Edge: It’s surprising to find out that people with  ADHD are prone to obesity.  Why do you think that’s true?

Dr. Dukarm: Both ADHD and eating disorders tend to cause individuals to be disconnected from their internal cues.  Those with ADD are easily distracted and may miss a meal; then, they feel ravenous and are at risk for binge eating.  Hunger and satiety cues are often misinterpreted.   Restricting eating when hungry, and binge eating beyond fullness, temporarily destroy the communication between the stomach and the brain. Scheduling meals can help with this, but for people with ADHD the task of scheduling meals  can be challenging.

Edge:  Can you speak to the reasons for how impulsive eating by girls and women with ADHD turns into an eating disorder?

Dr. Dukarm: Several key characteristics of ADHD can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Individuals with ADHD exhibit impulsivity (which can result in impulsive binge eating), distractibility (and, therefore, a tendency to often be distracted by thoughts of food and body image), and poor attention and organizational skills (leading to difficulty following a meal plan.) Impulsivity can cause binge eating, poor food choices, use of food as a reward, out of control eating and self-medication with food (specifically carbohydrates.) Distractibility can lead to binge eating because of difficulty following a meal plan, trouble estimating portion size, a persistent internal “running conversation” regarding food and weight and stimulation-seeking behavior through food. In addition, poor attention and concentration can decrease awareness of internal cues including hunger/ satiety and contribute to unstructured eating.

Edge: What do you mean when you say some people self-medicating ADHD symptoms with food?

Dr. Dukarm: Sugar and high glycemic carbohydrates can temporarily increase the neurotransmitter, serotonin, and therefore can create a temporary feeling of calmness or a decrease in anxiety. However, due to the effects of low-glycemic carbohydrates on blood sugar, these feelings are only temporary and soon result in a paradoxical reaction of increased restlessness and irritability when blood sugar levels decrease.  In addition, this paradoxical reaction can cause an increased craving for sugar, contributing to the cyclic pattern of binge eating.

Edge:  What are some healthy eating habits that may be obvious to everyone else that ADHD women and girls have to learn the hard way?

Dr. Dukarm: Meal planning does not come naturally to most people, especially those with ADHD and some people with eating disorders.  However, without some amount of pre-planning meals for the day, the risk of binge eating increases.  Therefore, temporarily eating in a more “mechanical” fashion (by your watch, not your stomach) while becoming more in tune to internal cues can re-establish this feedback loop and break the starvation/binge eating cycle.

Having the right foods, in the right place, at the right time decreases impulsive eating.  Structuring eating is essential for people with ADHD and eating disorders, providing a framework for feeling safe at meals.  Structuring and planning meals actually decreases the amount of time spent thinking about food.  It is important to be realistic and make sure your meal plan can actually be carried out given your schedule on a specific day.

The following suggestions may help to develop a beneficial plan:

• Eat every 3 to 4 hours. Eating every three to four hours stabilizes blood sugar and prevents hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  Hypoglycemia is a common trigger to binge eating, because low blood sugar can result in a paradoxical reaction of carbohydrate craving.  In addition, eating small, frequent “mini-meals” throughout the day stimulates your metabolism and digestion.
• Set specific times to eat. Pre-determining times to eat, i.e. every four hours, can actually decrease the potential of feeling overly hungry and thereby reduce the risk of binge eating.
• Set specific amounts to eat. Pre-determining how much to eat and when to eat it can prevent the pattern of hoarding food until late in the day, a common trigger for binge eating.  Pre-determining portions often serves as a way to maintain a sufficient intake until hunger and satiety cues are reestablished.
• Enhance the quality of your nutritional intake. Balancing adequate quantity of protein, carbohydrates and fat at every meal and snack will significantly affect appetite, cravings, binge eating, mood and attention.  In addition, choosing high quality proteins, low-glycemic carbohydrates and quality fats will lead to further improvement in appetite and attention.

Edge:  Can you point us in the direction of any research studies or books on this topic for parents or professionals to learn more about this important issue?

Dr. Dukarm: In my book Pieces of a Puzzle: The Link between Eating Disorders and ADD, I include sections for individuals, as well as specific information for professionals who treat eating disorders or ADHD.  Several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Women’s Health and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology have published articles on the overlap of these disorders.

