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Managing Your Life With ADHD As An Adult

Between juggling your professional life, your family, friends, your social life and your own personal downtime, adding ADHD into the mix of that as an adult can be extremely difficult and overwhelming. Everyone has their own personal battles and difficulties that come with the disorder and whether you struggle with extreme forgetfulness, fidgeting, time management, or staying in a relationship, these 5 tips can help you manage, and potentially even overcome your daily struggles with ADHD.

Try minimizing distractions as much as possible – Between phone calls, dinner plans, browsing the web, picking up the kids, and handling all of your other everyday tasks, your day can become overwhelming very quickly.  Take out anything unnecessary in your day to help you stay on task and more focused.

Keep a daily to do list – It is so easy to forget the little things when you live with ADHD. Keeping a to-do list and staying organized will minimize the amount of tasks you forget to do and will also add some structure to your day.

Take 10 – When you are starting to feel distracted, physically step away from your desk or whatever you are doing for a few minutes.  Browse the web, answer your text messages or make a phone call.  Sometimes the brain just needs a quick break from what you’re currently doing in order to re-focus the attention on what’s needed.

Get some zzz’s – A lot of adults who suffer from ADHD also suffer from insomnia. Don’t get involved in a project at night.  This will create a second wind, which will only push your sleep back and negatively impact the following day. Try to also get in bed an hour before you would actually [...]

Handling the Holidays Blues

It’s not the most wonderful time of the year for everybody. For those coping with depression, the stresses of the season can exacerbate symptoms, resulting in a serious case of the holiday blues.

The holiday season is supposed to be a jolly time full of time with friends and family. However, it can be incredibly draining time of year for people living with mental illnesses like depression. There are a whole flurry of factors that can worsen depression during the holiday season such as elevated stress levels, disrupted schedules, and forced family time. Follow these steps to reduce holiday stress – and maybe even find some holiday joy.

Set a budget. Financial woes during the holidays can be a serious stressor. Don’t take on more spending than you can handle. Make a list of holiday expenses that includes all of the gifts, traveling, food, and decorations you’ll need to buy and set a realistic budget. Track all of your holiday spending and make sure to stick to your predetermined budget. Swiping credit cards makes it easier to overspend so implement a cash only system.
Be realistic. The movies portray the holidays as exuberant displays of joy and love. Try your best to get the picture-perfect image of what the holidays are “supposed to be” out of your head. If you don’t have the perfect family during the rest of the year, all of your issues won’t disappear during the holidays. Let go of what you cannot change, accept your reality, and try to enjoy the moment as best you can.
Take a walk. Moderate exercise may help ease symptoms of depression. Get away from staying cooped up indoors all winter and take a [...]

Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

ADHD is a commonly known disorder especially in children and teens, but many adults also suffer from ADHD.

If you suffer from ADHD, you may qualify to participate in a clinical research study examining the use of an investigational medication for people suffering from ADHD. Fill in your information to the right and a study representative will be in touch with you shortly!

To learn more, call us at 410.602.1440 and fill out the information to the right. We will be in touch with you within 24 hours, Monday – Friday.

Understanding Depression

Major Depressive Disorder affects millions of Americans every year. Despite the fact that depression is rather common, depression is very serious. By affecting your emotions, behavior, and the chemistry of your brain, depression can change the very nature of who you are. If you or a loved one suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, you may be looking for answers about depression, its effect on mood and normal functioning, and what treatment options are available to you. Let’s take a look.
What is Major Depressive Disorder?
Major Depressive Disorder is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel, act, and think. This disorder can develop at any age and can affect both men and women. The likelihood of developing this disorder can be linked to genetics, biochemistry, hormone imbalances, drug abuse, trauma, significant life changes, serious physical illness, and even stress. This disorder can be characterized by extreme feelings of sadness, anxiety, a loss of libido, restlessness, and / or a loss of interest in things that were once stimulating for you, with a major impact on daily functioning. Additional symptoms can include sleeping more than usual or impaired sleep, irritability, weight loss or gain, loss of appetite, inability to focus, isolation, and overall lethargy.
How can Major Depressive Disorder affect your daily life?
Imagine that you’re watching your favorite movie or spending time with your best friend. Though you used to laugh and enjoy this time, it now seems far away from you. You can’t seem to focus on the events happening around you. You may feel anxious when you think about going to work or other activities that once felt very natural. You might feel like you can’t seem to “wake up” or like [...]

