Pills Don't Teach Skills

One Man's Personal Battle with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder

by Jeff Hamilton

ADHD Female Leaders: Cynthia Gerdes

As an entrepreneur, Cynthia Gerdes finds that ADD/ADHD is a boon. "It's easy to do a million things at once," she says. Owner of Hell's Kitchen - an award-winning restaurant in Minneapolis, which brings in more than a million dollars annually - Gerdes started her career as a teacher. She owned several successful toy stores before she entered the restaurant business. Read More

ADHD Female Leaders: Patricia Quinn, M.D.

"I'm not the sort of person who thinks ADD is a strength, but I do think you can use it to become successful," says Dr. Patricia Quinn, who practices in Washington, D.C. Quinn wasn't hyperactive as a child, but she did lapse into long spells of hyperfocus. She didn't notice her mother calling to her from the other room, but she could focus on her schoolwork for hours. Read More

Cammi Granato & ADHD: Female Role Model

U.S. women's hockey player Cammi Granato is one of the many famous people who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Growing up she had all the symptoms but in a house with six kids her family believed it was normal behavior. Eventually she talked to a sports psychologist about ADHD. Read More

Where Are the ADD/ADHD Women?

My post yesterday on "Suffering in Silence: Women With Adult ADHD" got me thinking, so decided to look for information on women with ADD, and there really isn't much of a list. Read More

Suffering in Silence: Women With Adult ADHD

"Adult ADHD is a sly condition that can secretly affect people for years without their knowledge. Lori-Lynn Dale knows first hand. In her senior year in college, she not only completed her studies, but also managed three jobs and cared for a new baby boy. Dale seemed to handle herself beautifully, but inside the young mother felt alone, tired, and overwhelmed. Read More

ADD/ADHD Women’s Week

Although it's not an officially recognized week, here at Pills Don't Teach Skills it's ADD/ADHD Women's Week! Please check in every day for information on women with ADD/ADHD. Read More

ADHD Diagnoses Increased in 2011 Report

Some interesting yet not surprising statistics were just released by HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (National Center for Health Statistics) in their August 2011 report. The percentage of children ever diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased from 7% to 9%. ADHD prevalence trends varied by race and ethnicity. Read More

Girls, ADD & Anorexia Nervosa

I stumbled across a very interesting article on ADD-ADHD Coach and expert Pete Quily`s site called Girls And Women With ADHD Have Higher Rates of Anorexia Nervosa, Here Are Some Reasons Why. Thought is was very insightful and that it should be shared. Read More

Intestinal Protein May Have Role in ADHD

I love reading about medical breakthroughs like the following, if only ADD/ADHD received more attention on the funding front to drive results like this story - A biochemical pathway long associated with diarrhea and intestinal function may provide a new therapeutic target for treating ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) other neuropsychiatric disorders, according to a team of scient Read More

Treating ADHD with Video Games

By Guest Blogger Allison Gamble - Children of all ages around the world seem to love video games, much to the chagrin of parents, teachers and health care professionals. Conventional wisdom would have everyone believe that video games are pretty horrible for a child's mental and physical health. Read More

No Milk In My ADD Please

In my never ending quest to improve my dietary habits.....and I do a pretty good job already (pat on the back), I have recently chosen to start my mornings without cow milk. Instead, I'm using soy milk. Soy milk is loaded with fiber and protein while still free of cholesterol and saturated fats. Read More

Disconnected, Unplugged & Zoned Out

If you are an ADD'er like me, you probably need to find that place to unplug and relax. Sometimes it might be a break from work with something as simple as a walk. Other times, it might be a bigger decision like a vacation. Having taken the last two weeks off on my annual August vacation, I just may have discovered the answer to truly unplugging and relaxing. Read More

ADHD Female Leaders: Evelyn Polk-Green

"I can multitask because of ADD," says Evelyn Polk-Green. "It helps me keep all of my projects straight."Former president of ADDA and a project director at Illinois STAR Net - an organization that provides training to parents and professionals in education - Polk-Green knows firsthand that there are advantages to having ADD/ADHD. Her mission is to help the world understand them. Read More

ADD, The F-Bomb and Basal Ganglia Envy

The swear jar in my house is starting to get some change in it, and no.....it's not a jar of wealth! LOL! Self admittedly, there is too much money in it. However, people with ADD/ADHD are known for sometimes having trouble from blurting out or regulating that emotional response that leads to blurting out. Read More

The ADD Hamburger

I love a good burger! I crave it every now and then, that incredible bun I buy from Cobs Bakery, the special top-secret ingredients I add to my beef, topped with bacon, cheddar and mayo.....mmmmmmmm! For many people with ADD, we are challenged with getting caught in the same repetitious habits and thought patterns sometimes. For example, the same bacon-cheddar-mayo burger I always have. Read More

