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September 2010

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ADHD’s Genetic Basis Old News! Recent Research: “First Direct Genetic Link” (Maybe)

September 30, 2010 in ADHD Cyber Command, ADHD in the News, science of ADHD, The Basics | 11 comments

The study’s lead investigator, Professor Anita Thapar, explains the important new research behind the headlines. Congratulations and gratitude go to the hardworking scientists who teased out this discovery.  As for the reporting of this research, ADHD Cyber Command  finds that some did better than others, especially in implying that until now we had no evidence that ADHD wasn’t caused by bad parenting or that this is the first news of a genetic link to ADHD.

What? You say you already knew that ADHD is highly genetic?  Of course you did.  I can’t account for the headlines, but it seems these news outlets missed a key adjective in Dr. Thapar’s explanation of her team’s research findings: direct, as in “the first direct genetic link.” But even that is being contested; stay tuned for more info on that.

Meanwhile, here’s a sampling of how various news organizations covered the study, some of them as if stuck in a time warp from, oh, 30 years ago:

New Scientist:

Have gene findings taken the stigma from ADHD?

For the first time, evidence has emerged of genetic mutations linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. But how strong is the link, and how far does the finding undermine claims that children with the condition are simply naughty kids, victims of bad parenting or driven to hyperactivity by dietary additives? Read the rest of this entry »

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Sing It: “A.D.D. You Know What I Got!”

September 24, 2010 in Essays on ADHD, Just for Fun | 9 comments

Check out this totally catchy song and hilariously clever video from a hot new band whose frontman, Will Loomis, has ADHD.  I love this band! So well done! If you do, too, spread the word. You can hear samples from their latest CD and purchase it on Amazon here. (Below is the information on Will and the band from the press release.)

from the press release: The song is by Loomis & The Lust, a pop-rock quartet that MTV Iggy calls one of the “Top 25 Best New Bands in the World.” Their frontman, Will Loomis, has been struggling with ADD his whole life. They have just released a video for their single, “ADD.”

“ADD” is more than a catchy song. It is Will Loomis trying to communicate what it is like to cope with ADD on a daily basis, from being at school to going on a date. In the song’s video, the band has tried to visually capture what it feels like, at times, to have ADD. With a little light-heartedness thrown in, Loomis & The Lust are earnestly trying to give viewers a glimpse of what so many people struggle with every day.

Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, they are quickly making an impact with their bright, catchy brand of pop mixed with a little rock and roll raucousness. It is this blend that earned them an “Artist on the Verge” award at the New Music Seminar, and $25,000 from OurStage.com.

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One Man’s Poetry: Newfound Clarity of ADHD

September 22, 2010 in Guest Essays | 9 comments

Hello Gina,

I have been diagnosed with ADHD 8 months ago—kinda tough to accept at 41. I’ve been under a doctor’s care and on medication, and it has really shown me a world I’ve never known. Shortly after taking medication, I was having an ongoing clarity and understanding of my past so I started writing, and next thing I knew I had written about 15  poems from the view of a person with ADHD. I really don’t know what to do with them so I thought I would see if maybe you could direct me.  This is all new to me. I’m still learning and figuring me out. Thanks, Rob.

Here is my suggestion to Rob: “Let’s publish a few here.” He agreed, and here they are. Enjoy.


Furious Dance

Critical thoughts are happening
Blood is rising
I’m hyperfocusing
My heart starts to race
I don’t have a chance Read the rest of this entry »

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The Side Effects of Poor Medical Treatment

September 17, 2010 in ADHD medication, Gina Out and About, Questions about Adult ADHD, The Basics | 4 comments

Gina’s interview with HealthyPlace TV on the pitfalls of medical treatment for ADHD

When I first started advocating for and volunteering in the ADHD community 10 years ago, the overriding goal was creating awareness that Adult ADHD exists. I figured that the next step for many of those newly diagnosed—that is, exploring medication strategies with an informed physician—would be relatively easy.  Ha!

There is good reason that my book, Is It You, Me, or  Adult A.D.D.?.  includes three chapters on medication, including an entire chapter on the medication protocol offered by a top ADHD expert, Margaret Weiss, MD, PhD. Because, in listening to thousands of first-person stories, I so rarely encountered evidence that most physicians treating ADHD followed such a protocol. Or any protocol at all!

That’s why a chief goal in writing my book was creating a grass-roots movement to improve treatment standards.  (It’s also why the book is offered in PDF form, so that readers can easily print out key pages for mental healthcare providers.  The same for the details on evidence-based therapy strategies for ADHD. My book explained the details about  CBT for ADHD long before you read all the headlines.)

A few weeks ago, I wrote this comment on a blog written by a man with ADHD:

You’re right, Douglas. Not everyone with ADHD needs medication. It’s a personal choice.

But when that choice is based on bad experiences with reckless physicians or a tendency to latch onto negative information (a not-uncommon tendency with ADHD), is it really a choice? I don’t think so.

I’ve been an unpaid advocate in the area of ADHD for 10 years not because I have any ties with Big Pharma (or even any stock). I do it because solid information makes a huge difference in individuals’ lives. It is appalling how often people with ADHD get substandard medical care — and don’t even know it. …

The producers at HealthyPlace read my comment and asked for an interview with me on this topic.  Here is the video. I hope you find it helpful!

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Seattle Adult ADHD Workshop: Sunday, 9/12/10

September 6, 2010 in Gina Out and About, The Basics | No comments

If 10 years ago, by some cross-temporal quirk, my husband and I had a chance to attend the Adult ADHD (and relationships) workshop that Don Baker and I have planned for next weekend….. well, sigh, it’s probably better not to contemplate that fortunate scenario. For his part, my husband says, “Who knows. I might have still been skeptical of ADHD’s impact in my life.”  In fact, as I note the event’s date (9/12), I am reminded how “9/11″ happened shortly after my husband’s ADHD diagnosis, and that very day we were pursuing intensive couples therapy in Boston. (We live in the Bay Area; that’s how desperate we were).

The therapy went horribly (if you’ve read the book,  you’ve read the story, in part, but under another name).  But one lucky thing happened on that trip.  We were originally scheduled on the fated SFO-bound United flight but changed it at the last minute.  Against the backdrop of this massive tragedy,  our problems seemed to pale. Did that mean it was a joy being stuck together in a hotel room for four days after couples therapy that only exacerbated our challenges?  Not exactly.

During the many years I spent researching and writing my book, my sole motivation was clear: helping others to avoid the painful learning curve my husband and I had endured. If I could do that, our torturous journey held some larger meaning. This past two weeks, as I’ve painstakingly prepared for the Adult ADHD workshop in Seattle (co-hosted with therapist Don Baker, MD, LMHC), my goal has been the same:  Giving workshop attendees the best of my hard-earned knowledge so they can fast-forward their success strategies at warp speed. If you already have your tickets, come prepared to learn — and laugh!

Here’s how Don describes his impetus for this workshop:

Dealing with relationships has been one of the most significant parts of my own ADHD journey.

Gina Pera says in her book that “ADHD awareness is a social justice issue, a question of each person deserving accurate knowledge and access to care that affords us full access to our talents and abilities.”

My personal and professional experience has taught me that it’s in an environment like the one Gina and I will create Sept 12th that significant learning and growth occurs.

Please join us and others in the Pacific Northwest ADHD community. For more information, please visit the event’s page on Brown Paper Tickets.

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