Sharing that you have ADHD with your friends, families and teachers is a very private and personal decision.  With ADHD Awareness Week just around the corner (September 13 – 17, 2010), we’d like to offer a few thoughts about the positive side of disclosing your ADHD and using it as an opportunity to educate others.

1. Secrecy breeds shame: Keeping a secret that is never discussed has a dark side – it can leave you feeling like there is something wrong with you that you have to hide.
2. Secrecy build barriers: When you decide to hold back about your ADHD, you build a little wall between you and that person.  The longer the wall is in place, the harder it will be to disclose the truth.  While the other person is oblivious, you can end up spending a lot of energy worrying about being discovered.
3. Secrecy keeps YOU in the dark: You can’t educate yourself about ADHD very easily if you aren’t open about having it.  Asking questions of an expert, sharing experiences with other people who have ADHD and learning strategies to work with your strengths and weakness – all require that you are open about having ADHD.
4. Secrecy can hurt you: If the people around you don’t understand that you have ADHD, they don’t have the same kind of compassion for your mistakes as they might otherwise have if you’d give them the opportunity.  Moreover, you need to be able to disclose your ADHD status if you want to receive accommodations in school.

Being Open About ADHD

We hope we’ve shown you some of the positive side of  “coming out” with your ADHD with your family and friends.  If you do, may we recommend you don’t just blurt it out there?  But that you take a three step, thoughtful approach to disclosing your ADHD status:

1. Take the time to do it right. Tell people when you have time to talk about it and they can ask you questions.  There are a lot of misperceptions about ADHD out there and people often don’t have any idea what it means to have ADHD.
2. Educate yourself. Be ready with information about what ADHD is and how it affects people. ADHD affects everyone differently and so understanding your own symptoms and need for support will empower you to advocate for yourself much more effectively. There are tons of resources on the web.  A particularly good one that addresses common concerns people may raise was written by ADHD Coach, Pete Quily http://www.addcoach4u.com/doesaddreallyexist.html.
3. Ask for help. When you talk about your ADHD, don’t be afraid to ask people to help you out.  That can mean being understanding when you slip up by being late, interrupting or running in three different directions.  Married couples should definitely spend time working out the give and take of an ADHD relationship in managing home life.

Finally, if you do share, be sure to pat yourself on the back.  By being open, educating others and asking for help, you pave the way for other people with ADHD to share and learn – or even discover for the first time that they aren’t stupid, lazy or inconsiderate – they just have ADHD!

Do you disclose your ADHD or keep it to yourself?  Have you ever had a bad experience in sharing?  Tell us your story in the comments.

Key findings:

• As many as 60 percent and as high as 80 percent of juniors and seniors admitted to taking stimulant medications without a prescription.
• Possessing stimulant medications without a prescription is essentially the same as possessing any other controlled substance.
• Money does not need to change hands in order for a gift or other exchange of a controlled substance to be considered a “sale.”
• Students who face challenges based upon the symptoms of their ADHD do not take medications to gain an advantage, but do so in order to have the ability to function in a school setting
• Extra care should be taken to ensure that young adults act responsibly to follow their medication plans and safeguard their medication from unauthorized use.

Recent media reports raised an alert on the availability of stimulant medications used to treat students with ADHD and the alarming percentage of students with no diagnosis or prescription who are using ADHD medications.  Medication diversion has also been popularized in movies and television programs.  In Juno, the main character offers one of her meds to a classmate who needs to get a report done on time.  Characters in Desperate Housewives openly discuss taking their children’s stimulant meds to help them lose weight or get through the day.  Campus news sources report students not diagnosed with ADHD taking stimulants for recreational use or to gain an academic advantage.  What do the statistics really show, and what are the facts?

I’ve written and often read about the pitfalls many students with ADHD face as they struggle with transitions.  This concept is not only important to bear in mind academically but behaviorally, as the students adapt to a medication plan at a particularly vulnerable time in their development.  The diversion of ADHD medication to undiagnosed individuals who take it recreationally and without proper supervision is a dangerous problem that can have disastrous medical and legal consequences.  Unauthorized use of ADHD medication can fuel the social stigmas we in the disability community have fought so hard against.

