| Your whole life feels like it's a bad day? Your ability to | | | | years before I suddenly woke up to the fact that I |
| function effectively in a world of work and relationships | | | | may well have it myself because I hit the checklist. |
| is constantly compromised and you are looking for an | | | | Now I don't believe for one minute that I do have these |
| understanding as to why? | | | | conditions but I could quite easily talk myself into |
| Perhaps your parents or other relatives had similar | | | | believing it. Especially when I go into some of the |
| behavioral issues and so it must be genetic? And you | | | | forums that post discussions around these symptoms. |
| want to know if there is anything you can do about it? | | | | All of a sudden, a light goes on in people's heads. They |
| And guess what your kid is showing signs of all this | | | | focus on these symptoms and suddenly there is a |
| stuff too? Well the symptoms that define what you | | | | reason for them to explain why they haven't actually |
| are looking for may include: | | | | got the life they truly want - they have finally got a |
| - Inability to concentrate on what you are doing | | | | label to hang it all on! And others on these forums who |
| - Difficulty in finishing what you are doing so you may | | | | have been down the same road on these sites, rub |
| be doing one task before finishing another one or even | | | | their hands with glee that they are 'helping' someone |
| reading more than one book at a time. | | | | out here and point them off to the doctor. There are |
| - Buying things that you mean to do but never get | | | | huge profits being made by pharmaceutical companies |
| round too. | | | | in supporting the ADHD /ADD industry. Very little is |
| - Daydream and doodle instead of getting down to | | | | known about what causes it and that is no surprise |
| what needs to be done | | | | when some of those symptoms are common to most |
| - A feeling that you want to escape from inside your | | | | of the population of the world at any given time |
| head because it doesn't feel good in there right now | | | | Now, I don't dispute that taking these drugs help people |
| - That you don't like you and neither does anyone else | | | | feel better what we need to look is why? How do |
| - That no one understand what you are going through | | | | they work? What are the side effects that they |
| - You may be constantly on the go, fidgeting, cleaning | | | | create? And just as these conditions vary from |
| or compelled to do certain things in certain ways and .... | | | | individual to individual so too, do the side effects of the |
| Oh, it is so irritating when others around you don't do | | | | medication they take to control it. And if these magic |
| things in that way. | | | | formulas work - why are they still on these sites |
| - You may focus on that issue - whatever that issue | | | | talking about the same old symptoms? Why haven't |
| is - repeating scenarios and conversations in your | | | | they gone? |
| head so it never gets resolved | | | | There are other ways forward to deal with the |
| - Lacking confidence and belief in yourself Guess | | | | symptoms in an individually focused way. Change |
| what? I had all of those feelings and thoughts this | | | | what needs changing from within and measure that |
| morning and you know what when I ask people at | | | | change for yourself. Define your goals and measure |
| random - they did too! So what does that mean that | | | | your journey step by step but most importantly inform |
| we all have ADHD / ADD? Because that is how it is | | | | yourself of what that journey entails. And |
| defined as a checklist of symptoms over a period of | | | | finally...celebrate the success of being you. Believe it or |
| time. I had been supporting children and families with | | | | not... |
| behavioral challenges including ADHD / ADD for many | | | | |