ADD Myths and What I Have to Say About Them

I am in no way shape or form a medical expert or related to the medical field in any way. The messages in this blog posting are purely my opinions. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

There are a lot of “myths” and misunderstandings about AD/HD, don’t you think? I’ve heard a lot of them throughout the years and read a lot about the truths, as well as experienced them myself. In those experiences I’ve formed opinions too – no surprise there, right? And here is a list of some the fables of AD/HD and my opinions about them.

Myth: ADD is just a lack of willpower. Persons with ADD focus well on things that interest them; they could focus on any other tasks if they really wanted to. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm)

My Take: There is a coping strategy called “hyperfocusing” which is an over compensation for the inability to focus. ADDers know they must focus and can get a sort of tunnel vision while trying to over come their fluctuating attention span.

Myth: Everybody has the symptoms of ADD, and anyone with adequate intelligence can overcome these difficulties. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm)

My Take: Well AD/HD has nothing to do with intelligence AT ALL. And a lot of folks do have symptoms, but if it isn’t impacting everyday life on a chronic level, then there is no use worrying about it. It is up to the individual as to whether to seek a diagnosis and/or treatment or not, it may just depend on the severity of the disorder and how well someone can cope. Just like a cold, it varies from person to person.

Myth: ADHD isn't a real medical disorder. (http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/873.html)

My Take: Yes it is and if someone still doubts its existence in this day and age then I think that person lives under a rock and should read the following articles. (http://help4adhd.org/en/about/science and http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec4.html).

Myth: Children who take ADHD medication are more likely to abuse drugs when they become teenagers. (http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/873.html)

My Take: Author Wendy Richardson makes an interesting point in her article “ADHD and Addiction” (http://www.addandaddiction.com/articles.htm) she mentions that early treatment can actually prevent a major cause of abuse – self medication. ADHD medications are monitored continuously (I’ve been on medication for 6 years and still see my doctor every three months) to make sure that abuse is not occurring or is not a possibility. Also, an article on MedicineNet states that possible drug abuse stems from ADHD itself and not necessarily the treatment. (http://www.medicinenet.com/attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder_adhd/page5.htm)

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Batman - The Dark Knight Box Office Food for Thought

The second weekend for “Batman – The Dark Knight” proved to be just as lucrative as the first. Here are some stats to think about regarding this box office smasher of a film!

As of July 27th – total domestic gross $314,245,000 – and this is only its SECOND weekend!

The highest grossing movie of 2008 so far (although it’s unlikely to retain this title next week) is “Iron Man” totaling so far $314,905,000 (which has been out for 13 weeks) – “The Dark Knight” has $660,000 more to go to tie.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – in its 10 weeks of release has generated $313,626,000 – “The Dark Knight” in TWO weeks has already beaten it by $619,000!

“Spider Man 3” was the top grossing movie of 2007 and “The Dark Knight” only needs $22,748,626 more to match it.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” was the #4 top grossing movie of 2007 and “The Dark Knight” has already beaten it by $4,824,575.

Also, the top 5 and 6 grossing films of 2007 were “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “I Am Legend” both grossed less than “The Dark Knight’s” 2 weeks.

2007’s Best Picture Oscar Winner “The Departed” only grossed $132,384,315 – I think “The Dark Knight” made more than that it’s opening weekend.

Stats thanks to Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/)

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra
So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Tales From the Cubicle – Story One – Cubicle Pet Peeves

You are in the middle of your day and then it happens, one of the most frustrating aspects of not having an office – the annoying cubicle pet peeve occurs, not once, not twice, but over and over. You roll your eyes, you sigh loudly, but your subtle expression of annoyance does not deflect this individual from doing their bothersome thing…whatever it happens to be. I work in a cubicle too and it is a very common workspace layout that lends itself to overhearing, overseeing and interacting with others who may not have the same common courtesy that you do. Here is my list of cubicle pet peeves.