Controlled substances

Traditionally, the most effective and widely used medications to manage ADHD symptoms are stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine.  Pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act, both of these drugs are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Schedule II Controlled Substances.  This classification puts stringent restrictions upon how these drugs are prescribed.  While these medications have no “intoxicating “effects, they are unfortunately used recreationally for weight loss or to simulate the effects of other stimulants.  In the eyes of the law, the possession of a controlled substance without an authorized prescription is a crime.  It is important to recognize and to alert students and their parents that possessing stimulant medications without a prescription is essentially the same as possessing any other controlled substance.  In fact, in some states (such as New York) it is illegal—though not a criminal offense—to possess Schedule II controlled substance medication unless it is inside the prescription bottle issued by the pharmacy.  ADHD medication, like any medication, is safe only when prescribed and used under the supervision of a physician or other authorized prescribing professional.  Unauthorized use or abuse of ADHD medication, or any other medication, can have serious medical consequences, depending upon how much is taken, how often it is taken, an individual’s chemistry, and with what other substances or medications it is taken.

Social stigma

It is also important to understand that far too many people in our culture stigmatize the diagnosis of ADHD and the medications that can effectively manage its symptoms.  The myths about ADHD—as an excuse for poor behavior, bad parenting, and laziness—still hold back many bright students with ADHD from realizing their full potentials.  One of the most debilitating myths is that medication is a bad thing.  Medication is a personal choice that should be made between the patient, their parents, and a qualified physician.  It is also important to note that medication does not cure ADHD but, when taken under the supervision of a doctor, can effectively manage many of its symptoms.  Medication should be considered as a part of a multimodal approach along with other behavioral management interventions and techniques, such as exercise, behavioral modification, and coaching.  Many students who take stimulant medication without a prescription claim that they do so to gain a competitive edge over other students.  They claim the stimulant medications help them to complete their work and to raise their test scores.  It is important to understand that students who face challenges based upon the symptoms of their ADHD do not take medications to gain an advantage, but do so in order to have the ability to function in a school setting.  While stimulant medication may enhance the performance of individuals with or without ADHD, in many cases, the ones actually diagnosed cannot function effectively without it.  Thus, unauthorized diversion of ADHD medication not only has legal and medical consequences, as listed above, but it fuels the very social stigmas that the disability community has worked so hard to overcome.

Keeping perspective

Much of the concern over the increased use of ADHD medication is clouded by the rising numbers of diagnoses and prescriptions over the last ten to twenty years.  As our understanding of the nature and nuances of the disorder improved, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD increased.  For instance, traditionally, ADHD was thought to present only in hyperactive boys.  We now know that the disorder spans gender and does not always present with symptoms of hyperactivity.  Inattentive-type ADHD carries many of the same challenges and isomer frequently missed because of the lack of outward symptoms associated with hyperactivity.  Additionally, it was once thought that people grew out of ADHD, largely because hyperactive symptoms decline after puberty in many cases.  It is now widely accepted that other symptoms—inattention, impulsivity, time perception, and disorganization—continue through the lifespan in many cases.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD is diagnosed in an estimated 8 percent of children ages four through seventeen and in 2.9-4.4 percent of adults. The increase in diagnoses and prescriptions for ADHD medication is a separate issue from the unauthorized diversion of stimulant medication which is then taken recreationally by individuals who have not been diagnosed with the disorder and who are using the drug outside of the supervision of a physician. Nonmedical use typically refers to students who consume stolen, borrowed or stimulant medication purchased without a diagnosis, or a prescription from a treating physician.  Each year, the University of Michigan conducts a “Monitoring the Future” survey, which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Data from the MTF surveys since 2001 shows that nonmedical use of stimulant medication has been falling between 25-42 percent at each grade level surveyed.

Katie Couric’s recent 60 Minutes report discussed a study conducted at the University of Kentucky. The study showed that 34 percent of students polled admitted to taking stimulant medications without a prescription; in juniors and seniors, the percentage can be as high as 60 percent and as high as 80 percent among juniors and seniors in fraternities and sororities. Yet the study also showed that only 4 percent of the students using the drugs were doing so with a diagnosis and a prescription.

