26 Symptoms of Adult ADHD: Can You Relate?

Although each person is unique, there are many common signs of adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of adult ADHD listed below aren’t only experienced by those with the diagnosis. The difference between having ADHD or not relates to the extent of the struggles and the ways it interferes with functioning. ADHD can cause significant challenges in relationships, employment, and self-esteem for people who are not adequately treated. ADHD symptoms in adults don’t cause occasional trouble concentrating or careless mistakes…that’s normal life. Attention and focus exist on a spectrum and anyone can experience problems to some degree. Read these 26 signs of adult ADHD to learn more and see if you can relate. read more

Can Adults get ADHD? 5 Reasons why diagnosing ADHD in adults is legitimate

ADHD is a condition with childhood onset and cannot begin in adulthood. Can adults have ADHD? Yes! But adults don’t GET ADHD they have always HAD it and just never received the diagnosis as children. Sometimes people don’t begin to struggle with ADHD until adulthood as each person has a different point when symptoms begin to overwhelm their ability to function smoothly. Diagnosing ADHD in adults requires an understanding not only of current struggles but also of childhood history. Does ADHD go away? No, it doesn’t, but external demands, symptoms, and coping skills evolve over time. Get evaluated if you think this is something you may struggle with! Like with children, adults with ADHD often need treatment for their symptoms. read more

Side Effects of ADHD Medication in Adults: Watch For the Crash!

The goal of ADHD treatment with stimulant medications is to find a medication that is both effective and has no (or minimal) side effects. Sometimes it takes a couple of different medication trials before finding the best treatment. Most ADHD medication side effects in adults are minor but one side effect, “crashing”, can be so disruptive the person will have to switch medications or stop altogether.

Wondering if you or a loved one have ADHD? Take this free ADHD symptom test to help you recognize the signs and symptoms of Adult ADHD:  read more

ADHD and Sleep: 6 Things People With ADHD Can Do to Get More Sleep

Sleep is an essential ingredient for a fully functioning, well-performing brain. In particular, it can assist in boosting moods, increasing focus, improving concentration, and helping with general health and well-being. For people with ADHD, lack of sleep can contribute to an increase in the symptoms of ADHD.  Sleep and ADHD often don’t go well together-  difficulties with sleeping are common with ADHD. Get more sleep by using these 6 simple tips. ADHD and sleep problems don’t have to go hand in hand!

Are you concerned that ADHD may impact you or your loved one?  Take this free online test now:

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

For a person on an effective ADHD stimulant medication, at times the medicine will seem to not work for a day. When we investigate, we discover that the medicine doesn’t feel like it is working when their sleep cycles are off. They are not getting restorative sleep. The “energy” of the medication goes to helping them wake up without enough left over effect to help them focus and concentrate.

ADHD and sleep problems: Is it a side effect?

Another important point about sleep and ADHD relates to side effects of stimulant medication. One of the side effects of stimulants is lack of sleep. Make sure you are not taking this medicine too late in the day. For most people, as long as it is taken in time, the levels will be low enough by bedtime not to interfere.

 

Here are six tips that can help people with ADHD get a sound night’s sleep. Which ones can you can adopt to improve your sleep?

 

1. Get more sleep by creating a habitual bedtime and wake-up routine

 

For better quality sleep, go to bed and wake up at a consistent time. This will help get your body and mind into a regular routine. Your body’s internal clock helps to regulate the sleep/wake cycles. Per the Sleep Advisor website, humans are natural cravers for consistency and this goes for your sleep schedule also. 

 

Routines can be even more important for those with ADHD. It is easy to get off task. Having a set pattern that is followed nightly can contribute to more consistent rest.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

2. Exercise is great to improve sleep in people with ADHD

 

Exercise isn’t only used to stay in shape, have good health, and overall well-being; it also lends itself to high-quality sleep. For people with ADHD, exercise improves the ability to focus and concentrate during the day. There is no shortage of benefits for exercise!

 

Don’t work out right before you get in bed as this will stimulate the brain and body, making it harder to sleep. Instead, exercise earlier in the day. This will help you drift off more easily at bedtime and will also assist you to stay asleep once you get to sleep.

