Celebrating our Neuro-diversity
in the North, South, East!
+ now ... West!
If you live in Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, Teeside, or Durham (or from anywhere really!), you are very welcome to come along to any of our meetings in Newcastle, Middlesbrough and South Shields (more support groups to follow).
Our meetings are friendly and informal. They are open to all adults who have had a diagnosis or are in the process of seeking a diagnosis of AD/HD and partners of adults with AD/HD.
They are also a great opportunity to share our personal experiences of living with AD/HD (there are more of us than you think!) and to find out about other help that is available. We love to discuss useful expertise that we've developed or come across to minimise some of the difficulties that AD/HD and related conditions can present. See elsewhere on this site for some of the apps / software that can really help. We also like to celebrate the positive aspects of living with AD/HD. Please come along and share your experiences and knowledge of AD/HD, find out about other help that is available and discuss useful techniques that minimise some of the difficulties that AD/HD can present. We also like to celebrate the positive aspects of living with AD/HD.
For further details …
Our meetings are friendly and informal. They are open to all adults who have had a diagnosis or are in the process of seeking a diagnosis of AD/HD and partners of adults with AD/HD.
They are also a great opportunity to share our personal experiences of living with AD/HD (there are more of us than you think!) and to find out about other help that is available. We love to discuss useful expertise that we've developed or come across to minimise some of the difficulties that AD/HD and related conditions can present. See elsewhere on this site for some of the apps / software that can really help. We also like to celebrate the positive aspects of living with AD/HD. Please come along and share your experiences and knowledge of AD/HD, find out about other help that is available and discuss useful techniques that minimise some of the difficulties that AD/HD can present. We also like to celebrate the positive aspects of living with AD/HD.
For further details …
- email aadhd_ne@yahoo.co.uk
- website http://aadhd-ne-uk.weebly.com/ including contact form
- Please also check out the www.adduk.org forum for useful information, interesting chat and details of other support groups in the UK. We are gradually building the list of resources up so please let us know of groups and events across the region or elsewhere.
24/3/20 Hello to all you wonderful people, in the lead up to April and the unlikelihood of being able to hold any meetings at our usual venues...
It goes without saying that we will hold our regional meetings again, as soon as posible.
Let's hope that this current ridiculous global situation is going to be resolved soon. In the meantime, we are still engaged in the process of developing a new service which will be unveiled as soon as it becomes feasible to do so. When the dust settles a bit - and we have some news to report - we'll send out an email to everybody.
Finally, we'd like to share a somewhat timely extract from the 4th March email :-
"This seems like a good time to remind everyone about one of the key benefits of having AD/HD. Remember your ancestors and rely on your hunter-gather genes (as Hartmann might put it), when all around you are panicking and fretting! We’re a formidable tribe with many great strengths. Never forget that! "
Please get in touch anytime by email, text or 'phone.
Peace, love & respect to all of our friends, families and allies.
**** South Shields ****
Our meetings in South Shields take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, the next one being ...
Tuesday 10th March 2020 | 6 to 9 PM
Age Concern Tyneside (ACTS) Dora Dixon House, 29 Beach Road / Corner of Anderson Street,
South Shields NE33 2QU
Thanks to our friends at Age Concern, we will now be holding regular meetings in South Shields, South Tyneside. It is an excellent venue, next to the small roundabout on the intersection of Beach Road and Anderson Street. There are various local car parks. Places nearby are opposite the side of the Town Hall on Beach Road where parking restrictions end at 6pm. There is also free parking in the back lane between Age Concern and the Voyager pub (access first left, 100 yards past ACTS further down Beach Road, heading East).
*** Durham ***
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Thursday 12th March
Waddington Street Centre 3 Waddington Street Durham City DH1 4BG 6-9pm Thanks to our lovely friends at Waddy we now have our support group meetings in the heart of Durham City! |
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The Waddington Street Centre is situated between the CIU Offices and the United Reformed Church, directly behind the former County Hospital (on North Road) and runs onto Sutton Street which passes under the railway viaduct. It is approximately a five minute walk from Durham Bus Station on North Road, and is also a five minute walk from Durham Railway Station. On-street metered parking is available free after 6pm.
***Newcastle***
Thanks to the support of the NTW NHS Foundation Trust, we now hold our Newcastle meetings in the Committee Dining Room, St. Nicholas Hospital NE3 3XT. Access is straightforward
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***Middlesbrough***
Unfortunately our March meeting in Middlesbrough, due to be held on the 25th, has had to be cancelled.
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What on Earth is AD/HD then? ...