Preventing diversion

As alarming as these numbers are, they beg the question: Where are all of these no prescribed stimulants coming from?  According to the University of Kentucky study, the typical student who is prescribed stimulant medication does not take it as prescribed on a regular basis.  This leaves a surplus of medication at the end of the month.  This “surplus”—which is then either stolen, sold, or given to fellow students—is what makes the drugs readily available on campus.  Students must be made aware of the very serious potential medical consequences of unauthorized use of stimulant medications.  They also need to understand that in the eyes of the law, money does not need to change hands in order for a gift or other exchange of a controlled substance to be considered a “sale.” While the criminal penalties for possessing controlled substances can be high, they are much higher for the sale of a controlled substance.  While some data suggest that the phenomenon may be declining, any unauthorized diversion of medication can have legal, medical, and social consequences.  It is important that parents discuss ADHD medication with their children and impress upon them the strict requirements for their use imposed by law.  Parents must also emphasize the dangers and consequences of sharing medication with friends or using it recreationally.  This is especially important when students leave home to attend college.  They often do not have instant access to the support and guidance of their parents and are also removed from their prescribing physicians.  Extra care should be taken to ensure that these young adults act responsibly to follow their medication plans and safeguard their medication from unauthorized use.

Next time:  What do you need to do?

Gambling isn’t that big a deal, right?

Wrong!  Most people don’t think of gambling as being that much of a problem, so it gets little attention.  But did you know that nearly 10% of college students qualify as problem gamblers?  That’s a higher number than for adults!

Think you don’t know anyone with a gambling problem, think again.  Statistics show that at least 1 person sitting around the 10 person table at your seminar has a gambling problem or 30 people in that lecture hall are spending too much money on gaming.

ADHD and Gambling:  a bad combination

Students with ADHD are especially at risk for developing a gambling addiction. In fact ADHD students have an even higher rate of problem gambling than other college students – as many as 19% (nearly 1 in 5) college students with ADHD have a problem with gambling.

Researchers are still teasing out why this is the case.  But if you have lived with ADHD it’s pretty easy to make the connection between problem gambling and ADHD.  Impulse control is a hallmark of ADHD, and impulse control is a hallmark of addiction.  Gambling is also exciting and can feed the ADHD brain’s craving for stimulus and excitement.

Researchers have found that there are strong associations between ADHD and addictive behavior, including substance abuse, alcoholism, and nicotine dependence.

Do you have a gambling problem?

The National Council on Problem Gambling offers this checklist:

10  Questions About Gambling Behavior

1. You have often gambled longer than you had planned.
2. You have often gambled until your last dollar was gone.
3. Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep.
4. You have used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid.
5. You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling.
6. You have broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling.
7. You have borrowed money to finance your gambling.
8. You have felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses.
9. You have been remorseful after gambling.
10. You have gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations.

If you or someone you know answers “Yes” to any of these questions, consider seeking assistance from a professional regarding this gambling behavior by calling the National Problem Gambling HelpLine Network (800.522.4700) toll free and confidential throughout the U.S.

Facts sited in this post are primarily drawn from these two excellent research reports on ADHD and college gambling:

http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue2/clinic/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775442/

• Under diagnosis due to symptoms that don’t echo the male standard for ADHD
• Hyperactivity presenting as talkativeness and emotional behavior instead of the classic “propelled by a motor.”
• Greater disorganization, depression and anxiety than boys.

This fall Dr. Quinn will publish a new book, 100 Questions and Answers about ADHD in Women and Girls.  We thought this would be a good time to ask her a few questions of our own.

Edge: Is there anything about the challenges ADHD girls and women face that has emerged for you since our last interview?

Dr. Quinn: I think we have seen more in the way of confirming the development of eating disorders in girls with ADHD.

Edge: What, if anything, is unique about diagnosing ADHD girls with eating disorders than is different from other girls?

Dr. Quinn: Well first, the symptom of impulsivity seems to be a significant factor in the development of eating disorders in girls with ADHD. Poor self-esteem may also play a role, but one does not see the impaired body image seen in girls with eating disorders in general.  Girls with ADHD may binge and develop bulimia, but not because of a desire for thinness, but rather because of mindless or impulsive eating. Women with ADHD often report that they eat to feel better or for stimulation.

Edge: What should parents do when they suspect their daughter with ADHD has an eating disorder?

Dr. Quinn: Parents of these girls should pursue a complete assessment with an eating disorder specialist trained to realize that ADHD may be part of the picture. Girls will need to be treated for their ADHD symptoms (inattention and impulsivity) in order to be able to follow a program to address their disordered eating. Stimulants not only treat the symptoms of ADHD, but, according to some experts, may actually decrease the urge to binge.

Edge: Is there anything else you want people to know about girls and ADHD?