9 Signs You May Have ADHD As An Adult

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD, has become more common than doctors may have previously believed.  ADHD is becoming more and more prevalent in children, teenagers and adults all around the world.  Typically, ADHD is diagnosed in young children during their pediatric stages, but since the disorder is more commonly diagnosed than it used to be, adults may have ADHD but have no official diagnosis.  Because of the rapid increases we have seen in the diagnosis of ADHD in the last decade, we thought it would be helpful to provide a list of symptoms and signs for adults to be aware of.

1. Struggle getting organized

Individuals with ADHD have issues organizing tasks, understanding the importance of each and what to get done first.  They struggle more than normal when it comes to paying bills, keeping track of pickup times and work deadlines to name a few.

 

2. Reckless driving or traffic accidents

If you are struggling from ADHD, it can be difficult to pay attention to where you are going and how fast you are going, making it more likely to speed and have traffic accidents.

 

3. Distracted very easily

Those with ADHD obviously have problems with attention, so adult ADHD can make it difficult to succeed in the fast-paced times of today’s world.  Individuals with ADHD find themselves easily distracted in work environments, especially those that are a bit noisy or busy, making it difficult to finish tasks.

 

4. Poor listening skills

Zoning out is one of the more common warning signs of ADHD in both children and adults.  Zoning out in conversations with family, or meetings at work are a reflection of attention issues, which is a leading sign in the diagnosis of ADHD.

 

5. Unable to rest or [...]

Do You Know The Truth About Your Sleep?

A solid foundation of balance and wellness all starts with a good night’s sleep. When rested, your body and brain work together in harmony and help you succeed both physically and mentally. Getting a good night’s sleep, and knowing the truth about a good night’s sleep is essential to your overall health, and that’s why getting your sleep schedule in check is a vital part of a healthy routine. Even though you may think you know what is best in terms of sleep rules and truths – there are still a few misconceptions that exist. Check it out…

Everyone should get 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
Although the standard suggestion for sleep is 7-8 hours a night, this doesn’t mean the recommendation is for everyone. It’s important to listen to your body as an individual and note when you feel the most rested. How much sleep you need is often determined by genetics, making the variations of sleep needs out of your control.  If you do hone in on the 8 hour mark you could potentially be missing out on the sleep you need- or creating frustration if you need slightly less sleep than the average person.
If you have trouble sleeping during the week – you can make up for it on the weekends.
During a regular Monday through Friday workweek it can be hard to keep a healthy sleep schedule. Early morning wakeups, stress, and other obligations can all get in the way of getting a full night’s sleep. When some people reach the weekend they use the time to catch up on rest – and although it’s helpful, it doesn’t cure everything in terms of sleep deprivation. Also, too [...]

Changing the View on Mental Health

More than 42 million adults in the United States live with some type of mental illness – that’s about 1 in every 5 people! Whether it is depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mental illness is a medical diagnosis that should be taken seriously.  Many of those who have never experienced mental illness do not understand these disorders and at times do not take them seriously.  The current stigma surrounding mental illness negatively impacts those living with them and it’s important we do what we can to try and table that stigma.

Here are some things you can do to end the stigma against mental health:

Change your language: It is insensitive to throw around derogatory words directed to people suffering from mental health issues.  By doing so you are adding to the stigma surrounding mental health. Change your language and encourage others to do the same. You would not want someone using this type of language to describe you.
Show compassion: One of the most important things you can do is show compassion and try to understand that people living with mental health disorders are dealing with different challenges. If you can show that you have a desire to understand what they go through, it can make a significant difference in how you view one another. Displaying love and respect towards everyone, including those with a mental illness, is what’s most important.
Educate one another: If you want to be compassionate and empathetic, you need to seek out information about mental illness. Furthermore, you should respectfully challenge others when you believe they are perpetuating stereotypes. Instead of taking the back seat, inform them.
Push against stigmas in [...]

