ADHD: Regaining focus
Posted By MARILYN LINTON
Posted 8 months ago
Rick Green has adult ADHD. And he has his son to thank for making him aware of it.
Like many adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, the Canadian celebrity (he was part of the comedic troupe The Frantics and plays Bill on TV's Red Green Show) learned of his own challenges a few years ago at age 48 when one of his children was diagnosed with it.
"For adults, discovering you have ADHD is a bit like finding out one of your legs is shorter than the other. You never noticed it and so you thought all the problems it caused were caused by something else," he said.
"You remember the disaster at your prom night. Now you realize it wasn't that you couldn't dance but that your leg was just shorter!"
Expert Dr. Umesh Jain says the prevalence rate in adults is more than 4%.
"There is not a single person in this country who doesn't know someone with adult ADHD," says Jain, a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
For Green, spreading the word has become a passion.
His ADD and Loving It?! documentary comes out in October. Until then he's working nationwide to get rid of the stigma that surrounds the disorder and convincing people who think they might have it to seek proper diagnosis and treatment.
According to the Canadian Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resource Alliance (www.caddra.ca), red flags include a lifelong history of difficulty with attention, a history of disruptive or impulsive behaviour, organizational skill problems, an erratic work history, anger control, marital problems, being over-talkative (interrupting frequently or inappropriately, speaking too loudly), substance abuse and addictions.
Adults with ADHD can recall having problems during childhood.
Green, for example, remembers himself as a daydreamy kid with a mind that constantly raced ahead. He explains that one aspect of the disorder is the ability to hyperfocus at times and other times not being able to focus at all.
"The challenge is staying in the present, in the moment. You have to learn how to separate yourself from the voice in your head that is racing all over the place."
The correct diagnosis, coupled with medication, has helped him tremendously, he says. "Before my diagnosis, there were projects everywhere. Things were never finished."
Now he can settle down and work through a day without distraction -- not an easy thing to do in our hyper-stimulating world that encourages distraction.
ADHD is genetically transmitted, says Jain, who adds it's not unusual for an adult to be diagnosed as a result of their child's diagnosis. (One study reports that 20% of parents of children with ADHD have the problem themselves.) Medications can help, but Jain stresses that medication alone is not the whole solution.
He prefers a holistic approach.
Green agrees: "Hyperactivity is a challenge in ADHD, but there are ways of dealing with it. Instead of getting a child with ADHD to sit still on a chair, sit them on a pilates ball so they can always move. In other words, bend the world to fit you!
"This is a disorder that responds very well to knowledge. If you have cancer, the more you know about how cells divide won't make much of a difference. But because this is the brain and it affects everyone differently, education is key.
"You need to embrace who you are as an adult with ADHD. Learn to play to your strengths."
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Celebrities with ADHD
Blogs claim that various celebrities including Jim Carey and Robin Williams have adult ADHD. Dr. Umash Jain, a Canadian ADHD expert, believes that many people with ADHD are attracted to the television and film industries. "I would say that at least 15% of my patients work in those fields," he says.
One celebrity who has publicly admitted to having ADHD is Howie Mandel. He says he's "one of 10 million North American adults to have ADHD."
The host of NBC's popular Deal Or No Deal is fronting an awareness campaign (check out www.adultadhdisreal.com) in an effort to educate adults about the disorder and encourage them to seek treatment.
Research data suggests that adults with ADHD are different, says Jain, explaining that their ADHD gives them both an advantage and disadvantage in life. "Michael Phelps, for instance, is impaired outside the water, but inside the water he is a superlative athlete because his ADHD increases his ability for reaction time.
"Rick Green (who also has adult ADHD) has tremendous creativity, spontaneity and the ability to handle situations in a comedic way."
Test yourself
Adults with ADHD often have tremendous unrealized potential, says ADHD expert Dr. Umesh Jain: "When you are not working to your potential, the difference between what you are and what you could be is enormous."
One easy-to-use test developed by the World Health Organization is the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. You can take the test yourself through the Adult ADHD Is Real website at www.adultadhdisreal.com.
To read more on adult ADHD, pick up Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey. Hallowell, a psychologist, has adult ADHD and has co-authored several books on the subject.