- IM/Email noises – In a day and age where everyone communicates online whether it’s through email, IM, Trillion, MSN messenger, etc, not having the sound turned off is incredibly distracting and irritating. The grating nature of these noises is probably due to its repetitive nature (chime high…chime low…doorbell…cow (repeat over and over and over). I work with someone whose IM sounds like the NBC theme and it drives me nuts. If someone is sitting in front of the computer screen is it necessary to have an audio sound when an email or IM arrives? I say no, turn that sucker on mute!

- Speaker Phone – Ever overhear a conversation about a doctor’s appointment, birth control pills, 2 week cruise vacation plans or accident information from someone working on the other side of the room? I have! All the time! Why is it that some people have no shame when it comes to private matters? Go into an empty conference room to make those types of calls, or wait until your lunch break or step outside for a minute. There is one woman at my office that has EVERY conversation on speaker phone. With cell phones as prevalent as they are, shouldn’t people be used to holding a handset to their head? (shrug)

- People Who Don’t Know When To Go Back To Their Desks – They come to ask a work question, then ask if you saw the last episode of “Lost”, then ask how your kids last soccer game went, asks about the four pictures on your desk and your screen saver and your backdrop and about 12 other topics – like they don’t have work to get back to, right?

- Reply All – Ah! I hate reply all! Scene - It’s the office potluck and EVERYONE hits reply all to tell the coordinator what they are bringing. There really should be usage regulations with Reply All.

- The Office Microwave and The Smelly Things People Cook – Do you have someone in your building that insists on cooking fish once a week in the common room microwave? How about the two or three people who over cook their popcorn almost every day? Have anyone ever reheat eggs in the microwave? If you haven’t – it’s coming. If you have, then you are ever-so familiar with the nauseating smells that they create and that emulate throughout the common room as well as into the actual office space. Stick to sandwiches and soup and non-smelly lean cuisines please!

- The Office Singer – Do you have an office singer? I DO! He walks around singing the most random songs at the top of his lungs. I once heard him IN the bathroom (I was at my desk). Why some people don’t understand this is rude, I have no idea, but what I don’t understand even more is why NO ONE says anything (I of course haven’t, that would also be rude)!

Who annoys you in your office? Do you have anyone that does the above? What about pet peeves of people who don’t work in offices, what do people do out on your jobs?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.


http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

“Batman – The Dark Knight” Review

Damn.
I apologize that the first word of my review is a cuss word, but “wow” would just be an understatement for the film “Batman – The Dark Knight.” I saw it in IMAX during opening weekend and was absolutely blown away by the acting, cinematography, writing and directing. This is a complete package, a near perfect movie.

Pros:
- The acting. This is an ensemble movie. From the gangsters to the convicts to the pretty ladies at the parties to the all star cast – the acting is superb. What an amazing group of actors who, no matter what small part they played, put their all into their performances and it comes together to make a very captivating movie.

- The Story. This is a villain movie. We've already learned Batman’s back story and now we get to see his limits tested. There is a changing and evolving city as well as changing and evolving criminals at Batman's heels. It’s fascinating to see Batman realize what Gotham City really needs.

- The writing. Witty yet subtle, just the way I like it.

- The directing. There is only one person to be credited with making this film a complete package and that’s director Christopher Nolan.

- Heath Ledger/The Joker – Ledger’s “Joker” is funny, likes to spice things up with a little bit of chaos and is a killer with no plan. Some actors relate to the character they play and therefore put that emotion towards their performance making it more genuine. The Joker is the complete opposite of anything that I might think that Ledger was. So to be able to create a completely different person and make that performance believable is the ultimate goal for an actor, I think. You do not see Heath Ledger on that screen for one second and that is the talent we will all miss.

- Aaron Eckhart/Two Face – Two Face is a torn man which is also reflected in Batman. They are both conflicted between what is right, what is fair, and what is just. I really like this parallel and Eckhart does a terrific job of showing the emotional hurt and complete break down of what was once Gotham City’s “White Knight.” (Awesome article on Aaron Eckhart by John at TheMovieBlog.com)

Cons:
- It’s a little long.

- Not enough Morgan Freeman or Michael Caine.

