I edited out my post seeing you removed yours.

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Originally posted by Raphie just not sure if taking meds is the best way to go to balance those feelings out.

I do agree that the meds are being given way too easily whenever someone is being a little bit sad. A distinction needs to be made between real mental disorders and teen angst.

This! +1

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Originally posted by Storyteller From my experience a lot of people get stamped ADHD way to quickly and easily. Especially food can influence behaviour a lot (also when you do have ADHD). I see a lot of kids (less than 12 years old) drinking cheap red bull replacements before 13:00. No wonder they're all over the place, but far from all of them have ADHD. Doctors just say: pump them full of Ritalin and they'll tone down. My gut says this goes for the majority of 'ADHD'-diagnosed people. A few things that have helped for me is actually doing (very little) reading on practical problems one might have. In my case I get distracted by either something around me or by my mind. - I write down things I need to remember. When I'm on a phone call for work or business I would otherwise have forgotten what is said 10-15 seconds after it was mentioned. - I cut down on sugar/carbs (little to no bread for instance). It makes me a lot more relaxed. It also reduces certain tics (for lack of a better word) I have. They're not really apparent to anyone who isn't aware but it reduces a lot of distraction. - Only drink coffee/caffeine when I really need to perform hard. Hardly ever happens, and otherwise a bit of stress is usually already sufficient. - Sport regularly. Release some of your energy. I can't due to a foot injury for well over 6 months now and its frustrating as hell. It does come with its advantages too. ADHD people are usually more creative for instance .

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Originally posted by Storyteller It does come with its advantages too. ADHD people are usually more creative for instance .

This is actually what I was getting at earlier. It can't be a coincidence that so many successful musicians had a hard time in school due to focusing issues.

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Originally posted by Mr.Mystery This is actually what I was getting at earlier. It can't be a coincidence that so many successful musicians had a hard time in school due to focusing issues.

But school as well. As a parent if your kid is diagnosed with ADHD, you get addional tutoring, guided homework. You don't leave it up to your child and school to make it work, but after 15.00PM no free afternoon, private tutoring for an additional hour.

If you can't focus in class there are other ways to learn. Not focussing in class is not a legitimate excuse to give up and fail in life. But that effort needs to come from your parents.

___________________
Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear

I'm not sure what that has to do with the connection between ADHD and creativity.

School has also taken me a lot longer than any regular person would spend on finishing it.

I used to be one of the smart kids in elementary school. I grasped everything quickly without doing much (or any) learning.

I've went to a homework place from my 15th to 17th, where I got a bit of tutoring. It helped me finish (and actually start) doing my homework as there were little to no distractions. A good stimulus was also that I could go home as soon as I had finished my homework. You were forced to commit in an ideal environment.

5 years of high school took me 7yrs. A 4 year bachelor took me 10 yrs. I can read books and after finishing them all the knowledge I tried to take in is lost unless I take proper notes. Underlining relevant text isn't sufficient. I was too distracted during the classes I didn't care for that things wouldn't sink in. When I finally got the chance to shape my graduation with custom courses (which did follow my interests) things got a whole lot easier. It took me 7 years to finish the first 2 years. Another 2 years For the 3rd year, and one for my graduation year. Also I let work come before education, I shouldn't have done that. Quitting my job and putting my own company on hold helped a lot. This (work) caused probably 75% of the delay. That said, for now, finishing my bachelor was probably my most stressful challenge up to date. School is not for me, and I guess most ADHD people learn by doing (or proper engaging storytelling in class) instead of being taught with books.

Here's another couple of things I came up with during writing this all down.
- Seperate specific tasks, don't multitask.
- Set a little alarm every 12 minutes or so to check if you aren't avoiding what you should actually be doing. It snaps you back to reality and reminds you to focus on what is at hand.
- If possible, do something you genuinely care about. It is so much easier. Although that might not be ADHD specific .

