Dr. Jeeva's Adult ADHD Online Clinic

18/08/2021

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TALKS

30/10/2020

CHAI FM. RADIO SHOW
ADULT ADHD . where have they been hiding? DR S A JEEVA

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ADULT ADHD Patients?

Interview with us on Monday the 2nd November 2020 with Dr Dean Gersun, to continue the conversation on WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ADULT ADHD Patients?

Interview will be conducted via Skype and will be for a duration of 50mins Fm: The interview will be at 10h00

They can tune on to 101.9 on the radio or stream
Chai Fm: http://ndstream.net/chaifm/new/android.htm
Chai Fm: Using this link

18/10/2020

“The ADHD Symptom Women Might Be Overlooking”

I didn’t have a Borderline Personality Disorder, after all.

The name “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” misses one of the symptoms that is hardest to live with — emotional hypersensitivity.

When you think about ADHD hypersensitivity, you might think being sensitive to loud noises and scratchy labels in clothes. In many cases, the sensitivity also applies to our emotions. We cannot bear the pain of criticism; we are unable to brush off personal slights the way other people do.

The emotional side of ADHD hypersensitivity is often not present in children, especially in boys, which means it is rarely discussed in detail on the symptoms pages of ADHD websites. It doesn’t show up in online searches.

So it’s not surprising that some adults with undiagnosed ADHD (like me) searching the Internet for answers about feeling emotionally overwhelmed think we have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

The emotional symptoms of BPD are the cornerstone of the disorder. In fact, the new name for the condition is Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder! So if you have undiagnosed ADHD and find that you suffer from persistent sadness, a mood disorder, and anxiety linked to your emotional hypersensitivity, a BPD diagnosis makes sense.

[Free Resource: 15 Ways to Disarm (and Understand) Explosive ADHD Emotions]

Those with BPD have bouts of extreme sadness, mood disorders, and anxiety as well as unstable family and social relationships. They find it difficult to cope with changes in plans. They quit jobs. They overeat. So I found myself nodding along to many of the symptoms on the list. But one stuck out that I absolutely knew wasn’t me: the “push/pull” symptom — a chronic pattern of sabotaging and re-establishing closeness in a relationship without appropriate cause or reason.

Many of those with BPD have suffered neglect or a significant rejection, or they have struggled with separation issues in childhood. This results in wildly fluctuating feelings in which a sufferer goes from idolizing to hating someone at the drop of a hat.

The reason for this is that sufferers have an unstable self-image, so if someone gets too close to them, they feel engulfed and in danger of losing themselves. But the minute the same person steps slightly out of reach, they are overwhelmed with fear of abandonment.

It is this pushing-and-pulling that earns BPD sufferers the unfair label of being “manipulative,” when they are, in fact, trying to balance their emotions.

[Download: 3 Common Diagnosis Mistakes]

Instead of having these fluctuating feelings, when I’m emotionally overwhelmed, I withdraw into myself, the shutters come down. How could I have BPD and not display one of its key symptoms? I needed to ask an expert.

I saw a psychiatrist and he dismissed my self-diagnosis. Without the fluctuating emotions and the push/pull behavior, he confirmed that I didn’t have BPD. I wasn’t completely surprised, but I also felt that a diagnosis of mood disorders and anxiety that the psychiatrist handed out wasn’t correct.

I struggled on, trying to cope and taking SSRI medications until I had a breakdown and ended up in a hospital. Another psychiatrist I saw suggested that I might have ADHD.

I thought she was mad. I had suicidal thoughts and had suffered an emotional collapse, so who cared if I found it difficult to sit still or concentrate? But then she explained how emotional hypersensitivity manifests itself in female adult sufferers of ADHD, and everything fell into place.

In ADHD, emotional hypersensitivity comes with an “off switch.” Not being able to abide boring conversations, cope with personal slights, or tolerate arguments were examples of hypersensitivity that were just as valid as having to cut the label out of a new jumper.

I had an off switch. The shutters coming down had a name!

