Blog | Untapped Brilliance

ADHD Alternative Treatment

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 5, 2010

If you have ADHD, alternative treatment is a population topic. Every week I send out a weekly newsletter and this article was the most popular in all the years I have been sending it out.

“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission.” – Mourning Dove

The term “herb” simply means a plant that is used medicinally. For centuries, herbs were used for their medicinal properties to soothe and heal illness and disease. Their use in the western world diminished towards the end of the 17th century when pharmacology and chemistry knowledge developed. However, in the last few decades there has been a resurgence of interest in herbs and their healing properties again.

Some people are very sceptical of using herbs and other methods of complementary therapy. If this is you, that’s ok! There are lots of other excellent adhd alternative treatment ideas to consider. However, if you are interested in herbs then this is a good starting place.

Herbs can be taken in the form of a tincture, in capsules and essential oils or drunk as a tea (my personal favourite.) Below is a selection of herbs that can help your ADHD.

Herbs that stimulate and aid cognitive functioning:

Ginkgo

Stimulates blood circulation, particularly cerebral circulation, and increases concentration, focus and aids memory. Note: It can take up to three months before seeing effects, and shouldn’t be taken with Ritalin or other ADHD medication.

Rosemary

Improves and stimulates memory. In Greece, students burn this herb in their rooms during exam time. Note: Not recommended for people who have hypertension. Ask a naturopath or an aroma therapist before using rosemary essential oils.

Bacopa

Stimulates intellectual activity such as focus, concentration, memory and mental endurance.

Syberian ginseng

Stimulates the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for functions such as memory, attention, perceptual awareness, etc. As a bonus, it protects your immune system.

American ginseng

Often used in combination with gingko to improve the symptoms of ADHD, American ginseng is found in the form of capsules or in soups and teas. Like other ginsengs, it protects your immune system. Note: Not to be taken for more than six weeks straight.

Herbs that help you to relax and reduce anxiety and stress:

Chamomile

Soothes the central nervous system and can reduce nervous tension, irritability and emotional stress responses. Note: this plant stimulates perspiration.

Passionflower

Helps with insomnia (take two cups maximum before bedtime), acts as sedative for anxiety, aids stress and nervousness.

Herbs that do both!

Gotu Cola or Gotu Kola

Improves concentration, revitalizes and strengthens the memory and nervous functions and is an anti-anxiety and anti-stress agent.

Lemon Balm

Supports mental performance, attention span, accuracy and memory. Relieves restlessness, nervousness, anxiety and mild mood changes. For anxiety it’s best to take it in form of tincture.

A word of warning:

Before you dash to your nearest health food store, a word of warning: Because herbs are “natural,” our brains equate that with “safe.” However, herbs need to be used with the same care and respect we give pharmaceutical drugs. Remember, Morphine is “natural.” It comes from poppy seeds, yet it’s a highly addictive controlled drug. Like pharmaceutical drugs, herbs can have undesirable side-effects. However, unlike pharmaceutical drugs, herbal ADHD treatments are not standardized in terms of purity and dosage.

Herbal medication can interact with prescribed medication. Medical doctors may not be knowledgeable on the use of herbs, but your pharmacist is great resource to find out about any potentially dangerous interactions. However, the most effective and safest way to use herb’s as an ADHD alternative treatment is to work with a good naturopath or herbalist in your area. Bottom line, if herbal ADHD treatments interest you, they can be very effective. But you do need to practice caution as you would with any drug.

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ADHD Sleep Problems

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 5, 2010

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ADHD sleep problems are a common complaint amongst people with ADHD. The four most common reasons of not being able to sleep when you have Adult ADHD are the following:

Some medications for ADHD, particular if taken later on in the day, make falling asleep very difficult.
Getting hyper-focused late in the evening. This results in losing track of time and climbing into bed much later than you would ideally like.
Unable to slow down brain in order to relax and fall asleep
Worrying about the day’s events or chores left unfinished.

