Posted by leor on October 14, 2002, at 13:51:51
In reply to Re: Some words about the beneifts of A.D.D. coaching » leor, posted by IsoM on October 13, 2002, at 14:39:52
I can certainly relate to your difficulties. I think the title of my favourite A.D.D. guide ‘driven to disrtraction' hits the nail on the head. The ADDer is driven, as if by some demon externally manipulating them. Would that I could have realized this sooner! Being an intellectual l type I reckoned that motivation was an attiudinal, rather than biochemical issue, and so set about to empowering myself to think around my difficulties. The only result from this approach was the deepening of my sense of shame over failing to achieve my potential.RESEARCH
At a certain point in my journey, even forced me to reach the conclusion that I good do much to advance my treatment by researching my A.D.D. As good as my psychitrist is he has over 100 other patients to attend to, with the result being that some leads in our search for appropriate treatment have to be left dangling.One of the first A.D.D. books that read was ‘Healing A.D.D' by Dr. Daniel G. Amen. In it he presents his own A.D.D. typology in which there are six varieties of the disorders. I found this book to be indispensable when it came to categorizing my symptoms and assessing what treatments are available for them (both natural and medicinal). Also, helpful was the online A.D.D. assessment and reference information found on a website called mindfixers.org.
Though the results of the assessment are surely not 100% accurate diagnoses of my condition, they have provided my doctor and I with hypotheses to work with. In testing them out, through studying my medical history for corroboration, and trying medication, we have learnt a great deal about the nature of my condition. All this benefits was derived despite the fact that I have been treated for A.D.D. on and off for 15 years! (The field of research is still in its infancy, with new discoveries being made each year).
Finally, I have benifited from working with a psychiatrist who specializes in treating adult A.D.D.
Currently I am taking the drugs dexedrine and effexor. The former has amplified my mental focus. The latter helps keep my mind from getting ‘overfocused' or ‘stuck' on certain thoughts. Since my mind can now easily do gear shifting, I can follow through with a task I set for myself without facing a barrage of interruptions, as was formerly the case.
Hope this has been of some assistance,
Blessings.
Leor
> It's not the strategies part I have difficulty with, Leor, but the motivation to stick to something till it's completed. Large projects aren't so bad as they're much more involved & interesting. It's the ordinary, everyday, mundane tasks that need looking after but are so boring to do alone that I find hard.
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> My profs were quite surprised at the strategies I'd developed over the years (I was in my late 40s when I went back to university). The way you were helped to read - that's how I read anything other than light reading. I didn't have help but it simply came together & seemed the obvious way to handle it. When I studied or was in class, I did it through ears, eyes, & hands. I'd listen as the prof spoke, had my text opened to the appropriate spot, highlighters on hand, & wrote in my notes in the book too. But I'd also be writing in my note book with references to what page in the text book it came from, diagrams, etc & then Harvard styled my notes later at home. Maybe it seemed a lot to do but for me, it was quick & easy & the only way for info to stay with me & let me find what I wanted later.
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> My organizational skills are actually VERY good but I'm even better at disorganizing things without even being aware I'm doing it. Some one can't just say "pay attention to what your hands are doing" as I've tried & tried. But when I'm busy doing things, my mind racing ahead, I'm totally unaware of what I do with what's in my hands. I will go through motions, not knowing I just did something, because it's something repetitive (putting things away, picking up one thing & dropping another, etc) that my "kinetic memory" does without conscious awareness.
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> Think of walking. Your kinteic memory has you putting one foot in front of the other, moving about obstacles, going up & down stairs, without having to consciously waste thinking ability on how to walk. I do that with so many things, that when I want to find something later, I can remember where I put it, or even if I had been using something that's very ordinary. Hence, my remarkable ability to disorganize. I can plan out & organize for anyone else with ease as it's not ME that'll be disorganizing for them too.
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> I'll really try to make myself aware of what's going on & counter it, but as soon as the pace increases or outside distractions increase, zip - all awareness is gone & I didn't even know it left. I've yet to figure out something that will consistently help there. All strategies are short-term & temporary.
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> And motivation is a BIG problem with mundane tasks. For example, strangely, I'd rather clean the whole kitchen in one fell swoop (even if it took all day) than stack & do dishes as they're dirtied. But with someone about, mundane tasks don't seem so dreary.
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> I seem to be smack in the centre of left & right brain thinking. Neither is stronger than the other so I didn't find the way schools approached learning to be a problem. Possibly because of my equally strong right brain thinking, it's enabled me to be logical, yet creative, in overcoming most differences in learning styles?
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> I guess what I'm saying is that it's not so much an ADD coach I need as an ADD pep squad (or just one person) following me about. Guess I wish I could have my own personal secretary to look after valuable, but boring, things.
poster:leor
thread:122401
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123609.html