As an adult with ADHD, I’ve never been at a loss for questions and this is especially true when I’ve given someone tacit permission to poke, prod, x-ray, and provide potent chemical substances meant to assist healing or at least mask my symptoms.

With this in mind, I felt even more empowered to ask questions after reading Confessions of a Medical Heretic. It was written in 1979 by Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. (I finally got around to reading it.)

Written by a medical doctor, Confessions describes the dangers of putting blind faith in those to whom we’ve ascribed near-supernatural powers and unquestioned authority over our body, mind, and soul.

Putting it into practice

Half way through the book I found myself at my optometrist’s office. Having taken Dr Mendelsohn’s words of empowerment to heart, I decided to question any test I was uncomfortable with and ask if there was an alternative.

No thanks. They might as well be shooting my eye with a paintball gun at close range as use the horrifying puff-of-air test (which, to a person with hypersensitivities, feels like a laser beam of concentrated air traveling at a velocity that could blow a hole in the back of my head).

Forget it. I won’t be having that test.

I felt a thrill of power by merely uttering a declarative sentence taking back my right to decide. I was kicking medical butt!

And yes – as it happened – there was an alternative. Who knew?

Extra challenges for the extra-challenged

Still with Dr. Mendelsohn’s heretical suggestions in mind, I attended a follow-up appointment with an ophthalmologist.

A receptionist greeted me with a barrage of personal questions, starting with verifying my address and phone number and ending with my medical history. This wouldn’t have been off-putting except for the fact that my answers could be heard throughout the two adjacent waiting rooms.

I wasn’t the only one who instinctively lowered my voice in a futile effort at confidentiality. Now that my ADHD impulsivity is in check, I’d never give my phone number to strangers. How is it that a medical office could force me into doing just that?

As someone who’s been stalked and received death threats, I’m a tad sensitive to giving out my address and phone number when two full rooms of strangers are in hearing range.

What about those of us with ADHD, anxiety disorders, etc.?

These appointments got me thinking: medical appointments are inherently stressful; how much more upsetting is it for those of us with anxiety disorders, paranoia, or even just a healthy sense of privacy (we’re not all memoir-authors and tell-all bloggers).

Having ADHD or any other mental health issue is disempowering and stigmatizing in and of itself; add to that the impact of the emotion-less command to “Take off your glasses,” versus a polite request to “Please remove your glasses,” and the power-over, self-anointed authority of the medical staff becomes even more unsettling.

Dr. Mendelsohn talks about the power imbalance of the medical system, where we’re accustomed to being passive recipients of the near super-natural powers of the almighty medical personnel whom we expect to “cure” us with their advanced knowledge, potions and pills.

But adults with ADHD often feel a learned powerlessness; our lives have spun out of control, which is why we got our diagnosis in the first place.

I was led into an examination room.

“You can sit there.”

I responded by extending my hand. I’m Zoe. What’s your name? I refused to partake in an exchange stripped of humanity and reducing me to an inanimate cog in the wheel.

When the technician brought out a pen-shaped instrument and pointed it at my eyeball, I asked about it. Does it use sound waves? I asked. “I don’t have the words to explain it,” she answered.

Maybe it’s because of ADHD battle scars, but I found her answer mildly patronizing.

Re-learn to trust your gut

Dr. Mendelsohn suggests we should trust our fear of hospitals, as it’s well-founded, given overworked hospital staff; frequency of hospital-acquired infections; and medical mistakes, to name a few inherent dangers.

If you’ve got ADHD you might have become accustomed to questioning your instincts and perceptions. Don’t. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instinct. Get a second opinion, find a different practitioner, or ask around to learn about the experiences of others with your condition. And, as Mendelsohn suggests, don’t hesitate to ask a doctor to wash his or her hands before they examine you.

In an inherently stressful situation, where you’re afraid for your health and the work, diagnostic tools, and procedures are unfamiliar to you and being practiced by people you’ve never met who refuse to answer your questions and trounce your privacy, I would encourage trying Dr. Mendelsohn’s recommendations. Remember: you’re paying the staff who serves you. They’re working for you, not the other way around. It’s your mental, physical, and emotional health that’s at stake.

Dr. House MD Caricature of Hugh Laurie Nelson Santos via Compfight

This Monday is Victoria Day in Canada. Its origin is a celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday and it occurs on the weekend prior to May 25. (Canada still has a British Queen, why I don’t know. Maybe we’re just too polite to point out to the Brits that we’re Canadian, but I’m just speculating).