When you are not able to get a good night’s sleep, you experience unpleasant symptoms many of which mirror your ADHD symptoms, such as

1. Anxiety

2. Difficulty concentrating

3. Forgetfulness

4. Hyperactivity

5. Increased distractibility

As an ADHD Coach I have identified 12 tips to avoid ADHD sleep problems

12 tips to get a good night’s sleep

Think of a realistic bedtime, and go to bed at the same time each night.
Wake up at the same time each morning, even at the weekend.
Don’t nap during the day.
Remember to exercise on a regular basis but not too close to bedtime. Physical exercise will make your body more tired and your sleep more soundly.
Do not drink caffeine after 3pm.
Do not smoke or drink alcohol. (alcohol increases the chance of you waking up in the night)
Take up meditation, and practice it for a few minutes in the evening.
Create your own bedtime routine, to send messages to your body and mind that you are winding down. This might include a bath, a cup of herbal tea, or glass of milk (calcium relaxes the body)
Turn off your TV and computer 2 hours before bedtime.
Have a fan, radio, or white noise machine if you find you need some noise to aid you falling asleep.
Think about which activities cause you to hyper-focus or really stimulate you. Then make a conscious effort to avoid them 2 hours before your ideal bedtime.

It takes time to change habits so that ADHD sleep problems can be a thing of the past, so be kind to yourself if one night you end up staying up late.

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Radio Show 5/3 with Guest Bonnie Hutchinson

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 5, 2010

I was delighted to welcome a special guest Bonnie Hutchinson to the 2nd Untapped Brilliance Radio show to talk about how to meditate. Meditation is so beneficial when you have ADHD yet it is also very challenging so my mission was for listeners to learn how to meditate and to disperse any of their mental resistance around practicing it. Bonnie was the perfect person to do that since she is not only a meditation expert, and runs a highly successful company, but she also has ADHD. Bonnie has practiced meditation daily after purely by chance she discovered how it quieted her busy mind so that she could let her brilliant ADHD gifts shine through.

Here are 5 top tips from the show:

1) There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Personalize the meditation experience so that it works for you.

2) You haven’t ‘failed’ if your chattery mind keeps on chattering when you meditate

3) If you are resistant to meditating because you think it takes a long time, you can do a ‘power meditation’ for 5 minutes and get great benefits.

4) You can practice meditation no matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs

5) It’s OK to call “meditating” another name!

After the radio show Bonnie said she wished there had been more time to say that the key outcome to meditating is to calm your busy ADHD mind. However, if the word ‘meditating’ is off putting, or daunting to you, you can use another word(s) to describe it. For example: my ‘brain calming exercise’.

To listen to the show, and to practice a guided meditation with Bonnie click here!

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Treating Adult ADHD with Meditation

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 5, 2010

One of the great ways of treating adult ADHD is to meditate. At first Meditation seems a contradictory activity for someone who has ADHD. Meditation involves being physically and mentally still, two activities that are exceptional difficult if you have ADHD! However, there is a growing body of research providing evidence on the many benefits of meditation for both adults and children with ADHD and with a little practice meditation is possible even for the busiest mind and the most energetic body

Treating adult ADHD using meditation has many benefits including

Increases concentration
Decreases impulsivity
Increases cognitive functioning
Decreases mood swings
Decreases stress and anxiety
Increase healthy sleep and self confidence

On an anecdotal level as well as the benefits listed above, advantages my clients have reported include feeling much calmer even in highly stressful situations, having less anger out bursts (and as a result, improved relationships) and feeling more aware of the passage of time which results in being on time or even early for appointments.

Although meditation is a great way for treating adult ADHD (particularly when used with other alternative ADHD treatments) a little while ago I invited mediation expert Bonnie Hutchinson to be a guest on my radio show. Here are Bonnie’s top 5 meditation tips when you have ADHD.

1) There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Personalize the meditation experience so that it works for you.

2) You haven’t ‘failed’ if your chattery mind keeps on chattering when you meditate

3) If you are resistant to meditating because you think it takes a long time, you can do a ‘power meditation’ for 5 minutes and get great benefits.

4) You can practice meditation no matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs

5) It’s OK to call “meditating” another name if the word alone sounds daunting to you, for example: my ‘brain calming exercise’.

So why not start to include meditation into your daily life and start to experience some of these benefits yourself?

PS. If you would like to listen to Bonnie teach us how to mediate you can listen here

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ADHD Diagnosis

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 4, 2010

A common sentence I hear as an ADHD coach is “I think I have ADHD, but I don’t want to get a ADHD diagnosis because I am scared I will use it as an excuse not to try and succeed in life anymore.”

Getting an official ADHD diagnosis doesn’t mean that a switch is flipped and you become such a different person that you don’t recognize yourself any more. You will still be you. Except now, you know why you are the way you are.

