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ADHD and Planning

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ADHD and planning… or not planning?

Imagine this: you’re at work, and your boss comes over to you, letting you know she wants you to create a potential proposal for the upcoming project. In about one week, at the next company meeting, you will have the responsibility to stand up in front of the room and go through your ideas on how to implement the new budget or new marketing technique.

For anyone, this can bring about feelings of anxiety and the evil monster of procrastination can sneak in to steal your time. Most people, with distractions here or there, can pull themselves together to get the job done. However, for people with ADHD this task—which requires planning and delaying reward gratification— can be near to impossible.

An employee with ADHD may end up needing to ask for an extension after arriving to work the day of the meeting with no new ideas in hand. The boss may be angry and think to herself ,“What an unorganized and irresponsible employee, clearly he or she doesn’t care about the work”. But in actuality, the boss is wrong. The employee with ADHD can actually be extremely creative, hardworking and dedicated to the tasks at hand.

Delayed gratification versus immediate reward

For people with ADHD, the ability to plan for the future and look ahead, does not come second nature or even third. It is not so easy for people with ADHD to devote their attention to something that does not deliver an immediate reward. People with ADHD pay more attention to short term goals as they want their rewards “now”. Time takes on a different meaning in the brains of people with ADHD and people without ADHD.

For people with ADHD, time is split into “now” and “not now” and their brains are wired in a way which makes the “now” desire more powerful. It didn’t matter on Tuesday night when the employee should have been working on the draft but hadn’t even started the first word. The meeting was five days away, and the new episode of Game of Thrones was on T.V.  It is extremely difficult and uncomfortable for someone with ADHD to maintain motivation when a reward (social praise or promotion) is far along in the future.

Non ADHD brains can function even if the arousal levels are lower at times or higher at others, but ADHD brains need stimulation and cannot handle the fluctuation. Things need to be louder or faster or bigger and all in all more stimulating and exciting to capture the attention. For people with ADHD, their brains are literally begging them to stop this boring old task (counting numbers or reading this article) and enticing them to do something stimulating. Go out with your friends or watch this show or do this activity and the immediate reward of pleasure, social contact or feeling happy can be received.

ADHD and Planning: A constant conflict

Back to the work situation, as you can see, it is not that the employee with ADHD was lazy or not motivated, rather there was an internal struggle. While the employee intended to work on the proposal and impress the boss, the ADHD symptoms took over. Every time the thought of the future came up, this thought process occurred: ‘but it’s not now’ ,’ you have so much time’ and ‘wow this looks cool, let’s try it!’

Next time, if you have ADHD, and you get distracted or miss a deadline, don’t beat yourself up about it. Recognize you face a battle that most people do not have—your brain is fighting for that immediate stimulation while you want the longer term goals. Next time, if you do not have ADHD, and someone with ADHD arrives late or forgets something, wait before you judge. Remember the cognitive impairments that work against them and that this may be at the fault of ADHD symptoms rather than the person.

 

Work Cited

Young, S., Morris, R., Toone, B., & Tyson, C. (2007). Planning ability in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychology, 21(5), 581.Planning ability in adults with ADHD

Fuermaier, A.B.M., Tucha, L., Koerts, J., Aschenbrenner, S., Westermann, C., et al. (2013). Complex prospective memory in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. PLoS ONE 8(3): e58338. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058338

https://blogs.psychcentral.com/adhd-millennial/2016/03/why-are-people-with-adhd-bad-at-planning-ahead/

https://sachscenter.com/adhd-time-management/

http://drellenlittman.com/ADHD_Brains.pdf

Pets for people with ADHD

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For most of my life, I have envied my friends who own dogs or cats. When my roommate went home on breaks, she would send me photos of her and her dog on walks, in her bed and just hanging out. “I will never love anyone as much as I love Rocky” she declared, “Rocky’s love is unconditional and he never bothers me like people do”.

