Weekly
Healthy Advice From VÄXA
"Help! My ADD
Child Reminds Me of Me!"
Abby remembers the
first time she took her son, Charlie, to a doctor about some
attention challenges. As she described Charlie's behavior
- impulsive, distracted, forgetful and moody the words sounded
familiar. It turned out that in Abby's last job review, her
manager had said some of the same things about her own performance!
According to the non-profit organization CHADD (Children and
Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ADD/ADHD
affects individuals "across the lifespan". We now know that
most children and adolescents do not "outgrow" this disorder,
though the symptoms in adulthood may look very different than
in childhood and adolescence.
Experts believe that between 50-60% of children and
teens retain some if not all symptoms as adults. And some
adults have struggled with learning, attention and memory
their whole lives but were never diagnosed.
How can I know for sure if I have Adult ADD or ADHD?
Anyone can have occasional occurrences of ADD, ADHD-type behaviors
without having the condition. A pattern of consistency determines
if you are just experiencing stress, anxiety, or the physiological
imbalances of ADD/ADHD. If it's once a year, it's probably
not physiological.
Asking yourself these questions will help evaluate your attention
pattern. Do you:
- Have trouble wrapping up final details
of a project once the challenge is completed?
- Procrastinate on preparing for a task
that requires organization?
- Fidget or can't sit still when you're
supposed to, like at a lecture?
- Feel compelled to stay active, doing
one thing after another but easily distracted?
- Feel overcome by negativity when something
doesn't work out?
- Have a problem with intimacy or accepting
authority?
- Remember having a short attention span,
impulsivity or restlessness as a child?
If you answered "yes" to
many of these, you are in good company! All
of these luminaries had or have attention difficulties which
could be classified as ADD/ADHD: Presidents Eisenhower and
JFK, Beethoven, Magic Johnson, actors Henry Winkler, Jim Carey
and Anne Bancroft, Prince Charles, Socrates and many more!
There may be another solution within your diet and daily nutrition:
- Food allergies or sensitivities
are primary causes of ADHD, or irritating to its symptoms.
Try these adjustments, one at a time, to find out if a
change might work:
- Switch from dairy (cow's milk,
cheese and ice cream) to comparable rice milk products
and make sure you buy hormone-free, antibiotic-free
meats and poultry.
- Eat whole grain wheat and brown
rice, no white rice or white flour.
- Go a month or so without caffeine,
sugar, other sweets, processed food, MSG, aspartame
(especially in sodas) and food dyes.
- "Essential fatty acids"
(EFAs) may be missing in people with ADD and ADHD.
You can find these healthy fats in foods like olive
and flax oil, nuts, fish, avocados, or in supplements.
- Drink plenty of water. Sometimes
just sitting down and drinking a glass of water can
return the body to balance.
When you begin experiencing stress,
anxiety or distraction, try 5 minutes of meditation with deep
breathing a few times each day. It's important to develop
a tool kit of resources to support you during times when you
face challenges. |