Since my ADHD diagnosis, I’ve started taking the ADHD medication, which reduces the noise in my head, making it easier for me to think. I feel calmer, and I am better able to cope with overwhelming emotional responses to other people’s behaviors.

My hope is that my story will help other adults with undiagnosed ADHD get a better understanding of debilitating emotional symptoms. I hope that reading my story will persuade them to see a psychiatrist and perhaps get the diagnosis that alluded me for so long.

[When It’s More Than ADHD]

Updated on December 18, 2018

22/08/2020

10/08/2020

DR JEEVAS ADULT ADHD ONLINE CLINIC

4 Ways Journaling Is an ADHD Natural Remedy

“The #1 productivity tool you aren’t using,” is what Forbes called the practice of journaling.

Research from Harvard Business School says it can boost your performance and impact your career success. Sir Richard Branson calls it, “my secret life hack.” And I call it an ADHD natural remedy. Yep. Just…writing stuff down!

But before we get to how it can be an ADHD natural remedy, check out some of these eye-openers:

A study among breast cancer patients found journaling improved several health metrics, as well as stress levels and overall quality of life.
25 years of research among prison inmates indicates that, “Writing about what distresses and dismays us decreases the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improves our sleep patterns,” according to author and writing facilitator Ann Reynolds.
It’s been shown to decrease the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis!
One study showed effectiveness in reducing severity of irritable bowel syndrome!
A key in much of this mind-blowing research is that the benefits accrued from writing just 20 minutes a day; in some cases, for just a few days.

But you can get huge benefits from just a few minutes of journaling each day (more on that in a moment). Journaling is NOT about keeping a detailed diary. As I define it, journaling is just a brief daily practice of recording by hand reflections on your experiences, thoughts, feelings and/or priorities.

[Note that I emphasize writing by hand, vs typing. Studies support this: A study at Princeton and UCLA found that students who take longhand notes rather than with a laptop, gain a better grasp of a subject. This is because of what’s called the “encoding hypothesis,” which says that the processing required of writing notes improves learning and retention — processing that doesn’t happen when typing.]

So there’s some science on why writing by hand is where it’s at. And here’s why journaling is where it’s at for ADHD adults and teens…

4 Ways Journaling Can Be a Natural ADHD Remedy

Writing about stressful events helps us come to terms with them, and stop ruminating on them; reducing their impact on our physical health and mental stamina. (And we ADHers are champion ruminators, no?)
Journaling clarifies our thoughts, feelings and priorities. By “getting them out”, we process and synthesize them much better. Who out there would like some clarified thought today? Anyone?
Similarly, journaling helps us problem-solve, by pulling our thought process out of our short-term memory, where it’s difficult for us to organize and project sequential steps toward a solution — and putting them in an external workspace where we can more effectively sort, filter and analyze them.
It boosts self-confidence. “When people have the opportunity to reflect, they experience a boost in self-efficacy, and they feel more confident that they can achieve things,” says Harvard Business School’s Francesca Gino.
How Journaling is a Natural ADHD Remedy

Journaling is a powerful natural ADHD remedy? Yep.

So, a daily journaling practice has tons of evidence-based benefits for your ADHD, your productivity and even your health.

But I know, you’re worried that to get these benefits you have to go out and buy a leather-bound diary with the little key, and then somehow sit down for an hour a day documenting your entire day and every thought that crossed your mind. What a pain in the butt! But no…

You don’t need to do much writing to get many of those benefits…..

Intrigued About the Potential for Journaling as an ADHD Natural Remedy?

Think about this: You’re already writing or word processing every single day! And all I’m talking about here is devoting a fraction of your daily writing energy to a journaling session of as little as two minutes a day.

I dedicated an episode of Crusher™TV to The Power of Journaling, in which I’ve assembled 3 Ways to Journal That Are Not a Pain in the Butt…The first takes just two minutes. Another one takes just five minutes. Plus, I share 6 Foolproof Tips for Building an Effective Journaling Ritual. You can preview it below.

Bless!

