Posts Tagged ‘primary care physician’

      A few months ago, I wrote a blog, Does My Child Have ADHD?,  helping to answer parent’s questions and listing the guidelines to better help parents make the most informed decisions regarding their child. Since the posting of that blog in April of 2010, I have become aware of the fact that if diagnosed with childhood ADHD/ADD, chances are, you’ve carried at least some of the symptoms into adulthood. But for those that were never diagnosed with ADHD/ADD as a child, that doesn’t mean you can’t be affected by it as an adult. For some people, adult ADHD causes significant problems that improve with treatment. For some adults, you may have been able to compensate for the symptoms of ADHD/ADD when you were young, only to run into problems as your responsibilities increase. The more things you are putting on your plate-getting a college education, working, raising a family, running a household-the greater the demand on your abilities to organize, focus and remain calm. It can be stressful for anyone but if you have ADHD/ADD, it can feel downright impossible and everyday tasks can be a real challenge. 

     In adults, attention deficit discorder often looks quite different than it does in children- and its symptoms are unique for each person. Adult ADHD/ADD symptoms can include:

• Trouble focusing or concentrating
• Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started
• Restlessness
• Impulsivity
• Difficulty completing tasks
• Poor organizational skills (home, office, desk, or car is extremely messy and cluttered)
• Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in work or other activities
• Frequent mood swings
• Short, often explosive, temper
• Trouble coping with stress
• Frequently forgetting appointments, commitments, and deadlines
• Constantly losing or misplacing things (keys, wallet, phone, documents, bills)
• Underestimating the time it will take you to complete tasks
• Unstable relationships 
• Craving for excitement
• Racing thoughts
• Doing a million things at once

     If you can identify with most of the symptoms listed above, chances are you’ve suffered over the years for the undiagnosed problem. People may have labeled you “lazy”,”stupid”,”messy”or “trouble maker” among many others. You may have begun to think of yourself in these negative terms as well. The wide-reaching effects of ADHD/ADD can lead to many negative feelings such as frustration,embarrassment,disappointment, and loss of confidence. You may feel like you’ll never be able to get you life under control. That’s why a diagnosis can be an enormous source of relief and hope. As stated in my article blog in April 2010, ADHD/ADD is not an intelligent defect but is a performance deficit. You want to get your life organized and your work done but have great difficulty in maintaining the standard. 

     If you recognize yourself in this article there are several things that you can do to help manage your symptoms. First off you may want to take one of the several self administered test for ADHD/ADD. One site that I feel has some excellent tests is psychcentral.com. You should also seek out the advise of a Professional Health Care provider such as your Primary Care Physician or a Professional Counselor. A qualified person can administer some standardized test to help confirm the results. Treatment for ADHD/ADD typically involve medication, counseling or both. A combination of therapy and medication is often the most effective treatment. A trained professional can help you: control impulsive behaviors, manage your time and money, get and stay organized, boost productivity at home and school/work, manage stress and anger, and help you to learn to communicate more clearly.  If you want to try to manage your symptoms on your own without medication, there is a lot you can do to help yourself and get your symptoms under control. These include the following:

• Exercise and eat right- Exercise vigorously and regularly, it helps work off excess energy and aggression in a positive way and soothes and calms the body. Eat a wide variety of healthy foods and limit sugary foods in order to even out mood swings. 
• Make a list of tasks- This list should include things to be accomplished each day. Make sure you’re not trying to do too much.
• Use sticky notes-to write notes and reminders to yourself. Put them on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, in the car or in other places where you will benefit from having a reminder or information. 
• Break down tasks- into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Meditate- Helping to calm your mind and lower your stress level. Regular meditation help you to calm your mind and regain your focus. 
• Practice better time management- Set deadlines for everything, even for small tasks. Use timers and alarms to stay on track. Take breaks at regular intervals. Prioritize time-sensitive tasks and write down every assignment, message, or important thought. 
• Work on your relationships- Schedule activities with friends and keep your engagements. Listen when others are speaking and try not to speak too quickly yourself. 
• Vitamin or herbal supplements-  Certain vitamins and minerals are necessary for good health and some people have claimed that taking certain herbal supplements such as hypericum, ginseng, or ginkgo have helped with their symptoms. 

     Knowledge is power. Once you are able to manage your ADHD/ADD you should feel much more in control of your life.

      Until Next Time,

      Lory

Lory Naugle, MS, NCC, DCC, is in private practice in Shippensburg, PA. She provides counseling to children through adults for many mental health disorders including ADHD/ADD. She offers counseling in her office and by distance means such as secure email and chat, phone counseling, and by computer assisted Skype.

Anxiety and worry are part of everyday life. In today’s world there are many things that can cause us to worry or have anxiety such as job security, financial debts, relationships, our health or the health of loved ones. The list could go on and on. Anxiety is a natural part of life. Everyone has it.

Anxiety triggers our brain to produce adrenaline when we feel threatened to confront the real danger or a difficult situation. An alarm system has been activated, this is how it all starts. Our nervous system has been warned that something is wrong, that danger is present or possible. Cortisol is secreted. These stimulants rapidly course through the body. This state prepares our bodies for large physical or mental challenges. It helps us run faster from danger, study harder, and confront other obstacles. This “fight or flight” mode is triggered when anxiety reaches a certain point. The dictionary definition of worry states: anxiety and cause of anxiety. The dictionary definition for anxiety states: uneasiness usually over an expected misfortune. Okay so when does worry and anxiety become a problem?

The point that normal anxiety grows to be a problem varies with each person, depending on their resilience, the way they handle stress, and how they control their anxiety. The simple test is that anxiety becomes a problem when it starts to affect other areas of your life. The worrying can become so excessive, distressing, and intrusive that it interferes with normal functioning. Its difficult or impossible to control the anxiety and focus on something else. There are a host of physical symptoms associated with anxiety disorder. Some of the more common symptoms include:

1.  strong episodes of anxiousness and panicky feelings
2. racing heart and chest discomfort
3. dizziness or lightheadedness
4. feelings of bewilderment and unreality
5. inner nervousness
6. scary, uncontrollable thoughts
7. nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea
8. hot and cold flashes
9. numbness or strange aches and pains, muscle tension
10. feelings of depression and hopelessness
11. restless feelings, sleeping too much or insomnia
12. difficulty in breathing (hyperventilation)
13. uncontrollable bouts of anger

People that have an anxiety disorder then tend to worry and stress over the physical symptoms internalizing a fear of having a heart attack, going insane, losing control, embarrassment, death, illness, hurting themselves or someone else, fainting, or difficulty in breathing. The irony is that these fears actually create the above symptoms and the above symptoms create these fears. It become a very vicious cycle.

It has been estimated that as many as 10% of the people who repeatedly make visits to health-care providers may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are very treatable. Treatment methods can include medication, and talk therapy with a professional counselor. In therapy you will learn to deal with worry, negative thoughts, and the “what ifs” syndrome not only for a short term but for the rest of your life. 

Until Next Time,

Lory Naugle, MS, NCC, DCC