Experiencing ADDvantages

Arrr, It's National AD/HD Awareness Day!

Ahoy, Maties!

Today be National AD/HD Awareness Day. 'tis the day we all do our small part to be educatin' the landlubbers about AD/HD.

Aye, today also be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and I can't resist havin' a bit o' fun.

Awareness Day and Talk Like a Pirate Day - 'tis the perfect match fer us, me thinks! So go be dispellin' some AD/HD myths with the scallywags while ye be entertainin' 'em with yer pirate speak.

Be proud o' yerselves today, buccanneers! Yo ho ho!

When Is It Okay To Let Yourself Hyper-focus on Something Stupid?

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK THROUGH TO THESE LINKS IF YOU THINK THERE IS ANY POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MIGHT GET SUCKED INTO THEM!

Lately I have been obsessed - and I mean absolutely obsessed - with this particular blind item from this particular gossip blog.

The blind item is about an award-winning old Hollywood actress who was really a man. Some clues have been given and its up to the reader's to figure them out. And let me tell you, I am not the only person obsessed with this shit. A Friday night post on this item already has 900+ comments. Do all these people have ADD, too?

I have to admit, I haven't had a bout of hyper-focus like this in a very long time. I love the challenge of having this very interesting puzzle to figure out. I love seeing what other people think and what they have found, too. I spent hours on this crap Friday evening and all weekend I sneaked over to the computer for updates whenever I could.

Now, however, it's Monday and I have a lot of work do to this week. I can't afford to spend time screwing around on gossip blogs.

When I have some downtime and nothing better to do, who cares if I get sucked in? During the week, however, I have to be careful to just not go there. I know the danger of getting sucked into the quicksand, and I can't go anywhere near it.

So my answer to the title question of When Is It Okay To Let Yourself Hyperfocus on Something Stupid? is, quite simply: when it doesn't interfere with the rest of your life.

What stupid or insignificant things do you get stuck hyper-focusing on?

I Wanna Be a Reality TV ADD Coach

Being a pop culture freak, tonight was a big event for me. VH1 premiered Rock of Love with Poison front man Bret Michaels, and Scott Baio is 45 and Single.

Rock of Love I'm not even gonna touch here, but you can bet I'll be watching it every week. What I do want to talk about is Scott Baio is 45 and Single.

Scott Baio (of Happy Days, Charles in Charge and other TV fame) hires a "life coach" to help him figure out why he always screws up his relationships. This involves him reviewing past relationships with other  celebrities like Erin Moran (also of Happy Days), Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, Nicolette Sheridan, and Heather Locklear. So far, so good. This is a pop culture wet dream.

The only problem is that, while watching the show, I'm repeatedly confronted with the fact that they are presenting coaching in a seriously exaggerated fashion...just like all reality shows that involve coaches.

First Scott Baio interviews "life coaches" who offer to have sex with him, want to feng shui his body, and have him try on different pairs of sunglasses. Yeah, okay. Then he interviews "Doc  Ali" and decides she's the coach for him.

Doc Ali is more like a therapist than a coach, and Scott Baio definitely needs one. Her feedback and assignments do make sense. She basically asks him to confront his past and the old and destructive patterns that he has been repeating for years.

What I find intriguing, and a little crazy, is that reality TV life coaches have the power to make insane requests of their clients. The first thing Doc Ali asks Scott to do is sign a contract stating that he will meet with a bunch of old girlfriends, refrain from seeing his current girlfriend, and remain celibate for 2 months. Needless to say, these are not typical coaching requests.

I think I want to be a reality TV ADD coach. Let's get a bunch of ADD rock stars and celebrities together for a reality show!

Let's see, not all of these people are confirmed ADDers, but how about Tommy Lee, Ty Pennington, Robin Williams, and Rosie O'Donnel? Ah hell, we can even throw Paris Hilton in there! We'll put them all in a nice, big LA mansion and turn the cameras on.

I'll be there to coach them and help them straighten out their lives using my Five Essential Skills model. We'll cover everything from breaking the cycle of overwhelm to managing time and space. And we'll really focus on living out loud by helping them figure out what they really want in life and why. 

Seeing as how I'll be on reality TV, I'll have the power to make all sorts of crazy requests of my celebrities. I'll design special tasks and exercises to help them build awareness and move forward. And we can have reward challenges in which our celebs can win extra prizes by ignoring distractions like computers dinging with the sounds of newly arrived email. It'll be a blast.

Are you reading this, VH1? Call me.

                              

Paris Takes Adderall, She Thinks

I didn't actually watch Larry King interview Paris Hilton, but I did read part of the transcript.

HILTON: There’s a lot of reports that are false that are out there.

KING: You were not on medication?

HILTON: I have been on medication since I was a child. I have ADD. So I take medication for that.

(skip ahead)

KING: So how have all these stories gotten out about you? Medications — well, the ADD, that’s a strong medication, isn’t it?

HILTON: Um. It’s Adderall, I think. Anyone who has ADD takes it.

I'd love to make fun of this statement but I can't think of anything to say that would be funnier than the actual quote.

 

Move Over, Britney, Paris Has ADD, Too

As if the Paris-jail thing couldn't get any more interesting.

TMZ is reporting that Paris Hilton's medical condition which we've been hearing so much about is "extreme ADD and claustrophobia."

