VOLUME 7, NO. 3
NJ ADD/ADHD ADULT NEWSLETTER
ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP
FOR ADD/ADHD ADULTS
AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
MEETING: THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ADD ADULT SELF HELP SUPPORT GROUP WILL BE ON MARCH 28, 2002 AT 7:30 PM AT MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, ROOM 114 STEINAM HOUSEMAN, LONG BRANCH, NJ. GO TO THE RECEPTION DESK IN THE MAIN LOBBY AND GET DIRECTIONS. THE TOPIC WILL BE: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: ISSUES OF EMPATHY, PROMISES, AND LEARNING.
NEW MEDICATION: A NEW ANTIDEPRESSANT AND ADHD MEDICATON BY ELI LILLY CALLED DULOXETINE WILL BE ON THE MARKET SOON. IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO EFFEXOR BUT HAS A GREATER SEROTONIN EFFECT.
RESEARCH: IN THE JANUARY 19, 2002 ISSUE OF THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL THERE IS A REPORT OF A NATURAL HERBAL ANTIHISTAMINE, BUTTERBUR PLANT (Petastites hybridus), WHICH IS SUPERIOR TO THE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION, ZYRTEC, WITHOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS. ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT.
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY JOSEPH STRAYHORN, M.D., SELF-CONTROL: TOWARD SYSTEMATIC TRAINING PROGRAMS, J.AM.ACAD.CHILD ADOLESC.PSYCHIATRY, 2002, 41(1):17-27, SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING SELF CONTROL WERE OUTLINED. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE TRAINING GUIDELINES: 1) THERE MUST BE IN A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH A DEPENDABLE PERSON WHO HIGHLY VALUES SELF CONTROL; 2) THE INDIVIDUAL MUST WORK AT SELF CONTROL AT REASONABLY CHALLENGING LEVELS, 3) MANY POSITIVE MODELS OF SUCCESSFUL SELF CONTROL OUTCOMES MUST BE EXPERIENCED; 4) THE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE OF EXERTING GREATER AND GREATER EFFORT TO ACHIEVE DESIRED REWARDS (GOALS), MUST BE COMMON; 5) THE INDIVIDUAL MUST LEARN TO ENJOY THE EXPENDATURE OF EFFORT IN PURSUIT OF A DESIRED GOAL; 6) IMAGERY AND FANTASY OF ACHIEVEING THE GOAL ARE NECESSARY; 7) VERBAL LABELS THAT SHAPE THE ATTITUDE/BELIEF ABOUT THE WORLD NEED TO BE IN PLACE AND MUST BE SUPPORTIVE OF SELF CONTROL; 8) SELF INSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES MUST BE MASTERED; 9) THE ART OF AVOIDING TEMPTATIONS (MENTAL AND PHYSICAL) THAT TRIGGER THE LOSS OF SELF CONTROL MUST BE LEARNED; AND 10) SELF MONITORING MUST BE A CONSTANT PATTERN.
COMMENT: DOES THIS SOUND LIKE
ANTHONY ROBBINS THE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER/GURU? IT'S VERY SIMILAR. THE ARTICLE
IS WELL WORTH
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY C. CARLSON Ph.D., etal. PARENT-, TEAHCER-, AND SELF-RATED MOTIVATIONAL STYLES IN ADHD SUBTYPES. J.LEARNING DISABILITIES, 2002, 35(2): 104-113, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE MOTIVATIONAL STYLES OF ADHD INATTENTIVE TYPE AND COMBINED TYPES WERE SIMILAR IN BEING LESS MOTIVATED THAN OTHER STUDENTS. THE TYPES WERE DIFFERENT IN THAT THE ADHD COMBINED TYPES WERE MORE MOTIVATED BY COMPETITION AND A DESIRE TO APPEAR SUPERIOR, WHILE THE ADHD INATTENTIVES WERE MORE COOPERATIVE, MORE PASSIVE IN LEARNING, AND LESS COMPETITIVE. IQ DID NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS PATTERN. BOTH GROUPS WERE ON MEDICATIONS.
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY R. MILICH Ph.D. etal., THE PREDOMINATELY INATTENTIVE SUBTYPE--NOT A SUBTYPE OF ADHD, ADHD REPORT, 2002, 10(1): 1-5, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADHD COMBINED TYPES (ADHD/C) AND ADHD INATTENTIVE (ADHD/I) TYPES WERE DRAMATIC AND REQUIRED DIFFERENT TREATMENTS. THE ADHD/C SHOW A DEFICIT IN BEHAVIORAL INHIBITION (CANNOT STOP BEHAVIORS AS EASILY AS OTHERS); WHEREAS THE ADHD/I DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. ADHD/C HAS AN EARLIER ONSET, HAS FAR MORE MALES THAN FEMALES, IS MORE RESPONSIVE TO RITALIN. IN GENERAL THE ADHD/I WERE MORE OFTEN SEEN AS HAVING A "SLUGGISH COGNITIVE TEMPO", TO BE MORE INHIBITED, TO BE MORE INTERNALIZING (TURNED INWARD), AND TO HAVE DIFFERENT PEER PROBLEMS AND TREATMENT NEEDS.
RESEARCH: IN AN ARTICLE BY B.NEMETS M.D.,etal., ADDITION OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID TO MAINTENANCE MEDICATION TREATMENT FOR RECURRENT UNIPOLAR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, AM. J. PSYCHIATRY, 2002, 159(3): 477-479, IT WAS FOUND THAT ADDING ONLY ONE GRAM TWICE A DAY (2 GRAMS/DAY) OF THE ETHYL ESTER OF EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (E-EPA, ESSENTIALLY FISH OIL) TO THE DIET OF THESE PATIENTS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR DEPRESSIONS WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS.
COMMENT: ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE THAT ADDING FISH OILS TO THE DIET OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEPRESSION, CAN HAVE A VERY POSITIVE EFFECT ON MOOD WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, ADDING BRAIN FOODS SUCH AS FISH OILS TO YOUR DIET COULD IMPROVE YOUR MOOD, INTELLIGENCE, AND YOUR ADD/ADHD!!!
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PEACE!!!
Bob