 

3. ADHD and sleep: Leave hyperfocus activities for the daytime

 

To enjoy a sound sleep, any hyperfocus activities should be kept away from the evening’s activities. Hyperfocusing, as many with ADHD will be aware, can be especially tough to disengage from, leaving a smooth transition into bed unlikely.

 

It’s worth bearing in mind that it isn’t just people with ADHD who can find themselves getting sucked into hyperfocusing instead of going to sleep. This is easy to do with the use of smart devices such as phones, computers, and tablets.

 

Remedy the temptations by eliminating them from your bedroom. That means

no television, no scrolling through social media on your mobile phone, or watching Netflix on your tablet read more

Top Books on Executive Functioning Disorder

The last 2 posts I wrote are geared to empower people to take charge of their executive function skills (or help guide their loved one to do the same). In this post, I will cover my top recommendations for books to increase executive functioning strategies. Books on executive functioning disorder can provide new ideas for how to work more efficiently, effectively and make navigating life easier. This post includes recommendations for executive functioning books targeting 4 different groups: adults, parents, teens, and children.

Are you concerned that ADHD may impact you or your loved one?  Take this free online test now:

 

Make sure to review the last posts full of definitions and helpful suggestions to get you started:

 

Executive Functioning Skills: Do You Have Them?

The Ultimate Guide: 15 Tips to Improve Executive Functioning Disorder

Recommendations for executive functioning books:

Books to help with executive functioning strategies for ADULTS:

It is not too late to develop new habits and work through what gets you stuck. These books will help you with new ideas for organizing and working through the challenges of executive dysfunction as an adult. The constant demands of life aren’t going to go away but don’t have to feel forever challenging.

[amazon_link asins=’1138190748,1886941394′ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’58977681-ba63-11e8-91c3-bd12d6b30d14′]

A year of reminder prompts delivered monthly to your inbox.

I created a series of monthly email reminders so you don’t forget and lose sight of your goals. Get a year of prompts delivered monthly to your inbox. For FREE!

 

These prompts will serve as a reminder to check-in and give you questions to walk through to assess your progress. Think of this as a built-in safety net to help you stop and reset if you need to.

 

To sign up for the monthly reminder prompts fill in your email here and they will be sent to you once each month.

PARENTS: How to help your child with executive functioning disorder….and stay sane

Parenting a child with executive functioning challenges can be incredibly frustrating at times. Everything takes longer to get done. That new jacket you bought them? Water bottle? Lunchbox? Yup, they are lost.

 

As parents, we get tired of repeating the same things over and over again. Nagging doesn’t feel good for us or our children. It isn’t a helpful way to guide them. These books will provide new ways of thinking and conceptualizing your children’s strengths and weaknesses. It is much easier to be patient if we understand our child isn’t just willfully refusing to pick up the toys in their room.

 

Executive skills weaknesses can lead to low self-esteem and a “better not to try than fail” attitude. The skills learned in these books can begin turning that around. Let’s help our children shift the focus from the negative to the positive and help them take advantage of all the wonderful things about themselves.

 

Kids with executive dysfunction struggle with many basic tasks in life. These books will give you concrete tools and ideas to help strengthen executive skills. The added bonus will be to hopefully reduce stress levels in the house.

 

[amazon_link asins=’1890627844,1440566852′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’fc5f9b06-ba64-11e8-a711-3996780a3a37′]

TEENS: Learning new executive function skills

The teen years are a critical time to learn executive function skills in order to get organized. The demands in school increase and students are now expected to juggle assignments and deadlines on their own.

 

Teens need to manage backpacks filled with multiple binders, remember expectations from different teachers, bring the right books home to complete the right homework, AND on top of it they have to actually turn in their assignments! AHHHH- this can feel so overwhelming to a teen with an executive functioning disorder.

 

Teens can start to feel quite stressed and become worried about their ability to manage the demands of college. High school is a great time to work on and develop the study habits that can carry them into college and increase their chance to feel successful with what they set out to do.

 

I highly recommend these books as great resources for teens with executive functioning disorder to learn effective time management skills, create the optimal study environment, and improve study skills overall. Get practicing!

