You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults With Attention Deficit Disorder (63 page)
Authors: Kate Kelly,Peggy Ramundo
Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Diseases, #Nervous System (Incl. Brain), #Self-Help, #Personal Growth, #General, #Psychology, #Mental Health
sleeping patterns, 137
social activities, selection of, 164–65
social skills, impairment in, 68–70
Solden, Sari, 230, 236
sorting and filing, 50
space, sense of, 50–51
space cadets, 92–93
SPECT scan, 101
speech:
digressions and, 162–63
hyperactive, 21
impulsivity and, 53–54, 163, 186–87
reaction time and, 57–58, 66
rhythm and, 145
timing of, 162
speech:
(cont.)
verbal incontinence and, 94
see also
communication; relationships
spiritual renewal, 140–41
sports:
action/inaction balance and, 54–55
spatial difficulties and, 50
SSRIs (selective seratonin reup-take inhibitors), 245, 248–49, 377
stamps, postage, 275
stamps, return address, 275
standards, lowering of, 140
staples, 275–76
S.T.A.R. (Stop, Think, Act and Reflect), 187
steno pads, 294–95
Still, G. F., 14
stimulant medication:
alcoholics and, 360–61
alternatives to, 374–84
bipolar disorder and, 359
common questions about, 351–61
dosage levels in, 364–65
drug testing and, 354–55
function of, 366
initial response to, 366–69
“off label” prescription of, 366
side effects of, 353, 365
stimulation, over- vs. under, 119, 136
stimuli:
addiction to, 333–49
sexual, 252–53
Stop, Think, Act and Reflect (S.T.A.R.), 187
storage, memory and, 63–64, 301–3
Stranger in a Strange Land
(Heinlein), 391
Strattera, 374–75
stress, 134
disorder and, 264
health effects of, 342–43
indicators of, 126, 129
and work, 403–4
work-related, 185
structure, freedom vs., 118–19
stuckness,
see
mental fatigue
Stuff Inventory
, 268
substance abuse, 44–45, 73–74
success, definition of, 432
sugar, 29
support groups, 54, 98, 128
group communication in, 158–59
professional referrals from, 98
symptom management, 185–86
systems, theory of, 51
tactile defensiveness, 41
tactile/kinesthetic learning, 307, 308, 331
“take me or leave me” attitude, 84–85
Talpers, Jeanne, 306
tantric yoga, 258
Taylor, Susan, 417
teachers, negative feelings instilled by, 11–12, 48
telephones, 148–53, 229
callback schedule for, 295
communication problems on, 148–53
manners and, 148–49
mealtimes and, 223
survival tips for use of, 152
at workplace, 184–85
television, 319–20
templates, 182
temporary work, 192
tension, 257–58
testosterone, 231, 241
Testy, Telephone Tyrant Syndrome (TTTS), 150, 152
therapists, therapy, 236, 389, 400–401
see also
medication; psychotherapy
thinking, analogical vs. differential, 317
Three (or Four) Big Boxes, 268–69, 270
thyroid conditions, 29–30, 384
time:
daily logs and sheets and, 288–89, 291–92
elastic sense of, 48–50, 126, 227
“Everyday Get Out the Door” lists and, 292–93
“found,” 295–96
management of, 287–97
management tools for, 288–90
procrastination and, 18–19, 39–40, 296–97
reminder lists and, 292
“school” master forms and, 293
steno pads and index cards and, 294–95
waterproof alarm watches and, 293–94
weekly schedules and, 127
“to do” lists, 49, 143, 285–87
Toffler, Alvin, 30
touch, sensitivity to, 40–41, 250–51
toxins, environmental, 29
transfer, memory and, 66–67
trash cans, 269–70
treatment, 102–16
bargaining and, 110–11
of boys vs. girls, 232
cost of, 102–3
personal role in, 102
see also
medication; recovery
tricyclic antidepressants, 376
TTTS (Testy, Telephone Tyrant Syndrome), 150, 152
twelve-step groups, 44–45, 121–24, 133, 256–57
underarousal, 26–27, 47
Unlocking Potential
(Scheiber and Talpers), 306
venlafaxine, 376
verbal incontinence, 94
vermis, 26
Viagra, 249
visualization techniques, 309, 316–18
visual learning, 306–7, 308
visual memory, 304, 313–14, 316