Dr. Quinn: Girls tend to suffer silently for many years, and as a result develop poor self-esteem early on. In addition, many develop anxiety because of their untreated ADHD symptoms. Their symptoms seem to sneak up and ambush them and they worry that this will happen again. So, they get anxious or develop compensatory strategies. They may worry and begin checking to see if they have a test they have forgotten about, or a book they forgot to bring home from school.

They can even develop obsessive compulsive personality disorders where they try to control one aspect of their life to the exclusion of others.  I have seen girls with ADHD become perfectionists to compensate for their symptoms. They spend a great amount of time and energy trying to compensate until it all gets too much for them and they get depressed or just give up.  It is, therefore, important to treat ADHD in girls even if they seem to be doing well academically and holding it all together because they may be doing so at a great cost.

I also want to send the overall message that the disorder does not remit but continues to cause significant problems and functional impairments particularly in girls with the inattentive type ADD.

Edge: What would you say, then to parents who are hoping their daughter will just “outgrow it?”

Dr. Quinn: ADHD is a chronic, life-long disorder. Symptoms may be less impairing as we learn to live with them and develop strategies and a life style to better cope. However, girls who demonstrate the most success are those that have adopted a multi-pronged approach to treating the disorder including, medication, therapy and appropriate treatment goals early on. ADHD coaching, like the Edge Foundation offers, can be an important component in learning compensatory strategies and behaviors.  Girls who as adolescents continue to have significant functional impairments are those who are usually not taking medication even though they have briefly made use of other services in and outside of school. These, however, may not be enough.

Edge: What are some of the most common questions you are asked about women and girls who have ADHD?

DR. Quinn: I am constantly asked why girls and women aren’t diagnosed as early as boys. I think this is because girls are not identified by teachers or others. Often teachers are comparing girls’ behaviors to those of boys rather than the performance of other girls. Mothers may be more likely to compare their daughter’s behavior to that of other girls thus may be more reliable at referring their daughters for an evaluation.  Girls are less disruptive and don’t call attention to themselves, so they don’t get referred. In addition girls and women work hard to compensate for their symptoms and to not let others know the problems that they are having.

Edge: Do women’s hormones have any impact on how medication levels need to be prescribed over time? For instance, does going through puberty or menopause mean medication levels need to be adjusted during those periods?

Dr. Quinn: When hormone levels decrease in menopause many women report that their ADHD symptoms increase and that their medications don’t seem to be as effective as previously.  It is often necessary to increase the dose of medications at this time. In addition, I find that during puberty symptoms often worsen in girls with ADHD. A medication dose that worked previously may no longer be effective during this time.

Edge: You’ve been a long-standing champion for women and girls who have ADHD, do you see the rest of the medical profession catching up in awareness or is there still a lot of ground to cover until females with ADHD receive equal medical treatment?

Dr. Quinn: I think that overall the medical profession is doing a better job at recognizing and treating girls with ADHD.  The problem seems to be with educating teachers and school systems about the disorder in females.

Readers:  Do you have a question about ADHD in girls?  Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

Edge:  You’ve been instrumental at Edge Foundation in designing our ADHD youth coaching training program.  How did training and mentoring the Edge coaches shape your point of view as an author?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My work with the Edge Foundation gave me a fresh perspective on my work and insight into the questions that coaches, clients and parents have about ADHD, the coaching process, and strategies for success.  Each time I was asked a question during my work with Edge, I took notes and used those queries to formulate the information shared in the book.

Edge:  High school and college is a time that most children draw away from their parents or even outright rebel.  How will parents benefit from reading this book?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents will learn how a coach can be a great partner for high school and college-aged children.  Coaching allows parents to step back from the day-to-day routine and nagging and allows the young person to be more independent.

Edge:  Over the years were there common questions you’ve fielded from parents about coaching?

Sleeper-Triplett:  Parents need a deeper understanding the coaching process.  They need better insight into what their role is in the coaching process.  They want to explore how boundaries are established within the coaching relationship.  And they want to understand what makes a coach qualified to work with young people with ADHD.

Edge: And how do you respond to parents who are skeptical that coaching won’t make a difference for their students?

