Coping With Adult ADD/ADHD.

Understanding ADD/ADHD In Adults:

     Attention Deficit Disorder is not just a childhood psychological disorder. Adults with ADD/ADHD often have lives that seem disorganized, chaotic, and out of control.
They are often bouncing from one activity to another, and exhibit difficulty staying focused and attending to daily, mundane tasks. They often have trouble keeping appointments, are forgetful, impulsive, and reactive in their behaviors and responses to others. Adults with ADD/ADHD have similar signs and symptoms to that of children diagnosed with the same disorder. Adults struggling with ADD/ADHD commonly experience the following symptoms:

1.Difficulty staying focused and paying attention, such as when reading or listening to others.

2.Struggling to complete tasks, even ones that seem simple.

3.Have a tendency to overlook details, leading to errors or incomplete work.

4.Poor listening skills; difficulty remembering conversations and following directions.

5."Zoning Out" without being aware of it, even while in the middle of a conversation.

6. Extreme distractibility; wandering attention and not staying on track.

7. Poor Executive Functioning; inability to make decisions, poor planning, and poor organizational skills.

     In addition to the symptoms listed above, adults diagnosed with Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorder suffer from impulsivity, trouble inhibiting their behaviors, comments, and responses to others. They often act before thinking, or react without considering the consequences of their behaviors. Interrupting others, blurting out comments, and rushing through tasks are tell tale signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

     Consequently, as a result of their poor organizational skills, poor executive functioning capacities, poor time management strategies, and difficulty modulating strong negative emotions such as anger and frustration, adults with ADD/ADHD often underachieve and find it difficult to reach their full potential. They commonly experience long-term career difficulties and relationship problems. They are also vulnerable to having a co-diagnosis of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance abuse, all of which exacerbate, worsen, and complicate their original ADD/ADHD symptoms.

Self-Help for adults with ADD/ADHD:

     Having a comprehensive understanding of ADD/ADHD challenges and with the help of structured strategies can help individuals make real positive changes. Many adults with ADD/ADHD have found effective ways to manage their symptoms and lead productive, satisfying, and meaningful lives.

1. Exercise and eat healthy foods. Avoid foods that have stimulating effects such as caffeine and sugar.

2. Get plenty of rest. Aim for getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

3. Work on maintaining your social relationships. Schedule time with family and friends. Maintaining social relationships can also prevent depression and feelings of social isolation.

4. Improve time management skills by setting deadlines for all your activities. Using timers and setting alarm clocks can be helpful for staying on track and remaining focused.

When to seek outside help for adult ADD/ADHD:
If symptoms of ADD/ADHD persist despite self-help efforts, it is likely time to seek professional help. Therapy for adults with ADD/ADHD include the following treatment options:

1. Talk Therapy. This type of treatment can help individuals cope with the emotional issues that often co-exist with ADD/ADHD. Feelings of low self esteem, failure,embarrassment and shame can be resolved with psychodynamic-psychotherapy.

2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. This type of therapy examines the relationship between thoughts and behaviors. Many adults with ADD/ADHD suffer from depression, anxiety, and general feelings of demoralization stemming from years of
unmet goals and expectations. Working on transforming negative thoughts can consequently produce positive outcomes and improve self-esteem. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy also focuses on educating adults with ADD/ADHD about practical strategies to improve their attention, executive functioning, work performance, and relationships.

3. Medications. Medications such as Adderall and Concerta have been found to improve concentration and control impulsive behaviors associated with this disorder.

If you or a loved is struggling with symptoms of ADD/ADHD speak with a professional in order to be properly assessed and effectively treated. Adult ADD/ADHD is a treatable condition and when treated effectively one is able to live a satisfying and meaningful life.

This article was written by Paula Durlofsky, Ph.D. I am a licensed practicing psychologist in Bryn Mawr, PA. and affiliated with the Bryn Mawr Hospital. For questions or comments regarding this article I can be contacted at drpauladurlofsky@gmail.com or by phone at 484-431-8710. Please visit my web site at www.drpauladurlofsky.com to learn more about me and my practice.

Midlife Crisis: Transition or Depression?

Midlife is often a time of contradictions. On the one hand, many psychologists have defined midlife, like adolescence, as a time of 'Sturm und Drang'. While others believe individuals in midlife have fewer psychological symptoms, higher levels of marital satisfaction, and in general better life satisfaction. The term 'Midlife Crisis' was first identified by the psychologist Carl Jung and is considered by many professionals to be a normal part of emotional maturing. Individuals who experience a midlife crisis are commonly in their late 30's or 40's. Some of the feelings experienced during a midlife crisis include:

-Discontent with life and /or the lifestyle that may have provided happiness
for many years.
-Boredom with things/people that have hitherto held great interest and
dominated your life.
-Feeling adventurous and wanting to do something completely different.
-Questioning the meaning of life, and the validity of decisions clearly
and easily made years before.
-Confusion about who you are, or where your life is going.

