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In This Issue . . .
 How does an ADHD tribe contribute to some of the best natural cures for ADD? In our Featured Article section, titled "Understanding and Leveraging Those Neurotransmitters with Natural Cures for ADD," ADD Crusher, Alan Brown, reveals that the body's natural hormones can be alternative remedies for treatment of adult ADHD. The more we understand the body's particular chemistry, the better our treatments will work.
 Is it a juggling act for you to keep all the balls in the air for work, school, family, and other daily activities? Check out the article by DeShawn Wert, entitled "Surviving Your ADHD Child's Life!" in our Guest Writer section of this issue. Learn some things to keep in mind when you feel the stress level rising and to avoid self-destructive perfectionism.
You might not like our criticism of mainstream articles outlining strategies for blurting and babbling, but we can guarantee to get you to think, which is worth the time to listen to our upcoming interview with Kirsten Milliken, entitled "ADHD: Blurting, Babbling, and Interrupting - Point/Counterpoint." Get more information in our Attention Talk Radio news section.
What is blurtatious? And when does it manifest in Zoe's menstrual cycle, as she was diagnosed later in life with ADD? Get the answers from Zoe Kessler in our Attention Talk Radio interview with her, titled "ADHD: The Menstrual Cycle Roller Coaster." Learn more about the upcoming show in our Attention Talk Radio news section of this issue.
Why is play stigmatized as just for kids? Can adults and especially ADHD adults benefit from adding play to their workday? Watch our video interview with Dr. Kirsten Milliken and get the answers. Watch the interview, titled "ADHD: In Every Job That Must Be Done, There Is an Element of Fun," featured in our video news section. Also, featured is a video, entitled "Mind Over Mechanics," discussing the engineering of the power of attention. Fascinating!
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Guest Writer
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Surviving Your ADHD Child's Life!
by DeShawn Wert, BS, MEd, ADD Coach
ADD parents work their butts off! It is quite a juggling act to keep all the balls in the air ... home, school, after-school activities! You name it and it ranks on the stress-o-meter. What I'd like to share today is a couple of things to keep in mind when you feel that stress level rising to be/maintain the genuine, loving mom your child needs!
- Breathe! Take those deep breaths, so full that your stomach moves out. Changing your physiology is key to changing your physical state.
- Stop shoulding! Stop feeling guilty about what you should be doing, saying, providing, or thinking. Accept reality that no one is dead and things are as they are. Perfection is NOT our goal! My goal is to have a happy, healthy boy that still has his dignity intact. You'll have to come up with your own goal.
- Be realistic! Trim that page-long list down to three MUST DO items each day. Anything else accomplished is a bonus! Organizers I use are smart phone apps called Easy Do, Trello, and Cozi. Be sure to check them out! All have a free version but you can upgrade.
- Show self-compassion! Self-compassion Researcher, Kristen Neff, has a great video on what compassion looks like. My friend and colleague, Virginia Hurley, shared a simple technique to give yourself some self-compassion, by placing your hand over your heart. This little act releases endorphins that help you to relax.
- Connect to your spouse or best friend! Make time for connection and plan it! I just gave you some handy little apps in bullet #3 that you can use to manage tasks but you have to schedule it or it will go by the wayside. Just do it!
- Forgive yourself! I've learned to stop evaluating my performance on the outcomes I get, no matter how much effort I put forth. I know I'm a good mom, person, wife and neighbor. Period. I am going to make mistakes but I don't let them bring me down.
My favorite shame researcher, Brene Brown, says,"Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: 'If I look perfect, live perfectly, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.'" Start living your shameless life by giving up perfection!