Sleeper-Triplett: It’s important for parents to understand that coaching is different from other services, especially therapy.  Many parents have struggled with their ADHD adolescent over time management, organization, and self-advocacy and social skills.  These are all areas addressed in coaching in a non-judgmental manner, allowing young people to feel more confident and ready to stretch themselves to a new level of success.  Not everyone is cut out to benefit from coaching.  So the book also includes a information about how prescreening is used by coaches to ensure a person is ready for coaching before they sign up and invest in the process.

Edge: Writing a book is a huge undertaking of time and energy.  What inspired you?

Sleeper-Triplett:  My clients and coach trainees are my inspiration.  Watching the positive changes that coaching can have on young people and helping coaches to learn new skills is really motivating to me.  I have been encouraged and supported by coaches, therapists, educators and friends to put my work on the page.  Once I committed to doing it there was no turning back for me.

Note:  Empowering Youth with ADHD:  Your Guide to Coaching Adolescents and Young Adults for Coaches, Parents and Professionals will be available in September, however, preordering is now available at Amazon.com.

Click here for more books on ADHD.

• Scheduling
• Goal Setting
• Organizing
• Focusing
• Prioritizing
• Sticking with it when it gets tough

That all sounds pretty important, doesn’t it? It’s no wonder that this week in Seattle Times interview by reporter Jerry Large, developmental molecular biologist John Medina said:

“The single greatest predictor of academic success is executive function. It even trumps IQ.”

The single greatest predictor of academic success.  Wow. Did that give you pause? Are you feeling a little worried?

ADHD and Executive Function Challenges

The way ADHD affects the executive functions of the brain can be one of the most challenging parts of living with it. But before you head down a dark hallway, we want to look at this from a different angle.
Yes, executive functions are important. And, yes, people living with ADHD have struggles that others don’t have because of impaired executive functions. BUT, that does not mean that people with ADHD cannot be extremely successfully in school and in life. Why?

First off, if you are reading this blog, you already know you have ADHD. That’s a huge advantage. You can take that knowledge and put in place supports to shore up your executive function weaknesses.

ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all disability. ADHD manifests differently in each person. (Thus the alphabet soup of ADD, ADHD, AD/HD to all name the same condition.) Even those with severe ADHD usually have some activities where their executive functions work very well.   It is critical to keep in mind that each person has their own, unique set of strengths and weaknesses. The key is to be introspective and understand yourself — know your strengths, your challenges, your passions, your aversions.

An ADHD Coach plays to your strengths. An ADHD coach is a way to help you give you perspective on your strenthgs and help you learn life-long skills which will allow you to compensate for your weaknesses.

ADHD Coaching for ADHD Success

Sure, the greatest predictor of academic success is executive function. But it isn’t the only thing that you need to succeed.

• Awareness that you have ADHD and acknowledging it has special challenges
• Willingness to ask for help
• Seeking out the right resource
• And finding the outside experts to help you develop a plan that works for you.

These are all important too.

Find your edge

An Edge Coach understands how to work with ADHD. They have met the rigorous standards set by the Edge Foundation and are trained to working with students and young adults with ADHD. They know how to help you discover your many strengths and talents – hidden and known – and bring them into the forefront. They are passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of students and young adults with ADHD. And most of all, they are ready to help you.

What are you waiting for?

For more information:

• John Medina, Brain Rules
• Scholarly article on ADHD and executive function:   http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.120.5164&rep=rep1&type=pdf
• Free ADHD & College Survival Guide
• Sign up for an Edge Coach

The 5 best ADHD resources

1. CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), is a national non-profit organization working to improve the lives of affected people through education, advocacy and support. From lobbying to local support groups, CHADD is a leader in the field of ADHD.
2. CHADD is also the sponsor of the National Resource Center on AD/HD. The center is funded by the CDC and has tons of science-based information about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
3. About.com has a great AD/HD column written by Keath Low. Keath posts new content each week that is full of information, support and ideas you can use. Her past columns provide an excellent on-line resource for nearly any ADHD related topic you can think of. (About.com is owned by the New York Times Company.)
4. ADD Resources is another non-profit serving the ADHD community. It has an extensive directory of workshops, conferences, publications, and articles for parents, teachers, adults, and medical professionals. The organization supports itself through memberships. And there is a fee to access some content.
5. ADDvance.com is a site where Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D. and Patricia Quinn, M.D. (Edge Foundation board member) provides answers to questions about ADHD for families and individuals at every stage of life from preschool through retirement years.

