01.12.09
Curse or Gift?
There’s an interesting discussion going on over at Jeff’s ADD Mind blog about whether ADHD is a curse or a gift (be sure to read the comments):
Post 1: The Curse that Keeps on Giving
Post 2: The Gift vs. The Curse
I have a slightly different take on it – the curse IS the gift. Of course, it’s really hard to see it that way sometimes (trust me, I know), but if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, you can get a feel for what the apostle Paul was saying:
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” -Romans 5: 3-4
Of course, it’s really difficult to have hope when you’ve gotten in a needless argument with a loved one for the 1,475th time, but as we learn to at first cope with, then overcome, the things we struggle most with in life, we will see that the things that “cursed” us the most also taught us the most. When I get really down about my ADHD problems, I can sometimes take solace in the idea that in a way, struggle and suffering in life is good for us.
What do you think? What gives you hope in the midst of dealing with the “curse” of ADHD?
11.24.08
Free “Productive Magazine” Download
I found this link on Lifehacker. I haven’t read it all, but it looks good so far, so I thought I’d pass it on:
10.24.08
“Adult ADHD is Real”
Howie Mandel’s ADHD story:
http://www.adultadhdisreal.com/howiesstory.html
via Jeff’s ADD mind:
http://jeffsaddmind.com
10.07.08
ADD as an Addiction
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what ADD is at the core. Is it a medical disorder? Well, there are brain scans showing differences in brains between ADDers and non-ADDers, and there are a lot of studies on treating ADD with medication. Is it a behavioral psychological issue and/or a personality problem? There certainly are a lot of studies showing the effects of treatment from a behavioral point of view. At some level, ADD affects people on a personal-relationship basis, and I think it’s possible for people to develop ADD-like symptoms as a coping mechanism in a relationship.
Anyway, there’s something silly and something serious that led me to this train of thought: The silly thing is that the other day, I’d had 2 tiny glasses of cognac (I rarely drink), and decided to try out my Wii Fit game to see how a little alcohol affected my balance. Read the rest of this entry »
09.07.08
Wii Fit!
I have a new game to distract me from work – but at least this time it’s somewhat beneficial to me! I got the Wii Fit!
I know it’s no replacement for real sports or weight-lifting workouts, but it’s a great way to get me off of my butt when I’m too lazy to work out, or when it’s cold outside.
I like the Wii itself – especially the tennis and golf sports games, so I was eager to get the Wii Fit. I also read in “Delivered from Distraction” by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey that balance board training helped some kids with their ADHD symptoms, so maybe working on the Wii Fit Balance Board will help my concentration, too!
08.22.08
GMail To-Do list idea
I tend to forget things I mean to do, so I have come up with this system (that’s not working too well) where I mark important emails as unread so they stand out to me, and when I open some web pages to get work done, then get interrupted or sidetracked, I leave the web pages open so I’ll eventually see them and hopefully get to that task. (Firefox’s tabs have really helped me cut down on taskbar clutter) If I bookmark an item, it tends to fall into my uncategorized bookmark abyss and is rarely seen ever again.
There are 2 major problems with my existing system, though -
- If my computer shuts down or I accidentally close a window, some of my to-do tasks go missing. This also prevents me from shutting down my computer regularly because I don’t want to close the windows. Windows Update and my memory aren’t too happy about me rarely rebooting.
- I tend to pile up a lot of half-done tasks, so I end up with a TON of windows open, which both slows down my computer, and slightly overwhelms me.
08.21.08
Music that’s been helping me focus
Just thought I’d share:
http://www.pandora.com/stations/03b123e4d833fa79a0d87fdc745d5691e3c751ee3636d9de#
08.16.08
Michael Phelps & ADHD
I know I haven’t been good about updating this blog, but in case anyone has been waiting for me to post something, here’s a cool article about how Olympian Michael Phelps and his mom had to deal with ADHD as a kid. I am especially proud to post this article, since Michael decided to manage his ADHD challenges without medication.
He has 7 gold medals, 6 world records, and 1 Olympic record in this Olympics (so far!), and is the winningest Olympian in modern history, so it goes to show ADD/ADHD doesn’t have to hold anyone back from succeeding!
Michael showed swimming prowess on his back, then on his front, side, and every way in between. But in the classroom, he floundered. An inability to concentrate was his biggest problem.
“I was told by one of his teachers that he couldn’t focus on anything,” says Debbie. She consulted a doctor, and nine-year-old Michael was diagnosed with ADHD.
“That just hit my heart,” says Debbie. “It made me want to prove everyone wrong. I knew that, if I collaborated with Michael, he could achieve anything he set his mind to.”
There are also sections on Ty Pennington (from Trading Spaces, Extreme Home Makeover, etc.) and a mountain climbing girl. The article starts here:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1998.html
Or you can skip to the Michael Phelps part here:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1998-2.html
Edit: Here’s a video of the most recent interview with Michael and his mother by Bob Costas on NBC (aired 8/17/08)
HE GOT A GOLD MEDAL AND SET RECORDS IN ALL 8 EVENTS HE COMPETED IN!! That’s a huge deal, and it beats the record that Mark Spitz set in the 1970s! Go Phelps and the USA Swim Team!
06.28.08
‘Delivered from Distraction’ author on Today Show
Dr. Hallowell was on the Today Show the other day… they didn’t give him time to say much, but I thought I’d put the link here anyway:
http://www.drhallowell.com/images/press_mages/THC003-001.wmv
06.22.08
Blogs & News as a Reward
I’m reading the book called “Find Your Focus Zone” by Lucy Jo Palladino right now. It’s a good book, and I’ll post a full review of it when I’m done with it.
It is helping me realize that a lot of the things I do right now to help me keep my focus – like lots of short breaks to check my blogs – are good things that can help keep me on track while working, even though to others it may seem like a diversion.
I know that one of my biggest time wasters in life right now is reading blogs – not that blogs are a waste, but that first thing in the morning, I spend up to an hour just browsing the internet and “getting ready to work”. So, from now on, I’m going to use that desire to stay on top of the latest news as a motivator – I will only get to read my blogs after I accomplish something on my to-do list, and my Remember the Milk to-do list will now be my homepage instead of iGoogle with all of my blog feeds.
Then, each time I accomplish something, I can read a couple the blogs I enjoy for 15 minutes, then I’ll have to get back to work.
I’ll let you know in a few days if this strategy for defeating some of my procrastination helps! If you have little strategies like this that have been successful for you, please post in the comments!
