I have always been an active person; my family vacations were planned around hiking and outdoor sports. I love to move and be outside but when I started college things changed. I no longer had golf practice after school in the fall or tennis practice in the spring. I went to design school where the closest thing to a school football team was an annual fashion runway show off between our competitor school and us.

College was much more time intensive and stressful than I was prepared for. So I started working with an ADHD coach to help me stay on track of my school assignments. I had to start prioritizing my time between studying, sleep and exercise. After my first semester my grades were great but my body was not – I was sleep deprived and overweight. The sleeping, eating and exercise habits I had formed were unsustainable and I realized I had to change them if I were going to survive four years of college.

I talked to my coach about putting together a new plan for organizing my time. We came up a plan that allowed for me to study, get enough sleep and workout 3 to 4 days a week. Simply by making a detailed plan I learned that I did have time for everything.

My studying, sleep and exercise plans evolved with each semester catering to my new classes. I saw my grades improve as my health did. The more I took care of myself the more awake I was during the boring lectures and the better I could focus on what I was reading.

During my junior year I tried Bikram yoga per my doctors suggestion after I had some shoulder problems. Bikram yoga is the hot yoga you’ve probably heard about, a 90-minute class in a room that’s kept at 105 degrees 40 percent humidity. My first class was awful; I felt nauseous, light headed and HOT! I went back again to try to give it another chance because of the supposed health benefits. I started to enjoy the quiet slow moving activity. Because of the poses and the heat it required me to have absolute focus. I started to challenge myself slowly to improving my flexibility and endurance. When I was stressed about school I would go to yoga and forget about it, I would leave feeling calm and more motivated.

I have kept up with my yoga practice up ever since. I find that I function better if I allow myself that 90-minutes of meditation. When I feel very anxious about something or depressed I give myself the gift of going to yoga and letting those toxic emotions go. Because of the intense heat the session bring out whatever is going on with you and the challenge is to let it go and focus on your meditation.

Whatever exercise works for you, it’s important to find one or two or three that you enjoy! If I do the same thing every day I get bored. So I try to switch it up, I’ll do yoga 2 or 3 times a week, and other cardio things the other days. I love to go on run/walks with my best friend in Central Park.  She lives on the west side and I live on the east so we meet in the middle and do a loop around the reservoir. Living in New York City another one of my favorite things to do is walk everywhere. If I have enough time I’ll walk instead of taking the subway. I always try to do different routes to get common destinations making my walks interesting every time. Another fun social way to get exercise into your routine is taking classes. I love ballroom dancing classes; ballroom is a workout that also challenges your mind. It takes coordination and memorization and has proven benefits for brain function.

When it comes to exercise keep these tips in mind:

• Set up a game plan with your coach to make exercise a priority in your life.
• Try a bunch of different exercises and pick the ones that work best for you, weather that be weight training, yoga, walking, etc.
• Switch it up! Don’t get stuck in a rut with your workout, have fun with exploring new things.
• Making exercising a social event. Instead of going to happy hour or to a movie suggest going on a scenic walk or kickboxing class with your friends.
• Make your commutes into exercise by walking. Make sure to switch up the routines to see new things and keep you interested.

When you have ADHD it is especially important to have exercise be part of your life. Remember that exercise boots brain function and releases endorphins, which give you the feeling of well-being.

What exercises have you found to be the best for you? How have you seen your performance at work or school change in relation to you activity level?  Please share your experience in the comments.  Or join the discussion on Facebook.

Related posts:

Reducing ADHD Symptoms with Exercise

Treating ADHD with Exercise

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.

I wish I knew back in college what I know now about living with ADHD.  I had to learn ways to cope the hard way because I wasn’t diagnosed until many years after I completed school.  Since my diagnosis I’ve developed many skills that have made a huge difference in my life.  Here are four survival skills I’ve discovered that any college student with ADHD can use to make college more productive and stress free.

READING COMPREHENSION

Many of my prelaw classes had heavy reading requirements that pushed my ADHD brain to its limit.  I tried everything I could think of to stay focused, but my mind always wandered and I struggled with comprehension and staying on task.

Then in senior year, a friend of mine who worked in an accounting firm mentioned that her firm routinely handed out foam earplugs for reading tax code.  The text was very boring and she said that it helped her stay focused.  I immediately went to the store and bought some.

When I inserted the earplugs into my ears, it was like shutting off the world so I could actually climb into what I was reading.  The effect was amazing.  Those small inexpensive foam earplugs got me through the rest of college, law school and the bar exam.

After law school, an office setting presented a new challenge:  I couldn’t just shut it off.  Phones were ringing, people asked questions and my earplugs were of little use.  I experimented with sound machines and music to filter out distractions.  After much trial and error, I determined that classical and guitar music struck the balance that I was looking for.

The important thing to note is that I didn’t give up.  I thought about my focus challenge.  I tried – failed – and tried again.  My thought process and commitment made all the difference.

OUTLINING

Another useful tool I use that also helps with procrastination is outlining.  If, like me, you’ve tried and given up on lists because they are long and intimidating, give outlining a try.  Outlines help me understand how each task is connected and provides me with a map for getting there.  I outline everything that I do, from articles to case briefs to scheduling my day.