There are numerous reasons why I, and so many others, dream of having a puppy to come home too: companionship, support and fun all the time. Interestingly, having a pet can help children and adults with ADHD reduce their symptoms and stress levels. Someone with ADHD who has a dog is receiving more than just a buddy. Pets, for people with ADHD, enables them to improve their time management skills, self esteem, ability to follow routines and more.

Pets and Time Management

People with ADHD tend to have trouble with managing their time, multi-tasking and remaining organized. Pets,for people with ADHD, can teach them to stick to the pet’s schedules like walking, feeding and bathroom breaks.  With a pet, an owner cannot get out of missing the bathroom schedule and someone with ADHD will have to quickly learn to prepare for the time slots.

These new skills, like keeping track of time and managing responsibilities, can transfer over to every day life and non-pet related activities. Getting used to routine with a pet can help someone stick to a study schedule or become more timely for appointments.

Pets and Hyperactivity

People with ADHD, suffer from ‘hyperactivity’ and are usually easily distracted, struggle concentrating and need to be active.  As people with ADHD mature, they learn to control their impulses better but young children with ADHD are constantly fidgeting and moving.

Owning a pet like a dog for adults and children with ADHD can help them decrease their energy levels. Running around with a dog in the park will not only get a person’s energy out but also make him or her feel happier. Exercising with your pet is good for your heart, mind and alleviating that restless feeling. Especially for children with ADHD, who often seem to run on a motor, dogs can help keep them occupied outside playing games and moving around.

Pets and Unconditional Support

People with ADHD tend to feel misunderstood or can feel isolated from their friends and family. Children with ADHD can feel criticized from their parents and adults with ADHD can feel looked down upon from their partners or friends. Having that one pet that will always love you, regardless of whether you were forgetful at work or too blunt in a conversation, can mean the world.

This can help people who have ADHD with self esteem issues feel better about themselves or help those people who feel lonely because of their symptoms. Also, walking a dog can help someone with ADHD in social situations. With a dog, people with ADHD may feel more confident talking to new people and they will approached more because of the dog.  Pets for people with ADHD, can make it easier to meet new people, socialize and get outside.

Canine Assisted Intervention

Research is showing that using pets like dogs in therapy for children with ADHD can be extremely successful. In one study, children with ADHD who worked with dogs in their therapy sessions (CBT), significantly improved their attentional skills and inhibitory control.

In this type of therapy. known as “Canine Assisted Intervention”, children with ADHD read to dogs and tried to teach them skills. In the session, the children understood that they were working with a real animal and needed to pay extra close attention. Interactions with animals can be a tool that parents and child psychologists use when working with children.

Moral of the story: get a puppy!

Emotional support pets help people who struggle with a variety of mental health issues like anxiety and depression or people who feel lonely. While it is still a new idea, having a pet can help people with ADHD live happier lives and improve their mental wellness.

Out of all the random and at times strange treatment methods discussed, getting an adorable puppy does not sound too bad. Someone should definitely think carefully before deciding to adopt a dog but pets for people with ADHD, can be a positive addition to their lives.

Work Cited

https://www.rover.com/blog/dogs-help-people-add-adhd/rk Cited

http://untappedbrilliance.com/pets-and-adhd/

Schuck, S. E., Emmerson, N. A., Fine, A. H., & Lakes, K. D. (2015). Canine-assisted therapy for Children with ADHD: preliminary findings from the Positive Assertive Cooperative Kids study. Journal of attention disorders, 19(2), 125-137.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pills-dont-teach-skills/201102/pets-kids-add

Social Media and Addiction

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Can social media and addiction really be linked?

Upon googling the term ‘addicted”, this was the definition that appeared: to be physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.  Many people are probably thinking, no way am I addicted to social media.

Addiction is something we as a society have come to associate with alcohol, drugs, food, gambling and other activities that can cause harm. Sure, we may waste time on Facebook and snapchat, but no one starts convulsing on the floor and being rushed to the ER from Instagram withdrawal.