In lieu of ousting the monarchy, we’ve created an alternative name for our holiday: the May 2-4 weekend, thus named both for the date, and after a 2-4 case of beer (hey, we’re poetic like that.)

With the first summer-ish holiday looming, and Canadians across the land opening their cottages for the first time in our short summer season, I thought this would be a good time to review some do’s and don’ts of holidaying with ADHD.

Don’t

- Stop taking your meds or abandon your ADHD treatment. Holidays are social occasions, and rendering ourselves less than sociable might have us jumping in the lake. Not because we wanted a nice cool dip, but because someone told us to go jump in the lake.

- Forget that alcohol/ADHD can be a tricky combination: it can relax us and let us cut loose; on the other hand, our loose can be someone else’s obnoxious if our treatment-induced filters are suddenly removed. If you’re prone to impulsive blurting, alcohol can loosen your lips in a way you might regret later.

- Offer to be the navigator of a road trip if you’re directionally challenged. Do the driving and have someone else tell you where to go (this is the one time when that’s ok). Or, relax and let the driver find the way. Resist the temptation to give directions if you think you’re off track; that way, even if you are, it won’t be your fault.

- Forget to pack for changes in weather. This is much less organizationally challenging if you plan to stay at a nudist colony. In that case, the list is short: sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen. And a hat. And maybe a fig leaf if you’re a first-timer or there’s a costume party. (What do nudists wear to costume parties, anyway?)

- Leave the house without completing a written checklist including: lights, oven, and stove turned off; doors locked; garbage out, etc.; include anything that you’ve worried about in the past that you’d left undone. This does not include your income taxes, finding a new career, or leaving your husband; all that will have to wait until you get back home.

Do

- Make a list for passport, itinerary, tickets, etc. Check off each packed item before leaving. (Unlike your never-ending to-do list, these lists might be the only ones you ever actually complete. That in itself should be an incentive to use them.)

- Holiday with people you enjoy. If your trip includes sharing a cruise, bus, or tour with strangers, align yourself with people you find fun and interesting. Remember that people with ADHD actually can die from boredom.

- Choose a holiday that’s not going to push your most difficult buttons. For example, as an HSP and animal lover, you’ll never find me at the Calgary stampede or along a Spanish street during the running of the bulls. Take care of your sensitivities, and take a holiday from your holiday if you’re overwhelmed or overstimulated. Think of it as an adult time-out to recharge your batteries.

- This sounds counter-intuitive, but get enough sleep and eat properly. Even though it’s tempting to go full board while you’re on holidays, like alcohol, a lack of sleep can erode your ADHD treatment making you more irritable, disorganized, and making it more difficult to stick to a schedule. It would be a drag to tour Europe and miss the one chance you had to see a gallery because you didn’t arrive until closing time.

- Give yourself transition time when you get home. I like to spend the last two days of my holidays at home, settling into my daily routine and psyching myself up for the following workday.

*  *  *  *  *

If you follow these tips, you’ll be less likely to need a vacation to recuperate after your holidays.

If you’ve got strategies you use to make your holidays less stressful and more successful, please share them with us in the comments.

Happy May 2-4 everyone! Cheers Queen Victoria!

Ibrahim Iujaz via Compfight

Life was so messy and topsy-turvy before my ADHD diagnosis, these days I make a conscious effort to notice how (and when) things have changed for the better. Otherwise, I might just notice the places where I’m still messy, still awkward, still completely incapable of assembling small furniture or a batch of cookies in under 15 hours.

And that would just be depressing.

If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult – don’t despair! Things do (and will) get better. Just give it some time. And effort. And chocolate.

Here are a few signposts along the way to – perhaps not recovery – but to living better with ADHD.

1 ) You’ve decided it’s more fun to play guitar than to get your heart broken by someone else who does.

2 ) You start noticing that your house is actually neater than some of your friends’ homes.

You start noticing that your house is actually neater than some of your friends’ homes.

3 ) You still have friends.

4 ) You’re no longer late for social dates or work. Or at least you rarely arrive late and if you do, it’s because you were unavoidably detained (code for still  haven’t got a handle on the hyperfocus and/or transitions) or you got lost (code for still directionally challenged).