Unique Qualities:
- The cinematography is AMAZING and really IMAX is the only way to truly appreciate the images and scenery throughout the movie. The opening shot alone in IMAX makes you feel like Batman flying over Chicago…I mean Gotham City. There are also some spectacular shots of Hong Kong.

- I left the movie theater (and still a few days later) saying to myself “I cannot WAIT for the next one!! What’s going to happen?!”

Did you see it? Any thoughts or reactions to it? Any rumors about what will happen in the next movie?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Freelance & Paid Blogging Sites - A Review

Like a lot of Americans, I’ve been feeling the pinch of the crazy economy. So in an effort to counter balance that, I decided to look into freelance writing and paid ad blog posting. I signed up for a bunch of sites and services and below are my reviews of them. Please let me know if you have had any experiences with these services too!

Freelance Sites
Elance – It offers 8 categories (all with sub-categories) for freelance positions. There is a bid system for the freelancers looking for jobs but I’m not sure how it works yet. It’s a long registering process including watching some tutorials and then taking a quiz, which I just recently did, so I haven’t had the chance yet to bid with my new quiz certification. You cannot bid on projects until you have passed the quiz. This, however, seems to be the best site of all the ones mentioned in this blog posting and the one I will be sticking with the most.

iFreelance – This one is a little odd because there are no posting dates, so it’s hard to see what’s new. I haven’t even read any of the postings. It doesn't look like a lot of new jobs are posted but there are a lot of bids for each job.

Guru – Guru seems to offer the highest quality job postings, however, in order to bid for most of the positions (I would say 95% of them) you have to have a paid membership. I’ve been using this now for about 2 weeks and have yet to see one posting that I could apply for (I don’t have a paid membership). I’ll remain persistent though because there are a lot of offerings on this site.

Paid Ad writing or Pay per Posting Sites
Bloggerwave – I hate this site. I’ve been registered for an entire month with no job offerings, no response from Customer Service, nothing. The site is bare bones and there seems to not be a whole lot going on with it. STAY AWAY!

Squidoo – I still don’t fully understand Squidoo, but somehow you can earn money from it. It’s set up like a regular blog where you can type out posts. It comes with a bunch of other things like an eBay section that you can have on your blog (or Lens as they call it). I wish this site came with step by step directions though because I’ve been registered for about a month and just found out 2 days ago that you are supposed to hit “Publish” after you’ve posted new information. There’s a lot going on with this site and I’m still not sure how you earn money. It’s pretty neat looking and there’s a lot to do on it and the way they word things is pretty funny.

PayPerPost – What seems to be a reputable company, they always answer my emails, but I have yet to receive an opportunity that wasn’t already full. Although a few opportunities come in each day there aren’t any open spots by the time I get to them.

Blogsvertise – Another one I would stay away from. I’ve been registered for a month now and have not received one single opportunity. I can’t see any of the open opportunities even if they are filled or unavailable to me (most sites allow you to at least see what all is out there even if you can’t apply for it). They have only answered 1 of my 3 emails.

To summarize, I will stick with the freelance sites and services and probably give up on the pay per posting advertising.

I need advice! Has anyone had any experiences with sites like these even if they aren’t mentioned? Have you made any money freelancing or posting paid ads?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra
So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Top 10 Movies I Can’t Wait to See

Since I didn’t see any movies this weekend, I thought I’d write a list of some of the movies I am highly anticipating during the next 12 months.

1. The Dark Knight – Now who ISN’T anticipating this one? I don’t think I’ve heard one negative thing about this movie yet. I know it comes out this upcoming weekend, but this will be the LONGEST week ever!

