ADD ADHD Help

Parenting an ADHD Adolescent

2006-11-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

By Craig Broussard

Being the parent of a teenager is often a very trying experience, but being the parent of an ADHD teen is one of the greatest challenges that a person can face. The behaviors and attitudes of adolescents with ADHD are often so difficult to understand or accept that it becomes very difficult for their parents to know how to respond.

Often, parents will trust their instincts and emotions and opt for the path that feels right to them. However, when these instincts and emotions lead to certain responses, then they may make the situation worse, instead of better.

Many experts agree that the key [...]

Source: add-adhdhelp.com

Common ADHD Myth #3

2006-10-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

Helping Children with Attention Difficulties Works Better than Medications – though children with ADHD may achieve better when they receive extra help from teachers than when they do not, it is not the solution to the problem, it is only a few extra grades. By treating ADHD children with a combination of medications or natural alternatives, behavioral therapies, and extra help in the classroom, a child can achieve much greater results. The teacher alone cannot cure ADHD symptoms.

By understanding the difference between facts and myths about ADHD, we as a society will be much better prepared to offer the support and understanding that is required for a high quality of life among ADHD sufferers.

Common ADHD Myth #2

2006-10-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

Myth #2 – ADHD Learn to Make Excuses Instead of Accepting Responsibility for Their Actions – educators, therapists, and physicians consistently teach ADHD children that their disorder is a challenge, not an excuse. While medications and/or glyconutrients are usually used to correct the chemical imbalance related to ADHD, it is also important that children receive behavioral therapy to help them adapt to meet society’s responsibilities, instead of making excuses to avoid them.

To learn more about how glyconutrients can help with AD/HD click here.

Common ADHD Myths

2006-10-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

As such a recently discovered disorder, there have been many myths and misunderstandings that have developed surrounding ADHD. The next few blogs will focus on a few of the more common ones that should be clarified both among the ADHD and non-ADHD world.

Myth #1 – ADHD Isn’t a Disorder, Only a Lack of Discipline and Good Parenting – many people still seem to believe that all ADHD children require is “old-fashioned” discipline and their symptoms will go away. This is an extremely damaging impression for sufferers of ADHD and their families. It makes them feel a shame and guilt that is completely undeserved. Furthermore, it makes the ADHD sufferer feel as though s/he is somehow a bad child. Though disciplinary treatments have been tried in several different cases and methods, by providing more discipline to ADHD children, their cases actually worsened, rather than improved.

What Does It Feel Like to Have ADHD?

2006-10-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

By Craig Broussard

Many parents, friends, and other family members of ADHD sufferers often wonder what ADHD feels like – what is it that their loved one is experiencing? Since ADHD often begins in children who are unable to recognize it in themselves or are not yet old enough to properly verbalize their experiences, people are often left in the dark about what the disorder is really about.

This disorder – which is equally called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) – is often compared to driving at high speeds in the rain without windshield wipers. Consider the analogy. Everything is moving very fast, but it is all blurry. It is frustrating not to be able to see.

Sufferers of ADHD find themselves to be extremely energized all of the time. As soon as they think of something, they will act on it, and before they are finished with the first idea, a second will have appeared, and the ADHD sufferer will begin on acting on that idea as well. Soon enough, there will be a third idea, and a fourth, all inundating the ADHD patient and calling him or her to action. This makes ADHD sufferers seem impulsive and disorganized. Instead, it is actually that they are being pulled and pushed in many directions by different ideas and activities, making it feel impossible to stick to one task.

Furthermore, ADHD sufferers usually have more energy than they know what to do with. They’re always fidgeting, stretching, scratching, looking about, whistling, humming, doodling, tapping feet, drumming fingers, and doing anything else that allows for small and constant movement or activity. Though it may seem as though an ADHD sufferer is not paying attention or is uninterested in what you have to say, they may actually be listening, but they simply can’t “sit still” while they do it.

Having ADHD feels as though everything is happening at once, instead of at separate times. ADHD sufferers don’t experience the division that “normal” people can sense as time passes. Instead, time has no meaning, and everything feels as though it’s happening all at once. This makes organization, perspective, and prioritizing extremely challenging. There is a sensation of being overwhelmed, anxious, panicked, and in constant chaos. The sufferer constantly feels as though he/she is working to keep up with it all.

Simple, everyday events such as waiting in lines are miserable experiences for those with ADHD. Standing still and simply waiting one’s turn often feels utterly impossible. It brings about the inclination to simply blurt things out – whatever happens to pop into their minds at the time. This activity takes a great deal of practice and adapting to master.

What is important to remember is that ADHD sufferers are not necessarily lazy, disruptive, stubborn, impossible, stupid, or bad. They simply have a disorder that makes it very difficult to focus, sit still, and start (and continue with) long-term projects. A little bit of understanding goes a long way.

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