5 ) You’ve started using a kitchen timer regularly. (Not for cooking, for achieving signpost #4)

6 ) You’re so comfortable with your diagnosis, you mention it in conversation without even thinking about it (and no, I’m not talking about impulsive blurting you regret later; you casually mention it because you’ve regained your self-confidence, another signpost!).

7 ) You’re so comfortable with your ADHDness, you can joke about it and instantly recognize yourself in the ADHD jokes someone else from the tribe makes.

8 ) You no longer have to sheepishly return to the store where you impulsively purchased the 98% purple spandex-and-daisy-patterned outfit that would look better on a 5-year-old and that you shouldn’t have bought in the first place. Or you look good in it now. (In which case, your treatment is still working because you’ve successfully battled co-morbid obesity as a result of your ADHD treatment! Good for you.)

9 ) You’ve read to the end of this blog post and noticed that there are 9 – not 7 – signs listed. Excellent!

So there you  have it. Keep looking for the positives; minimize, or better – joke about – the challenges; and keep doing your best. And do let us know what signposts you’ve noticed along with way in your ADHD treatment.

Lisa Aro and husband Mark

I’m happy to report that our Mother’s Day with ADHD: How to Keep It Happy! webinar went off (almost) without a hitch.

On a personal note, I was terrified before we started. I’d planned to create a visual presentation but only had 3 hours to create it – right before the webinar!

With minimal time, I decided I’d keep it simple, and let the content be the focus of our session. I knew my special guest had great content, having read her excellent blog, Queen of the Distracted, and having had a preliminary phone call to plan what we’d cover in our webinar.

But – what I didn’t count on was for three friends to drop in – all at the same time – and all needing my attention just before the webinar!

Still, even though I started as a nervous wreck, I’d practiced with the webinar software, and worked out some of the technical glitches. It helped that Lisa was her usual warm-hearted self and once we got into it, things flowed well.

On a final note about the technology (which I admit overwhelms and boggles my ADHD mind), everything went smoothly except when I decided to move to a different slide in the visuals and got lost, randomly skipping around while Lisa was talking. I admit I found it a hilarious metaphor for the ADHD child who constantly interrupts while someone else is talking, still, not very professional, and the only glitch marring the generally smooth flow.

Lord knows, I’ve had far more disastrous results when hosting my first one or two webinars. Here’s the doozy if you feel like a laugh:

7 Steps to Choosing Less Stress

So, all in all, I think I might be getting the hang of it. (Even though I still feel a bit like the pilot of a commercial jet who’s trying to fly through a major storm while her three-year-old is tugging at her sleeve, begging for attention, and the dog is barfing his breakfast up in the livingroom while the 9-year-old is burning toast in the kitchen and smoke is billowing into the cockpit while the fire alarm starts.

It’s a bit like that. Still… content is king, right?

And we do have some great content. Check it out for yourself. The video is below!

Our participants had some terrific questions, and everyone had their questions answered as we went along.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, my special guest Lisa Aro shared some wonderful tips on how to parent children with ADHD, while keeping sane and keeping a smile on your face.

Aro impeccably describes how her family has learned to communicate, and to appreciate each other.

In our webinar, we share:

- parenting tips for when your child is having a meltdown

- how to decide what’s important and what to let go

- how a parent with ADHD can act as an interpreter for the non-ADHD parent

- how to advocate for your child in school and in social situations

- how to teach your child to be her or his own advocate

- how to deal with name-calling and shaming from other children

…and lots more!

We also shared some of our favorite resources, including books, websites, support groups, and blogs that provide excellent information about all things ADHD and parenting so that if you’re left with questions, you have go-to resources to dig deeper into specific topics.

It’s impossible to cover everything in one hour (even when you talk as fast as I do!), but I’m happy with how much ground we covered, and the wonderful questions and lively participation from the attendees.

So, without further adieu, here is our Psych Central webinar, Mother’s Day with ADHD: How to Keep It Happy!

Enjoy!

Wisteria and MInt – Mother Nature and a lesson on ADHD procrastination

I accidentally spent the whole day gardening and landscaping today.

As I worked, I thought about ADHD and procrastination. Am I procrastinating? I thought, knowing I had many other projects lined up, none of which had to do with spending the day in the dirt.

Then I realized some things can’t wait. Like Mother Nature.

If I wait to pull out weeds, the things I want to live, will die; the things I want to die, will live.