OCD Coping Skills

According to Psychology Today, OCD is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations (obsessions) and engage in behaviors or mental acts in response to these thoughts or obsessions. The disorder affects a reported 2.2 million American adults and thousands more who are undiagnosed.

New research has found that patients with OCD lack coping skills, and therefore have a hard time keeping their OCD under control.  Because OCD is a daily, difficult and in some cases debilitating disorder, it’s important for patients with OCD to understand coping skills and how to get into a routine in order to keep their OCD at bay.

After you’ve created your list:

Go through your list and rate how anxious you think you would be if you tried to resist your compulsions in the different situations. Rate your anxiety on a scale of 0-10, 10 being severely anxious.
Choose one thing on the list that you think you could resist with only mild to moderate anxiety. Next time you are in that situation, try as hard as you can to resist that compulsion without giving in. Pay attention to how anxious you feel at the start, and to the way this anxiety fades over time.
Repeat this same activity, resisting the compulsion, every time you are in that situation (at least once every day). You should notice that, with practice, it gets easier and easier to resist, because your anxiety is fading.
Once you become more comfortable with this compulsion, choose another, slightly harder compulsion and repeat step 7. Continue until you’ve worked though all compulsions on your list.
When you have OCD, the doubts get stronger the more [...]

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    How You Move, What You Eat, What You Do – Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

How You Move, What You Eat, What You Do – Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

How can these three things prevent your chances of developing an incurable disease? Currently there is no cure to Alzheimer’s disease, although researchers continue to crawl closer to a cure. While there is currently no cure, there are conscious efforts and steps you can take to lower your chances as you grow older. Three of those efforts come directly from your lifestyle: how you move, what you eat and what you do. Here’s how.

How You Move:

Exercise is very important to staying healthy, and is proven to have beneficial effects when attempting to avoid the development of Alzheimer’s disease.  The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reviewed 19 studies that directly looked at the effect of an exercise training program on cognitive function in older adults who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or at risk for it.  Over a thousand adults in their mid-to-late 70’s participated in these studies and results found that exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, helped delay loss of cognitive function.

What You Eat:

Similar to exercise, a healthy diet can directly impact your quality of life/health.  Researchers continue to find many benefits in Mediterranean diets in correlation to Alzheimer’s disease, specifically the MIND diet which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. This diet focuses on eating less of some foods like butter, red meat and fried food while eating more of:

Leafy vegetables: Plan on six or more servings per week like kale, spinach, cooked greens, and salads.
Nuts: Aim for five servings or more each week of a variety of nuts.
Olive oil: Use it as your main cooking oil and as flavoring.
Berries: Eat a serving of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries at least twice a week.
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On The Verge to a Cure

There are approximately 38 million Americans living with mild to severe migraines on a daily and weekly basis.  Migraines are defined as reoccurring throbbing, painful headaches that typically affect one side of the head more than the other. Usually migraines are accompanied by nausea and “disturbed” vision.

While the causes of migraines are still being looked at by researchers, scientists have identified a new potential reason behind the debilitating pain.  This new discovery is surrounded by a neurotransmitter called calcitonin-gene-related peptide, also known as CGRP.

Researchers recently found that high CGRP levels are found in sufferers during migraine attacks. This new discovery is very beneficial for both researchers and migraine sufferers as this brings researchers one step closer to finding a cure for migraines.

In fact, researchers recently developed something called “monoclonal antibodies” which is a type of therapy that targets and reduces the effects of CGRP or its receptors. There are currently five different anti-CGRP treatments being developed.  Four of them have been submitted to the FDA and the fifth is in phase III of clinical trials! This hopefully means we are on the verge to a cure!

 

Resources: https://migraine.com/clinical/five-essentials-cgrp/