There are a ton of great ADHD sites out there.  If you had to pick just 5 ADHD resources to list, what ones would you include? Let us know what your list would include.

Figure out why you procrastinate, then match your strategy to motivate accordingly.

Procrastination can be caused by several things. You may procrastinate because you don’t enjoy a task. You may procrastinate because a task is large and challenging to organize. Or, you may procrastinate because you aren’t sure how to accomplish the task.

1. Procrastination due to dislike of an activity

If you procrastinate because you don’t like a task, look for ways to increase task appeal such as:

* Make it into a game, and keep score.
* Make it into a game, competing with others.
* Listen to upbeat music while doing it. Schedule a reward immediately after you complete it.

2. Procrastination due to overwhelm

If you’re avoiding a task because it is lengthy and overwhelming, then “divide and conquer”:

* Break the large task into separate, short-term segments.
* Then check off each segment as an accomplished short-term task.

3. Procrastination due to inertia

If you procrastinate because you have difficulty initiating a task, create something to react to. Tasks that can be reacted to are easier to begin than those that you must initiate yourself.

* Work on the task with others – then you can react to their questions, emails, etc.
* Establish a deadline with your supervisor.

4. Procrastination due to lack of organization

Sometimes we procrastinate on beginning a large project because we haven’t organized the task and don’t know where to start. If you can’t seem to get a project organized:

* Think through the task.
* Talk with your supervisor or collaborators to plan it.
* Break the larger task into do-able segments.
* Create a list of resources and supplies needed to accomplish the task.
* Create a timeline for the task.
* Then schedule the first segment of the task.
* Create an email or text reminder for this segment.

5. Procrastination on difficult tasks

Not all tasks can be made easy, but if you find a task particularly difficult, you must analyze how it can become easier.

* Do you need help?
* More training?
* More practice?
* More assistance from other?
* Analyze what is making the task so difficult, and then get the help you need to succeed.

6. Procrastination at certain times of day

More challenging tasks should be done at whatever time of day you seem to feel more focused and energetic. Take note of your daily rhythms, and then try to schedule the most avoided tasks for the time of day when you’ll have more energy to tackle them.

Problem-solve and apply your solution

To combat patterns of procrastination, select a task that you keep putting off. Then look at the list of possible solutions above and choose one that you think is most likely to be helpful.

Pick one (or more) of these solutions, and keep track over the next few weeks. Are you getting things done on a consistent basis? If so, keep up the good work! Your new solutions will soon become habits that require very little effort to maintain.

Final note for severe or chronic procrastinators
Some people seem to have a generally low level of motivation and tend to put off all tasks that take energy or effort. These people are classic “couch potatoes” that would rather do “nothing” than anything at all. If you fall into the couch potato category, you may actually struggle with chronic, low level depression.

Others are couch potatoes due to chronic sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, or poor physical fitness. If you feel as if everything is too much trouble, then get a medical check-up to see if depression or some other health problem is playing a role in always putting things off.

ADHD, Depression and Why it Matters

ADHD and Depression II: Types of Depression

ADHD Depression Busting Tool Kit

We talked about writing down the times that ADHD has been an asset for her so she can remember them on days like these. Like the time she was quick to notice her brother left his favorate sweatshirt behind, or when her out of the box thinking creates a new way of seeing a problem that didn’t seem to have an answer.

And here at Edge, we thought it would be inspriring to hear from other students who have found success using an ADHD coach. You know we are sold on coaching as a powerful way to channel your ADHD for success.

We encourage each of our readers to share their success stories in the comments. Our stories together can remind us all to keep our focus on what is possible in those moments we are discouraged.

Getting organized with ADHD coaching

ADHD coaching really helped me organize. I think it helped me the most in setting goals and making sure I got those goals done in a good way, in a motivational way. Before [I had an ADHD coach] all of my goals and all of my assignments were jumbled up in my head. Coaching helped me systemically put them into a schedule. - College Student

Learning strategies that get results

I’m already reviewing for exams a couple of weeks before I have them. I got this from coaching. Coaching has helped me see things more from a planning perspective – planning ahead and starting early helps make things much easier. I feel much less stressed now about exams, and things are much more doable. So now it is not just like memorizing everything right before an exam and then forgetting it, but doing reading as I go along so that I am actually learning the material when I review it a couple of weeks before a test. - College Student