Did our ancestors procrastinate?

As I worked the land, I thought about our ancestors. Our pioneering forefathers and foremothers spent their days in hard physical labor just to survive.

Can you imagine Clem telling Martha, “Sorry honey, I don’t feel like planting the crops today”?

Maybe that’s why the simple but demanding farm life is so good for people with ADHD. It’s do or die.

Is ADHD a product of modern lifestyles?

Think about life today. How many ways can you find to procrastinate? Plenty. But no matter what happens, chances are, nobody’s going to keel over if you’re late with your project.

There’s nothing like survival (yours, the crops’, or the animals’) to get you to get it done.

Yesterday’s pioneering families had to work hard. They couldn’t put off for tomorrow what had to be done today. They also got tons of physical exercise – which happens to be one of the best treatments for ADHD.

All this work and fresh air meant they slept well, while today’s ADHD adults struggle with out-of-sync sleep patterns.

Back to the future

It’s said that one reason people with ADHD procrastinate so much is that our ADHD brains don’t hold a picture of the future as easily as others. Lately, as the weather has warmed up, I’ve been walking around the house to see what’s growing and to plan what I’d like to plant.

During my daily lawn inspections, I’ve watched anxiously as the weeds run rampant, overtaking the daffodils, and choking out the hostas before they’ve had a chance to emerge. All I could think about was the future and how much more work it will be if I don’t tackle the weed problem now.

I’ve also been keenly aware of my next-door neighbor. When I first moved in he made a pointed remark about the previous owner who didn’t do any gardening or lawn maintenance. I got the point.

Envisioning a future with a disgruntled next-door neighbor also inspired me to keep up with my yard work.

Procrastination… or not

So today I spent a glorious day in the sunshine pulling up weeds, planting, building, digging, and reveling in the fresh air and sunshine. I was also ensuring that the future would be less work than it otherwise would have been.

But was I procrastinating? Maybe. Maybe not.

A lesson from the land

The next time I’m tempted to procrastinate, maybe I can think of my plants and my pride and use them as a reminder to think about the future.

What will be choked out of my life if I don’t act now? What projects, relationships, or goals will die if I don’t take action immediately? Who will be annoyed if I don’t take responsibility for what I’m responsible for?

They say we can learn from nature. Today, I thank my yard and Mother Nature for reminding me to think about the future when I’m tempted to procrastinate.

t horizontal.integration via Compfight

It appears that my little rant on spanking has struck a mighty chord.

In addition to readers and comments here at my blog, I’ve received a lot of input on my Facebook page and elsewhere from those weighing in on the weighty topic of how the heck do we deal with our ADHD kids?

It’s distressing to see that some of you (and I suspect many more whom I haven’t  heard from) are suffering and agonizing over what the right way to discipline your ADHD children.

The blog comment that tipped the scale was (excerpted here):

“…how in the world do you get an ADHD kid to learn the social skills required to get along in life before their parent finally finally [sic] loses it and spanks them..” [read molbiomom's full Comment here]

How indeed?

What is the best approach for them and, I wonder, for you (not to mention the rest of your family)?

Children do not grow in isolation. The family “unit” is just that – a team. Everyone plays their part, and it’s so difficult to see the dynamics when you’re in it.

I’ve often said those of us without kids are of course the perfect parent. In my mind, I have all the answers. It’s easy to raise kids in theory. But in practice? As we all know, that’s a completely different story.

With this in mind, I decided that I owe it to you to seek out some concrete answers and advice from those who are in the know.

Introducing the Queen of the Distracted

Shortly after I began using Twitter, I met an amazing woman who declared herself to be “The Queen of the Distracted.” Intrigued, I decided to check her out. Since then, we’ve become resources for one another as we travel down this crooked ADHD road.

As it turns out, Her Royal Highness is actually Lisa Aro, and woman who is anything but hoity-toity in her attitudes. It was Lisa’s down-to-earth approach to parenting her brood – including 7 children, 6 of whom are blessed with “the Gift,” along with navigating her relationship with her creative and talented ADHD husband, that won me over.

The family’s most recent project includes a video series called The Mighty Kubar. This team effort is indicative of the kinds strategies they use to bring out the most in their ADHD kids; to bond together; to give the creative types an outlet; and to have fun together.

