Cope With ADHD

ADD/HD ruining your life? It doesn't have to. You can learn to enjoy life with ADD/HD by learning how to cope with it. A diagnosis of ADD/HD is not a death sentence. Learn to be who you are with what you have, and you will advance further than many of your peers.

Steps

 * 1)  See your doctor. If medication is prescribed, make sure the prescriptions are followed exactly. Do not double-up on prescriptions, as this can be dangerous and cause you to become addicted to the prescription.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 1.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 2)  Look for alternative causes: Allergies or "sensitivities" to food and/or natural/man-made chemicals can affect behavior too. Not all doctors are open to the allergy theory first discovered by Dr. Benjamin Feingold in the 1970's so you may need to do independent research and self-testing. A small change in diet could dramatically improve one's ability to concentrate!  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 2.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 3)  Find calming techniques. Take deep breaths, clear your mind, something to relax your body.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 3.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 4)  Use your therapy to find ways for you to be distracted in a constructive way, to make you aware, and to calm you down when you start acting hyper. This will call your attention to the fact that you are being distracted, so you might start avoiding some of these hyper spells.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 4.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 5)  Try to avoid things that can make you more hyper.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 5.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 6)  Remember, having ADD/HD keeps you aware of everything around you. That can be very helpful sometimes. Try to find a career that gives you a lot of variety, and you could very well be the top-dog of your department! Get up and move, move, move.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 6.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 7)  ADD/HD means you are more creative than others and have a wider imagination. Others are probably not as exciting as you, and that is another good thing. You certainly catch peoples' eyes! That can also be a bad thing. You will be overwhelming to many people. Don't let that put you off, but try to control that.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 7.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 8)  People with ADD/HD are notoriously disorganized. Buy a small planner and some post-its so that you will be able to remember what you need to remember.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 8.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 9)  Get rid of the excess energy. HD in ADD/HD stands for Hyperactive Disorder, it means your hyperactive in a disorderly way. To get rid of it, you probably need more exercise than you'd expect.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 9.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 10)  Find a Hobby. Keep your mind busy. If you are not the sporty type of person, you could go find a hobby or volunteer to stay as active as you can. Be sure to be comfortable with the hobby you choose, it should be something you like.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 10.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 11)  Get a dog or sit others' dogs. Even taking care of a dog drains the excess energy. So get one today or sit others.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 11.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 12)  Save the environment. Who says saving the environment is just sitting around and ranting, it means more, you could join a tree-planting drive or recycle things or even teach people how to make something new out of old, unused stuff. The choice is just endless!  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 12.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 13)  Enhance your talent. If you have a talent, may it be singing or dancing, now is the good time to enhance it. Enhancing it could make you a determined person.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 13.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 14)  Gather some friends and walk around town. It's not only an energy drainer but it keeps you fit as well.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 14.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 15)  Realize what your talent is and focus on it. Most ADD/HD people have a special talent, whether it is acting, music, fine art, building things, etc.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 15.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 16)  Don't let people, such as peers, co-workers, teachers put you down. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are a beautiful person who has a lot to offer in life, if you have ADD/HD or not.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 16.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 17)  Never say "I wish I never had/have ADD/HD". It is a gift that has great doors open for you filled with opportunities and good plans.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 17.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 18)  Try to make friends. Friendship can happen in the most unexpected places to the most unexpected people, especially ADD/HD people.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 18.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 19)  Teach your friend/friends to understand ADD/HD. Tell them about ADD/HD. It is a disorder that manifests impulsive and sometimes improper behavior.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 19.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 20)  Realize you can do anything you want to do in life! You can be an actor/actress, music instructor, artist, author and even lawyer!  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 20.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 21)  A lot of people have ADD/HD, even famous people. The lead singer of Maroon 5, Adam Levine, yet he is an excellent singer for his mellow voice and lovely vocals. The comedian Jim Carrey, and he is an awesome, funny actor for his weird roles. Poet and author, Edgar Allan Poe, and thus far he is the most distinguishable and greatest poet of all time for his eccentric and dreary poetry and stories. The famous composers Beethoven and Mozart also had ADD/HD. If these people made it big and well, then so can you.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 21.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 22)  Most of all, have fun while you're in the healing process!  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 22.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 23)  In ADD/HD the brain is never fully awake and runs on permanent overdrive trying to fully awaken. That is why the treatment for a hyperactivity disorder is a stimulant. That is also why people with ADD/HD can drink coffee all day and go to sleep with no trouble.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 23.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 24)  The whole brain is a collection of lobes that communicate with each other through what is known as the Reticular Activating Center. It's kind of a switchboard. Here lies the trouble. The RAC and the axons in the brain are undeveloped on a cellular level so that the neurons misfire and miss the axons they are intended for, or they are not capable of firing at all, and there is a communications breakdown. This is why medications can be essential.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 24.jpg|center|550px]]
 * 25)  Although medication can be a useful temporary crutch while you are gaining confidence in your ability to organize and discipline and focus your life, it is not a permanent answer for everyone, sometimes even if you are prescribed it. Though some with more severe AD(H)D might need it for life, medication might only teach most people with milder AD(H)D to substitute pills for discipline. Be aware of what the meds are doing for YOU and how necessary they honestly are for you to function. If you can eventually wean yourself off the medication, it's probably best to simply learn how to work WITH your brain, not against it. You will feel so much more empowered making the struggle.  [[Image:Cope With ADHD Step 25.jpg|center|550px]]

