It’s human nature, I suppose, to focus more intently on our mistakes than we do on our successes. Little good ever comes of this, but it’s a psychological habit that’s hard to break. Last week, I realized how far I have come at my neighborhood book club meeting, of all places.

How do you prevent overload in your life? Can you see it coming? Do you know how many tasks you can juggle without coming apart at the seams?

Do you plan your time, and have a realistic idea of how long-planned tasks will take? Have you learned to be assertive in saying, "I'd love to, but I need to check my calendar first." What steps have you taken to prevent ADHD overload?

In November, after being incredibly busy with activities for the Inattentive ADHD Coalition, I felt down--not quite depressed, but I had the blues. I was at loose ends and thought, "Is this all life has to offer?" Initially, I thought I was just tired and needed some downtime, some time to recover. But slowly I realized I was feeling down because I wasn't engaged in an interesting, mind-stimulating activity.

[When parents are concerned about their child taking medicine for their ADHD], I counter their concerns by worrying about the potential “side effects” of not taking the medication: namely, their children struggling to stay focused and getting frustrated when they couldn’t. After envisioning that scenario, the decision became far less difficult.

We are still relying on research done years ago on white, hyperactive boys. There are few studies and fewer insights on girls and women. Likewise, children with inattentive ADHD (formerly called ADD) continue to fly under the radar. Why?

Invisible disabilities, or hidden disabilities, is an umbrella term to describe a whole spectrum of disabilities or challenges that are primarily neurological in nature. Individuals with invisible disabilities do not show any physical signs,

Is it really possible for someone with ADHD to “get stuff done” when one of our biggest challenges is procrastination? I have known about my inattentive ADHD for 30 years and think I know “best practices” for becoming all you can be as someone with ADHD, so I am surprised when I come across new, effective information.  Here’s a nutshell explanation of what I learned yesterday.

For some adults with ADHD, the disorder may not be perceived as wholly negative…

The Opposite of Happiness is Not Sadness. It’s Boredom

Strategy one is to run away from boredom as often as the situation allows. Being bored makes us feel sluggish, dull, not alive so we need to avoid it whenever possible. Here are some ideas on how to beat the boredom blues:

It is hard for many people with ADHD to get a good night’s sleep. Poor sleep causes serious problems with executive functions, the skills that help us be organized, focused, and efficient. There are many components to achieving a good night’s sleep.

—Learn about ADHD—what it is and what it isn't—resources include books, ADHD magazines, reputable internet sites, conferences, and support groups.

—Have people in your immediate circle learn about ADHD along with you.

The first thing to know about online ADHD Directories, except for one I discuss later, is service providers pay a fee to be listed. The second thing to know is that even websites with creditable ADHD information (ADDitude, CHADD, and ADDA ) have no criteria for listing service providers.

This is not Dr. Sachar but I thought this photo would get your attention.

The ADDitude Symptom Checker will guide you through a series of questions based on your primary concerns, and then compare your responses to symptoms of more than a dozen common psychological and learning conditions.

Just as external characteristics such as height, weight, and eye color vary widely among people, the human brain within people also varies widely…

Adults with ADHD don’t typically try to understand why things went wrong. We move on to the next shiny thing.

We’ve known, for over 30 years, that adults have ADHD.  Why are there still clinicians who are unable or unwilling to diagnose or treat adult ADHD? 

As they say, problems with inattention and distractibility are only the tip of the iceberg.  ADHD can effect many aspects of life.  

Dr. Russell Barkley, famed ADHD researcher, shocked the ADHD world by telling us, people with undiagnosed ADHD die, on average, 12 years earlier than people without ADHD.

  I hate when people deny it's a real issue.