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – I am currently 3/4th the way through this book and so far it’s GREAT! Look for it November 21, 2008

3. X-Files – I Want to Believe – I was a HUGE fan of the TV show (owning some of the series on VHS too), I am stoked that the original actors agreed to this new installment. The best thing though is that the movie is supposed to be an independent story, so even if movie goers weren’t huge fans of the late-90’s series they can still enjoy the sexual tension and sci-fi twists that made it famous in the first place. Release Date: July 25, 2008

4. Angles & Demons – The precursor to “The Da Vinci Code”, Dan Brown’s Vatican city novel is on the big screen. Full of the same controversies that The Da Vinci Code brought on, this book poses even more challenging because it takes place in Vatican City as well on the actual grounds of the Vatican itself. Tom Hanks is the only familiar face but Ron Howard is bringing in Ewan McGregor to round out the cast. Release Date: May 15, 2009

5. Twilight – This makes the list because of my dearest friends who are obsessed with the novels by Stephenie Meyer. This teenage vampire saga has received a lot of attention from the MTV youngsters, but has also got those of us in their 20’s and 30’s reading as well. The series, made up of 4 books has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for 47 weeks, will now be making huge grounds on the big screen. Release Date: December 12, 2008

6. Eagle Eye - Shia LaBeouf stars as a guy who is suddenly being ordered around by some mysterious woman on the phone who can see his every move. This truly do or die flick looks very intense and I have a feeling it’ll have a twist no one is expecting. Release Date: September 26, 2008

7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – This just looks interesting, like a very unique story. Release Date: December 19, 2008

8. Australia – Finally Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman don’t have to fake American accents since this is a movie about their home country. It’ll be nice to see these two highly talented stars make a film together about their homeland. Release Date: November 14th, 2008

9. Mamma Mia – Theater was my minor in college, so it’s always a pleasure (well not always) to see an acclaimed production in movie theaters. This energy filled play seems to have a cast that loved making the movie, so it’s sure to be filled with high impact acting, singing and dancing and let’s not forget – romance. It only has the unfortunate fate of coming out the same weekend as “The Dark Knight.” Release Date: July 18, 2008

10. Tropic Thunder – Really, all I have to say is Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. Oh wait let me add something – Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire, Mickey Rooney, Nick Nolte, and Bill Hader. Enough said. Release Date: August 15, 2008

What are you looking forward to within the 2008/2009 film season? Did I miss anything?

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Freelance Writer and/or Blogger

Hire Me to Blog or Write for You

Looking for a freelance writer or blogger for your website, newsletter, ezine or other publication? I am now offering by abilities as a freelancer to write or blog for you. Below are my credentials. My fee is low and I am a quick learner so topics are not limited to just movies, work and AD/HD. Please post a comment to this posting if you are interested and I look forward to working with you.

Writing Experience:
- Website Content
- Radio and Online Ad Copy
- Research papers (topics include: movies, gender communications, theater, etc.)
- Poetry
- News Stories
- Blog Postings (http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/) Read more!

The Domino Effect: ADD & Conversation

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADD until I was 19. That was a lot of time to go by without understanding how my own brain worked in conversations. Needless to say, I got a lot of “that was random” and “where did that come from” comments from friends during conversations pre-diagnosis. And they were completely justified in making those statements. I would say comments that, to them, would seem to be out of the blue, but to me seemed logical and relevant. Now that I know more about ADD and how it can affect life skills and conversation abilities, I am reminded of an age old theory called “The Domino Effect” and I can now see how it relates to conversation skills and the ADD brain.


So a conversation starts with topic A (a.k.a. Domino 1). Everyone’s sharing their ideas and stories and something sparks a side thought in the ADD person’s brain bringing that person slightly away from the original topic and creating Domino 2. From there this person thinks of something else (Domino 3), then something else, then a different thought (Domino 4) and so on and before they know it they are at Domino 7 or 8. Before I understood ADD I would just spout out Domino 7 or 8 as part of the conversation because to me it made sense. However, to those who were still discussing Domino 1 it sounded like a completely new topic. This was when I would get the “that was random” comments from others (and a reputation as the “dumb blonde”). Now, however, I think about what I am going to say to make sure it relates to Domino 1. I can keep my focus on Domino 1 and if that focus waivers, I’m aware of it and the fact that only I will be able to make sense of the resulting thoughts because the thought process is only in my brain. If I do have one of my “random statement moments” I know that I can simply say “Oh, here’s how I got to that idea” and explain these thought processes to the others in the group. I really think that awareness is 55% of how to cope with AD/HD. Just simply being aware that this is how my brain works and it may not be how others' thought processes work gives me a social skill abling me to adapt to and incorporate my thoughts and ideas into any conversation and explain to others my random statements should they occur.