[amazon_link asins=’B07FD15BVT,1609182294,069266808X,B01K04WHCE’ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’38a3f5f3-ba66-11e8-b71f-7b2ce2ecc1d7′]

Books on executive functioning for CHILDREN: read more

The Ultimate Guide: 15 Tips to Improve Executive Function Disorder

Are you someone that struggles to stay organized? Has trouble following projects through to completion or even getting started? Is chronically late and forgets things that need to be done? Challenges with executive functions can wreak havoc but there are tools that can help compensate. Read my first post in this series for detail about executive functioning skills and executive dysfunction symptoms. This 2nd post covers options for executive function disorder treatment…or at least tips to create workarounds that can make life easier.

Are you concerned that ADHD may impact you or your loved one?  Take this free online test now:

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

It is never too late to be what you might have been.

– George Eliot

With executive function disorder it’s a challenge to start using tools:

Planning and organization can be overwhelming so it can feel unpleasant to try to use tools. This is not something that “comes naturally” to people who have deficits in their executive functioning skills.

 

Many people with deficits in executive functions are uninterested in spending time organizing and planning.  They may already feel behind or under pressure, so sitting down and planning out steps can seem like a waste of time.

 

However, even if they hate it I think most would admit that they could use some help and that the deficits in executive functioning skills are causing stress in their life.

 

If getting things done feels like a never-ending struggle and you wonder how to ever catch up I encourage you to read on and see if you can try ONE tool to start with.

Tips and tools to help with executive dysfunction symptoms:

1. Use checklists:

Checklists are the most basic of organizing techniques and possibly the most helpful. People with executive function disorder have a poor working memory which makes it hard to remember tasks.

 

Keep track of what needs to be done with a list instead of holding it in your head. Making a list can feel insurmountable for some people with executive dysfunction symptoms so they may attempt to just remember everything that needs to be done. Except for the most gifted of us, this is a recipe for dropping the ball and forgetting responsibilities.

 

In your list, try to define the steps that are necessary in order to complete a task. This can make it less overwhelming to start tackling the item.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

2. Pick 5 top things to get done each day

Can you write down the 5 top things that need to happen today? Get a blank piece of paper and write your 5 must-do tasks on the top half and bonus tasks on the bottom. Fold the paper in half so you only see the bonus tasks after you finish the top half.

Made-for-you planners to write your top 5 tasks on:

If you are a visual person and want to organize everything on one page check out these daily or weekly planners. I love these planners! They create an already laid out structure that can make getting started easier. For some people, looking at a blank piece of paper will be enough to stop them from organizing.

 

Each planner has tear-off pages for an overview of to-do’s. See which planner fits for your needs better. I like the weekly one that includes both work and home life to-do’s and has additional boxes for self-care and gratitude. I like that I can jot down my 5 must-do things ahead of time, especially if I know something is coming up later in the week that I don’t want to forget.

 

These planners will help you work on your to-do lists, what is needed for each day of the week, and work on life balancing. Don’t get weekly planners if you get overwhelmed looking at more than one day at a time and instead try the blank paper idea I mentioned above or the daily tear-off planner. DO get the weekly planner if seeing the whole week laid out is helpful.: [amazon_link asins=’B0189G4M7I,B00UM47Y08,B0189G3AYE’ template=’ProductGrid’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d587874a-bd8c-11e8-80b1-89ee020616e6′]

3. Do what you are dreading first

Is there a particular task you are dreading? Do that first! Tackling a task that is causing you angst will free you up to focus on other tasks that you aren’t worried about. Don’t keep transferring that task to a new day. If the dreaded task sits around on your list it may cause you to avoid even looking at the list. Dreaded tasks can be progress stoppers!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

4. Don’t overdo the lists!

Some people overdo it and make long lists which then serve to overwhelm them instead of reducing stress. If a list is so cumbersome that it inspires repulsion it is not going to have the effect that we are going for.

5. Write down daily routines

Checklists aren’t just for projects but can help with daily routines. Spend less time trying to recreate what has to be done each day. It can be helpful to make a list of the morning routine or bedtime rituals. Or steps to take when you are about to leave work for the day. Think about where you waste energy trying to remember things (or where you find yourself forgetting steps) and start with a list for that.