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Storyteller Website | Storyteller @ Facebook | Storyteller @ Beatport | Storyteller @ Soundcloud | Stephen J. Kroos - Europa (Storyteller Remix)
Anthony Mea - Get It On (Storyteller Remix)

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If less is more think about how much more more would be. -Frasier

Last edited by Storyteller on Jan-15-2015 at 07:52

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Originally posted by Storyteller or eating loads of sugar before 13:00.

sugar's actually been proven to have zero effect on energy levels or attention span in children.

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Originally posted by deegee sugar's actually been proven to have zero effect on energy levels or attention span in children.

I can show you just as many studies that say the opposite. Same goes for food colouring (to a lesser extent). Food influences everything in your body just like eating McDonalds every meal makes you fat.

I recently saw a video, where ironically all kids with nutricious lunches were capable of behaving and learning better in school than their peers that ate bread with chocolate and candy for lunch. You could easily spot them.

Diet is important as is moderation. Did you know the average kid eats 30kgs more non-natural added sugar than it needs, every year. It's in everything, peanut butter, chocolat spread, meat, cheese etc.

There's also research papers that say sugar isn't linked to diabetes. Funded by sugar industry lobbyists lol.

Since I cut back on sugar and carbs (which your body processes to sugar) I never had an after lunch dip anymore. I've gained about 2effective working hours a day by doing so.

Btw, i'm in no way saying a better diet will solve ADHD issues. But it can lighten the burden of some ADHD related issues. This might very well have very different outcomes per individual.

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Storyteller Website | Storyteller @ Facebook | Storyteller @ Beatport | Storyteller @ Soundcloud | Stephen J. Kroos - Europa (Storyteller Remix)
Anthony Mea - Get It On (Storyteller Remix)

quote:

If less is more think about how much more more would be. -Frasier

Last edited by Storyteller on Jan-15-2015 at 08:08

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Originally posted by Mr.Mystery I'm not sure what that has to do with the connection between ADHD and creativity.

LOL we're not talking about that we're discussing "tween ADHD" and how people should not blame a diagnose as an excuse for not growing up.

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Esoteric sound for the discerning ear

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Originally posted by Storyteller I can show you just as many studies that say the opposite

You probably can't, actually. Sugar doesn't have an effect on kids unless the people around those kids say it does--at which point we're talking about placebo effects and self-fulfilling prophecies.

I'm a chef, how food affects the body is something I am very intimately familiar with, and research on a daily basis.

99% of "changing my diet changed my life" is purely placebo, and is more related to 'now you are actually paying attention to what you eat' than it is tied to any specific ingredients. Control is the biggest placebo there is.

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Originally posted by deegee sugar's actually been proven to have zero effect on energy levels or attention span in children.

First google search result on 'sugar enery levels research'. Yes even with the typo.

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/52/1/119/

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Results suggest that sugar snacking is often motivated by a low-awareness attempt to raise energy. Additionally, the results clarify an apparent conflict between neurochemical research, which indicates that sugar ingestion increases the tendency to sleep, and popular nutrition theory, which indicates that it increases tension. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

It does affect energy levels. They suggest it increases the tendency to sleep. Nutricion theory says the opposite, it increases tension. Yet either way it has a negative side-effect on the ideal situation. Ergo: Too much sugar is bad.

The only thing I could be wrong about is that being annoying in class and not paying attention is due to an excess of energy while it might be the opposite. Then again, Ritalin calms ADHD people down while it makes regular people hyper. Maybe sugar works similarly on a persion with ADHD, who knows (I don't). Individual cases might differ.

Mind you I'm talking about *added* sugars. Sugars that do not naturally occur in a product.

___________________

Storyteller Website | Storyteller @ Facebook | Storyteller @ Beatport | Storyteller @ Soundcloud | Stephen J. Kroos - Europa (Storyteller Remix)
Anthony Mea - Get It On (Storyteller Remix)

quote:

If less is more think about how much more more would be. -Frasier

Last edited by Storyteller on Jan-15-2015 at 09:18

The real question is, would you give up your talent for a lifetime cure? that is the question.