As I think about my own experiences with social media, I focus on the terms ‘dependency’ and ‘unable to stop’. There were all those nights in the library at Barnard, where I sat for hours diligently in my little cubicle scrolling through Facebook.

Then, there are all the times I am sitting on the subway (when I am lucky enough for transit wireless to connect) or in a waiting area for an appointment, just loading and reloading my Instagram. But it is all innocent and fun, I am not addicted! What else would I do while I wait?

But then, comes the familiar moment of panic, ‘Oh no, the wifi has disconnected’. We have all been there, now it is time to angrily refresh, and reconnect to the wifi.  Only, sometimes, the network cannot reconnect, and that is when the anxiety seeps in. ‘Oh, no, Oh no’ ,and our hands are besides themselves. What will they do now that they cannot scroll?

‘Phew’, the wifi is back, but by this point you may have been off the grid for at least 20 minutes. Faster than the speed of light, and swifter than a blink, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are once more opened. Let’s be honest, you did not miss anything on any platform.  The girl who posts selfies posted another one, a cupcake that looks like Elmo was just Instagrammed and your friend snapchatted you his pug wearing a beanie. But still, this warm sense of comfort blankets you, and the uneasiness you felt washes away, as you can now leisurely wait.  Hmm, now I ask again, can social media and addiction be connected?

Social Media and ADHD

While anyone can engage in addictive social media behaviors, individuals with ADHD may be more susceptible to it.  People with ADHD, a brain disorder characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, are more likely to become addicted to substances such as drugs or alcohol.

Addiction is quite common in people with ADHD because these substances provide relief when their ADHD symptoms cause problems at school, work and with interpersonal relationships . People with ADHD, in their everyday life, can manage their symptoms and their disorder can remain unnoticed. However, it is when they are required to complete a long or boring tasks or complete multiple tasks at the same time, that the symptoms can cause impairments.

Research on ADHD and social media addiction

One study, which looked at adults (ages 16-88) found that there was a strong correlation between ADHD and “social media addiction”.  There are many reasons why ADHD can cause addictive behavior towards social media including how it can make people feel better and distract them from a real issue.  Social media notifications and texts can constantly cause a smart phone to beep, vibrate and essentially blow up. People with ADHD, who are more likely to get distracted, can become vulnerable to this escape.

People with ADHD can start to check  their social media accounts in a compulsive manner anytime they cannot focus or feel bored with a task. Not everyone with ADHD is addicted to social media and not everyone who uses social media in an addictive manner has ADHD. But people with ADHD, who are more likely to engage in addictive behaviors and are more likely to be distracted, should be aware of their social media usage.

Dangers of the snapchat streak

Every person, regardless of any condition he or she may have, can find it helpful to take a step back from social media and ask, “Am I using it excessively?”.

The other day, I was busy and forgot to snapchat back my cousin, and we lost our 21 day long snapchat streak. A snapchat streak occurs when two people “snap” each other consecutively every 24 hours.  My cousin angrily texted me “You ruined our streak” and I noticed in our conversation she actually appeared distressed that we lost our snapchat streak.

Snapchat streaks were created as a fun way to connect with friends but the pressure to upkeep them can cause addictive and compulsive tendencies.

Tips to manage social media and addiction:

1)Keep your notifications off!  Especially if you need to have a few hours to concentrate on a specific task, turn your social media notifications off. Don’t let the buzzing and vibrations disrupt your flow.

2)Download applications on your phone and computers to prevent you from accessing your social media accounts  if you have a lot to get done. For example, ‘Self Control” can be downloaded on a computer and can block various sites.

3) Bring a book to read, ear phones or a coloring book to doodle in while waiting in any situation.

4)If you are in your house for the day, make a to-do list of the things you wanted to accomplish. After you check off one or two boxes, you can allot yourself some time to go on social media and relax.

