Dr. Umesh Jain is now exclusively responsible for TotallyADD.com and its content

Wgreen

Wgreen2012-11-13T13:00:41+00:00

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 392 total)
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  • in reply to: Did You Catch It? #122366

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    I thought Rick was great. The interviewer, not so much. But that’s just my opinion.

    I love Rick’s point about narrative. The fact is, to have access to people’s opinions, you generally have to have access to their emotions (Aspies notwithstanding). And you do this through stories. Advertisers understand this. Rick understands this. And, as an ADD aside, I think this reality presents issues for people who rely heavily on social media to promote their products and services. It can be challenging to control your narrative on, say, FB because of the nature of that beast. It’s much easier to strike a responsive chord through carefully crafted mini-stories (commercials) on, say, TV. And that’s why major brands spend fortunes to buy television time—it works.

    For what it’s worth, I read a piece someplace recently that said polling indicated it was television program(me)s and films that radically changed America’s attitudes about gay marriage in just a few years—not discussion/argumentation. Instructive.

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    in reply to: ADD & marijuana #122267

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    Rick, funny you should say that. I’m climbing the walls right now because I’ve run out of…. Cola. I’m very conflicted because I also feel an urgent need to post something on another string before I leave the house. But as soon as I’m finished, I’m going to stock up on my favorite Atlanta beverage. I just hope my brain doesn’t explode before I make it to the store.

    And hey—investors, make a note of this: the instant some pharma company comes out with a “super” new Attention Deficit medication, you need to dump your Coke stock.

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    in reply to: BP was 160 over 122 #122213

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    Yeah, there are other non-stimulant drugs people take:: Wellbutrin (Bupropion), Provigil (Modafinil), and others. I tried the first two, and for some reason they both made me seriously ill before they could do anything for my Attention Deficit. I’m not a doctor, so I shouldn’t even be talking about medications. But with that caveat, could you use something to bring your BP down far enough so you could take stimulants? 160/122 sounds awfully high BTW, especially that diastolic number—it’s off the charts. What is your normal BP?

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    in reply to: Confused… Loss of Motivation #122182

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    I can’t help you with the meds. That’s something you need to get ironed out with your doc. BUT… a lack of motivation and a lack of persistence over time are classic ADD issues. So is constantly starting and then abandoning projects. I posted a Russell Barkley YouTube clip just a few minutes ago over on the “GRR Highly Suspect I Am” thread. (http://totallyaddconnect.com/forums/topic/grr-highly-suspect-i-am-but-questioning-assessment-she-suspected-otherwise/) It’s a bit long, but watch the first two thirds of it. It addresses your issues in some depth.
    P.S. Russell Barkley is one of several eminent AD(H)D researchers. He can be a bit fatalistic, and that bugs some people. But he knows his stuff and certainly speaks to my condition—and other ADDers I know.

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    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    I know, I know. Some fellow “forum rats” are going to scowl——”Here goes Wgreen with another Russell Barkley clip.” But hey, work with me. This is a revelation. At about 45 minutes into this clip, Russ starts going off on ADD diagnostic tests. The whole thing is extremely interesting (and worth a look), but admittedly a bit long. So if you’re just curious about his take on the predictive relevance of (some) ADD testing, you might want to shuttle to the 45:00 mark and check out the last 15 minutes or so.

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    in reply to: Any interest in forming a Group for Attorneys #122065

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    Alas, I’m not surprised there’s been no response yet to this invitation. I could be wrong, but I’d imagine there are precious few ADDers who could manage to make it through law school. In fact, I can’t think of many lines of work that would be more challenging for an ADDer than the practice of law—the discipline required to write a well-researched brief; the important attention to small details; the organization; the ability to be cool under stress; the ability to listen attentively to what somebody is saying during long, boring testimony and be able to follow up. Whew! Having said that, I guess any firm could benefit from having somebody on board, perhaps locked in some back office, who has a knack for synthesis—the ability to connect disparate dots and see issues from interesting, unusual angles.

    The question is, if you’re an ADDer, how do you ever pass the bar? My guess is there are some people out there, including lawyers, who are SO smart they exhibit some ADD-like behavior: their brains race, they’re constantly distracted, they’re ditzy, they’re disorganized. BUT: they don’t lack the ability to organize towards the future, they don’t lack perseverance, they don’t suffer from numerous impulsions and poor emotional regulation. i.e., they’re probably misdiagnosed. Having said that, I’m sure there are in fact a few bona fide ADD lawyers out there whose sky-high IQs, photographic memories, and intense love of the “game” allows them to manage—even thrive—without having to exert the hard, tedious effort that would bring most ADDers down.

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    in reply to: Paralyzed for words in priority situations at work #121899

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    This strikes me as a customer service issue just as much as an ADD issue. If you tend to get rattled—and many people do—it helps to have a customer complaint checklist. The first thing you want to do is lower the conversation temperature: apologize and empathize. Then you fix what you can fix and promise to take any unresolved problem to somebody who has the authority to address it. Blah, blah. You commit your canned responses to memory so you don’t have to think on your feet. You just check down depending on the circumstance. If corporate doesn’t have something like that, they should.

    But I would think the big problem for ADD retailers—as you indicate—is anger management. Sometimes people are just obnoxious or unreasonable. When you have a problem with emotional regulation, you’re tempted at some point to cross the line and say, “Go To hell you crazy b***h!” And that, of course, would run far afoul of most companies’ customer-relations policies.