Maybe all the world’s not a stage

I’m not suggesting that if only every family with ADHD mounted a stageplay, became The ADHD Partridge Family, or shot a 19-episode mini-series, all would be well. Of course not. But it turns out that Aro and her husband have used a solid foundation of parenting skills that anyone could use to keep their ADHD family happy and on track.

Lisa will offer concrete tips and resources, and together we’ll explore the tricks and traps of raising a child with ADHD in our upcoming webinar, Mother’s Day with ADHD: How to Keep It Happy!

As a now-grown-up kid with ADHD, I’m looking forward to sharing my own experiences growing up with ADHD in a time when very little was known about it, and how the impact of some of my earliest experiences have been the most difficult to unravel since my ADHD diagnosis.

I’m looking forward to sharing Lisa’s insights, wisdom, and depth of knowledge with you. We’ll also be giving you an opportunity to ask questions during our free, one-hour webinar on Tuesday, May 7 @ 7 p.m. (EST) – just in time for Mother’s Day!

We’ll leave you with resources and supports to check out after the webinar, so you’ll have even more help and ideas. So don’t sit and stew alone. You are not alone!

By Royal Decree

Whether you’re a mom or a dad in an ADHD family, I hereby invite you to do yourself a favor and join me for what will be an educational, informal, and fun conversation with this sparkling personality. See why Lisa’s earned her tongue-in-cheek title, Queen of the Distracted by joining us on Tuesday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m. (EST).

To register for this free webinar, click here.

Hands up if you know what I’m talking about when I say hyperfocus.

I thought so.

There’s a general consensus that adults with ADHD hyperfocus. The exception comes from ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley. In this video clip, Barkley says we perseverate, not hyperfocus. But (with all due respect) we’re going to pretend we don’t know about that and go ahead and talk about hyperfocus anyway, okay?

While most of us agree that adults with ADHD do hyperfocus, what exactly is it? Here’s where things get tricky.

Hyperfocus – what it is – and isn’t

The concept of hyperfocus might be the most confusing to those who don’t experience it. I shared the example of when hyperfocus happens to me during a live theater or symphonic performance with a non-ADHD adult.

I told her that during these performances, if I’m totally absorbed and (God forbid) some cretin crinkles a gum wrapper behind me, it’s like a gun shot, startling me out of my reverie. Of course, this necessitates a pointed glare at the offending party, just to let them know of my displeasure.

The person I was explaining this to said it sounded more like distractibility or irritability (ok, she could have a point with that last one) and, she said, “It seems to me that if you were hyperfocused in these situations, you would be undistractable, even by gum wrapper crinkling.”

Oh, really? I thought. For my part, her description sounded more like that of an insensible zombie than hyperfocus. After all, I may have been in a reverie but it was because my ears were in tact that I was. And then wasn’t. I mean, yes, I was in a sort of rapture, but it’s not like I’d lost all contact with the outside world. Geez.

It’s complicated

Still, the state of hyperfocus is complex and idiosyncratic.

When you think about it, it’s like sex.

What I mean is: when it’s good, it’s great; when it’s bad, it’s frustrating and maybe even downright unhealthy. Don’t believe me? Consider this excellent article about positive versus negative hyperfocus by ADHD Coach Jennifer Koretsky.

Koretsky outlines what all but hyperfocus virgins already know: there’s a time and place for hyperfocusing.

An appropriate time to hyperfocus for example is when making improvisational music with friends. When we’re in the groove, we can play for hours, not noticing the time slip away. We’ve dissolved into the music: the music is us and we are it.

On the other hand, just as Alex (played by Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction) was destroyed by obsessively hyperfocusing on her married lover, so too can hyperfocus destroy our relationships (and all areas of our lives) if we lose track of our priorities.

So choose the object of your hyperfocus carefully, lest you create your own fatal attraction – and always practice safe hyperfocus.

Ok. That’s it. I’m down the rabbithole again.

The more I learn about ADHD, the more complex and interconnected everything gets. I’m totally overwhelmed by the plethora of theories, webinars, tools, and tricks of the trade.

Not to mention the amazing, fascinating, infuriating, and fabulous personalities representing a myriad of contrasting, conflicting, and concurring opinions available through blogs, articles, Twitter peeps and peeping twits (including those who randomly steal and re-post my writings without so much as a by-your-leave).