6. Use apps to automate your lists and routines read more

Executive Functioning Skills: Do You Have Them?

Calling it executive functioning makes these skills sound fancy, complicated, and only for the most sophisticated among us. But really executive functions are automatic skills that run in the background and are in charge of helping life run smoothly. They help us in almost all we do every day.  Regardless of how bright a person is, struggles with executive functioning (called executive dysfunction) will make it difficult to stay on top of tasks. Executive function deficits are often seen in ADHD, learning disabilities, and depression.

Are you concerned that ADHD may impact you or your loved one?  Take this free online test now:

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Executive functions are mental skills that help us regulate ourselves and accomplish what we set out to do: to set goals and then plan out how to accomplish the goal by prioritizing tasks. At the same time, we need to remember what to do, manage our time, motivate to get started, not lose our belongings, and sustain the effort to finish what we start. Executive functioning skills are essential for smooth management of life.

Sign up here to get a year of monthly reminders sent to your inbox that will help you stay on track with your goals.

Using executive functions to get out of the house each day:

Picture a task as “simple” as waking up and getting out of the house each day. Many of us don’t even think twice about what goes into this because much of what we do is automatic and habitual. But these steps actually require high-level executive functions for planning and organization.

 

We need to have a sense of how much time we have until we leave, remember what we need to get done, ration that time so we can accomplish the steps needed (brush teeth, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, make lunch, gather belongings needed for the day), self-monitor our progress and make adjustments on the fly.

 

Imagine being an adult with executive dysfunction and add on children to the mix. In addition to planning and organizing your own day, you need to do the same for your kids to get them out the door on time. And because kids are…. kids they often do things that throw a monkey-wrench into the best-planned routines.

Executive functioning: Our personal guide

Executive functions are our personal guide, always working in the background to keep us on track. It is like having an invisible executive administrative assistant that silently guides us throughout our day helping life to run smoothly.

 

Imagine if we hire a business manager that has no experience or skills? Obviously, our business will struggle for a while. Lots of tasks will fall through the cracks while they are learning skills.

 

If our guide is struggling we will notice difficulty in our daily management of tasks.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Each executive function skill helps us:

  • Plan
  • Organize
  • Set goals
  • Prioritize
  • Make Decisions
  • Remember things
  • Keep track of our belongings
  • Control emotions
  • Shift from one task to another
  • Manage time
  • Control impulsivity
  • Learn from past mistakes
  • Monitor and self-regulate
  • Sustain effort
  • Finish a task

What can happen with executive dysfunction?

Since so many of our day to day tasks use our executive functioning skills it isn’t hard to imagine the struggles that can happen when there are challenges in this area. Many of the automatic parts of life become effortful. Getting through daily tasks can feel monumental.

Executive function deficits can cause:

  • Increased disorganization
  • Taking a long time to complete simple tasks
  • Getting easily overwhelmed
  • Regularly losing or forgetting items
  • Difficulty with maintaining a clean working space, room, desk
  • Frequently late due to disorganization and poor time management
  • Difficulty shifting from one task to the next
  • Problems with prioritizing needs and wants
  • Emotional dysregulation causing easy frustration or anger
  • Struggles with organizing thoughts enough to write, follow and solve multi-step problems,
  • Challenges with completing assignments and handing in homework

Can executive function change over time?

A child with executive functioning challenges hasn’t reached full capacity yet. In their teenage years, as their brain develops (specifically their frontal lobe), their executive functioning abilities will develop more.

 

This is important because it means a child who has ADHD and executive function deficits may find they struggle less as they age since they can gain increased executive functioning. They may then be able to compensate for some of the challenges that come with ADHD.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

If someone doesn’t fully grow out of executive function deficits there are ways to develop “workarounds”. Plans can be put in place to help compensate and assist if one’s natural skills need some work.

So what do you do if your executive function skills need support?

There are tools that can be used to help accommodate challenges. Many tasks can be automated so they don’t need to be remembered. Delegating other tasks can free a person up to focus on the parts of life they must be directly involved with.