Alan

P.S. You might get a lot out of watching that entire episode of Crusher™TV where I dig deeper into this topic. (You can become a member for a buck and cancel any time ya like.) It’s Episode 78 , and you can preview that episode at either link.

3 Ways to Journal

Stop Making your ADD Worse! Get your FREE ebook.

08/08/2020

DR JEEVAS ADULT ADHD ONLINE CLINIC

Talk Therapy: Getting Through to Your Teen with ADHD
A:

Teens tend to discount the positive things their parents say about them – “You’re my mom. You have to think I’m wonderful, but that doesn’t mean I am” – and look to friends and peers for affirmation.

Nonetheless, here are some tips for letting your son know how great he is and to pass along constructive advice that he will listen to:

Avoid global praise. Don’t say, “What a great kid you are” or “You are so smart.” Give specific feedback that encourages him by focusing on skills and behaviors that are important to your son as well as to you. You can say, “You are such a thoughtful friend. I’m impressed with how you helped your best friend through a rough patch.” Or “Thanks for letting me read your essay – you have such a nice way with words.”
Put it in writing. Put those same thoughts in a note and leave it where your son will find it – his pillow, for instance. Don’t expect him to respond and don’t ask if he saw it – you know he did, and the compliment will sink in.
Be his eyes. Since the opinions of other kids may matter more than your own, point out to him things he may not have noticed about how others act toward him. “Did you see how Jeff asked you for advice – and listened to your suggestions?”
[Read: How to Steer Your Teen Without Hovering or Nagging]

Ask, don’t order. When giving advice, use open-ended questions rather than suggestions. “You’ve got midterms to study for and you want to practice for that Battle of the Bands coming up next week. Have you thought about how you’re going to make time for both?” If your son says, “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ve got it covered,” you might say, “What’s your plan?”
Use active listening. “It looks like you were pretty frustrated by the comments you got back from your English teacher.” Stop there – bite your tongue before saying, “Maybe if you hadn’t left the paper to the last minute, it would have turned out better.” By using active listening, your son may come to the same conclusion himself.
Be lighthearted. You can often get away with sharing an important lesson you learned when you were a kid – if you can keep it humorous and avoid hammering home the lesson learned.
[Free Download: 8 Ways to Strengthen Your Teen’s Executive Function Skills]

A: Teens tend to discount the positive things their parents say about them – “You’re my mom. You have to think I’m wonderful, but that doesn’t mean I am” – and look to friends and peers for affirmation.

Nonetheless, here are some tips for letting your son know how great he is and to pass along constructive advice that he will listen to:

Avoid global praise. Don’t say, “What a great kid you are” or “You are so smart.” Give specific feedback that encourages him by focusing on skills and behaviors that are important to your son as well as to you. You can say, “You are such a thoughtful friend. I’m impressed with how you helped your best friend through a rough patch.” Or “Thanks for letting me read your essay – you have such a nice way with words.”
Put it in writing. Put those same thoughts in a note and leave it where your son will find it – his pillow, for instance. Don’t expect him to respond and don’t ask if he saw it – you know he did, and the compliment will sink in.
Be his eyes. Since the opinions of other kids may matter more than your own, point out to him things he may not have noticed about how others act toward him. “Did you see how Jeff asked you for advice – and listened to your suggestions?”
[Read: How to Steer Your Teen Without Hovering or Nagging]

Ask, don’t order. When giving advice, use open-ended questions rather than suggestions. “You’ve got midterms to study for and you want to practice for that Battle of the Bands coming up next week. Have you thought about how you’re going to make time for both?” If your son says, “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ve got it covered,” you might say, “What’s your plan?”
Use active listening. “It looks like you were pretty frustrated by the comments you got back from your English teacher.” Stop there – bite your tongue before saying, “Maybe if you hadn’t left the paper to the last minute, it would have turned out better.” By using active listening, your son may come to the same conclusion himself.
Be lighthearted. You can often get away with sharing an important lesson you learned when you were a kid – if you can keep it humorous and avoid hammering home the lesson learned.
[Free Download: 8 Ways to Strengthen Your Teen’s Executive Function Skills]