rheanna
03-08-2008, 04:00 AM
On another thread,
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=576147
janewhite1 says:
Oh, yeah. There were so many things I didn't do until my parents screamed at me for a while. A logical person says, "You know you're gonna get yelled at, then wind up doing it anyway, why not do it first?"
What the ADD child may not realize is that he WAS NOT ABLE to do the task before being yelled at! The yelling frightens the child, which releases stress hormones, which have about the same effect on the brain as Ritalin. Course, Ritalin doesn't usually make kids cry first.
Come to think of it, that's probably the best pro-medication argument I've ever heard. It beats many people's alternative, which is self-medication with adrenaline.
I've never thought of my melt-downs as my brain's attempt to find a solution -- I've always just thought of them as failures. I mean, I'm not advocating having tantrums and freaking out everyone around me as an ideal solution. :cool: And I certainly recognize that freaking out when I'm faced with too many choices or I'm being asked to deal with life "on the fly" is not a very effective method of getting anything done in life.
But it's refreshing to look at the melt-downs as a (admittedly poor) solution that my brain has discovered to deal with things that are too much to handle. By generating adrenaline, I either shut down from the over-load and retreat from life for a while, or I grab one activity out of the chaos and focus on it, all the while ranting and panicing and generally making life miserable for myself and all around me.
It's a learned response. For a long time it was the only method that I had. My parents didn't teach me any other methods to deal with life. I'm pretty sure my father had ADD, and he definitely didn't have any healthy coping skills to teach me.
So here I am in middle age, slowly learning alternative ways to deal with things, while taking low dosages of (generic) Ritalin. This post by janewhite1 is another piece of the puzzle. Stimulants help. A lot. Having a tantrum or a melt-down produces adrenaline. How many times have I said that I work best with a deadline, and it's a lot easier to get something done when I'm panicing trying to get it done at the last minute!
Strong tea calms me and helps me to focus. I limit myself to 2 strong large mugs a day, because I don't want to have to deal with the physical side-effects of overdosing on caffeine. So it's of limited help over the course of a day.
People keep saying that regular hard exercise helps. I avoid exercise like the plague. But if it helps as an alternative to having tantrums and melt-downs, then perhaps it is better to substitute a healthy habit for an unhealthy one, no? :)
Just some thoughts. Any responses? What other methods are there for producing adrenaline?
--Rheanna
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=576147
janewhite1 says:
Oh, yeah. There were so many things I didn't do until my parents screamed at me for a while. A logical person says, "You know you're gonna get yelled at, then wind up doing it anyway, why not do it first?"
What the ADD child may not realize is that he WAS NOT ABLE to do the task before being yelled at! The yelling frightens the child, which releases stress hormones, which have about the same effect on the brain as Ritalin. Course, Ritalin doesn't usually make kids cry first.
Come to think of it, that's probably the best pro-medication argument I've ever heard. It beats many people's alternative, which is self-medication with adrenaline.
I've never thought of my melt-downs as my brain's attempt to find a solution -- I've always just thought of them as failures. I mean, I'm not advocating having tantrums and freaking out everyone around me as an ideal solution. :cool: And I certainly recognize that freaking out when I'm faced with too many choices or I'm being asked to deal with life "on the fly" is not a very effective method of getting anything done in life.
But it's refreshing to look at the melt-downs as a (admittedly poor) solution that my brain has discovered to deal with things that are too much to handle. By generating adrenaline, I either shut down from the over-load and retreat from life for a while, or I grab one activity out of the chaos and focus on it, all the while ranting and panicing and generally making life miserable for myself and all around me.
It's a learned response. For a long time it was the only method that I had. My parents didn't teach me any other methods to deal with life. I'm pretty sure my father had ADD, and he definitely didn't have any healthy coping skills to teach me.
So here I am in middle age, slowly learning alternative ways to deal with things, while taking low dosages of (generic) Ritalin. This post by janewhite1 is another piece of the puzzle. Stimulants help. A lot. Having a tantrum or a melt-down produces adrenaline. How many times have I said that I work best with a deadline, and it's a lot easier to get something done when I'm panicing trying to get it done at the last minute!
Strong tea calms me and helps me to focus. I limit myself to 2 strong large mugs a day, because I don't want to have to deal with the physical side-effects of overdosing on caffeine. So it's of limited help over the course of a day.
People keep saying that regular hard exercise helps. I avoid exercise like the plague. But if it helps as an alternative to having tantrums and melt-downs, then perhaps it is better to substitute a healthy habit for an unhealthy one, no? :)
Just some thoughts. Any responses? What other methods are there for producing adrenaline?
--Rheanna
Sponsor
addprogrammer
03-08-2008, 08:06 AM
Rheanna,
I HAD a whole bag full of tricks. One of my favorites was arguments. I'd disagree even when I agreed because agreeing was boring.
My entire list would run this server out of memory.
I retained one of my favorites, though, and that is to argue with the stupid. A close relative told me how the pharmacetical companies control the world. Do you know they invented ADHD to sell drugs? He took a bad beating. The adreneline flow was glorious.
Bob
I HAD a whole bag full of tricks. One of my favorites was arguments. I'd disagree even when I agreed because agreeing was boring.
My entire list would run this server out of memory.
I retained one of my favorites, though, and that is to argue with the stupid. A close relative told me how the pharmacetical companies control the world. Do you know they invented ADHD to sell drugs? He took a bad beating. The adreneline flow was glorious.
Bob
rheanna
03-08-2008, 08:34 AM
addprogrammer,
Yes! There's nothing like righteous indignation and the opportunity to explain in full graphic detail just how mistaken someone is -- to sharpen the wits and focus the mind and allow for a massive spewing of words. Uh, I have a bit of experience with this method of inducing an adrenaline rush. :)
--Rheanna
Yes! There's nothing like righteous indignation and the opportunity to explain in full graphic detail just how mistaken someone is -- to sharpen the wits and focus the mind and allow for a massive spewing of words. Uh, I have a bit of experience with this method of inducing an adrenaline rush. :)
--Rheanna
index.html
03-08-2008, 04:21 PM
What other methods are there for producing adrenaline?
Personally, I used anxiety as a kid/teen to help me focus. I became especially gifted at it in college. Unfortunately, it's been a really hard habit to unlearn. Now the anxiety comes unbidden.
Regarding the "strong tea" calming you down - I learned something interesting recently. Obviously, caffeine calms alot of people with ADHD. The interesting thing I learned was that black tea actually reduces cortisol (flight or fight hormones) levels. So, tea has more benefits than simply the caffeine. Pretty interesting, huh?
Personally, I used anxiety as a kid/teen to help me focus. I became especially gifted at it in college. Unfortunately, it's been a really hard habit to unlearn. Now the anxiety comes unbidden.
Regarding the "strong tea" calming you down - I learned something interesting recently. Obviously, caffeine calms alot of people with ADHD. The interesting thing I learned was that black tea actually reduces cortisol (flight or fight hormones) levels. So, tea has more benefits than simply the caffeine. Pretty interesting, huh?