|
 |
December 2006 Newsletter |  |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Greetings! A happy holiday season and New Year to all! Please make sure to take care of yourselves during this busy time of year...leave time to have fun, connect with those important to you, and get enough sleep! Thank you to all those who are sending in questions for, and comments about, our newsletters. We enjoy hearing from you! - Melissa Orlov, Editor
Q: Thank you for your information about why red wine helps memory function. Can you tell me if non- alcoholic red wine works like red wine with alcohol to stress the brain and make it grow? A: Dr. Ratey says "absolutely! It is just the same except without the kick!" (editor's note: in our last newsletter we noted that there is a mild toxin in red wine that "stresses" the brain in a good way that encourages it to build up more neurons and thus positively affects brain function.) Q: What is the common dose that Dr. Hallowell recommends for Omega 3 as part of diet for teenagers? Is there a brand that he recommends? A: Dr. Hallowell recommends that a child take up to 2.5 grams per day of Omega 3 fatty acids and that an adult take up to 5 grams per day as long as the fish oil is free of toxins. You can make sure that an oil is free of toxins by going to the international fish oil standards web site (see link below). This is an independent group that analyzes fish oil products. If you want more detailed information about fish oils, as well as what people with ADD need nutritionally, please see chapters 25 and 26 of Dr. Hallowell's book, Delivered from Distraction. Q: What do you think about DMEA as an alternative treatment for ADHD? A: Dr. Karen Harding, a clinical psychologist interested specifically in altermative treatments for ADHD, says that DMEA, or Deanol, was at one time marketed as a drug to treat hyperactive children. It is now a dietary supplement only. It turns out that very little of the active ingredient that was thought to help ADHD is actually converted in a way that can help the brain. Therefore the Hallowell Center does not recommend it as a treatment for ADHD.
Is it possible that a decrease in daily physical activity is leading to increased inattentiveness in America's boys? And if so, what can be done to counteract negative trends? Dr. Hallowell and Michael Thompson, Ph.D. are both interested in pursuing these questions. Their interest in the topic is timely. Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report supporting unstructured play time for children. Unstructured play, the report suggested, is essential for promoting healthy development and parental connections. Other research studies from around the world suggest that exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, readies the mind for learning. Dr. John Ratey, who teaches at the Harvard Medical School and is currently writing a book on the subject, calls exercise "Miracle-Gro for the brain". "Our lives are so busy, and there is so much information coming at us now every day that our brains are literally overloaded. This leads many people without ADD to exhibit symptoms which closely mirror ADD. But, unlike real ADD, these symptoms can be addressed with simple lifestyle changes. One very important mood and energy stabilizer is exercise," says Dr. Hallowell. Adds Michael Thompson, "In our culture, boys receive many conflicting messages about their physicality. We think that we want them to be athletically fit, but we don't want them to play outside in the neighborhood on their own, so we let them sit in the cellar playing video games. We want them to love school, but we're cutting out recess time at many schools for test preparation. And then we complain that boys are ADHD!" To explore these ideas with interested parents and educators, Drs. Hallowell and Thompson have created a telephone course that starts January 25th. It will answer questions such as how can parents tell if their son's energy means he is part of the 8% of boys with ADHD or simply responding to his environment? What are the most important aspects of the mother/son and father/son relationships to a boy's healthy development? Are boys getting enough opportunity to play and grow? The course is 6 sessions long, with a three session version for people specifically interested in teens. For more information about the courses, "Raising Boys in an ADHD World" and "Raising Teenage Boys in an ADHD World" go to the link below. There is a special discount for groups of educators from the same district or school.
We've had a number of questions sent to us lately about what can be done to help teens with ADHD become safer drivers. This is a very relevant question, since research shows that people with ADHD have higher accident rates than those without. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sent out a press release on December 4th about teens and driving that cited ADHD as one factor for increased crash rates in teens. Other factors included lack of driving experience, young age at getting license and transporting other teenagers. The AAP suggested that parents and teens sign or agree to "safe-ride" contracts in which teens promise to call a parent for a ride if they are impaired and parents agree to drive teens home without judgment. They also suggest creating a contract for safe driving. Parents can and should start with strict rules for new drivers, such as not letting teens drive after 9:00pm, banning teen passengers (particularly important for easily-distracted teens with ADHD), and not driving in bad weather. After six months, the contract can be renegotiated, gradually relaxing rules as the teen matures. For teens with ADHD, parents often ask "should my teen be on certain medications when driving"? Assuming that you are comfortable with the treatment level that your child is receiving, and that treatment (whatever type is chosen) is helping your child focus adequately for daily life, then continuing with what you and your doctor have determined works is a good approach. However, be particularly careful about night driving. Not only is this a more dangerous time for an inexperienced driver, but many stimulant medications can wear off by nightfall. Taking an extra dose won't help because the teen will then not be able to sleep, so a better strategy is to limit night driving until your teen has become much more comfortable with driving as the AAP suggested in its report. If you have specific concerns about your teen and driving, don't wait for problems. Contact your doctor and talk with him or her about them immediately.
FDA Approves First Wellbutrin Generic - The FDA has approved the first generic version of the antidepressant Wellbutrin XL. This is a medication that is sometimes used to treat ADHD. The generic of the extended-release medication will be available in 150 mg and 300 mg doses and could save patients significant money.
January is a busy time for our courses by phone. You may be interested in any of the following:
To get more information about any of these courses, please go to our course web site at www.allaboutminds.com. The link is below.
For those of you in the Boston area, the Hallowell Center conducts groups on many topics. Current groups include a women's support group, men's ADD group therapy, social skills and friendship skills for girls, and various groups about school and college planning. If you are interested in further information about Hallowell Center groups, please go to the link below or call the Center at 978-287-0810.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
phone:
508-545-2250 Hallowell Connections or 978-287-0810 Hallowell Center (medical)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