• An outline provides the structure my ADHD craves for whatever project or time frame that I need to plan.
• An outline provides a hierarchy of concepts and shows how they are related to each other.
• An outline breaks down projects to smaller subprojects and thereby makes them less intimidating.  Often the hardest part of task is getting started.  Breaking the project into the smallest components makes this much easier.

EXERCISE

After my diagnosis with ADHD, I went back and looked at my school transcripts and tried to correlate the times that I got the best grades with what was going on outside of school.  I quickly saw a pattern.  During the times when my grades were highest in college and law school, I was running to relieve my stress.

After this realization I embraced running and made it a part of my life.  I regularly run 4 to 5 days per week for approximately an hour.  My running helps me organize my thoughts and plan out how I am going to approach situations.

In recent years, research has shown that exercise can help reduce the symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, depression and other disorders.  Integrate exercise into your daily life.  If you keep at it, you’ll find it centers you, reduces your stress and brings you the clarity you need to move forward.

COACHING

One of the most important things that I have discovered in my journey to work with my ADHD is I need help to establish the structure, support and accountability that my ADHD mind so desperately needs.  That’s why I have worked with many different ADHD coaches since my diagnosis.

ADHD coaches offer an objective perspective on the challenges of ADHD.  They help us recognize and develop our talents, and learn where and why we struggle.  Each of my coaches has made a huge difference in how I approach obstacles while building my confidence about the specific talents that I have.

College is a key time to learn skills to work with your ADHD because it is much less structured than high school – especially for those students living away from home for the first time.  You may not have even realized all of the daily support your parents were providing until you are in over your head freshman year.  Even students who are extremely intelligent are at high risk because college requires new levels of self imposed structure and accountability.

An ADHD coach who specializes in the needs of high school and college students can provide the structure, support and accountability you need, not just to survive in college, but to reach your full potential throughout your life.

YOU CAN OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES OF ADHD

As someone with ADHD who has struggled all of his life with the challenges it has provided, I am living proof that there are ways to successfully address these obstacles.  The key is to understand yourself, be willing to try new things, reflect about how you respond to situations and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Keep that perspective and you will learn to gravitate toward your strengths and to avoid your weaknesses.  And always remember you are not alone.  There are a lot of us out there just like you.  Good luck!

The summer before I started college my brother and I had a talk about our medication. My brother who is two years older than me was in college and also has ADHD like myself. He took Adderall that was prescribed by his doctor and helped him focus in school. My doctor prescribed Concerta for me. The summer before I started school John and I were talking about college and how to have fun, and do well in my classes. John said, that people are going to find out that I take medication and that my new friends were going to want to buy them from me or for me to give some to them.

My first reaction was “oh great I can make some extra money!” John was like “no”. He explained to me that not only is that illegal but if I give my medication to someone that means that I don’t have medication to take when my prescription runs out. Also and most importantly I could get kicked out of school. During my four years in college many of my friends knew that I had ADHD and I took medication to help me focus.  Most of those friends asked me for some of my pills.

After that conversation with my brother I never thought twice about giving or selling my medication to anyone but I did develop strategies to get around the peer pressure situation.

1)   I would say “I’m so sorry I only have a few left and I need them”

2)   I would say “Oh I just ran out! I’m waiting to get my refill in the mail”

3)   When I lived in the dorms I would keep them in my locked drawer not with my bathroom stuff like my other vitamins.

4)   When I lived in an apartment with roommates I would leave them in my sock drawer and lock my room when we had parties.

Unfortunately students with out ADHD think of our medication as a fun drug, to us it’s important. Keep your medication safe and don’t sacrifice your grades because of what your new friends might think.

My best friend in college put a lot of pressure on me to give her some of my medication. It was hard to constantly make excuses about why I couldn’t so finally I decided if she was my best friend then she will respect my decision. And I told her that I didn’t feel comfortable giving them to people and if she thought she needed them to focus then she should talk to her doctor. She took my advice and made a appointment with her doctor. Turns out she has ADHD too.

How do you deal with the pressure?

Related articles:

Introducing Kelsey Peterson & Stories from the Edge

A student perspective on getting homework done, ADHD style

What you need to know about misuse of ADHD medication on college campuses

ADHD medication safety punch list

There are a lot of tools you can use to monitor your online usage.  Timers, lockdown tools and parental nagging all come to mind.  Keeping your priorities in mind can be the simplest, low-tech, no hassle solution to using your time wisely.  How?

• When you turn on your computer use the boot-up time to set your priorities.
• Write on a sticky note 3 – 5 things you must accomplish during your day and post it at the top of your screen.
• Before you do anything else, work on the first item on your list.  For example, if you are turning on your computer to work on a paper, spend at least a half hour working on it before you check your email.  If you are turning on your computer to check email, don’t go to Facebook first.  You get the idea.
• It’s okay to take a break now and then to play on Facebook or read a few blogs, but be sure to keep checking your priority list and returning to work away on it.
• Be sure to spend more time on your work than you spend playing.
• Keep a running list of things you don’t have time to get to and at the end of your session circle or highlight the items you want to get to another time.

