Hi All,
The blog has moved to its own domain,
Check out ScatterBrainy, today!
It has more tips, tricks, stories, tools and links.
Thanks for reading!
- Carlo
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
A quick word on medication
I'm often asked if ADHD meds are "Bad for me or my children."
From a non-medical-professional (and completely not liable) position, I'd have to say it depends on what the medication is and who's taking it.
I take Ritalin four times a day — 80 milligrams in total. Some side effects I've sporadically experienced are a mild hotheadedness lasting for minutes at a time, loss of appetite and ... actually that's it. The drug wears off rather quickly for me, lasting 3-4 hours per pill at the most. I assume this mitigates any lingering dangers as a day or two off the meds completely 'resets' me to pre-Ritalin status.
Mood wise, I haven't felt any mood swings because of Ritalin, nor irritability or any psychotic behavior. I've also experienced none of the other horror stories I'm sure we've all heard (many of which are veiled sales pitches for herbal remedies or competing meds) — especially about children on Ritalin.
Of course, I'm an adult and went undiagnosed until I was 29. So I have no childhood experiences Ritalin experiences to speak of.
Other meds ...
When I first started getting treatment for ADHD, I did try other meds to see what worked best. Long-lasting varieties of meds had no effect, except to empty my wallet faster. Non-stimulant meds DID have a mood altering effect, making me extremely grouchy and raised my temper to unnatural (for me, anyway) levels. It also didn't help the symptoms much.
Ritalin remains my medication of choice and has been for almost two years now. However, I don't take it on weekends, if possible. I also don't take it on vacations. Maybe this helps to keep me from getting de-sensitized to it (as can happen with other mental-health meds).
So far, it's worked well for me, but ADHD is a different experience for everybody, so your medication mileage may vary.
Yours in the clarity search,
Carlo
From a non-medical-professional (and completely not liable) position, I'd have to say it depends on what the medication is and who's taking it.
I take Ritalin four times a day — 80 milligrams in total. Some side effects I've sporadically experienced are a mild hotheadedness lasting for minutes at a time, loss of appetite and ... actually that's it. The drug wears off rather quickly for me, lasting 3-4 hours per pill at the most. I assume this mitigates any lingering dangers as a day or two off the meds completely 'resets' me to pre-Ritalin status.
Mood wise, I haven't felt any mood swings because of Ritalin, nor irritability or any psychotic behavior. I've also experienced none of the other horror stories I'm sure we've all heard (many of which are veiled sales pitches for herbal remedies or competing meds) — especially about children on Ritalin.
Of course, I'm an adult and went undiagnosed until I was 29. So I have no childhood experiences Ritalin experiences to speak of.
Other meds ...
When I first started getting treatment for ADHD, I did try other meds to see what worked best. Long-lasting varieties of meds had no effect, except to empty my wallet faster. Non-stimulant meds DID have a mood altering effect, making me extremely grouchy and raised my temper to unnatural (for me, anyway) levels. It also didn't help the symptoms much.
Ritalin remains my medication of choice and has been for almost two years now. However, I don't take it on weekends, if possible. I also don't take it on vacations. Maybe this helps to keep me from getting de-sensitized to it (as can happen with other mental-health meds).
So far, it's worked well for me, but ADHD is a different experience for everybody, so your medication mileage may vary.
Yours in the clarity search,
Carlo
Friday, December 01, 2006
The ADD Mind Game: Capture those thoughts!
Everyone knows that the ADD or ADHD mind is a rapid-fire one.
What many might not know, is that a lot of those thoughts are valid concerns, ideas and important reflections. I'd say only about 10% are of the Squirrel-On-Speed wacky variety.
Unfortunately, maintaining a consistent train of thought is difficult with the condition, regardless of whether meds are involved (which is a topic for another post). If you can't hold a thought in your head long enough to go from idea to execution, it leads to all sorts of mental baggage just chock full o' frustration.
It doesn't matter if the idea is a breakthrough in solving world hunger or just that you need to get that long-overdue oil change. The result is the same when you lose a thought you know you'll never get back or get back only when it's too late.
Enter the Notebook
Capturing those thoughts as you have them is the key to breaking the broken-thoughts cycle. If only there was a way to make sure those thoughts don't disappear before you've really thought about them. If only I had a capture tool that was small, quick and accessible at all times.
I've found that carrying a little notebook is the key to winning this battle. I carry a small Moleskine brand pocket notebook everywhere I go. This little (3½ x 5½") book and a pen never leave my side (or my bag). You can use any brand of notebook you like. Spend what you feel good about spending. But the key is size and your ability to have it on you at all times.
Get the habit
It take some effort and a little discipline, but the rewards are many. The steps are simple.
The rewards reach far beyond remembering that 4-month-late oil change. Writing down your thoughts, especially repeated ones, clears the headspace for new ideas and alleviates you of a ton of mental baggage.
Soon you'll find yourself developing a great idea or plan beyond the fleeting embryo stage. It's about taking a thought and running with it, instead of running after it. Just another way of reaching the ADHD nirvana that is a complete thought.
Get out there and start jotting!
Until later,
Carlo
What many might not know, is that a lot of those thoughts are valid concerns, ideas and important reflections. I'd say only about 10% are of the Squirrel-On-Speed wacky variety.
Unfortunately, maintaining a consistent train of thought is difficult with the condition, regardless of whether meds are involved (which is a topic for another post). If you can't hold a thought in your head long enough to go from idea to execution, it leads to all sorts of mental baggage just chock full o' frustration.
It doesn't matter if the idea is a breakthrough in solving world hunger or just that you need to get that long-overdue oil change. The result is the same when you lose a thought you know you'll never get back or get back only when it's too late.
Enter the Notebook
Capturing those thoughts as you have them is the key to breaking the broken-thoughts cycle. If only there was a way to make sure those thoughts don't disappear before you've really thought about them. If only I had a capture tool that was small, quick and accessible at all times.
I've found that carrying a little notebook is the key to winning this battle. I carry a small Moleskine brand pocket notebook everywhere I go. This little (3½ x 5½") book and a pen never leave my side (or my bag). You can use any brand of notebook you like. Spend what you feel good about spending. But the key is size and your ability to have it on you at all times.
Get the habit
It take some effort and a little discipline, but the rewards are many. The steps are simple.
- Jot down everything you think is worth jotting down.
- Look at it later.
- Bask in the glow of your peace of mind.
- Repeat.
The rewards reach far beyond remembering that 4-month-late oil change. Writing down your thoughts, especially repeated ones, clears the headspace for new ideas and alleviates you of a ton of mental baggage.
Soon you'll find yourself developing a great idea or plan beyond the fleeting embryo stage. It's about taking a thought and running with it, instead of running after it. Just another way of reaching the ADHD nirvana that is a complete thought.
Get out there and start jotting!
Until later,
Carlo
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