 

For example, some people struggle with remembering to pay bills.  It can be worth the money to hire someone to manage this task. The cost will be offset by the lack of late fees, high-interest charges, and penalties the person previously had to pay.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The next post in this series on executive functioning is about 15 skills and strategies to help compensate for executive dysfunction. People with executive function deficits can overcome their challenges! They are not resigned to chronic disorganization and being late. Life for people with executive dysfunction can feel a bit more smooth by making slow and steady changes and instituting helpful support systems.

 

What has helped you stay organized and overcome executive functioning challenges? Share your tips so others can benefit!

Executive functioning book recommendations: read more

14 Benefits of ADHD

When determining if someone meets criteria for ADHD we focus on what a person is struggling with and what isn’t working for them. For people with ADHD, the symptoms are significant and interfere with their ability to function. The symptoms of ADHD don’t generally enhance self-esteem or make someone feel on top of the world. Oftentimes, people with ADHD suffer from self-esteem issues; repeatedly feeling like a failure or feeling shame for struggling with seemingly simple tasks. Self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy can follow. So how is it possible that there are benefits of ADHD? I know you may be skeptical, but there ARE positive traits of ADHD! Let me tell you about 14 ADHD benefits.

Are you concerned that ADHD may impact you or your loved one?  Take this free online test now:

 

Keep in mind, the diagnosis of ADHD doesn’t happen when people have trouble concentrating or make careless mistakes….sometimes. No, we all do that! ADHD greatly impacts many facets of life: school, friendships, relationships, jobs. It is not just an occasional “off” day. ADHD is a developmental brain disorder as real as dyslexia and autism.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The strengths of people with ADHD:

Once diagnosed with ADHD, the focus can shift from what isn’t working and onto enhancing strengths and harnessing positive solutions. The key is leveraging these strengths to overcome challenges. The positive traits of ADHD can help balance out some of the challenges.

What positive traits of ADHD do you have?

Identifying your strengths is the first step to being able to enhance them. What are your strengths? Hopefully reading this list will help give you more ideas.

14 ADHD benefits:

1. Resilience:

Overcoming challenges takes resilience and perseveration and people with ADHD have had plenty of practice pushing past setbacks and picking themselves up when they fall. Pain is unpleasant but can lead to great things like mental resilience. Resilience is a key trait for mental well-being and is one of the major ADHD benefits.

2. Creative:

Out-of-the-box thinkers that have increased idea generation; people with ADHD can come up with creative solutions that others may not see. They can bring energy and new approaches to their projects, and be a continual source of new ideas, methods, and strategies.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

3. Perceptive:

Lack of focus can mean there is more chance to be aware of changes in your surroundings that others may miss. People without ADHD may filter out what is going on around them assuming it is not important and inadvertently miss information that is relevant. A person with ADHD may be the first to pick up on these subtle shifts.

4. Adaptive:

People with ADHD are used to trying something and having to change directions to find a different way to make it work; adopting new strategies when other strategies aren’t working. Most schools don’t play to the strengths of a person with ADHD so they have had to be adaptive and creative with learning from a young age. Adaptability is one of the major benefits of ADHD.

5. Express emotion:

Emotions tend to be strong and straightforward. This tendency to share how one is feeling can help process feelings quickly and move forward. Sure, sometimes a person with ADHD may have to do some damage control if an emotion is blurted out in a way that isn’t “interpersonally effective”. But at least the information is put out there to work with and process.

6. Impulsivity:

Yes, impulsivity can be a challenge but it can also be an asset and one of the positive traits of ADHD. People with ADHD tend to look at potential gains rather than getting paralyzed weighing pros/cons. They can be more willing to take risks. Quick reactions can lead to positive actions.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

7. Funny, humorous:

Using humor is a great tool to cope with difficult situations. People with ADHD have gotten plenty of practice with this and can be feisty, funny, quick thinkers.

8. Empathic and compassionate:

Having experienced challenges in life can lead to a greater understanding of other’s challenges. This breeds kindness towards others, warmth, empathy, and a sense of humility.