Beautiful & Sexy ADHD Advocate Doing Great Work

Chelsea Rae Gregory, Miss South Carolina International 2011 is spending every hour over the next 10 days getting ready to hit the stage in Chicago for the Miss International Pageant! Read More

The Google Effect & ADD

I read a really interesting article in the paper this past weekend, yes they still print newspapers and yes, an ADD'er can sit down and read a paper.....for a little while! Very interesting stuff to see how Google is impacting our lives and our brains. I wonder if this article could have a spin off to see how it impacts the brain from an ADD perspective? Could Dr. Read More

Secondhand Smoke Linked to ADHD, Learning Disabilities

As a kid, I recall my Mom and Step Dad smoking like a fireplace chimney. In the car, in the house.....horribly disgusting. Now, I see an article like the below and it really gets me thinking about how my case of ADD may have been impacted by the environment I grew up in. Read More

Maroon 5 Pop Star Come Out About ADD

I love it when public people like Adam Levine come out publicly about their ADD..... "Maroon 5′s lead singer Adam Levine, talked last week about being diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager and discovering that the condition does not just disappear when you reach adulthood. Adam said, "As I got older, I thought my ADHD had gone away. Eventually, I realized it was something that was still there. Read More

Google Doodle & ADD – $268 Million in Lost Productivity

Is the world suffering from ADD? This is too funny, in the ADD/ADHD world the struggle to maintain focus and concentration can be a real challenge. Now we learn that Google Doodle's Les Paul guitar doodle may have cost the world in the area of $268 million in lost productivity!! Read More

ADD and Attitude

ADD and attitude is so important, it will be the difference between overcoming, or not. Years later, I still love this quote and have it up on my office wall: Read More

Visual Impact & ADD

We've all heard the stories and symptoms about people with ADD having problems focusing. If you have a message for an ADD'er and it's in a format that requires their attention for a period of time where they need to focus on reading as an example.....chances are they will tune out and you'll lose their attention. The end result, the message will likely be lost. Read More

Starbucks, Outside The Box & ADD Tutoring

Enter Brieanna Ingram, owner of Outside the Box ADHD Tutoring. As I sat working away diligently one day...... I received an email from Brieanna, turns out she had been following my blog. I had the opportunity to get together with Brieanna locally, which is very refreshing. Read More

BioBDx: The First FDA-Cleared Objective Test for ADHD

Here is a cool option that might help you with diagnosing ADHD in children, which has become an issue for parents and many are sceptical of the accuracy of such diagnoses. A lack of objectivity in many diagnoses leads to misdiagnosed patients. Read More

Hilarious ADD Video

I got a big laugh out of this video on YouTube my Grandmother sent me. Yup, my 87 year old Grandmother is very with the times and emails me some great stuff. It's a funny look at an adult woman who's day is scattered and unproductive as a result of her ADD. It's only about 2 minutes long and is sure to put a smile on your face, the way so many dry British comedy skits do. Enjoy! Read More

Dexamphetamine for ADD Under Fire In Australia

The State Government will review the use of a medication with the same affects as the street drug speed following an impassioned plea from the father of young twins killed in a car accident. Health minister Geoff Wilson has asked the state's chief medical officer to assess the prescription of dexamphetamine, a drug used by some psychiatrists to treat ADHD in adults. Read More

ADD, Karma & The Love Guru

Learning to manage ADD is like many growing and learning experiences, there are many different ways to get turned on to something new. Many people with ADD are challenged by narcissism, how they view themselves and interact with others can be an issue. A great way to learn to be aware of this, is to consider a little Karma. Read More

Regulating ADD Emotions

That extra fraction of a second is really challenging for many ADD'ers. How people react and communicate, that extra moment to not blurt something out is one of the biggest things most ADD'ers will try to manage. Some will do so and their lives will improve dramatically. Others, don't learn to manage this and it impacts life in a negative way. Read More

Three 5-Minute Mini Relaxation Exercises for ADD’ers

For many with ADD, learning to relax can be hard. Taking a little time during your day is just as important. For me, taking a quick 5 minute break can really help me recharge, refocus, reprioritize and come back into a much more productive place. Read More

Hockey Player with ADHD Comes Out

In January last year, Tony Saxon of the Guelph Murcury reported a great story on hockey player Adam Comrie coming out with his ADHD condition. I thought this was a great story and took a lot of courage for a young man in a high profile area to come out. Well done! Read More

Jeff Hamilton writes about the challenges of living with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

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About Pills Don't Teach Skills

Pills Don't Teach Skills (pillsdontteachskills.com) is a personal story of overcoming the challenges of Adult ADD. The blog was created in 2005 and now has 100,000+ visitors a month.