5)LIVE IN THE MOMENT! Of course if you are at the beach or at a party with your friends, it’s fun to snapchat and keep other people in the loop of what you are doing. But do not forget to enjoy the experience instead of just sharing it.

Work Cited

Andreassen, C. S., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/lets-talk-tween/201703/caution-your-tween-may-be-stressing-over-snap-streaks

 

ADHD and Addiction

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/may-i-have-your-attention/201311/adhd-adults-what-it-feels-have-adhda

 

   

ADHD in the Elderly

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ADHD in the Geriatric Population

“I keep losing everything”, an elderly woman says to you. This could be a family member or a friend that you are visiting, who it seems is experiencing typical aging impairments. “Where are my sandals, again?” she asks, appearing frazzled.  After glancing around the room, you respond, “Oh, the sandals are  right behind you.”

Next, this elderly woman tells you how hard it is for her to finish tasks like folding her laundry or unpacking suitcases after trips. In this moment, you think to yourself how difficult it must be to experience memory challenges. You may even wish you can do something about it but dementia and other cognitive deficits cannot be prevented.

What if I told you this elderly woman could potentially meet criteria for ADHD? What if I told you, there really was something that could be done to help her live a higher quality of life?

But wait, ADHD is only for children….. right?

ADHD is typically diagnosed in children and while around 2/3 of the cases continue into adulthood, if an older person was never diagnosed before, it is rare that a doctor looks out for it. Most of the time, doctors who come across elderly patients who have never been diagnosed with ADHD, will look too see if their symptoms match for Alzheimer’s or dementia or other aging related impairments.

Recently, there have been more stories of people at older ages discovering for the first time in their lives that they have ADHD. In one NY times article, a psychiatrist diagnosed a woman in her eighties with ADHD, provided her with the right medication and her symptoms were greatly alleviated.

She had went from being forgetful, losing things and being distracted to becoming more organized and able to focus. Receiving the right treatment and medication for ADHD at an older age can drastically change an individual’s life and allow them to take control and make great changes.

This remains a large issue as when many of these elderly people were children, ADHD was not that well known and not even diagnosed enough in children. As ADHD has become increasingly diagnosed and researched, a whole cohort of people have been isolated from the diagnosis and treatment process.

 

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) vs ADHD

Normal aging impairments develop naturally as an individual gets older but ADHD is a disorder that starts at birth. The symptoms can manifest differently or be exacerbated at different stages, but the ADHD must have always been there while aging impairments originate later on for the first time.

Mild cognitive impairments (MCI)  refer to the transitional stage between aging and Alzheimer’s onset and is a type of dementia. Someone with MCI will have trouble remembering things, trouble with attention but still manage to do little day to day tasks. About 10-15% of elderly people with MCI go on to develop Alzheimer’s.

 Inattention or Aging Impairments

Little research has investigated ADHD in the elderly population because of the strong association ADHD has with being diagnosed in children. ADHD presents differently across the stages of life and children typically exhibit hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.

As a person gets older, the hyperactive and impulsive symptoms tend to subside but he or she will continue to experience inattention. This symptom of inattention, which causes someone to be distracted, unorganized and forgetful, can be confused for other disorders.  In elderly people, the symptom of inattention can be mixed up for Alzheimer’s as both can cause cognitive impairments.

An elderly person who experiences memory issues and forgets things rapidly, fits the stereotype of an individual with Alzheimer’s. Also, one of the requirements for an ADHD diagnosis is that the symptoms have to have been present from before the age of seven. Many elderly people would not remember this far back and also doctors are not asking questions regarding ADHD because they do not think to diagnose someone older with ADHD.

Treatment for ADHD in the Elderly

While medication is the go to treatment for ADHD in most cases, this may not be true with elderly people. Medication can induce side effects and it is important to make sure that the medication would not cause any harm. It is important to consult with your psychiatrist and doctor to find the right dosage and to see if medication can alleviate symptoms.

