VOLUME 11, NO.2                                                                        FEBRUARY 23, 2006

 

 

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 FEBRUARY 23, 2006 AT 7:30 PM AT MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER, COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM , LONG BRANCH, NJ.  GO TO THE MAIN RECEPTION DESK AND GET DIRECTIONS.  THE TOPIC WILL BE: CONSTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCES AND BELIEFS FROM ADD/ADHD CHILDHOOD AND HOW TO CONVERT THEM INTO SUCCESS!!!

 

MEDICATION:  Focalin XR (dexmethylphenidate hydrocloride, extended release) is a once daily medication that has become an FDA approved psychostimulant treatment for ADHD for patients over the age of 6 years.  It is a "Ritalin" formulation that has refined the ADHD effective component of the medication.  Capsules of 5, 10 and 20mg are available by prescription.  The capsule can be opened and the contents sprinkled on applesauce for easy administration. The package insert says that the medication should be considered a part of a total treatment program for ADHD along with psychological, education and social treatments.  Long term effectiveness has been evaluated for 7 weeks only.  For more information visit www.FocalinXR.com .

COMMENTS: There have been interesting responses to the medication.  Some patients, who did not respond to Ritalin for different reasons, have responded positively to Focalin XR.  You may want to discuss the medication with your physician.  The recent scare about psychostimulants is mainly about being certain that your heart (blood pressure, heart rate etc.) are functioning normally.  Your medical doctor can advise you. 

 

RESEARCH: In a research study by C. Whalen etal. An Electronic Diary Study of Contextual Triggers and ADHD: Get Ready, Get Set, Get Mad, J.Am.Acad.Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2006, 45(2): 166-174, it was found that getting ready tasks were far more problematic for the medicationally controlled ADHD group than for the non-ADHD controls.  These "getting ready" tasks were more likely to be associated with behavior problems, negative parent feelings, and confrontational (contentious) interactions in the ADHD mother-child pairs than in the control group pairs. The time urgency of the getting ready tasks is not easy for children with distraction, diversion or inattention problems.  It was recommended that those with ADHD consider learning the situational triggers associated with these getting ready tasks, so that they could be empowered to take preventative action such as talking about them with significant others, changing time tables or role responsibilities etc.

COMMENTS: Too often ADDers get blamed for not being on time, for failing to change behaviors, for disappointing significant others, and many other problems.  Identifying patterns such as the "getting ready" pattern and working on communicating differences may help decrease some of the interpersonal problems associated with the different ADD brain. 

 

                                                                                         PEACE!!!

                                                                                                Bob

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