1/12/2010 Meeting Summary

We didn't have a guest presenter for the January 12 meeting, but instead had a "round table" discussion that covered a variety of topics.

The first topic was a review of the "Reclaim Your Brain" presentation that many group members had attended the previous evening; the previous blog entry regarding that presentation pretty well summarizes the discussion. One FOCUS+ member indicated that the cost of the "brain retraining" therapy was a $500/month rental of the machine that a participat uses to monitor his/her brain activity and learn to control it.

The group also discussed a few specific situations concerning its members; I won't go into that in this forum for obvious reasons, but from the standpoint of ADHD, a few things came forward:

Career planning, problem solving and recognizing alternatives to a preferred option are all issues that require a degree of motivation, planning and organization that can be very challenging to a person with ADHD.

• Having a peer support person or support group can help with keeping on task and spotting/addressing "roadblocks", as can working with a counselor who has some experience with ADHD issues.
• Writing down specific action steps to be taken, and recording progress, is also critical to success.
• We tend to do better when we can impose some level of structure to our days, or find situations where that structure is already present.
• From a career standpoint, it's helpful not to think of ADHD as a limitation we might have, but just as a trait (like being good with numbers or having good people skills). Some jobs that require sustained focus, attention to detail and that offer limited variety are particularly tough for us. Other jobs that call for frequent changes, fast thinking, lots of activity and creativity, on the other hand, may actually favor people with ADHD brains as we tend to handle those things very well.

Lastly, the group checked out the new FOCUS+ web site and blog. If you're reading this, then there's really not much need to review that discussion other than to remind you to participate! Please post your questions, comments, experiences and ideas in response to the blog entries. Also please pass along any ideas for improving the web site or blog to either our fearless facilitator, Ruth Evenhouse, or me, our wiley webmaster, Ed Keeter. Lastly, if any of you would like to get involved in maintaining our web site or blog, let us know!

How have you addressed the impact of ADHD on you from a job/career standpoint?

How do you tackle problem-solving? Does ADHD affect how you do it?

Do you have any initial feedback regarding the new web site or blog?

Summary of "Reclaim Your Brain" Presentation

On Monday, 1/11, several FOCUS+ members attended the "Reclaim Your Brain" lecture at the Hope College Maas Center. The presentation was made by Dr. Timothy Royer of The Neuro Core (formerly Hope 139).

This summary of the presentation is for those who weren't able to attend and it's also intended as a starting point for group members to share and react to what they heard. Please flag anything you see that I didn't capture accurately.

Presentation Notes:

Web Site: http://www.theneurocore.com

• The Neuro Core (formerly Hope 139) offers a live webcast with Q&A every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m and 7:00 p.m. EST.
• They also offer "podcastforyourbrain"
• The Neuro Core provides an assessment of a person's brainwaves and other variables (see below). They maintain that many people being treated for ADHD may be misdiagnosed and/or taking medication that is less than optimal for their needs. They offer a recommendation for a plan to help the person retrain their brain and body to keep their variables within the range where they are most mentally effective. They maintain that this can be helpful with ADHD, anxiety, migraine and insomnia problems.
• The presentation included several anecdotal accounts of people including professional athletes who found this retraining process very beneficial.

What They Measure/Notes

• EEG (electroencephalogram) - a measure of electrical activity in the brain. EEGs are unique for every individual. Brains operate between 1 and 32 hertz.
• Breathing (respiration around 6 breaths per minute when relaxed is ideal)
• Pulse
• Skin temparture at extremities (lower when a person is stressed and in "fight or flight" mode)
• Brainwaves

Brainwaves:

• Alpha: active when using creativity/imagination; repressed when Theta or Delta waves are too high
• Beta: Related to fight/flight response; resting Beta of 1.4 or higher is regarded as too high. Closer to 0.9 is preferred.
• Theta: Occurs when awake every 3 seconds or so; rests/resets brain for just an instant, but during that time person is unaware. If Theta waves are too high, they're followed by a deeper, longer lasting "crash" resulting in a person becoming disoriented or "zoning out." A 3.0 for Theta is considered high; 2.0 or lower is ideal.
• Delta: Occurs during sleep; critical to memory consolidation.

What was your reaction to the presentation?

Tell Us What You'd Like To Learn or Discuss!

Are there specific topics related to ADHD that you'd like to see covered at a future FOCUS+ meeting? We take a broad view on this - presentations from experts on general issues that impact people with ADHD such as finances, career planning, psychology and technology are every bit as useful as presentations specifically regarding ADHD.