What are your "random statement" experiences? Do you find that your brain can sometimes do a Domino effect as well?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

A Great Workplace Starts At The Top

The truth is I’ve learned a lot in my time within the corporate working world. And I have found that the most influential person (or people) on your daily workload, the attitude in the office, etc. is the leader, the head honcho – your boss. Here are a few observations and suggestions about making the daily grind a little more bearable.

- Don’t show panic or frustration to employees because then they won’t know that there’s anything to panic or be frustrated about. Has this ever happened to you, you see your boss red in the face storming back to their office only to shut their door for another 20 minutes with no explanation? It’s worrisome, right? Bottom line, if it doesn’t directly affect staff (ie moving cubicles) then they probably don’t need to know or even be aware of any problems.

- Micro-managing is a surefire way not to be liked. Inherently, micro-managing inspires resentment. Really, what difference does it make if an employee spent 5 minutes reading an article on Yahoo! news if they still got all of their work done and at their best quality level? Backing off can go a long way. It shows trust.

- Chat with employees – emerging from an office a couple times a day to talk with employees/coworkers can really boost moral. This allows everyone to relate on different subjects other than work, it gives everyone a quick break from work, and gives everyone a chance to laugh (that alone can do wonders!), among other things. This creates a more enjoyable atmosphere and set the boss up as more than just a boss.

- Reward employees for accomplishments and go easy when they make mistakes. Feeling like you might be fired over a small little error does not create the best environment for which to work effectively. If errors are brought to attention in a non threatening tone and manner it opens up a situation in which the employee is more receptive to the correction instead of feeling bad about making a humanistic error. And rewards let employees know that their hard work is being noticed and is appreciated by more than just themselves. Simple things like saying “Nice job on the ABC report” or “Take an extra long lunch since you worked so hard on preparing for that meeting” are quite easy to hand out.

What does being a good boss/manager/leader mean to you as a boss or as an employee? What are some good ideas for rewards or suggestions as to handle pointing out mistakes to employees?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

"Hancock" Review

“Hancock” is a good character story and Will Smith perfects his "pissed off" look. Although, I think the film was marketed incorrectly, which is where most of the disappointment is coming from, it’s a good movie and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

Pros:
- A twist you are not expecting (again, I love when movie makers do this! The trailers, marketing, interviews, etc., none of them even HINT at the twist - YES!).

- Jason Bateman – enough said.

- A great transformation of Smith’s “Hancock” – you see Hancock's realization of how making himself a better person can benefit society but you also see his stubbornness of not wanting to change (who wants to change, ya know?!).

- We see the social pressures of what it means to be a “super hero.”

Cons:
- The story of an ideal super hero turning a leaf to better the world is enough. The movie looses it I think when they start to incorporate a hurried and convoluted back story. It messes up the rhythm (although worst things have happened to a movie).

- I agree with critic Brian Chen, “The movie's best as a comedy and worst when it tries to get serious.” So true!

Unique Qualities:
- A really compelling story at heart, but maybe a two-parter instead of smooshing it all together.

- Smith is terrific as always, Bateman is tremendous as always, and Theron is excellent as always (well I guess that’s really unique – but it’s a great cast, a good mix of talent all in one film).

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra
So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

What I Clearly Inherited From My Parents

This blog post has nothing to do with work, movies or ADD, so we will file it under the “Random Thoughts” section. I was inspired as I was listening to the radio yesterday and the DJs were talking about the traits they inhereited from their parents. I thought this would make a really interesting blog post – to dissect myself and take a look at what my parents graciously or not so graciously bestowed upon their eldest child.

Theater (both) – I did theater all throughout high school and made it my minor in college. Both parents did theater when they were in high school and that’s how they met actually, while doing a show.

Driving (dad) – This one is funny because recently I scratched up my car in the exact same place my dad had scratched our mini van just a few weeks ago. I took it to the same repair shop and the shop owner made a comment like “You must take after your dad.” And I said “Yes, actually, is it obvious he’s the one that taught me to drive?” My mom did a little as well, but I definitely inherited my dad’s road rage and the tendency to stare at drivers who are acting stupid as I drive past them on the highway.