Reprinted with permission. Originally published on www.ADDStudent.com
Copyright DeShawn Wert, B.S., M.Ed., ADD Coach
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Featured Article
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Understanding and Leveraging Those Neurotransmitters with Natural Cures for ADD
by Alan Brown, ADD CrusherTM
Any ADDer worth his or her salt has heard of neurotransmitters - and has at least some inkling of what they do. And most of us might even be able to name one or two of the key neurotransmitters that come into play in our ADHD brains. But I bet few of us could describe their unique functions - let alone know any alternative ADHD solutions built around them. One ADHD expert, coach Linda Roggli, a.k.a. the ADDiva, found this lack of full awareness so common among her clients that she took to giving them nicknames for easier remembering. (Check out her interview on Attention Talk Radio if you want to hear her neat trick - and a great interview.)
In today's Crusher Blog, I'll do a quick summary of the neurotransmitters we should keep track of and offer a few alternative solutions so that when you put your chosen natural cures for ADD into action, you'll understand better what's going on and be more likely to stick to your plan.
The Three Neurotransmitters the ADHD Adult Needs to Befriend
There are three neurotransmitters of importance to the adult with ADHD. Here they are with brief explanation of their role:
- Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that, in its role as a neurotransmitter, affects key parts of the brain associated with attention and response, among other things. As such, it plays a key role in the ADHD brain. Some medications, Strattera for one, is designed to help with norepinephrine levels.
- Serotonin is found primarily in the gastrointestinal tract (yep, your gut) and the central nervous system - and is widely believed to contribute to one's feeling of happiness and well-being. And it's also related to tryptophan, that chemical that in certain foods helps us with sleep.
- Dopamine is the all-star of neurotransmitters, if you ask me. It's responsible for motivation (or reward-based behavior), though that can be for good or for not-so-good purposes. As you may know, dopamine's the thing that some drugs jack up and make you seek more of in addiction. But if its powers are harnessed for good - such as I describe in Video I, Way 2: Get a Nagging Desire - it can change your life on both a daily and long-term basis. Dopamine also has a key role in working memory, attention, and cognitive function - hence, the All-Star player among the three.
Find Your Own Natural Cures for ADD by Understanding
and Leveraging Your Neurotransmitters
Now, as I've said many times before, awareness alone can be a powerful alternative ADHD solution. So knowing about these powerful agents in our minds is great. But we can go beyond the awareness to putting these three guys to work for us. Here are a few ways:
Exercise ...Harvard psychiatrist John Ratey puts it simply: "Exercise stimulates a brain chemical that acts like Miracle-Gro for the brain." When you exercise, you're giving your brain a jump-start. When your blood gets pumping your brain releases important chemicals that help crush your ADD. Exercise increases the neurotransmitter chemicals regulating the attention system. And regular exercise also helps improve our mood and our attitude. Get at least 20 minutes of cardio-- running, brisk walking, cycling-- if you really want to feel a difference. Exercise is one of the best natural cures for ADD, because it stimulates the health-promoting chemicals our bodies produce naturally.
Diet ...Protein triggers alertness-inducing neurotransmitters that help you focus. Get quality protein from fish, lean meat, beans, dairy and protein drinks or powders. Diet can affect serotonin levels, and certain serotonin-boosting foods that may help in this effort are dates, bananas, and papayas. And as mentioned, serotonin's helpful in sleep: If you have a protein snack-- like cottage cheese-- a couple hours before bed, the L-tryptophan helps your melatonin and serotonin production.
Self-Motivation ...Dr. Russell Barkley tells us that we ADDers are weak in the frontal-limbic circuit, which is the center of self-motivation, "where you think about your goals, and it actually motivates you." He says that WE seem to LACK the ability to engage in a self-disciplined, persistent course toward our goals-- unless there's some looming threat or other incentive. But we can confound that handicap by having strong desires that trigger dopamine production via emotion. As mentioned above, nagging desires can fuel that emotion. Watch a snippet of what I mean.
Our ADHD tribe has unique brain wiring, and a unique relationship therefore with these and other neurotransmitters. But a tribe we are, and together we can figure out some of the best natural cures for ADD. The more we understand our bodies' particular chemistry, the better our treatments will work. Like so many unlikely ADD heroes, these chemicals can truly be alternative remedies for our adult ADHD. Know 'em. Put 'em to work for you!!!