9. Multitasking: read more

Side Effects of ADHD medication: Advice from a 10-year-old on ADHD and Weight Loss

ADHD and weight loss happen from side effects of ADHD medication in children. Let a kid who's been through it teach you how to gain healthy weight.

Even though I am writing this blog to help other kids who have ADHD feel more comfortable I still feel embarrassed to write about this topic: ADHD and weight loss in children. I have lost weight since starting ADHD medication and I feel too skinny. Losing weight is one of the side effects of ADHD medication in children.  I am going to tell you what I do to have a healthy weight gain and how to help kids gain weight. If you are a kid, try my awesome smoothie recipes below! They are really good and will teach you one way to learn how to gain healthy weight.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Side effects of ADHD medication in children:

I worry if I am underweight than I will not be strong or fast anymore so I work hard to put weight back on. I want to have healthy weight gain so even though I love to eat junk I try to eat healthy a lot too. I love to play soccer and I want to be really good. I need to gain weight so I don’t get pushed over so easily. I usually play striker so I have to run fast. If I don’t eat enough then I get tired faster.

 

Sometimes I think I am one of the only people in the world that is underweight so I feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. I think lots of kids worry if they are losing weight people might tease you or laugh at you. But it is ok if you lose weight. I am underweight too.

ADHD and weight loss:

ADHD medication can make you not want to eat. This is one reason for ADHD and weight loss. Even though I know medicine takes time to start to work, I won’t take it until after I eat breakfast. I am so worried I won’t be hungry if I take it before. My parents tell me to take it while I’m eating but I usually wait until after. I try to eat a big breakfast to start my day.

 

During the day I am not hungry but I try to eat more than I want. It is hard to eat at lunch but I know it makes my body strong. If you play a sport and you want to get stronger you should eat protein to help you build muscles.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Lessons learned on ADHD and weight loss:

I used to weigh myself every day before my shower and had a sheet that I would write down how much I weigh. I would see if I had gone up or down. It was making me very upset if my weight went down.

 

I learned weight doesn’t change quickly so it is better to weigh yourself every month. Don’t weigh yourself daily because it will make you frustrated. I saw my pediatrician last week and I gained 4 pounds in the last 6 months. She said I was right on track. I was so happy!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

How to gain healthy weight: My favorite smoothies

In order to help gain weight, I drink a shake that has a lot of protein and calories. I bring one to school every day and drink it at lunch. The flavor is vanilla so I like it even more! It is hard to eat regular food when I am not hungry so sometimes it is easier to drink a shake.

 

I have tried a lot of shakes (some are DISGUSTING!!!) and this one is my favorite:

[amazon_textlink asin=’B073TX6DK9′ text=’Organic Valley, Organic Fuel High Protein Milk Shake, Vanilla’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’011e94cd-24b2-11e8-b602-f550886deda9′]

 

We also make homemade shakes in the morning for breakfast. These are my favorites and are a great way for how to gain healthy weight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At night I can make an “ice cream shake”. To make your shake turn into ice cream just add extra frozen berries or frozen banana to the recipe you pick. If you are lucky maybe sometimes you can add real ice cream and that would be amazing because it tastes so good!

 

We have a Vitamix blender that I use to make all the shakes. If I use our other blender they come out too chunky. This blender is expensive so I have to be careful with it. Also, make sure you put the top on before you turn it on!!! If you forget, your smoothie will spray all over the cabinets and ceiling and your parents won’t be happy! Believe me, I’ve done it and it wasn’t pretty. (Did you know berries stain the ceiling? Oops.)

[amazon_link asins=’B008H4SLV6′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c5ce8662-24ca-11e8-85bc-c716ee24b770′]

 

Side effects of ADHD medication in children: How to gain healthy weight.

If you are worried about your weight I understand! Sometimes, ADHD medication has side effects like weight loss but you can have healthy weight gain too. If you like eating junk food try to remember to eat healthy. I know it doesn’t taste as good sometimes but it actually makes my body and brain feel better. I want to be strong and run fast so I try to remember to make better choices.

 

Let me know what you do to gain weight. Did you try any of the smoothies I listed? Do you have a favorite smoothie or food that you can eat when you aren’t hungry?