Laugh & sense humor (mom) – My mom and I laugh at the same things and in the same tone of voice. The laughs don’t match exactly, but it is quite clear that she was the contributor for that gene.

Piano (mom) – My mom plays the guitar, always has. She’s pretty good too! I play the piano. Haven’t always, but I am pretty average, so I think I inherited some musicality from my mommy.

Voice recognition & (minor) success in the voice over business (dad) – My dad is a radio DJ. He has been my whole life. So that’s what I know. This has somehow got to be related to my ability to recognize voices. I play a little game sometimes with commercials; I try to see if I can recognize the celebrity doing the voice over. I also got into doing voice work myself and did a couple commercials here and there. Pretty sweet gig, it is just too bad my real job moved to a different city and I can’t make it to the recording studio anymore.

ADD (mom) – I see a lot of AD/HD traits in my mom. She’s much more functional than I am and the traits only pop up occasionally, but I definitely got it from her (love you Mom!!).

Love of movies (dad) – My dad is the movie and trivia master, so naturally it was worked into our lives. My memory stinks, so I’m terrible at trivia, but damn do I love my movies.

My looks (both) – If you looked at me, then my parents, and you didn’t know we were related you would probably not match us up as parents and kids. But if you dissect my features, it’s obvious who I got them from. My eyes – mom; Nose – mom; Height – dad; Face shape – dad. Now the rest…the rest is kind of a mish-mash of features from other relatives. I know, weird right?

Now it’s your turn!

What did you clearly inherit from your parents? Any funny stories about people pointing out those same traits? Are you proud of the genes you got or do they cause more embarrassment than anything else?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

Read more!

Why Does AD/HD Medication Get Such a Bad Rap?

I am in no way shape or form a medical expert or related to the medical field in any way. The messages in this blog posting are purely my opinions. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

I have been taking medication for Adult ADD for six years. I have never sold it, I have never lost any weight while taking it, and I’ve never seemed “over medicated”. These are some of the negative connotations AD/HD medications get and it bugs me every time I see a news story on what terrible things these medications are doing to people. I’m not saying that bad things don’t happen, however, it would be great to hear a story about how these medications have transformed someone’s life in a positive way as opposed to ruining it.

So, here are some thoughts I have about AD/HD medications’ “bad rap”.

- It starts with a proper diagnosis – when I was diagnosed it fit perfectly into my life. It answered a lot of the questions I had asked myself throughout the years. However, if it hadn’t been that way, I would have sought a second opinion. No medication is going to work if it’s treating something that isn’t there, so if AD/HD doesn’t seem to quite be there, a second opinion is definitely and is always an option.

- Medication interaction – before ever putting one pill into my mouth I looked up the new medication’s information on the FDA’s website. They have medication information sheets that lay out, plain and simple, what drug interactions occur as well as any health conditions that should prevent someone from taking a medication. I really like the site because it’s incredibly user friendly and the information is in layman’s terms so everyone can understand the warnings.

- Side effects – just as with any medication (for example, birth control pills) there are possible side effects. This is where the weight loss issue associated with AD/HD medications comes in, I think. From my experience both with AD/HD meds and birth control pills, within three months, the side effects were gone. So, I say, give it three months! If the effects haven’t worn off by that point, then it’s time to talk to a doctor.

-Alternatives to Medication – Adderall and Ritalin are not the only ways to treat AD/HD. Some other treatments include a multitude of therapy options, social skills training, diets and supplements and some experimental treatments. Also, there are more than just two medications out there to treat AD/HD. The best way to go, according to most articles and books I’ve read, is taking a medication in conjunction with therapy. It's a great combo.

- College kids selling Adderall to help friends study – Well this is just stupid. It is the abuse of these medications that will be harmful. So, really, this comes down to being responsible and accountable for a potentially harmful drug in one's possession.


What do you guys think? Do AD/HD medications get a bad rap? Do you know anyone that’s had a TERRIFIC experience with Adderall or Ritalin?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

Read more!