Elderly people with an initial diagnosis of ADHD can improve their quality of life and over all well being as they address this disorder. Even though they will be getting a later start at managing their ADHD, they will discover how much more they are capable of achieving with the proper treatment.

 

 

Work Cited

http://www.mdedge.com/clinicalpsychiatrynews/article/104054/alzheimers-cognition/adhd-elderly-unexpected-diagnosis

 

Is It ADHD, or Is It Age?

Inside the Aging ADHD Brain

http://nanfoundation.org/neurologic-disorders/dementias/what-is-mild-cognitive-impairment

 

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/is-it-alzheimers-or-a-d-h-d/

 

Ivanchak, N., Fletcher, K., & Jicha, G. A. (2012). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in older adults: prevalence and possible connections to mild cognitive impairment. Current psychiatry reports, 1-9.

Adults with ADHD

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Symptoms of ADHD in Adults


Are you constantly forgetting your cell phone or your wallet on the subway or at home? Do you find it hard to focus on assignments at work or find yourself running late to events or appointments? What about your frustration tolerance, do you get angry easily, especially when you feel overwhelmed?

The above symptoms occur in almost all adults at some point in their lives, but if these symptoms of forgetfulness, disorganization, and mood swings are a common occurrence, you may have ADHD. Adults with ADHD commonly report having having difficulty paying attention, controlling impulses and remaining focused on challenging tasks.

While ADHD is typically diagnosed during childhood, in many cases it continues on into adult hood. Also, there are times when ADHD was never diagnosed in childhood because certain behaviors were viewed as typical childhood behavior.

AHD with Adults vs Children

ADHD looks different in children than in adults which is why adults may not realize they have it. Children with ADHD tend to talk out of turn, run around and fidget which fits the criteria of what people believe is ADHD.

Adults, who are more mature and adhere to social norms, do not act this way. In adults, unlike in children, the symptom of “hyper focus” can be found. Hyperfocus refers to someone being extremely absorbed in a rewarding task, leaving them distracted from everything else. Also, adults with ADHD are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and engage in reckless driving.

Adults contain a lot more responsibilities than children do such as managing a family, a career, as well as personal responsibilities. Symptoms of ADHD can be triggered by someone feeling overwhelmed and struggling with many tasks at the same time. If you are an adult with ADHD, your symptoms can impact your quality of life and cause you to feel stressed out.

Relationships for Adults with ADHD

Adults with ADHD can have trouble managing relationships ranging from romantic relationships, friendships and work relationships. Surveys have found that there are higher driver rates in marriages where one partner has ADHD.

In terms of romantic relationships ,the partners with ADHD at times can feel like they are being criticized because of their ADHD symptoms and become over-sensitive. The partner without ADHD can feel ignored or that he or she has to do all the responsible tasks and planning.

Someone with ADHD can accidentally day dream during important conversations or impulsively say a hurtful comment. People with ADHD experience emotions very strongly and in the heat of the moment, they can react automatically.

To work on relationships and anger issues, people with ADHD can manage their stress levels and learn what situations cause them to outburst (to prevent them in the future)

Self-help tips for Adults with ADHD

1. Exercise (relieves stress)
2. Eat a well balanced diet
3. Sleep 7-9 hours a night
4. Time management: Plan out getting places on time and create schedules
5. Work environment: Keep everything organized and make “to do” lists

 

Adults with ADHD have meaningful relationships and can successfully manage their symptoms.  People with ADHD are creative, motivated and experience emotions greatly which makes them sensitive partners and loyal friends. If you are an adult who just found out you have ADHD or suspect you may have it, you should see a psychologist for an initial evaluation. If a diagnosis is made, you can create an individualized treatment plan with your clinician to best meet your needs and your schedule .

Work Cited

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-distracted-couple/201401/the-price-fury-0

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder-and-relationships.htm

http://www.adultadhd.net/childhood-vs-adult/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/home/ovc-20198864

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/adhd-attention-deficit-disorder-in-adults.htm

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