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If you have ever found it difficult to explain to someone else what AD/HD actually is, or wondered if AD/HD was relevant to you, this animated video from Jessica McCabe might be just what you need! |
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Personal Stories & Interviews
As a prelude to the blogs that we will be adding in future, which will feature the thoughts and experiences of our friends and allies, here are some observations from Gordon from the south of the region and Bill from the north.
As a prelude to the blogs that we will be adding in future, which will feature the thoughts and experiences of our friends and allies, here are some observations from Gordon from the south of the region and Bill from the north.
Gordon Williams
Gordon is one of the most inspiring characters one could ever meet. Here is an article about Gordon which was featured in the local Teeside newspaper
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-Tourette’s is now spending his time lecturing to university students - and it all came about by accident.
”A man who struggled to find work due to Tourette’s is now spending his time lecturing to university students - and it all came about by accident. Gordon Williams, who also has ADHD and OCD, has spent long periods out of work and even had brushes with the law, but now the 45-year-old’s life is finally on the up. Gordon can now be found lecturing students at Teesside and Durham universities about his conditions, and has found new ways to live with them, including photography .. he says that he ended up lecturing completely by accident”.
Gordon later refers to his street photography, which is shown in a video montage on the same page
“I do street photography and I’m trying to get an exhibition together for my photographs. I use photography as therapy. My condition is very environmental and it can flare in different situations".
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Radio Interview with Gordon
You can also hear more about Gordon in this recent interview that he did with Radio Tees >>>>>>>>>>> |
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Bill
Bill contacted the Richie Allen phone on 28/3/18, in response to Richie's forthright comments about AD/HD during the first segment. Here are the links to them both. It was good to see that Richie provided a right of reply in a very courteous and friendly manner.
Bill contacted the Richie Allen phone on 28/3/18, in response to Richie's forthright comments about AD/HD during the first segment. Here are the links to them both. It was good to see that Richie provided a right of reply in a very courteous and friendly manner.
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Richie Allen's Monologue, including his perception of AD/HD
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Bill's (now renamed Bob!) responds to Richie Allen's monologue on the listener's phone in
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NTW NHS Foundation Trust Adult ADHD Service HQ address and Patient Information Leaflet
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We've not forgotten the south of the region's AD/HD service (based in Stockton) that serves people who live in the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust area. Update due soon
Understanding the needs and experiences of parents whose children are on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnostic journey: A longitudinal study.
rinciple researcher is Tom Nicholson (BA (Hons), RMN, Bsc) and Graduate Tutor in Mental Health Nursing (Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Newcastle University) a valued colleague who has been a great asset to the support groups in recent months. Tom’s Ph.D. research project aims to better understand parental needs and experiences throughout the ADHD journey, this includes referral, waiting time, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and discharge from NHS services.
Eligibility criteria regarding people who would like to participate in this research study
If you, a client, family member, or a friend can answer yes to either of these two questions, please contact Tom (contact information below)
1) Are you a parent of a child who has recently been referred for assessment for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?
Or
2) Are you the parent of a child who has recently (within the last 6 months) been diagnosed with ADHD?
Tom’s research will be particularly useful in that it is genuinely interested in giving parents the ability to voice their stories regarding their experiences, and how these stories may change at pivotal moments across the diagnostic process. The research will also connect with key supporting individuals within the parent's life to help develop an understanding of how parents of children on the ADHD journey make sense of their situation, and what influences that 'sense-making' process. The research will collect data through 3 interviews with parents over a period of two years.
For a full participant information sheets and information, please contact Tom Nicholson T.nicholson@northumbria.ac.uk or 0191 215 6267
If it is applicable to you, please support Tom’s research, he has a genuine interest in ADHD.
Tom asked me to thank everybody who has already contacted him about his research. There is still ‘room’ for more participants, so please contact him if the details below apply. His research will be based on getting responses from people living across the region.
Stereotype: New Facts About ADHD
By Thomas Brown, Ph.D.
Published on ADDitudeMag.com - Copyright © 1998 - 2016 New Hope Media LLC. All rights reserved.
ADHD 2.0!
Findings from neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research have dramatically changed the old understanding of ADHD as essentially a behavior disorder. Experts now see ADHD as a developmental impairment of the brain's self-management system, its executive functions. There are many other myths about ADHD, as you will see. So update your thinking about the condition with the facts.
New vs. Old Models: The new model of ADHD differs in many ways from the earlier model of this disorder as a cluster of behavior problems in young children. The new model is a paradigm shift for understanding ADHD. It applies to children and adolescents and adults. It focuses on a wide range of self-management functions linked to complex brain operations, and these are not limited to readily observable behaviors. But there is substantial overlap between the old and new ADHD models.