 

Looking for =&0=&? See my recommendations for the 5 Best Apps for ADHD. Enter your email below to get the list.

For the 5 BEST apps for ADHD, enter your info below!

 

This post was originally published on www.awesomelyADHD.com where this amazing 10-year-old has started to write about her experiences with ADHD.  Read her previous guest post: Kids with ADHD: A 10-year-old’s experience. She is a great resource for other kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD, helping them to understand what it means and not feel alone.

 

 

Kids with ADHD: A 10-year-old’s experience

I am 10 years old and I am diagnosed with ADHD. Let me tell you about kids with ADHD, ADHD symptoms in kids, and what medication for ADHD is like to take. ADHD medication for children can be helpful. It's OK to be diagnosed with ADHD- let me tell you why!

I Have ADHD

Lots of people in this world have ADHD. For one, I have it. I am 10 years old and I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8. I am in 4th grade now. In 3rd grade, I started to take medication for ADHD. Kids with ADHD are everywhere!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

When I was first diagnosed with ADHD I was nervous because I didn’t understand what it meant. Now I know it is just the way my brain works and I need a little extra help to be able to focus and make good decisions.

ADHD symptoms in kids: What I do

I tend to interrupt people, grab stuff from people, and poke them. My teachers would yell at me in school for not listening and for distracting my classmates by talking to them during class. This gets me in trouble all the time! On the weekend, I am always hitting my sisters and fooling around with them (but not in a good way). Sometimes I start fights with them. I can’t hold it back!

ADHD medication for children: I take it!

I take medication to stay focused in school and not talk a lot in math. I take medication in the morning and after lunch too. It’s ok to take medication for ADHD. It helps a lot of people to stay focused and not talk when we are not supposed to.

 

Medication for ADHD helps me to be able to think and concentrate. For me, ADHD made it hard to pay attention in math, reading, and to stay on task.

Kids with ADHD: I used to think I didn’t know how to read

I used to think I didn’t know how to read, but really, I was reading too fast. I wasn’t paying attention to the book because I was skipping too many words. When the teacher asked a question I didn’t know the answer because I couldn’t understand what I was reading. I just didn’t get it.

 

In 2nd grade, I had extra reading help to make me a stronger reader. I thought it was a little embarrassing for me to be the only one in my class that needed reading help. I went to a different classroom with a reading teacher. He was nice and funny and taught me to be a stronger reader! It was fun!

 

When I was getting help from the reading teacher, he had a special ruler that only let me see the words I was reading. This helped me focus on what I was reading and I would not skip lines.

Here is the ruler I used to help me. Maybe this ruler can help you read better too! [amazon_link asins=’B00CQATF08′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’434675cf-1f17-11e8-913c-61d70b69ad06′]

If I don’t have my ruler with me I still use my finger to keep on track when I am reading a chapter book.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

I’m actually a good reader!

Now that I take medication it helps me focus better on the words in the book. I realized I am actually a good reader! I pay more attention to the book I am reading and can mostly remember what is going on in the book. My focus is a lot better even though I still mess up time to time on some of the words or add in extra words that aren’t there.

 

I even like reading now and before I hated it. I read at night before bed because it helps me to settle down. My favorite books are comic books. I love reading them! These are my favorite series: [amazon_link asins=’1338045644,0545766389,0545326990,1612623964′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’drmelissawelb-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ba7b5fef-22e6-11e8-baa1-b135a517d7db’]

If you are diagnosed with ADHD:

If you are diagnosed with ADHD DON’T WORRY!!! Getting treatment will help you like it did for me. Lots of people have ADHD. You are not the only one who has it!

 

Looking for ADHD resources or to read more about ADHD?

Check out these posts:

The Top 10 Books About ADHD by Dr. Melissa Welby

4 Myths About ADHD in Adults by Dr. Melissa Welby

Behavioral Medications and Kids: What you need to know by Dr. Nerissa Bauer

Final Thoughts on ADHD Medications by Dr. Kristen Stuppy

To get the 5 BEST Apps for ADHD, enter your info below!