By Terry Jinks
Special to InsideDo you have trouble returning phone calls or know someone who does? Not answering phone calls is one of a long list of the hang-ups of people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Insight into this and a circus of odd social acts was the focus this past weekend at the eighth annual Attention Deficit Disorder Association Conference.
Nationally recognized Chicago therapist Connie Stuetzer joined 650 professional counselors, teachers, health professionals, and lay people from around the country for the three-day event at the Hyatt Regency. Known for her work in relationship therapy and coaching, Stuetzer discussed new findings about ADD, and women with ADD or addictions.
“Women in different estrogen cycles are affected differently by ADD,” she said. “Estrogen complicates ADD, in particular during Pre-Menstrual Syndrome which causes more emotions. Blood tests and estimated estrogen levels have determined that estrogen heightens the process, making things much worse. Women must balance estrogen levels to achieve reduced effects on their ADD,” she continued. “I send some women to a gynecologist who understands this relationship—communication between the doctor and therapist is crucial.”
Stuetzer is also a Certified Coach and helps bring people to a conscious level to reach specific areas they want to change. “Coaching is very helpful with ADD people who have difficulty in social situations where they are self-conscious of their condition,” she said. “They have been put down by peers, teachers and family — and coaching is a gentle way of allowing them to find themselves in what can be social duress.”
“In the early days a negative picture was painted for people diagnosed as ADD, but the treatment now has been turned into a positive,” Stuetzer continued. “Those who have ADD are like hunters and gatherers, they have to scan their environment like the hunter. Farmers are more methodical, which is okay, but those personalities have to be aware of who they are or they can get eaten by the social foxes. If you are a gatherer type, it is important to be surrounded with support or farmer types to take care of structuring,” she stated.
“Also new are brain CAT scans that can tell if a person has ADD. The ADD brain has more dense spaces in the middle of the left and right brain,” said Stuetzer. But the most common form of assessment remains the questionnaire. Following is a partial symptoms list (“A.D.D. & Addiction,” Richardson, 1997) but a true diagnosis may only be made by a trained professional like Stuetzer.
Impulsiveness: Do you sometimes say things you later regret? Do you unnecessarily interrupt others? Do you suddenly blurt out answers before others finish their questions? Do you lose control of your temper too often? Are you impatient with others? Have you abruptly changed relationships, jobs or residences? Do you commonly read the directions only as a last resort?
Activity level: (You don’t have to be hyper to have ADD.) Abundance of energy? Hard for you to relax and do nothing? Are you a fast talker? Feel driven to be active?
Does it take you several cups of a caffeine drink to get moving? Is it hard for you to find your focus for the day? Do you need to nap during the day?
Zoom lens attention: Is it hard for you to be interrupted? Do you get so involved in an activity that you lose track of time? Do you have thoughts that repeat over and over in your mind? Is it hard for you to see a variety of solutions to your problems? Do you have difficulty switching from one project to another? Uncomfortable around clutter? Are you a frequent worrier? Do you have negative or fatalistic thoughts? Are you judgmental of yourself and others? Do you feel that something bad is going to happen?Do you hold on to grudges and resentments?
It is estimated that 8 to 15 million Americans have ADD and 25 to 50 percent of those have addictions. Thirty-three-year-old “CJ,” attending the conference to get help with ADD and a gambling addiction, got personal validation about the reality of ADD. “I was able for the first time to be with lot of other people like me. I have read about ADD, seen it discussed on TV and even been diagnosed with it,” he said. “But to see and hear other ADD people gave me a new perspective that it’s real... I discovered that external control is crucial. That means that making the correct choices in my behavior becomes automatic and that good intentions are nothing without follow through.”
“Exercise, a form of external control, is so important with ADD,” CJ continued. “I now know if I have to recruit a friend to go work out, I’m taking control of how to do it. It’s a lifestyle. Less clutter means more control, but control in a good way,” he continued. “I’m turning the corner for a whole new life. Being able to recognize the problem means I have hope, real hope, for finding answers,” he stated.
Brain function disorders have been medically recognized only in recent years. For those who have one, it can be frustrating to know they’re making social mistakes and yet not know what they’re doing wrong. And it is equally difficult for people around them to understand how to react to their sometimes odd behavior. The only way to determine if you have the condition is through testing and treatment, which can be accomplished with medication (a non-stimulant is now available for people who dislike the “speedy” Ritalin) and counseling.
It is essential that family members are educated in the ways of ADD. For adults it affects marriages, parenting, job changes, self-employment, addictions, and depression.
The one constant, and perhaps most effective, treatment for the condition is exercise. Aerobic activity enhances brain development in areas of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
“In situations where exercise provides the same relief that a pharmaceutical stimulant provides, it may become the preferred option,” concluded Stuetzer.
For more information on ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) treatment and counseling, call Connie Stuetzer at (312) 280-0868 or ADDA’s Web site at www.add.org.
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