Today’s frustrating fiasco

I started this morning writing today’s blog post, a simple homage to good ADHD parenting. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was reminiscing about my own childhood mothering versus the talented ADHD moms I’ve come to know and love since my diagnosis.

Today’s blog post took steroids while I was on a pee break and blew up into a two-parter.

Today’s blog post took steroids while I was on a pee break and blew up into a two-parter. That’s when my voice-activated software crashed. Again.

Software (and user) meltdown

Even my word processing software couldn’t save me: even though I save obsessively, my recovered documents only proved that the technology got distracted and wandered off to a matinee while I continued to blather on for no apparent reason. Simply put, I lost half my work and had to start over.

This has been happening since I – wait for it – installed the newest, 100% improved, better-than-you-could-even imagine version of my Dragon Naturally Speaking software which wires was working service sibling serviceably well before I made the ill-advised move of “upgrading.”

That’s what I get for not listening to my gut. Not only does the program crash every time I use it, when it “works” it writes things like: Italy-bitchy when I dictate: itty-bitty.

Ok, maybe itty-bitty is out there, but “write” consistently turns into “rate;” and “attitude” turns into “ADDitude” unless I turn into Eliza Doolittle at one of her more onerous elocution sessions with the indomitable Henry Higgins. Not fun. I’d definitely rather dance all night than spend my time correcting an already out-of-control blog post by having to manually spell or type every fifth word.

Software rant over. We will now proceed with my initially-scheduled complaint about my inability to be petty (cute, DNS, very cute) pithy. (I had to type that last word all by myself.)

Time for drastic measures

So that does it. It’s time to implement a drastic measure I’ve been thinking about for some months now (ever since I finished writing my upcoming book, ADHD According to Zoë). (Why, yes, that was a flagrant bit of self-promotion. Good eye.)

Writing that book ruined me on many levels. Not only did I have to dig deep into memories I thought I’d put behind me, but I’d just hit my stride on writing the short form genre of blog posts when my book contract came along (400- 800 words versus 60,000 – 85,000 for a book manuscript).

I’m ruined.

Or maybe not…

So here’s the deal: for the next five weeks, I’m going to pick one ADHD symptom, trait, or dilemma per week. Then I’m going to pick one teeny-weenie sub-topic and fixate on that for 400 words. No more, no less.

And just to get the creative juices and adrenaline flowing, I’ll set my time for two hours.

I have no idea what kind of writing this will result in.

I don’t have time to ruminate about that now. I’ve already reached 570 words.

Tomorrow: let’s start with hyperfocus, shall we? And we’ll see what sub-topic I can come up with. I’m open to suggestions, so fire away until Friday. Next week, who knows? Maybe we’ll cover self-flagellation.

Did you know today, April 19 is bicycle day? That sounds like something super-wholesome, doesn’t it?

There’s tripping, then there’s tripping

Wrong. It’s actually the anniversary of the first-ever deliberate acid trip in history, taken by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann while riding his bike. Hofmann, a chemist, created the psychedelic drug Lysergic acid dethylamide (LSD), commonly known as acid, in 1938.

Thanks to you-know-who, biking and illicit drug-taking is now old hat. But when Hofmann experienced his acid trip, his description of the event was diametrically opposed to that other famed cycling druggie. According to an International Business Times article, Hofmann described it as an experience of reality without an ego.

It’s all in how you look at it

Today, being the anniversary of the first-ever acid trip, got me thinking about the parallels between ADHD’s first-ever description as “Minimal Brain Dysfunction,” to its current “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,” and the many shifts and turns taken in society’s view of LSD.

At various times, LSD has been considered as having therapeutic potential; it’s been vilified as a dangerous recreational drug (in the notorious hippie days of the 60’s and 70’s) and subsequently outlawed; and today, there’s a resurgence of interest in it as a viable option for mental health treatment.

As recently as January 28, 2013, The Globe and Mail published an online article called, High hopes: Why science is seeking a pardon for psychedelics by Taras Grescoe. In it, Grescoe cites a research study due to be published this spring examining the therapeutic effects of LSD on humans – the first such research in humans in over four decades.

How far out of the box should we go?

Using LSD as part of psychotherapy is not new. Famed psychiatrist Stanislov Grof used LSD and breathing techniques to allow patients to move into what he called “transpersonal” states, a condition where we sense that we are one with everything.