I still look back and wonder how I was able to get through it. My grades were low, but it was not because I didn’t understand the material. It was simply because I was very disorganized and didn’t know how to study effectively. I lost assignments, I wasted endless hours “studying”, and I nearly drove my parents insane. Then, my mom called an ADHD coach. All it took was a 30-minute call once a week – just 30 minutes! We laid down plans and schedules to get myself back on track. My grades improved tenfold and best of all, I virtually eliminated my problem with missing assignments. With every call, I became better – my study skills improved, my organization was practically flawless, and my self-confidence and ability to motivate myself became fine-tuned. I truly can’t attribute my recent success to anyone but my coach. – High School Student

Astonishing your parents

ADHD Coaching has helped increase my overall organization abilities. It helped me get my room more organized ed. It’s still clean weeks after I did the major clean-up! My folks won’t even believe it when they come see me! And I’m also sleeping more. That’s helping a lot. - College Student

Reaching for the stars

I’m setting higher standards now because, coming into college, my expectations were, ‘Oh yeah; 3.6, 3.7 gpa, no big deal. Because, just coming from high school, that’s just the way everything worked… Now I’m thinking about the bigger picture and what I need to do to get into a good graduate school, and stuff like that. - College Student

ADHD coaching stops the last minute scramble

Grades weren’t really an issue for me ever, but the way I go about getting my grades is better… because of the going through on a daily basis, not waiting until the last minute. - College Student

Hearing more positive feedback

People have commented, ‘Wow, you’re really producing this semester,’ or, ‘Wow, you’re -‘ I don’t want to brag, but – ‘further ahead than everyone else,’ or whatever. I might not have heard [comments like this] last semester. – College Student

Giving perspective – you are not alone

I would say [to my coach], ‘Look, I’m having this problem, right?’ Or we’d be like, ‘Here’s a goal. Why aren’t I reaching that goal?’ ‘Oh, it’s because of this problem.’ And then you know what he’ll say, ‘Well, some people like yourself with ADD, they would try x, y, and z.’ And I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s really helpful to know what other people kind of like me in similar situations are doing and how they solve their similar problems.’ – College Student

An ADHD coach is an angel on your shoulder

Besides the benefits, I think the relationship. Developing a relationship is very helpful in keeping you; it’s almost like developing a relationship with an angel on your shoulder or something. It’s just kind of nice to have a good relationship with someone that can help you. - College Student

Reduces stress

Some people feel less stressed after they’ve sort of planned out what they’re going to do about something they are stressed about. Because it takes away the question of, ‘Oh, how am I going to do this? Oh, this is how I’m going to do it. I feel less stressed about it because I know I can get it done.’ – College Student

[Now I'm] in control, not of myself but of my daily life and of the situation; daily experience. Probably less stressed and more confident in my abilities to get the things done that I need to get done, again, in a timely manner. - College Student

An ADHD coach builds your confidence

I was going to say, ‘Confident. Everything is doable.’ [Smiling] Yeah. - College Student

Learning skills to last a lifetime

I was able to compensate until I reached grad school where I hit a wall and began to struggle with classes, scheduling, organization, and school/life balance. I [was] doing well academically but performed poorly in the field – showing up unprepared and missing deadlines. Sometimes the ADD habit of speaking-before-thinking got me in hot water. At home things were a disaster: it seemed impossible for me to keep up with life tasks like laundry, dishes and cleaning while working and studying. [Medication, therapy and academic accomodationns] didn’t address time management and didn’t help my social issues, disorganization, or the home/life balance disrupted by ADD. Before I started coaching, I was afraid I’d fail out of grad school. After a few months of coaching, both my Dean and my advisor congratulated me on my improvements. I’m actually getting honors in my evaluations, which is much more than I’d ever hoped for. I am also learning skills like time management and home/life/work balance, which will help me for the rest of my life. - Grad Student

Feel more in control of your life with an ADHD coach

I became noticeably more organized [with the help of my ADHD coach]. I went from constantly missing homework assignments my first three years of high school to missing no homework assignments my senior year. I could easily find worksheets and packets in folders instead of looking around in my backpack or my room. I got into my first choice college. I believe the study and organization skills I learned with my coach have helped immensely in my first semester of college. I now feel more in control of my schoolwork and grades. - College Student

Share your success

Now it’s your turn.  We hope you’ll share your success stories in the comment section!

For a more in depth success story read One ADHD College Student’s Success Story