As an adult who has attention deficit disorder—ADD—you may not have been diagnosed until recently. Prior to the 1980s, most physicians thought that ADD was a children's medical condition. But an influx of adult ADD patients with this brain pattern in the modern era has forced therapists and physicians to develop personalized treatment programs for them. ADD, also known as ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—brings each ADD adult a personal blend of distractability, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Self-Management
For centuries, ADD adults struggled to manage their own symptoms. Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci jotted ideas down in disorderly piles of papers, but this strategy did not keep him from repeatedly losing interest in tasks that he was hired to do, leaving a trail of unfinished projects and irate employers.
Self-managing your ADD will be easier. There are many ADD books and online support groups providing tactics to control your unruly attention span. A good place to start is the updated 2006 edition of a pioneering book, "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder" by ADD coaches Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo, which contains tips on everything from quieter family mealtimes to managing ADD "open mouth, insert foot" tendencies at work. The Attention Deficit Disorder Association offers a website specifically focusing on the problems of ADD adults.
Therapy and Coaching
You may have visited ADD online support groups and read several books, but it is still hard for you to stay on track at work, and your home still looks like the aftermath of a tornado strike. You may wish to retain an ADD coach or a therapist who is experienced with ADD. A 2002 book, "ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life," by organizer Judith Kolberg and psychologist Kathleen Nadeau not only provides many useful tips for getting control of your life again, but also describes the ways in which ADD coaches and therapists work with clients to provide structure and help new, more orderly habits take root. Among Kolberg's and Nadeau's suggestions is the purchase of a special timer where half-hour time periods are marked in red to help you work in short bursts.
Medication
If your ADD remains intractable after trying self-management and therapy or coaching, you may wish to visit a psychiatrist and sample various types of medication, ranging from stimulants to anti-depressants. For some ADD patients, medication makes a dramatic difference, enabling them to focus on tasks consistently for the first time in their lives. A good introduction to how medication might work for you is "Driven to Distraction," a 1995 book on the diagnosis and treatment of ADD by doctors Edward Hallowell and John Ratey.
Leonard da Vinci left an estimated 20 paintings, a handful compared to many works of his contemporaries, Michelangelo and Raphael. Like many ADD adults, his procrastination was crippling to his work. But ADD adults in the modern era have lots of treatments available to them, so that they can fulfill their potential.
References
- "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder"; Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo; 2006
- "ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life"; Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau; 2002
- "Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood"; Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey; 1995
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association: Helping Adults with ADHD
- Psychology Evolution: How to Procrastinate like Leonardo da Vinci