    But once again, if you have a carefully crafted “complaint tree,” with a series of prepared responses to common customer complaints/problems, a displeased-customer confrontation should be just another day at the office.

    Oh, and one more thing—remember that some “customers” purposefully try to rattle retail clerks with obnoxious behavior so a confederate can rob them blind. It’s important to learn to keep your cool so you can keep your wits about you and your eyes open.

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    in reply to: How can I make my mother understand? #121787

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    You’ll probably get several people offering some advice. Mine would be this: Your mother may or may not ever understand. You have no control over that. What you DO have some control over is trying to get to a doctor who can get you on some meds. It sounds like you could also use some counseling/coaching. But the bottom line is you need to try to get mentally healthy(-ier). Then you can begin to work on your other issues. As long as you’re in a neurological rut, life is gonna be tough.

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    in reply to: Explain the anger/temper #121784

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    Well, thyroid disease can present ADD-like symptoms. And of course there are several common ADD comorbidities: anxiety, OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), Bipolar Disorder, depression, etc. You can look it up.

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    in reply to: Explain the anger/temper #121759

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    ADD is a an “injury” of the frontal lobe of the brain. The frontal lobe helps us regulate our emotions and organize towards the future, among a few other things. ADDers often lose their tempers—sometimes over relatively trivial matters. Similarly, they can become quickly frustrated and overly emotional when confronted with stress or put on the defensive. Medications can help with emotional regulation as well as other ADD symptoms. I always appreciated somebody assuring me they understood my frustration, but reminding me that my ADD was causing me to overreact. (I’m glad to hear your husband’s outbursts don’t pose any danger—though any tantrum can cause blood pressure to skyrocket, sometimes dangerously.) My experience is that it doesn’t help to be confrontational or indignant, even though the outburst may be completely inappropriate. Just offer some brief support and retreat. But perhaps other forum members can offer other, better advice.

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    in reply to: Procrastinate to the extreme #121750

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    Well, that’s true, rarely are things black and white. I suppose we can all agree that Ebola is categorically a bad bug to catch, but… your point is well taken. Still, the fact that some ADDers do extremely well in life, and others do well enough, doesn’t mean it’s not a serious problem for most who suffer from it. There’s just too much evidence to justify the label of “disorder.” Some people win jackpots playing the lottery, but that doesn’t mean that lottery tickets are, generally speaking, good investments. The fact that there are winners every week doesn’t change the sobering odds. I don’t think Barkley, or anybody else in the medical community, would call ADD a death sentence. But on the other hand, statistics show ADDers are in fact much more likely to die in car accidents and from drug and alcohol addiction than the general population—not to mention likely to suffer devastating consequences of other debilitations. Gray is not black, but it can still be a dangerous color. In my view, it would be inaccurate—not to mention unhelpful—to call it anything else.

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    in reply to: Procrastinate to the extreme #121727

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    Here ya go: the three-minute explanation of why ADDers procrastinate, at least when it comes to things that don’t sit atop their hierarchy of interest.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3VuV5Jvazs

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    in reply to: Abusive partner/Attracted to Dangerous People #121721

    Wgreen
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    Post count: 445

    This one, as it relates to ADHD,is above my pay grade. What a tangled mess!

    But I will say this: the development over thousands of years of our highly developed frontal lobes and the resulting ability to self-regulate our emotions and organize towards the future is one of the most impressive—and unique—characteristics of the human personality. It not only has allowed humans to cooperate with each other in ways that have allowed civilizations to emerge, it has enabled humans to set ambitious goals and execute long-term plans, thereby making possible the evolution of a highly complex middle class.

    ADHD affects the frontal lobe. It impairs our self-control and our ability to set and achieve objectives over time. To the extent that any person is unable to avail him/herself of these quintessential human graces, his/her ability to participate fully in the intimate life of a family—predicated on love, trust, and mutual obligations—and successfully navigate the modern economy is obviously compromised. And that often spells (serious) trouble.

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    in reply to: ADD is like grieving #121628

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    I’ve often thought that CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) should use Munch’s “The Scream” as its logo. For me, it’s extremely difficult to abide the horror of being unable to take true ownership of my own life—to watch “helplessly” as one thing after another flies apart. Too, I think that for those of us who came late to a diagnosis, it is a challenging task to put the past away, knowing nothing can be done now to change anything. It requires a great act of humility to learn to forgive ourselves for the unforgivable, just as it requires a great act of courage to carry on when all seems hopeless. Still, we have to try to make our little corner of world a better place, whenever and however we can. And perhaps take some pleasure from going dancing with all the ideas that seem to glide effortlessly through our minds…

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    in reply to: Does anyone else have friends? #121603

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    Ole Russell Barkley frequently cites “friendlessness” as a consequence of ADD. And I can think of several reasons why that might be:

    1) Persistent foot-in-mouth disease
    2) A lack of other social skills
    3) An inability to show—or pretend to show—appropriate curiosity for the interests of others. Or… a disinterest in—or even antipathy towards—others who don’t share our ideas and passions
    4) Personal quirks/obsessions that turn other people off, i.e., temper tantrums, bouts of frustration, disorganization/untidiness, defeatist attitudes, constant daydreaming, forgetting to show up on time or at all, and generally spending hours doing things that stimulate us (video games, FB, etc.) rather than investing in the hard work that real friendship requires
    5) What you guys said…

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