Tips

 * Try to consume foods that are as low in sugar as possible as sugar can shorten your attention span even further, and increase hyperactivity/impulsive behaviour as well.
 * Have as many friends as you can to boost your happiness.
 * You are a normal person. While in the healing process you should learn that the differences between you and others are not your fault.
 * Don't forget to have fun as happiness is the key to health.
 * Don't blame your ADD/HD if something your way doesn't come along. Everyone has limitations. It will only make you think you can't do anything because of your ADD/HD.
 * Always think positively, think that you'll make it out of your nightmares.
 * Once you learn to calm yourself you can be happy with yourself and cope with ADD/HD.
 * Self help groups can be helpful, depending on your personality.
 * You can learn to adjust with the normal people around you.
 * If you want to express yourself, spread your creativity and imagination.
 * Please remember that all drugs have a side effect of some kind. You also need to be very informed of what you are putting into your body, especially if those are psycho-tropic medications.
 * Never tell yourself that your teacher hates you because you forgot that homework assignment and took away recess. (S)he is trying to teach you not to forget. Bet you won't forget it tomorrow!
 * When you start to feel worthless/sad/angry when someone makes a remark about you, put that negativity into something positive and paying off well, such as acting, painting a picture, going to the gym, playing a sport. Soccer, baseball and basketball are very good examples of sports that will help burn off energy.

Warnings

 * Don't be so pressured, it won't help.
 * Realize that anything you choose, whether it be medication or a self-help group, will take time. You cannot expect something to have a life-changing effect in just a few days!
 * Don't do anything you feel uncomfortable doing. If you find yourself being pressured to do something that gives you an uneasy feeling in your stomach, opt out or sneak away. Regrets are no fun, even for teenagers.
 * Keep a good relationship with your psychiatrist to make sure your medication keeps you happy without major side effects.

Things You'll Need

 * A local psychiatrist for monitoring medication.
 * A therapist for ongoing unresolved issues.
 * A good attitude.
 * Patience.
 * Happiness.
 * Positive outlook.
 * Determination.

Related wikiHows

 * How to Deal With a Boyfriend That Has ADD/HD
 * How to Cope With Adult Adhd
 * How to Cope Having ADD and Not Taking Ritalin

Sources and Citations
enfrentar el TDAH Affrontare la Sindrome da Deficit dell'Attenzione e Iperattività Lidar com o TDAH справиться с синдромом дефицита внимания и гиперактивности
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder
 * http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/default.htm
 * http://add.about.com/
 * http://www.chadd.org/