finger

Strategy 3: Get a complete assessment

Strategy 4: Build structure

Strategy 5: Self-task matching

Strategy 6: Build self-esteem

Strategy 7: Getting the right treatment

Strategy 8: Fight depression

Strategy 9: Building social-emotional intelligence

Strategy 10: Learning how to advocate

Strategy 11: Building great relationships

Strategy 12: Exercise

Strategy 13: Parenting your ADHD child

Strategy 14: Accepting your ADHD success

Strategy 15: Putting it all together