vocational planning, 189–90
“V” sign, 146
wandering mind syndrome, 35–36, 327–28
watches, waterproof and alarm, 293–94
“we,” “me” and, 199
week-at-a-glance planners, 290–91
weekly schedules, 126
Wellbutrin, 245, 249, 376
What Drives Me the Craziest
list, 267–68
When Too Much Is Not Enough
(Richardson), 360
“who cares” attitude, 78–80, 82
Wilder, Gene, 420
will, paralysis of, 56
see also
mental fatigue
withdrawal, as defense mechanism, 82–83
Witness, The, 390–93, 395
women:
ADD and, 230–44
hormones and, 231–32
as household managers, 236–38
language of men vs., 145
learned helplessness and, 87–88
as parents of ADD children, 238–39
self-blame in, 239
self-esteem in, 233–34
sexual risk taking in, 234–36
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder
(Solden), 236
work, 118
choice and change of, 139, 187–90
difficulties in, 37–38
inner circle at, 178–79
medication and, 185
noise, doors and telephones at, 183–85
office equipment and, 181–82
office management and, 272–74
productivity and, 402–4
rules and, 176–79
self-employment, 191–92
selling your ideas at, 177–78
social relationships and, 173–93
stress and, 185, 403–4
technology and communication at, 179–82
temporary, 192
written communication at, 182
workaholism, 18, 119
“work details,” 224, 229
working (immediate) memory, 63–64, 301
Wright, Sarah, 383
written communication, 182, 323
yellow pages, personal, 282
you-messages, 170
Zametkin, Alan, 231
Zoloft, 246
About the Authors
Kate Kelly, M.S.N., A.C.T., is one of the pioneers in the field of adult ADD. She is coauthor of
You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!
and
The ADDed Dimension
. Her background includes experience as a nurse/therapist, college educator and coordinator for psychobiological research. Currently, Kate is an ADD life coach, and founder of the ADDed Dimension Coaching Group. She is
a nationally recognized speaker and workshop leader. Even more important than her professional credentials is the fact that Kate is an ADD adult herself. She feels that she learned much more from experiencing life with a hidden disability than she ever did in school. Kate lives in Cincinnati with her partner, Paul, and their two kitties, Luna and Helios.
Peggy Ramundo, B.S., A.C.T., is an educator
by background who has been working in the field of ADD for eighteen years. Nationally known for her work with ADD children, adolescents and adults, she is currently in private practice as an ADD coach. Peggy is the coauthor of two books for adults with ADD,
You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!
and
The ADDed Dimension
. She cofounded the Attention Deficit Disorder Council of Greater Cincinnati,
and was lead instructor for the Optimal Functioning Institute (for ADD coach training). Peggy is currently a senior staff member of the ADDed Dimension Coaching Group, as well as a seasoned speaker and workshop leader. In her spare time (what?), she is an avid collector of all things antique, and has a passion for animals. Peggy is also the proud parent of two adult ADD children.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Understanding the Disorder That Makes Us Feel Lazy, Stupid or Crazy
Chapter 2 How Are We Different?
Chapter 3 The Not So Fine Art of Coping
Chapter 4 I Know … I Think … I Have ADD: What Do I Do Now?
Chapter 6 The Art of Relating: In Groups and Friendships
Chapter 7 The Art of Relating: Getting Along on the Job
Chapter 8 The Art of Relating: In the Dating Game and the Family
Chapter 9 From Mealtime Mania to Outing Ordeals: How-To’s of Decreasing Discord
Chapter 10 Gender Issues and Sexuality
Chapter 11 Dynamics of ADD in Organizing: Mechanics and Methods
Chapter 12 Dynamics of ADD in Memory: Mechanics and Methods
Chapter 13 Meditations on Meditation