-Crusher
Originally published in ADD Crusher Blog. Republished with permission.
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Audio News
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Recent Shows to Listen to in Our Archives
WE Plus ADHD: Creating Great Relationships You fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after... NOT! How about a reframe? You fall in love, get married, and live happier, and happier, and happier. Now you're talking! In this episode of Attention Talk Radio, your host, attention and ADHD coach, Jeff Copper interviews "We," who are Rick and Ava Green."We" represents not Rick, not Ava, but their relationship. Yes, there's a third-party in their marriage. The marriage itself. Now we add a twist: "We" plus ADHD. Oh yes, Rick has ADHD and, thus, the couple has ADHD. In our interview we talk about the impact of ADHD on relationships, the challenges, the importance of knowing ADHD is there, the impact of knowledge on expectations, the overriding vote "We" have in relationships and how this couple lives happier, and happier, and happier. ADHD: Its Impact on Puberty and the Advent of the Period Puberty is difficult enough for an adolescent, but what is it like for a girl to have ADHD and start having her period? Yikes! In this episode of Attention Talk Radio, your host, ADHD and attention coach Jeff Copper, has a candid discussion with Zoe Kessler on her experience as a young teenager dealing with those challenges back when less was known in what seemed like the dark ages. If you're a teenage girl or a parent, teacher, or relative of a teenager with ADD/ADHD who is going through puberty, this is a show you can't miss. ADHD: Sensitive to Senses, How DistractingSo many with ADHD are sensitive to their senses which can create maddening distractions. It looks something like this. Imagine you have ADHD and are sensitive to light and you're trying to write a paper. You're focused, organizing your thoughts, and then there is a flash of light that grabs your attention. In that instant everything in your working memory is erased and you have to start over... UGH! In this episode we'll interview Laura (or a made-up name) who is very sensitive to her senses. She'll share her experience and begin to talk about things she has begun to do that manages her environment, helping her to thrive. If you have ADHD and are sensitive to your senses you don't want to miss this insightful show! Reminder to Calendar These Upcoming Shows  Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 8:00 pm EST
Ugh! Isn't it frustrating when you struggle with something for years only to find out you're paying attention to it the wrong way? Then, when you attend to it the right way, the solutions are obvious and come easy. In this episode, host Jeff Copper and his guest Kirsten Milliken, ADHD coach and clinical psychologist, address blurting, babbling, and interrupting. They discuss an article written on the topic and share their strong opinions around how the article is attending to the wrong thing, making it more difficult to manage ADHD and creating unnecessary stress. If babbling, blurting, and interrupting is something you identify with, you don't want to miss this show. You'll hear the side of the discussion that you've not attended to and the one you likely have longed for. ADD/ADHD: The Menstrual Cycle RollercoasterWednesday, November 20, 2013, 8:00 pm EST Are you a woman? Got ADD/ADHD? Do you experience mega mood swings? Over-the-top irritability during that time of the month? You're not alone. Monthly hormonal changes are enough to deal with but throw ADD/ADHD on top of that and OMG! In this episode of Attention Talk Radio, host and attention coach Jeff Copper interviews Zoë Kessler around what it's like. Zoë Kessler has attention deficit disorder and is very candid about her own challenges in that area. To learn more about what you or a loved one might be experiencing on the menstrual roller coaster, tune in and hear Zoë's experience.
Be sure to visit the Attention Talk News website
Attention Talk Network... Your ADHD information Source!
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Video News
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Play is not just for kids... especially for adults with ADHD. This episode is about de-stigmatizing play. All too often, adults think of play as an immature thing to do when a mature person realizes the value of play, not only in the sandbox as a child, but also as an adult in the business world. Watch our interview with Kirsten Milliken (http://PlayDHD.com) and understand the value of play, its role in creativity, executive functioning, and how play manifests in the corporate world for something as amazing as the Post-It note.
Mind Over MechanicsEngineers are attending to the mechanical application in this video. It's fascinating to observe the power of attention.
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Other Stuff
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