The holidays are known as “the most wonderful time of the year.” If you or a loved one is living with ADD in adults, you probably have a different perspective. ADD in adults tends to make the holiday season a very real challenge. According to George Sachs, PsyD – a leading ADD doctor who, as a sufferer himself, has a unique perspective on ADD in adults – now is the time to start thinking about how you or your loved one will navigate the weeks ahead.
Those who have received a positive diagnosis following adult ADD testing have a hard time staying organized. Setting priorities is a challenge, too. And trying to maintain focus when the streets are ablaze with holiday lights, the stores are full of busy shoppers and the calendar is packed with parties is anything but wonderful if you have adult ADD.
Healthy holiday strategies
ADDitude magazine offers help for adults with ADD. In Surviving the Holidays with ADHD, they identified several problems that commonly test adults with ADD/ADHD during the festive season. Even better, they offer some possible solutions!
- The root of much holiday stress – for everyone not just adults with ADD – lies in the fact that we’re all trying to do too much in too little time. “Attending parties, shopping for gifts, exchanging cards, traveling, and other holiday activities involve a lot of time and effort. Planning for and participating in these activities can be as demanding as a full-time job, recent studies show… Especially if you’re someone who struggles to manage your time and your ‘stuff’ even under the best of circumstances. ADDitude reports.
The solution they say? “Be realistic about what you can accomplish.”
Their advice is to, “Make choices based on what is truly important to your family. Is it vital that holiday cookies be homemade? Or can you get by with slice-and-bake? Do you really need to throw a five-course feast for your extended family — or would a potluck dinner served on paper plates do the trick? Do you really need to add a personalized note to each holiday card you send — or could you just sign your name (or skip cards altogether)?”
- Finding the perfect gift for the people on your holiday list is also a steep hill to climb for those with adult ADD.
The Solution, according to ADDitude: “Stop worrying about it.”
“Give gift certificates, the one-size-fits-all option. You can pick them up from local bookstores, video stores, restaurants, and so on — or even print them out from the Web,” they advise. “There’s nothing wrong with stocking up on decorative candles or bottles of wine to give out as holiday or hostess gifts.”
- During the holidays, adults with ADD often find themselves not having enough time to get everything done.
The Solution, according to ADDitude: “Streamline your life.”
Tips for doing that include:
- Cutting back on your family’s plans for the holidays.
- Putting off nonessential activities, like getting your teeth cleaned, until after the holidays.
- Doing more online shopping. “You’ll spend less time driving and less time waiting in line,” they say. “By reducing all the running around you do, you’ll be less stressed out — and less likely to make the little mistakes that prove so frustrating (like writing down the wrong address or the wrong time for an event)”.
- Ordering takeout or picking up dinner on your way home from work. In NYC, it’s easy to reduce the time you spend cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen.
If you struggle with holiday stress even more than your friends and family, you may be asking yourself, “Do I have ADD?” Adult ADD testing at the Sachs Center, a leading center for administering and interpreting the ADHD test for adults in NYC, can answer that question and help you learn how to live your best life. Following testing for ADD in adults, you can trust us to take a holistic approach to ADHD treatment in NYC, offering neurofeedback for ADHD and social skills groups as well as traditional counseling and medications