Dr. Edward Hallowell of Driven to Distraction Keynote
Speech
Dr. Hallowell just wrote a new book Delivered
from Distraction
These
notes were sent to me by Jonathan Dawson. They were much
neater than my notes from the conference so I'm posting
them here. It was a great speech.
The
seven habits of Highly successful ADDers
1. Do what
you are good at.
2. Delegate
what you are bad at.
3. Connect
your Creativity with an outlet.
4. Get well
enough organized to achieve your goals.
5. Ask for
advice (Good Advice) where and whenever you can.
6. Make sure
you keep up social contact with close friends
7. Go with
your positive side; Run your life with your positive side.
The
two traps of ADD are SPIN
and SLIDE
S.P.I.N.=
Shame
Pessimism and general negativity
Isolation
No creative outlet
S.L.I.D.E.=
Self attack
Life attack
Imagining the worst (Everything is bad)
Dread, on named anxieties
Escape
-
ADD
is a trait; it is both a gift and a curse.
-
Every
brain poses challenges and confers gifts.
-
ADD
is just another type of brain, it is a "Race Car
Brain with a Braking problem"
To
optimize happiness:
ADDers
are known for:
-
Zaniness,
thinking outside the box
-
Unpredictability
-
Unusual
kind of empathy
-
Persistence
-
Tenacity
-
Narcissistic,
self involved, yes- but only when not paying attention
-
Ability
to think of unusual solutions. (The inventor of
the electronic ticket had ADD, from Jet Blue Airways.)
ADHD
Book Suggestions:
Out
of our minds, about creativity
Look
for Abilities within disabilities.
The
only disability of ADD is Shame and Fear.
-
Get
shame and fear out of the way.
-
Fear->Activates
the Limbic system->which recruits the frontal lobes->which
slip into survival mode->"shut down": occurs->
no openness to new information.
-
ADDers
need a loving protecting connection
-
The
wasp triangle: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Politeness.
-
John
Irving from Exeter, writer.
Dr.
Hallowell has his practice in Sudbury Massachusetts.
Treatment
for ADD: (DORE Treatment)
Said
a kid after doing the cerebellum stimulation exercises:
"I used to read choppy, but now I read smooth."
The
problem with ADD: Hope diminishes, Anger rises, Cynicism
increases.
Kids
organize by stuffing, and then they graduate to piles.
ADDers
have two senses of time: now, and not now. I.e.
"When is the test?"
"This
Friday."
"Oh,
so its not now."
Panic=Adrenalin,
which is like Ritalin. ADDers are addicted to crises.
The
opposite of ADD is Attention Surplus disorder, like the
people that work in the motor vehicle ticket department,
who never had an original idea in their lives.
ADDers
are impulsive when bored. That's when they get into
trouble. ADDers don't have a problem in crisis; they
know exactly what to do. It's when they go for a vacation
in Tahiti that they really should watch out.
ADD
does not require belief. Its existence is scientifically
proven by
-
MRI
brain scans,
-
by
Genetic studies,
-
it
responds to a treatment plan,
-
there
are anatomical differences in an ADDers brain,
-
it
is highly heritable.
"Sadness"
is to depression what "wandering of attention"
is to ADD.
Traits
of ADDers
-
ADDers
find it very hard to linger.
-
They
have a tendency to be a maverick. "Want to
do it my own way"
-
Are
independent minded.
-
All
the people in Europe who couldn't sit still migrated
to North America.
-
Tendency
to worry needlessly->They use worry as a means of
stimulation.
Tendency
to have inaccurate self observation
Problems
with self esteem.
How
to treat ADD
-
Do
what you are good at
-
Delegate
what you're bad at as much as possible
-
Be
effectively interdependent.
-
Connect
your creativity to a creative outlet
-
Get
well enough organized to achieve your goal. (Don't waste
time trying to be perfectly organized) the book: "Its
hard to make a difference when you can't find your car
keys"
-
Structure:
Sleep; don't stay up late
-
Exercise
-
Nutrition:
junk food drops Blood Pressure. Have protein instead.
(Omega 3 fatty acids- great for add and inflammation.
Fish oil: 2000 mg a day. (Barry Sears book
The Omega RX Zone)
-
Prayer
or meditation. ->Kundalini Yoga works for DR Hallowell
-
Positive
Human contact. (Smiles, encouragement)
-
Coaching,
psychotherapy
-
Medication:
Since 1937 ADD stimulants have been around.
(Stimulants such as Ritalin actually decrease the
chance of building another addiction.)
The
seven habits of Highly successful ADDers
1.
Do what you are good at.
2.
Delegate what you are bad at.
3.
Connect your Creativity with an outlet.
4.
Get well enough organized to achieve your goals.
5.
Ask for advice (Good Advice) Where and whenever you can.
6.
Make sure you keep up social contact with close friends
7.
Go with your positive side Run your life with your Positive
side.
The
two traps of ADD are "SPIN and SLIDE"
S.P.I.N.=
Shame
Pessimism
and general negativity
Isolation
No
creative outlet
S.L.I.D.E.=
Self
attack
Life
attack
Imagining
the worst (Everything is bad)
Dread,
on named anxieties
Escape
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