What do you do keep on track while you are online?

Key Facts:

• 34 percent of students polled admitted to taking stimulant medications without a prescription; in juniors and seniors, the percentage can be as high as 80 percent.
• Possessing stimulant medications without a prescription is essentially the same as possessing any other controlled substance
• 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

What do parents and students need to keep in mind about ADHD medication?

Students: Be smart with your medications

• Remember that your ADHD medications are a controlled substance.  Possession of these medications without a prescription is illegal.
• Safeguard your medication from theft on campus.  It is an important tool to management of your ADHD symptoms and it should be there when you need it.
• A gift is a sale.  In the eyes of the law, giving a controlled substance to someone who does not have the legal or medical authority to possess it is the same as selling it.
• Don’t share your medication with others.  Giving controlled substances to your friends is not only illegal, but can cause them harm if they are not being supervised by a doctor.
• Follow your medication plan.  Changing your plan without consulting your doctor can have medical consequences and can create a surplus of pills that can lead to trouble. If you don’t feel that you need to take your meds on the schedule prescribed, tell your doctor and modify the plan with his or her guidance.
• Have local resources.  If you are away at school, have your prescribingdoctor coordinate with a doctor located near your school to address any issues that may come up or emergencies.

Parents:  Protect your child—prevent diversion

• Get the facts and avoid the myths associated with ADHD medication from your doctor.
• Educate your child about his or her medication, the laws that govern its use, and how it can interact with other substances.
• Speak with your child about respecting the purpose of the medication and using it only for its prescribed and intended purpose.
• Stress the importance of reporting any side effects to you and your treating physician.
• Consult with your child’s doctor and develop a solid medication plan that will work at home and school. Revisit that plan if and when your child goes away to college.
• Make sure your child understands that he or she is taking what is considered a controlled substance that is illegal to all others.
• Make sure that the school is aware of the medication that your child is taking, even if it is not dispensed by school medical personnel.  This is especially important if your child is away at college.
• Make sure your child understands the need to keep medication safeguarded inside its prescription container at all times.
• Provide your prescribing physician’s contact information to the school along with the prescription information itself in the event that any emergencies arise.

Other articles you might find of interest about ADHD medication:

Is ADHD Over Medicated?

Is Ritalin Good for You?

Do you protect you ADHD medications from theft?  Have you ever had any stolen?  Let us know your experience 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?

Introspection is the key

Medication and coping strategies do not cure ADHD, but they can go a long way toward managing its symptoms.  There are a ton of strategies out there you can try, the key to making any of them effective is to look deep inside yourself and honestly appraise your strengths and weaknesses.  Take the example of your where you study.  How you set up your study environment can make a big difference in either contributing to your ADHD challenges, or playing to your strengths.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Understanding why a system didn’t work for you can provide you with valuable information about designing a system that will.

Identify your distractions

Start by figuring out what distracts you and work to eliminate those distractions.  Are you prone to audible distractions, visible distractions, or both?  Are you distractible some times more than others?  For instance, sometimes silence can help focus.  And other times silence can intensify the distracting noise in your head.  Try experimenting with white noise or music to keep the part of your brain busy that wants to wander.  Understanding what distracts you can be very empowering because you gain an element of control over things that have previously made you feel helpless.

Curb internet distraction

While the internet can be a very useful tool for research and in some cases productivity, it can also be black hole for wasted time.  EVERYONE is distracted by the internet.  It’s too easy to click on a link that appears to go to a related topic until you are so far afield from where you need to be you’ve forgotten what you are supposed to be working on.  Plus, the stimulation of the click, refresh and status update check can get your mind running like a hamster on a wheel.  When you find yourself distracted by the internet, turn it off.  For example, if you are working on a paper that you know you will have a hard time sticking to – take control and turn the internet off!

Identify a productive place

Designing a safe and productive place does not always mean a place within your own home or office.  Learn to experiment in different settings to see whether or not they are helpful to your productivity.  For instance, no matter how much you minimize distractions in your home or office, there may always be subtle reminders of other projects that you have to do.  Some people clean their house when they should be studying.  If you are one of those people, heading to the library may be the ticket to focusing.

Pick your prime time

Are you more productive in the morning?  Are you less productive in the afternoon?  Do you get more done in the study hall before everyone gets there and starts whispering or at the end of the day when things quiet down?  The answers to these questions can be invaluable in making the most of that prime time.  Figure out when you are most productive, and then spend that time on the things you find hardest to focus on.

Get support

Regardless of how hard we try to work around our problems, we may often find that the biggest obstacle we face is ourselves.  When that is the case, don’t be afraid to think WAY outside the box and even outside of yourself.  Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a coach who can work with you to develop a system of structure and accountability that can work for you and get you to where you need to be.

When you start thinking about productivity as a state of mind instead of a destination, you being the important step of taking control of yourself.  Empower yourself to success.  And remember, you are not alone.

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/