Re: What do I tell the psych I need help with?

[sdwa]

Is this person you’re supposed to see a psychologist or a psychiatrist? People who can’t reschedule people who have ADHD? As the kids say, “Yeah….No.” But I guess you’re in Canada? We don’t have waiting lists here in the U.S. No guarantee of seeing a good practitioner, but the options may be broader, even if obscenely expensive. It’s usually possible to see anyone for anything within 30 days.

I’d probably agree with Larynxa that a coach may be more helpful with day-to-day issues than a shrink or a psy-doc. I haven’t worked one-on-one with an ADHD-specializing therapist, so I don’t know what they are like. Coaches do the practical stuff; shrinks do the I-hate-my-life-why-am-I-so-screwed-up stuff. Psychiatrists do the here-take-these-drugs-and-how’s-your-thyroid stuff.

I only worked with a coach because I had savings and was profoundly desperate. Same with support group. My insurance would cover neither. Very, very expensive. Insanely expensive. With reckless abandon, I did it anyway, and don’t regret it – but I had the money, even if spending it was a bad idea.

The coach I used to work with is great at his job – I really liked him, lots of positive energy, always encouraging, and VERY observant. Knew how to ask the right questions. He has a free newsletter and a radio show – Rick Green was on it recently – Attention Talk Radio. There’s a whole archive of his shows, many of which may be helpful. (You can Google him easily, I’m sure – Jeff Copper. He’s out of Florida. We worked by phone.) I couldn’t afford him then and certainly can’t now – but I’m very glad that I made the investment during that time period. But like I said, what I learned from him was more along the lines of *how* to think than *what* to think. How to approach solving an ADHD-related problem. What questions to ask myself. Often the tendency is to look for a narrow and limited solution to a specific problem, like “10 Ways to Arrange Your Sock Drawer” when really it is not about the superficial manifestation of the problem but is instead about process: noticing what stands out most in your environment and then using that knowledge to make things you usually forget more obvious, or to reduce exposure to things that stress you out that you might not even be aware of. What works is different for different people.

Another thing I have been forced to confront, and which I don’t particularly like, is that diet and exercise really do make a difference. The “ADD Crusher” guy put it best: “sugar sucks, carbs kill, protein is power, omegas are mega, and ZIMB6” (zinc, iron, magnesium, B6)….Check out clips from ADD Crusher for free on YouTube. Getting enough sleep also helps a lot, a fact I deeply, deeply resent.

Books are not for everyone, but if you can tolerate reading, Ari Tuckman’s new workbook “Understand Your Brain, Get More Done” keeps the advice and instruction brief and to the point. It’s focused enough that you can start to use what he suggests right away.

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