[Neurons] ADHD

[Rick Prevatt]

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The Dana Foundation has a new article on their web site concerning the over diagnosis of ADD, ADDHD with children as well as some other so-called abnormalities such as bi-polar disorder.
The title of the article is "The Meaning of Psychological Abnormality" by Jerome Kagan
He states: "...most children living in the American colonies during the 17th century were not required to maintain attention on an intellectual task for five or six hours a day—and there was no concept of ADHD."
He concludes the article with: " If there has been a real rise in one or more of the categories of childhood pathology, it is likely that changing social conditions and altered diagnostic criteria are the major reasons for this disturbing phenomenon."
This is good reading for those who have children, work with children and/or have concerns with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with such disorders.
Bob
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Bobby G. Bodenhamer, D.Min.
1516 Cecelia Dr.
Gastonia, NC 28054
704.864.3585 - Business 
704.864.1545 - Fax
bobbybodenhamer at yahoo.com
www.renewingyourmind.com
www.masteringstuttering.com
www.neurosemantics.com
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Hello Bob,

I specialize in working with adults with ADD. The only consistent trait that I see with ADD is the need for more stimulation to stay focused. But then, stimulation is subjective and we can control that (correction--we can learn to control that).

Everything else, the impulsiveness, overwhelm, distraction, racing mind, hyperfocus, all come from coping mechanisms to escape not having enough stimulation.

That's why you see different people with different symptoms. Yes, I'm sure there is ADD neurochemistry involved, but our thoughts are what cue up the ADD neurochemistry. Change the background thoughts, the frames, and you inoculate against the ADD mind-states.

For example, my mind raced extremely fast most of my life. I couldn't slow it down no matter what I did. With submodalities, I learned to slow it down, but that wouldn't last for long, and sometimes the submodalities did nothing for the racing. But with a well formed reframe, done for each of the positive intentions, and a better way to get those intentions met, now I can slow down or speed up as desired easily.

I find that each of the ADD mind-states respond just as well

Thom Hartmann has a hunter/farmer theory in which he propose ADD as a trait not a disorder. The hunter trait is creative, risk taking, spontaneous, and those traits are needed by many professions (Surgeons, entrepreneurs, firefighters, police officers, artists, musicians, etc.).

But when a child has those traits at the age of 3 or 4 or 5 years old, he doesn't know how to avoid the boredom, and he turns to whatever coping mechanism he can find...daydreaming, yes that helps a lot. Racing mind, yes that makes things more interesting. Impulsiveness gives a great endorphin rush..That's certainly more fun than paying attention to a boring teacher.

And with the new coping mechanisms practiced more and more regularly, slowly, the coping mechanisms gain control and then he can't stop because he doesn't know how to stop.

Of course he can take medicine and that helps sometimes. But often, even then, he is still left with many coping mechanisms that the medicines do not erase.  

I tried Ritalin once, measured the results carefully every 15 minutes, and then replicated the effects of the medicine with Neurosemantics processes. That was not the end of it because I still had to figure out the secrets of long term follow through, but that was just finding the right pattern that would work.

I find that many ADDers have created a top value of either learning or freedom. Either one often leads to making many wrong decisions. 

BUT here's the interesting point. If you change the values and move the completion of a large goal to where your top value is....then ADD Symptoms actually INCREASE!

What you'll find then is that when you do anything other than the large goal, you get distracted, impulsive and overwhelmed. Inotherwords, all the ADD symptoms are there, but now they work FOR you instead of against you...by distracting you from your normal ADD distractions.

Even ADD is fully programmable within our minds.

And you can do the same thing with impulsiveness. Embrace every instance because it's a sure recipe of irresistibility that only needs more careful aiming.

Each one of the ADD traits is wonderful when used in the right context. Distraction - fabulous when you watch TV and get distracted with the solution to a problem. Racing mind - awesome when you want to brainstorm. Impulsiveness - Great when you want a recipe of irresistibility.

The trick is not to try to cure ADD, or even medicate it into oblivion. The trick is to learn how to control it so you can turn it on/off, or redirect it as needed -- and then it's a gift, like many other traits can be!

Warmly
Rick Prevatt





Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 12:39:41 PM, you wrote: