Blogging Consistently and Wednesdays are ADHD DAY!

OKAY, GAME ON!

BLOGGING CONSISTENTLY HAS COMMENCED!

I have two good friends with whom we have laid down an “accountability challenge”. These guys are in my networking group the Business Roundtable Network (www.brncommunity.com).

We have challenged each other to be accountable for blogging consistently to provide you value.

(The challenge between us is part of what makes this ‘social media’. The other part is you, your comments, views, you sharing our blogs with your friends. So I am asking for your help. Please comment and share this with your friends. Otherwise I will have to resort to having my buddies comment on my blog and vice versa. I think you are much more interesting. Don’t tell them I said that.)

So there it is.

It is a public commitment.

(Yes, that is a tactic to motivate myself. I hate to not do what I say I will do publicly. So, now I am publicly committed to blogging. You are stuck with me.)

I will blog at least once a week, but I intend to far surpass that.

So check this blog often (more than once a week – I have to lay down the challenge for my buddies) for goodies of value.

WEDNESDAYS: ADHD DAY!

School’s out so what better time than now to think about next school year? Do you want to endure the same struggles as last year with your ADHD child or with your ADHD self? Maybe you are in denial and you don’t want to admit your child has ADHD? Maybe you know he or she has a ‘problem’ but you don’t want to medicate it away? Read on.

I have dedicated Wednesdays to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in my blog.

I have decided that every Wednesday I will discuss Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as people commonly call it.

My story of diagnosing and treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is long and circuitous. It began when I received my doctorate in child clinical psychology from DePaul University in 1996. Now, in 2009, I have learned a few things about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I will share it with you one piece at a time over the next few Wednesdays.

This will lead up to the kickoff of a program in which I will offer the treatment of ADHD without medications.

IMPORTANT!

I have a wait list for people who want ADHD treatment without medication. This list includes adults and children. Yes this approach works with preschoolers to adults in the 50s and even older. Email me at charles.shinaver@gmail.com.

YES! You read that right. One more time, I will do ADHD treatment without medication. No, it will not be behavior modification. ‘B-mod’ as it is commonly called among psychologists does help to manage ADHD, but it is debatable whether it addresses the “core symptoms” of inattention and hyperactivity, more on that in a later post.

So before we get too deep into this if you want you or your child on my wait list send me an email to charles.shinaver@gmail.com subject line “ADHD treatment without medication wait list”. I will be happy to put you on there.

When does the program kickoff?

When I fill my wait list I will start the program – preferably early this summer.

Now this treatment could be a compliment to medication, but my goal would generally be to go off of medications.

Why?

“THE SIDE EFFECTS SHUFFLE”:

You know the story, you get your kid diagnosed with ADHD and you get a medication. Then you get a side effect. You don’t like the side effect. You get a new ADHD drug. You get new side effects. You change your ADHD drugs again and get a new side effect again and on and on. In other words you begin “the side effects shuffle”.

Side effects for ADHD meds can vary from sleeplessness, weight loss, irritability, etc.

You pick your med and you get your side effect. Then you begin the shuffle.

Adderall side effects:

So, let’s take Adderall for example, anxiety, tremors, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, dry mouth, diarrhea, or constipation, impotence or change in sex drive. (See www.adhdnews.com/adhd-drug-side-effects.htm).

Yes, fun stuff. It reminds me of those ads for Viagra. Among the list are some pretty unpleasant things, like 4 ‘straight’ hours of well, you know …. Who would want to endure 4 hours of that? Yes, like you are going to call your physician if that is one of your side effects!

Well, the side effects shuffle for ADHD gets to be quite a nuisance too. It makes you want to avoid calling your doctor.

Ritalin side effects:

You don’t like the side effects for Adderall then let’s try the old favorite Ritalin. The main culprits are the same nervousness and insomnia. But there are many other possibilities:

“Other reactions include hypersensitivity (including skin rash, urticaria, fever, arthralgia, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema multiforme with histopathological findings of necrotizing vasculitis, and thrombocytopenic purpura); anorexia; nausea; dizziness; palpitations; headache; dyskinesia; drowsiness; blood pressure and pulse changes, both up and down; tachycardia; angina; cardiac arrhythmia; abdominal pain; weight loss during prolonged therapy.

Allergic reactions: skin rash, hives, drug fever joint pains possible. Headache, dizziness rapid and forceful heart palpitation-infrequent.” www.adhdnews.com/adhd-drug-side-effects.htm

Now you are getting the idea. Med, side effect, shuffle, rinse and repeat.

It is a time-consuming and expensive process. I won’t cite research here, but many of you know from experience what I mean.

By the way, the white elephant in the room: no new skills are learned along the way.

Isn’t that one of those things that makes you go: “Hmmmmmm?” No new skills, only new ADHD medications and new side effects… What is that about? Personal growth? Your child reaching his potential? Hmmm?

Strattera side effects:

“Upset stomach, decreased appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, decrease in appetite, some weight loss, and mood swings were the most common side effects.

In rare cases, Strattera can cause allergic reactions, such as swelling or hives, which can be serious. Your child should stop taking Strattera. Call your doctor or healthcare professional if your child develops any of these symptoms.” (www.adhdnews.com/adhd-drug-side-effects.htm)

So now we have a name for it, the “the side effects shuffle”.

If you are interested in moving beyond the “side effects shuffle” email me to join my wait list for a non-medication treatment of ADHD at charles.shinaver@gmail.com.

Obviously some kids do not experience these side effects, but their parents would probably not be reading this blog!

Next Wednesday we will have more on ADHD: EEG biofeedback treatment of ADHD.

I will discuss what worked when I took my 3 year foray into EEG biofeedback treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and what didn’t. A couple other concepts I will introduce: executive functions and the role of inhibition in ADHD.

Charles Shinaver, PhD.

PS: Tomorrow I have to do something with one of our Cairo, Egypt pictures from my trip with my wife to Cairo, Egypt and Alexandra, Egypt given that President Barrack Obama will be speaking from Cairo. Egypt. So, tomorrow’s focus will be relationships with a picture from Cairo, Egypt.

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