Those of us with non-linear ADHD minds often experience the world as intricately interconnected; this is one source of our creativity: we see connections where others don’t. It is also one of our strengths that has been utilized in business, the arts, and problem-solving.

So is there a place for a substance that alters our state of consciousness in mental health treatment?  Apparently, some 40,000 people, including famed actor Cary Grant, have been successfully treated with LSD for mental health problems, including overcoming addictions, according to Grescoe.

The traits (or symptoms, if you prefer) of ADHD haven’t changed; our point of view has. Researchers are giving the healing potential of LSD, ayahuasca, and other mind-altering substances a new look. Is the pendulum swinging again?

It may be. But if it is, let’s just hope they don’t also – ever – bring back bellbottoms.

  Tambako The Jaguar via Compfight

Don’t panic! I’m not talking about housework.

I’m talking about a Buddhist expression, “polishing your mirror.” It means clearing up your personal inner gunk, so you can shine more brilliantly.

After my ADHD diagnosis, I realized my mirror was more spattered with toothpaste than I thought.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

It’s amazing how many mirrors life holds up when we’re paying attention. Here are a few surprising ones you can use to target where to apply the spit and polish.

1. Your day-to-day environment

My work space is  full of clutter. I’m not worried about the boxes of crap I’ve lugged around for years. Slowly but surely, I’m getting rid of them.

The real eye-opener is the leftover items from a previous business that are cluttering up my home office and part of my house. I vowed I’d get rid of these items years ago.

Reflected messages

- Fear of moving forward

- Fear of 100% commitment to my current career goal

- Fear of failure

Lessons

This morning, I visualized my space free of these unused things. I realized:

- It would be easier to stay focused on my current goals without being distracted by these reminders of the past

- The clutter constantly reminds me of my procrastination

- I’m reinforcing my disappointment at waffling over my decision for years

Time to let go!

2. Your hobbies

I’d planned to start most of my garden from seed this year. Today I took a cold, hard look in the mirror of my veggie grow-op and saw rows of overcrowded peat pots.

Reflected messages

- Lack of trust

- Fear of failure

- Enthusiasm run amok

Lessons

- Trust the universe. In this case, “universe” means: the seed package and others with more experience.

Instead of planting one or two seeds in each tiny pot, I tossed in a handful. I was scared that none of the seeds would grow, so I overcompensated. More is better, right? Wrong. The tiny seedlings are too dense to thin. I blew it.

- Take it gradually to gain experience before planning an entire veggie garden from seed.

3. Friends and acquaintances

Real-life friendships, Facebook friends, and Twitter Followers can be mirrors too.

Reflected messages

- Too many destructive, negative images or comments? I need to look at my own state of mind.

Lessons

- Balance. Balance is important to me. As a highly sensitive person (HSP) I’ll wilt if bombarded by too much violence, or negativity. Looking at friends both online and in real life as a mirror helps me make adjustments when I’ve become too negative or emotionally depleted.

4. Horses

Non-verbal methods can be the most direct, effective way to see yourself through another person’s eyes – even if that person is a horse. Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is showing lots of promise in treating kids and adults with ADHD. (To learn more about EAP, read The Horse Who Read My Mind)

Reflected messages

- Approach a horse when you’re feeling angry and chances are, the horse will back away.

Lessons

- Even if you’re completely silent, and don’t realize you’re angry, a horse will respond to your body language and deepest feelings. When you’ve dealt with your feelings, the horse will allow you to approach because the danger is over.

Now think about your last divorce.

5. The mirror

And lastly, there’s the actual mirror.

A former therapist once told me to look in the mirror and say “I love you.”  I told her she was nuts if she thought I was going to do that (I was an angry 20-something).

Even now, I can still barely do it. But I have no problem looking in the mirror and saying, “You go, girl!”  It’s a start. (For help in rustling up self-love, try this: I Love Me, Ya, Ya, Ya…Self-Love for ADHDers)

Reflected messages

- Feelings of inferiority

- Lack of self-acceptance

- Fear of looking foolish

Lessons

- Get over yourself already!

- Work on treating yourself at least as well as you treat others

- Internalize that taking care of yourself lets you do an even better job of helping others through your work

Time to practice!

It’s time to take a look for yourself.

I invite you to pick just one mirror today, and take 5 or 10 minutes to sit quietly and discover what that mirror reflects back to you about yourself.

You may be amazed by what you see, and do let us know which mirror you’ve chosen so we can try it too.