In my late twenties, I was officially diagnosed with severe dyslexia. The diagnosis was a huge relief to me as it explained why I found some things exceptionally hard and yet to others they seemed effortless. From studying or filling out forms, to giving the waitress my order. After being diagnosed, I continue to do those things and I still experience anxiety, discomfort and mental fatigue etc. However, I know rather than being ‘stupid’ it’s because I am dyslexic.

It’s the same when you have an ADHD diagnosis. There is a huge feeling of relief that you aren’t “lazy” or “lacking in self-discipline” and “disorganized” or any of the other negative labels you have been giving yourself. You might have a disorganized living environment, but that is not because you are lazy, it’s because you have ADHD and being organized is a challenge.

If you are the type of person who asks the question “Will getting diagnosed result in me no longer trying in life?”, it means that you are a highly motivated and conciseness person who wants to be the best they can be. Rather than sabotage your efforts to succeed, a diagnosis actually allows you to be more successful as you know the reason behind certain behaviors and can learn techniques to manage those behaviors. In the long run you will see great results for the same amount effort AND feel a level of comfort and ease within yourself that you never had before.

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Diagnosing ADD

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 3, 2010

When I am introduced to a new person and I say I am an ADHD coach the standard response is ‘oh I have ADD’ and then they smile. Now, it’s highly unlikely that everyone I meet actually has ADHD. What is more likely is that at times they experience some of the characteristics of ADHD.

When a professional is diagnosing ADD they test to find out if the person has a certain cluster of characters or traits.

Those traits are traits that anyone can experience periodically, particularly when they are stressed or feeling overwhelmed. Examples of these traits are, inability to concentrate, trouble thinking clearly, lack of organizing in the physical environment, poor managing time, procrastination, feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind, poor memory and forgetfulness, problems with relationships and a general feeling that they aren’t living up to their potential.

But for a person with ADHD, it’s the amount of these traits that are present and the extent that they experience them. These traits are present to such an extent that they negatively affect their life.

Before officially diagnosing ADD , the specialist carrying out your evaluation will want to find out the following

That the ADHD characteristics have been present for 6 months or more.

The symptoms were present before you were 7 years old

The traits effect your life in 2 or more settings

and finally the symptoms aren’ t due to another condition, such as bipolar disorder, sleep disorder or anxiety etc

Bottom line: Not everyone has ADHD, but lots of people, at times may experience some of things that people with ADHD do and if this is you, you will still benefit from all the tips and ideas here on this blog.

PS. ADD and ADHD are often used interchangeably. If you would like to learn more about why this is go to ADD/ADHD

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ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 2, 2010

Approximately 20 percent of ADHD adults also have Bipolar Disorder. It’s difficult to differentiate between the 2 conditions as some symptoms are the same. For example: ADD is diagnosed by elevated levels inability to concentrate, impulsivity, distractibility and hyper-activeness. During a manic episode someone with Bipolar Disorder experiences high levels of impulsivity and hyper- activeness.

People with ADD can be inattentive and during a depressed mood someone with Bipolar Disorder may also experience this inattentiveness.

However, there are lots of differences too.

ADD usually appears in childhood (although not always diagnosed in childhood) and is consistently present lifetime.

Bipolar Disorder (with some exceptions) usually appears in the very late teens or early 20′s. There are long periods of ‘normal’ mood levels. As well as experiencing the intense highs and lows that are characteristic of Bipolar.

In both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder there are swings from one mood to another. But while someone with ADHD experiences more intense moods than a peer with ADHD, there moods are still deemed ‘normal’. By contrast someone with Bipolar experience intense moods, swinging from an incredible high and happy mood or mania to a deep low depression.

People with ADHD’s emotions and moods are connected to life events. So if something happy happens they feel joyful, if a sad event happens they feel sad. This differs from someone with Bipolar Disorder as their moods are not connected to events in their life.

There is no reason to feel scared or fearful if you think you have one or both ADHD and Bipolar disorder. Both can be managed, and you can enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. However like all conditions it’s important to first understand what you are dealing with and then it can be treated according, so visit your doctor to begin the diagnosis process.

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ADHD Memory

by Jacqueline Sinfield on May 1, 2010

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For someone with ADHD memory can be a big issue. It can result in important possessions, such as passports, wallets and purses, laptops and keys being lost or misplaced. In his book ‘Scattered Minds’ Dr. G. Mate tells an amusing true story but one that encapsulated what it is like living with ADHD memory issues. A gentleman with ADHD has a dog and together they go for daily walks. As the owner puts his coat, shoes, hat, etc. on in preparation for the walk, the dog stays peacefully under the kitchen table. The owner leaves the house and the dog waits under the table. The owner comes back several times for forgotten items, such as keys, wallet etc. then on the third time the dog gets up and joins his owner for the walk. This wise dog had gotten the hang of living with an Adult ADHD!

