Cope With Adult ADHD

80% of ADD/ADHD sufferers will continue to suffer symptoms throughout adulthood, with 1/4 of these having very severe difficulties. Adult ADD/ADHD can wreak havoc in all areas of your life including study, employment, self-care, relationships, friendships and hobbies. However, there are many things you can do to manage and improve your situation. This encouraging article gives examples and guidelines for managing your ADD or ADHD so that you can be your best.

Steps

 * 1)  Make sure you have an accurate diagnosis.  ADD and ADHD are medical conditions and can only be diagnosed by a doctor.  From reading or discussions you may have a hunch that you could possibly have ADD or ADHD, however you can't diagnose yourself. Access to support networks at school, in the workplace, or in your community require a documented diagnosis. Also, you will need to discuss medications with your doctor. Years of scientific research have shown that medication for attention disorders is basic and necessary. See your local doctor and explain you are worried you may have ADD or ADHD and he or she will help you or refer you to the right person.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 1.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 2)  Learn everything you can about the disorders.  The better you understand your disorder and begin to see ways that it affects all the areas of your life, the better you can begin to make changes in your personal habits in order to manage your ADD or ADHD.  Read every book you can get your hands on, search the net for information, ask your doctors questions and attend any seminars in your area on ADD/ADHD.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 2.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 3)  Seriously consider medication.  ADD/ADHD are brain chemistry disorders. Your disorder makes it difficult for you to study, complete tasks, perform to capacity in your job, keep your job, complete daily care tasks, fully enjoy your leisure activities, care for your family, manage your money, and maintain meaningful relationships.  Work closely with your doctor in trying and finding out the best medication for you. In most cases it will help you in ways you never even realized it would. Once you begin the right medication for you, you can begin to structure your daily life so that you are the best you can be. The experience is encouraging, gives you the self-control you've longed for, and helps you to feel satisfied with yourself.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 3.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 4)  Be careful of what you eat.  Avoid junk food, takeout, sodas, candy and foods with additives, preservatives, colors and flavors.  All these foods in fact further deplete the chemicals that are already low in your system and do not help you to be your best.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 4.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 5)  Exercise more. Exercise helps the brain to produce more of the chemicals that you are lacking.  You should do at least 30 minutes of good exercise every day.  It is very hard for people with ADD (the more inactive type) and some with ADHD to just go to a gym or excise for the sake of exercising. ADD folks may not have the "oomph" and ADHD folks usually have a hard time scheduling exercise in their day. So it's best to take up some form of exercise that you really like to do.  Why not take up martial arts, dance classes, adult gymnastics, join a sporting team or something that you will enjoy to help you have fun, be consistent, and stay motivated.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 5.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 6)  Structure your life. Routine is extremely important when you have ADD or ADHD.  Work out daily and weekly routines and stick to them.  If you have trouble with routines make checklists such as the morning checklist and before bed checklist, complete tasks and tick them off your checklist. ADD/ADHD folks also forget details easily so checklists can just help insure you've crossed your "t's" and dotted your "i's." One routine that has proven helpful is to get your things ready for the next day before going to bed. This way you won't forget something important in tomorrow morning's rush.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 6.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 7)  Get into a support group. Many areas have a support group for people with ADD and ADHD, and you can discuss your issue's with people who understand you and they may give you some great management ideas.  For example, organization of belongings is usually a challenge. You can get some really good ideas just talking to others like you.  If you can't find a support group in your area, try to start one or try online groups.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 7.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 8)  Find a career that works for you.  People who are hyperactive really need a physically active job. To sit at a desk all day can be torture! People with ADD usually are happier at a job that has a balance of some physical activity with challenging mental work.  There are lots of great jobs for people with attention deficits.  Many are good at working with children, sports coaches, stunt people, builders, painters, couriers and delivery people, or any job that has some physical work combined with a person's specialty skills.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 8.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 9)  Spend less leisure time in front of Television, computers, video games and cell phones, etc.  Your brain thrives when it is actively engaged in activities rather than passively participating.  Go for more active activities like bike riding, rock climbing, ice skating and swimming to fill your leisure time and give you an outlet for your energy.  Often the best ideas come while we are busy and active.  [[Image:Cope With Adult ADHD Step 9.jpg|center|550px]]

Tips

 * Prayer, meditation, and time to think are very, very helpful. Wake up an hour earlier if possible so that you have the time to think about your day and what needs to get done and possibly read some encouraging words to start off your day positively.
 * Avoid putting yourself in situations where you are in a rush. Think ahead...Think ahead...Think ahead! Try to approach life in a relaxed, plodding manner and avoid constant emergencies. Your memory will be better if you are calm but focused, and you will not miss as many details that you need to take care of.
 * Accept your ADD or ADHD as a part of you. Don't make your goal to conquer your ADD/ADHD so that it will go away. Realize that it is part of you and makes you the intelligent, quick, creative person you are. Your goal is simply to manage your life so that things get done and finished in the appropriate way. You're going to forget, you're going to make mistakes and blunders. It's only natural to do so when you are thinking about so many things at one time.  When you goof, forgive yourself and figure out what went wrong so you can learn from the situation.  Hopefully, you will catch yourself next time.
 * When you are thinking about structure in your life, allow time for things you love to do. If you are a writer, schedule your week so you have some time for your journal or on-going writing. Keep a small journal with you all the time to jot down the creative ideas that come to you during any day. If you are the artsy type, allow a day or half day for you to scrapbook, draw, or paint etc.  Attention deficit people really work hard to manage their impulses, mistakes, and ups and downs.  They need some time to enjoy their passion while still staying within some structure.  Keep the same idea if you are a people person. Schedule in some time just to visit and talk.  The point is to keep your time limits on these things that are so natural and enjoyable so that the other parts of life get attention too, then your life won't be full of always playing "catch up."
 * Figuring out that you have ADD or ADHD can be a really freeing experience. People usually are greatly relieved to find out why they have always felt somewhat different from others or had certain problems in life. ADD/ADHD are extremely pervasive and definitely affect every aspect of life.  But don't panic, take each day as it comes and manage each day thoughtfully as best you can.  Things will work out.

Warnings

 * When taking medications for ADD or ADHD, it's very important to pay attention to how you feel and when you feel certain ways. Report how you feel to your doctor.  It is common for people to have to try greater or lesser dosages to get the appropriate dose for an individual. You should not feel too "hyped" or nervous or "spaced out" and numb.  Be sure to remember to tell your doctor if you feel these ways because more than likely your dosage needs adjusting.  The appropriate feeling to look for is to feel slightly energized and motivated, calmly focused on what you have to do, and experience the ability to get your duties finished and feel good about yourself. Once you begin to be able to work this way, you will feel life getting somewhat smoother for you.

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