Apparently, she takes Adderall and was not receiving all her meds in jail, which nearly caused a panic attack.

Hmmm...

Any of you on ADD meds ever suffered a panic attack when you forgot to take your pill?

Cause I sure haven't. Never had a client report this, either.

I could understand a lack of claustrophobia meds leading to a panic attack. But Adderall? ADDERALL???

Maybe Paris does have ADD, who knows? Maybe Britney does, too. On the plus side, they bring attention to ADD. On the down side, more and more people are using ADD to justify undesirable behavior. And this is dangerous. ADD is an explanation, not an excuse.

When high profile people start using ADD as an excuse, it becomes harder for the rest of us to gain the respect that we deserve for being who we are.

I'll provide additional updates if there is more to be reported. In the meantime, let's discuss. What do you think about Paris and ADD? Please share your thoughts in the comments field.

Britney Part 2

Wow - this blog had more traffic yesterday than ever before due to my post about Britney Spears! And what I said proved to be quite a controversy, which is great. Whether or not you care about, agree with, disagree with, or are angered by Britney's statement is irrelevant.

The real point is that people are talking about ADD. And that's a good thing.

So here's what I think, all joking aside.

Britney Spears is depressed and in a bad place. She needs help. Of course, she could actually have ADD. I've seen many ADDers succumb to extreme stress and overwhelm and enter into a downward spiral. But I've also seen many depressed people follow the same destructive path.

My opinion is that - whatever is actually going on - she needs some serious mental health care. I hope she gets some help.

There has been a disturbing trend in Hollywood lately in which stars get into trouble and immediately blame someone or something. They don't take responsibility for their actions.

Paris Hilton blamed her publicist for the fact that she broke the law. Isaiah Washington got caught using gay slurs and suddenly entered into rehab, as if to say it's not my fault, I'm an alcoholic. There are tons of other examples.

The one person who bucked this trend was our own Ty Pennington. He was arrested for drunk driving and actually took responsibility for his actions. It was refreshing.

What it all comes down to, for me, is that ADD is an explanation. It's not an excuse.

Britney is clearly misinformed about ADD, especially because she said she was acting like a "bad kid with ADD." Kids with ADD are sometimes restless and hyperactive. These behavior traits aren't "bad," although many adults do find them disruptive.

I believe that Britney was trying to communicate to her fans that she was feeling overwhelmed, restless, and rebellious. I understand what she meant, and I'm glad that she said what she did. It has sparked conversation and given a lot of people the opportunity to learn about what ADD is really all about.

Agree or disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts and keep this discussion going!

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Britney: A Kid with ADD?

Oh, Britney.

I feel bad for her. I think she's lost and in need of some serious therapy. But I'm pissed about the statement she made yesterday.

I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think that it was alcohol or depression. I was like a bad kid running around with ADD.

Um, Britney, honey...it was alcohol and depression.

You know, I was all set to write a post about how Britney Spears blaming her out-of-control behavior on some form of temporary ADD was misguided, judgmental, and damaging to those of us who actually have ADD.

But then I realized, Britney really was acting like a kid with ADD.

Let's review:

• She often left the house without underwear
• She took a buzzer to her own head and cut off all her hair
• She demanded everyone's attention while she performed a 15-minute lip sync show

Hmmm... sounds like an ADD kid to me.

Thoughts?  Please share in the comments field.

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Words of Wisdom: The Only Goal is in the Process

Today is the 10 year anniversary of the death of Jeff Buckley, one of my favorite musicians. "Favorite" is putting it lightly, actually. I can zone out and listen to this man's voice for hours, and be completely transformed in the process.

I have no idea if Jeff Buckley had ADD, and I suspect he would have been completely apathetic about it if he did. Nevertheless, I found this quote today and I love it. It completely illustrates the ADD Management concept of "Living Out Loud."

From Jeff Buckley:

"The only goal is in the process. The process is the thing…with little flashes of light here and there. Those are the gigs, those are the live shows. But it’s the life in between—that’s all I got."

Listen to Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" courtesy of sand is overrated.

"You're Gonna Die, Charlie!"

I'm trying very hard to work right now, but it's Wednesday.

And it's the last episode of Lost before the season finale.

All I can think about is whether or not Charlie's gonna make it. It's been the absolute biggest distraction of my week.

Any other ADD Losties out there? Have you been obsessing over the show lately?  Is it cutting into your productivity, too? 

Here's something to hold you over for the next couple of hours: The Official Lost Podcast.

Tommy Lee Has a Life Coach

I saw a clip of the Ellen Show today in which Tommy Lee (of Motley Crue and married-to-Pamela-Anderson fame) said that he has been working with a life coach for 5 years.

Way to go, Tommy!  This bad boy of rock does seem to have mellowed out a bit.  But anyone who has followed him or watched him on the reality show Rock Star: Supernova this season knows that Tommy Lee is still full of fun, charisma, and...well...ADD.

No, it's not official.  As far as I know, Tommy Lee has never been diagnosed with ADD.  But his energy, compassion, endless stream of projects, and that certain something just scream ADD to me.  There are some people who you just kinda know 'em when you see 'em. 

So Tommy Lee, if you ever decide to trade in your life coach for an ADD coach, I'll be here!