Some studies suggest the issues underlying a midlife crisis are different for men and women. For example, it is thought that men experience midlife depression resulting from anxiety related to their mortality. Men become overly concerned about their health and have exacerbated fears surrounding death and dying. For women,it has been hypothesized that their midlife depression stems from feelings of anxiety related to a sense of emptiness(especially for those whom have spent the majority of their 30's and 40's raising children), mourning their fading physical beauty, physical and emotional effects of menopause, and coping with their changing roles as a mother and wife. Regardless of the assumptions underlying the manifestations of midlife depression, and the differences between men and women, midlife transitions and the emotions that go along with them can be scary for many. Both men and women may experience urges and desires that are uncharacteristic of them and therefore some people are at risk for engaging in risky behaviors that can cause damaging consequences, such as divorcing their spouse of many years, engaging in an affair, or going into debt while pursuing an irrational goal.

It is important to realize that a midlife crisis does not have to result in destructive behaviors and ruined relationships, it can also be seen as a time of transformation and a chance to improve one's life. Desires and feelings that manifest during a midlife crisis can be the result of one suppressing their personal growth and true potential. Denying these feelings and desires for change in one's life is what exacerbates the crisis and applying old solutions to present problems does not allow space for one to grow and create new life philosophies and/or life styles, the very thing a life transformation is all about. However, when a crisis results in significant depression, loss of normal function, and/or destructive behaviors one should consider seeking help from a professional. Talking with a professional can help one move from a midlife crisis to a midlife transformation.

This article was written by Paula Durlofsky, Ph.D. I am a practicing licensed psychologist in Bryn Mawr, Pa. For questions or comments regarding this article please email me at drpauladurlofsky@gmail.com. You may also contact me at my office:
484-431-8710 and please visit my web site at www.drpauladurlofsky.com.

Memory Loss and Aging; When to Seek Professional Help

It's normal to forget things every now and then. Many of us have misplaced our keys, forgotten a friend's name or a phone number we have called many times before. When we're young forgetting does not concern us as much as when we're older. As we age,forgetting information we use on a daily basis can cause a great deal of worry and concern about what's normal and what's not normal when it comes to aging and memory loss.

We experience physiological changes that impact our ability to retain and recall both new and old information as we grow older. Even the speed with which we process information slows down. Information is stored in several different parts of our memory. Remembering what you had for breakfast is stored in recent memory. Remembering the title of a movie you just watched or the name of a person you met moments ago is stored in short-term memory and information stored from years ago, such as memories of childhood is stored in our long term memory.

Forgetfulness and lapses in memory are a common complaint among older adults. Although normal aging can result in difficulty learning and retaining new material, normal aging itself is not a cause of significant memory decay. In fact, short-term and remote memories are usually not affected by aging. Only recent memory weakens as we age and many conditions other than aging can cause this kind of memory loss such as depression, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, drug and alcohol abuse, side effects of medications, and certain infections.

So the question is, "How can a person tell if he or she has memory impairments that require a professional evaluation?". Memory problems are serious and need professional attention if your daily life and functioning is impacted. For example, if you have difficulty remembering how to do things you have done many times before, repeat phrases or stories in the same conversation, have trouble making decisions or handling money, forget how to get to a place you have been to often, or difficulty doing daily routines that require multiple steps such as following a recipe. Also, pervasive memory loss often negatively impacts family relationships, social activities, hobbies, and work. On the contrary, in normal aging changes in memory are slow and do not get worse over several months or years and social functioning is rarely affected.

Exercising regularly, staying social, positively managing stress, eating a well balanced diet made up of fruits and vegetables, not smoking, getting plenty of sleep, and doing brain exercises(crossword puzzles, reading, and chess)have all been found to help prevent memory loss and cognitive decline in older adults. Keeping track of important dates, phone numbers, and schedules by using checklists or an electric calendar or day planner can help individuals experiencing troublesome memory loss stay focused and organized.

It is important to seek professional help if you or a loved one is experiencing frequent memory lapses. Talking to a professional will help determine the causes underlying your memory problems and proper treatment can then be started.

This article was written by Paula Durlofsky, Ph.D. I am a licensed psychologist in Bryn Mawr, PA. For questions or comments regarding this article, I can be reached at 484-431-8710 or by email at drpauladurlofsky@gmail.com. You may also visit my web site at www.drpauladurlofsky.com