Do you know of any presenters or subject matter experts that you feel would be of interest to the FOCUS+ members? Better still, is there a topic that you'd be willing to facilitate a group discussion regarding, or that you'd like to present to the group?

Is there an upcoming event related to ADHD that FOCUS+ members may want to attend?

Do you have any feedback regarding how we might improve our meetings (or our web site)?

We'd love to hear your input and ideas! Please post them here as comments.

Post Meeting Discussion: "Relationships and ADHD"

(This is a repost of the 10/13/2009 entry on the old FOCUS+ blog)

Click here for meeting notes.

Ruth Evenhouse guided a discussion on the topic of "Relationships and ADHD", which focused primarily on close personal relationships.

Issues raised:

• Stress associated with impulsive behavior by a person with ADHD - sudden plan changes, impulsive statements, impulse shopping, etc. The groiup also discussed the flip side of that issue, i.e. how many of us with ADHD have difficulty adjusting quickly and effectively when someone else changes plans on us on short notice.


• The frequent disconnect between individuals with ADHD and those close to them without ADHD regarding things like organization. Individuals with ADHD are frequently disorganized, with information in piles instead of being neatly filed and with the all-too-common side effect of arriving late for appointments or missing them altogether.


• The fact that ADHD minds are drawn to the newest and/or most interesting tasks before them instead of the most urgent or important ones.

Some options for improving those factors in relationships, as well as the ability of the person with ADHD to function effectively, included:

• Hiring a professional organizer to help cull and organize elements of a person's work or personal life and to put in place a realistic, sustainable organization system with the apropriate tools.


• For the more budget-minded among us, one member suggested a DIY (Do It Yourself) approach by reading The Personal Efficiency Program (PEP). available at Amazon.com and most bookstores.


• Setting up "launch pads" for onesself and one's children that are pre-staged every evening for the morning' s launch. Homework, backpacks, lunches, car keyes, cell phones, etc. are all placed in one specific area for "grab and go" use in the morning. This speeds the process, lessens stress and greatly reduces the chance of running late because one hat to search for his or her car keys for a half hour.


• Setting up ground rules. If the punctual, non-ADHD partner is ready to go, then she/he has the option of leaving alone to arrive on time for the event and the slower partner can simply follow when ready.


• Setting up a calendar/to-do list that is permanently visible at one's workstation or in one's home. This avoids the out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem. A calendar can also help one to be more realistic when factoring in preparation, clean-up and travel time for activities.


• Using an alarm watch or something similar to remind the person to "remember to remember" - to pause and ask themself: what am I forgetting to do right now?

Finally, the group took some time to acknowledge the positive impact that ADHD can bring to a relationship. Persons with ADHD can be very spontaneous, energetic, enthusiastic and creative people. Very often they (we) are mutually drawn to people who need that "spark" but also bring with them the more practical and organized characteristics that we need.

Any comments or personal stories you'd like to share on this topic?

Any questions that you didn't get the chance to ask?

Any other suggestions for how to make sure that the impact of ADHD on a relationship is a positive, or at least a neutral, one?

Post-Meeting Discussion: Technology & ADHD

For our November meeting, Ed Keeter (yours truly) presented on the topic of Technology and ADHD. The discussion/presentation focused on what some of the "tech" tools are that can be helpful in managing some of the effects of ADHD. Gadgets ranged from simpole alarm watches and digital recorders and GPS units to desktop PCs and smart phones. Discussion focused on how to best select and use the right tool(s) for your unique situation.

The second half of the meeting was a review and discussion of the soon-to-be updated FOCUS+ web site and blog. (note: the site is now available at www.focusplus.org - Ed)

All members were encouraged to share their thoughts on what would make the site more user-friendly and useful. One suggestion was to add a "So I (or someone I know) have/has ADHD: Now What?" tab to help newly diagnosed people determine and weigh their options. The new blog will be divided into four key areas:

1. Information about the upcoming meeting topic (where members can pose questions and find pre-read material if available);
2. Information about previous meetings/topics (where members can continue the discussion);
3. Ideas for future meetings: topics, presenters, activities, etc.; and
4. More specific topics, e.g. "ADHD and Teens" or "ADHD in the workplace", where members with shared areas of interest can collaborate.
   

What "tech" have you found to be helpful in managing your ADHD symptoms? Do you find that sometimes technology can be counterproductive, like when your cell phone interrupts you when you're concentrating on an activity?