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May 2010

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ADHD Myth #3: Symptoms are Human Behaviors

May 31, 2010 in The Basics | 2 comments

Myths about ADHD are persistent and pervasive. That’s why I created a nonsense-busting appendix in my book (Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?) called “But I Heard That” …. More Background for the Unconvinced.

Myth #1 is excerpted here, Myth #2 is here, and now here is #3:

“…The Symptoms Are Basic Human Behaviors”

Taken singly, ADHD symptoms do resemble typical human behaviors—because they are. “ADHD is a matter of severity, an exaggeration of normal human behaviors,” explains physician, author, and ADHD expert Patricia Quinn.

Furthermore, you can have a little ADHD or a lot or be somewhere in the middle.  Debunking his second big myth about ADHD (that everyone has it), University of Pennsylvania psychologist J. Russell Ramsay puts it this way: “Saying that everyone who has some trouble with organization and procrastination has ADHD stands akin to claiming that because everyone periodically feels sad or nervous, that everyone has depression or anxiety disorders.”

In fact, careful research that measured people with ADHD against a control group revealed that control group members might display only one or two symptoms among the current list of 18 possible symptoms, demonstrating that “everyone” does not have ADHD.

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All About Medications for ADHD, Part II

May 28, 2010 in ADHD medication, Guest Essays, Practical Solutions, The Basics | 7 comments

Part I of “All About Medications for ADHD” focused on common questions and answers provided by ADHD specialist Ted Mandelkorn, MD, of Puget Sound Behavioral Health, a Seattle-based clinic that treats teens, children and adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and related conditions.

In Part II, below, Dr. Mandelkorn details the categories of medications along with dosing, pros, cons, and potential side effects.  The more you know about your choices, the better you can choose a knowledgeable prescribing physician and work with that physician for the best possible treatment outcome for yourself or your loved one.

A PHYSICIAN’S PERSPECTIVE

Theodore Mandelkorn, MD

2010

PART TWO: OVERVIEW OF MEDICATIONS Read the rest of this entry »

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All About Medications for ADHD, Part I

May 28, 2010 in ADHD medication, Guest Essays, Questions about Adult ADHD, The Basics | 1 comment

It’s hard to overstate it: Please be a smart mental healthcare consumer when it comes to ADHD medical treatment.

That means not simply assuming that your prescribing physician, no matter how much ADHD expertise is professed, truly knows what’s what.  Learn the basics so you can “Trust but Verify.”

Ted Mandelkorn, MD

For all the information flooding the Internet  now about Adult ADHD, it’s still hard to find a solid overview of the medications used to treat it. So, I contacted Ted Mandelkorn, M.D. (pictured right).  Had he updated the excellent handout from a lecture I’d attended years ago? Indeed he had. Even better: He gave me permission to share it with ADHD Roller Coaster readers.  The first installment is below. Part II will follow shortly.

An “early adapter” of ADHD expertise and treatment, Dr. Mandelkorn is the parent of a child with ADHD and has ADHD himself. He trained in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, and he was a mental health fellow under Dr. Michael Rothenberg at the University of Washington. He has been in practice for 35 years, since 2001 at his clinic, Puget Sound Behavioral Medicine.

A PHYSICIAN’S PERSPECTIVE

Theodore Mandelkorn, MD

2010

PART ONE

  • INTRODUCTION
  • WHO SHOULD TAKE MEDICATIONS, AND WHY?
  • WHAT IMPROVEMENT SHOULD BE SEEN?
  • WHO SHOULD PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS?
  • MEDICAL TRIALS
  • WHAT IS THE CORRECT MEDICATION?
  • WHAT IS THE CORRECT DOSAGE?
  • WHAT ABOUT “NATURAL” THERAPIES?
  • SUMMARY

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