This story always makes me smiles. A great solution for helping your memory is creating new small habits. For example, if you are someone who is always leaving bags, umbrellas etc. on public transport, one of your new habits would be to briefly cast your eyes around where you were sitting to make sure you have everything before you leave. It only takes a few seconds, but you will be amazed how quickly it becomes second nature and how much time you save when you don’t have to phone bus companies or taxi firms to see if they have found your missing items.

Another example of a new habit would be to create a list of everything you need before leaving the house and stick it to your front door. The list will probably include, wallet, cellphone, keys, bag. However you will personalize it suit your lifestyle. Then, get into the habit of checking this list and the items that you have on you before walking through the door. Very soon, you will notice that you are automatically checking to be sure you have everything without even looking at the list.

Have a special place to keep important items, such a passports. When you come home from your travels, pop it in that special place. Perhaps a top drawer, a pretty tin, whatever it is make it your top priority to return it as soon as you return from your trip. This removes an enormous amount of stress from your life as you always know where your important items are at all times.

Your homework this week is to think of 5 areas of your life where you are forgetful and then create small habits around those areas to help you both remember the items AND save time and reduce your stress.

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Is ADHD becoming more wide spread?

by Jacqueline Sinfield on April 29, 2010

There is a lot of skepticism about ADHD (almost always among those that don’t have it). There is both skepticism that it is being over-diagnosed, or that it’s a modern illness that drug companies have created.

The truth is that there is historical evidence of what we now refer to as ADHD as far back as 93 BC. The Greek physician and scientist Hippocrates described a condition featuring ‘quickened responses to sensory experience, but also less tenaciousness because the soul moves on quickly to the next impression’.

In his book An Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Mental Derangement which he wrote in 1798, Sir Alexander Crichton refers to hyperactivity as “mental restlessness”.

In 1902 the British doctor (whose name is ironically) Dr. Still, made reference to cases of impulsiveness.

So it isn’t that ADHD is ‘new’ or ‘modern’. It’s that much more is known about ADHD now than ever before and everyone that has ADHD or is close to someone with ADHD knows this is a very good thing.

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My First Radio Show!

by Jacqueline Sinfield on April 27, 2010

Today I hosted my first radio show!!! The song that kept playing in my head when I woke up this morning was, “Video Killed the Radiostar’ by Buggles: a song that my sister and I played millions of times when we were very young as it was one of the first vinyls we owned.

I declared the show a personal success after receiving 3 phone calls and many emails saying ‘Congrats’ and ‘thanks for the great information’ within minutes of its end. I also received this wonderful tweet.

@jojojo09 “You have a new fan and you have hardly started speaking. I am fighting tears. Hearing u speak validates me”

I couldn’t ask for better feedback.

The show, which I named “Untapped Brilliance”, after my book ‘Untapped Brilliance how to reach your full potential as an Adult with ADHD is an extension of my coaching philosophy. As an adult with ADHD you have many wonderful traits. However, you tend to forget those great traits as you spend most of your time focusing on the things that aren’t working in your life. If, however, you can shift your focus to what is working in your life and learn a few tricks and techniques to minimize the negative effects of your ADHD, you will just shine! And have a more joyful life.

The show is going to be a wonderful combination of information from me about non-pharmaceutical ways to manage your ADHD and special guests talking about their expertise on topics that are known to help ADHD. For example, meditation is really beneficial in reducing the negative effects of ADHD. It’s also a difficult technique to learn. So next week I will be interviewing Bonnie Hutchinson, meditation expert, and she will be teaching everyone how to meditate.
Also being interviewed will be successful ADHDers, who have created a life that works to their strengths, to act as inspiration. Finally, every week myself and any guests will be able to answer questions from listeners either directly on the phone, or via email. Today Anne from Iowa asked the great question “Should I get tested if I think I have ADHD?” If you missed the answer or any part of my first show, you can listen to the recording at http://tobtr.com/s/1020033.
And if you have a question for the next show, please email it to me at Jacqueline@untappedbrilliance.com.

P.S. If you want a blast from the past, listen to “Video Killed the Radiostar’ by Buggles on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