On-and-Off Focus: Clinical data indicate that executive function impairments are situationally-variable; each person with ADHD tends to have some specific activities or situations in which she has no difficulty in using executive functions that are significantly impaired for her in most other situations. Typically, these are activities in which the ADDer has a strong personal interest or about which he believes something unpleasant will follow quickly if he does not do the task right now.
Signs in Childhood: Recent research has shown that many with ADHD function well during childhood and do not manifest any significant symptoms until adolescence or later, when greater challenges to executive function are encountered. Over the past decade research has shown that impairing symptoms of ADHD often persist well into adulthood. However, studies have also shown that some individuals with ADHD during childhood experience significant reductions in their impairments as they grow older.
High IQ and ADHD: Intelligence as measured by IQ tests has virtually no systematic relationship to the executive function impairments described in the new model of ADHD. Studies have shown that even extremely high-IQ children and adults can suffer impairments of ADHD. This causes them problems in deploying their strong cognitive skills consistently and effectively in many life situations.
Emotional Connection: Recent research has shown the important role of emotions in ADHD. Some research has focused solely on the problems in regulating emotions without sufficient inhibition. Research has also shown that a chronic deficit in emotions that comprise motivation is an impairment for most individuals. This makes it hard for them to arouse and sustain motivation for activities that don't give immediate and continuing reinforcement.
Mapping Deficits: Executive functions are complex and involve not only the prefrontal cortex, but many other components of the brain. Individuals with ADHD have been shown to differ in the rate of maturation of specific areas of the cortex, in the thickness of the cortical tissue, in characteristics of the parietal and cerebellar regions, as well as in the basal ganglia, and in the white matter tracts that connect and provide critically important communication between various regions of the brain.
Chemical Imbalance: Impairments of ADHD are not due to a global excess or lack of a specific chemical within or around the brain. The primary problem is related to chemicals manufactured, released, and reloaded at the level of synapses, the junctions between certain networks of neurons that manage the brain's management system. Persons with ADHD tend not to release enough of these essential chemicals, or to release and reload them too quickly. ADHD medication helps to improve this process.
The ADHD Gene: No single gene or genes have been identified as a cause of the impairments known as ADHD. Recent research has identified two different groupings that together are associated with, though not definitively causal of, ADHD. At this point, the complexity of the disorder is likely to be associated with multiple genes, each of which, in itself, has only a small effect upon development of ADHD.
ADHD and ODD: The incidence of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children with ADHD ranges from 40 to 70%. The higher rates are usually for persons with the combined type of ADHD. ODD is characterized by chronic problems with negativistic, disobedient, defiant and/or hostile behavior toward authority figures. Typically, ODD is apparent at about 12 years of age and persists for about six years and then gradually remits. More than 70% of kids diagnosed with ODD never develop Conduct Disorder.
ADHD and Autism: Research has demonstrated that many individuals with ADHD have significant traits related to Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and that many persons diagnosed with disorders on the Autistic Spectrum also meet criteria for ADHD. Studies have also shown that ADHD medications can be helpful in alleviating ADHD impairments in individuals on the Autistic Spectrum. ADHD medications can also help those on the Autistic Spectrum with ADHD to improve on some of their impairments.
Meds and Brain Changes: Studies and clinical trials have shown that ADHD medications give the following benefits to some children and adults:
Meds for Different Ages: Fine-tuning the dose and timing of stimulants is important because the most effective dose depends on how sensitive the patient's body is to that specific medication. Usually doctors start with a very low dose and gradually increase it until an effective dose is found, significant adverse effects occur, or the maximum recommended dose is reached. Some adolescents and adults need smaller doses than those taken by children; some young children need larger doses than most of their peers.
Preschoolers and Meds: Research has shown that a majority of children aged 3 to 5 1/2 years with moderate to severe ADHD had significant improvement in symptoms when treated with stimulants. Side effects are slightly more common than is usually seen in older children, but still minimal. In 2012, the AAP recommended that children aged four to five with significant ADHD impairments should be treated with behavior therapy. If not effective after nine months, stimulant medication is recommended.
Impulsive Forever? Many with ADHD never manifest excessive levels of hyperactivity or impulsivity in childhood or beyond. Among those who are more "hyper" and impulsive in childhood, a substantial percentage outgrow the symptoms by middle childhood or early adolescence. But impairments in focusing and sustaining attention, organizing tasks, managing emotions, and using working memory may persist and become problematic, as the person enters adolescence and adulthood.
ADHD Is Different: ADHD differs from many other disorders in that it cross-cuts other disorders. The executive function impairments that constitute ADHD underlie other disorders as well. Many learning and psychiatric disorders could be compared to problems with a specific computer software package that, when not working well, interferes with a few functions. ADHD might be compared to a problem in the computer's operating system that is likely to interfere with the operation of many different programs.
Findings from neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research have dramatically changed the old understanding of ADHD as essentially a behavior disorder. Experts now see ADHD as a developmental impairment of the brain's self-management system, its executive functions. There are many other myths about ADHD, as you will see. So update your thinking about the condition with the facts.
New vs. Old Models: The new model of ADHD differs in many ways from the earlier model of this disorder as a cluster of behavior problems in young children. The new model is a paradigm shift for understanding ADHD. It applies to children and adolescents and adults. It focuses on a wide range of self-management functions linked to complex brain operations, and these are not limited to readily observable behaviors. But there is substantial overlap between the old and new ADHD models.
On-and-Off Focus: Clinical data indicate that executive function impairments are situationally-variable; each person with ADHD tends to have some specific activities or situations in which she has no difficulty in using executive functions that are significantly impaired for her in most other situations. Typically, these are activities in which the ADDer has a strong personal interest or about which he believes something unpleasant will follow quickly if he does not do the task right now.
Signs in Childhood: Recent research has shown that many with ADHD function well during childhood and do not manifest any significant symptoms until adolescence or later, when greater challenges to executive function are encountered. Over the past decade research has shown that impairing symptoms of ADHD often persist well into adulthood. However, studies have also shown that some individuals with ADHD during childhood experience significant reductions in their impairments as they grow older.
High IQ and ADHD: Intelligence as measured by IQ tests has virtually no systematic relationship to the executive function impairments described in the new model of ADHD. Studies have shown that even extremely high-IQ children and adults can suffer impairments of ADHD. This causes them problems in deploying their strong cognitive skills consistently and effectively in many life situations.
Emotional Connection: Recent research has shown the important role of emotions in ADHD. Some research has focused solely on the problems in regulating emotions without sufficient inhibition. Research has also shown that a chronic deficit in emotions that comprise motivation is an impairment for most individuals. This makes it hard for them to arouse and sustain motivation for activities that don't give immediate and continuing reinforcement.
Mapping Deficits: Executive functions are complex and involve not only the prefrontal cortex, but many other components of the brain. Individuals with ADHD have been shown to differ in the rate of maturation of specific areas of the cortex, in the thickness of the cortical tissue, in characteristics of the parietal and cerebellar regions, as well as in the basal ganglia, and in the white matter tracts that connect and provide critically important communication between various regions of the brain.
Chemical Imbalance: Impairments of ADHD are not due to a global excess or lack of a specific chemical within or around the brain. The primary problem is related to chemicals manufactured, released, and reloaded at the level of synapses, the junctions between certain networks of neurons that manage the brain's management system. Persons with ADHD tend not to release enough of these essential chemicals, or to release and reload them too quickly. ADHD medication helps to improve this process.
The ADHD Gene: No single gene or genes have been identified as a cause of the impairments known as ADHD. Recent research has identified two different groupings that together are associated with, though not definitively causal of, ADHD. At this point, the complexity of the disorder is likely to be associated with multiple genes, each of which, in itself, has only a small effect upon development of ADHD.
ADHD and ODD: The incidence of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children with ADHD ranges from 40 to 70%. The higher rates are usually for persons with the combined type of ADHD. ODD is characterized by chronic problems with negativistic, disobedient, defiant and/or hostile behavior toward authority figures. Typically, ODD is apparent at about 12 years of age and persists for about six years and then gradually remits. More than 70% of kids diagnosed with ODD never develop Conduct Disorder.
ADHD and Autism: Research has demonstrated that many individuals with ADHD have significant traits related to Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and that many persons diagnosed with disorders on the Autistic Spectrum also meet criteria for ADHD. Studies have also shown that ADHD medications can be helpful in alleviating ADHD impairments in individuals on the Autistic Spectrum. ADHD medications can also help those on the Autistic Spectrum with ADHD to improve on some of their impairments.
Meds and Brain Changes: Studies and clinical trials have shown that ADHD medications give the following benefits to some children and adults:
- improve working memory, classroom behavior, the motivation to execute tasks, and to persist in solving problems
- minimize boredom, distractibility when doing tasks, and emotional outbursts
- increase test performance, rates of graduation, and other achievements that can have lasting effects
- normalize structural abnormalities in specific brain regions
Meds for Different Ages: Fine-tuning the dose and timing of stimulants is important because the most effective dose depends on how sensitive the patient's body is to that specific medication. Usually doctors start with a very low dose and gradually increase it until an effective dose is found, significant adverse effects occur, or the maximum recommended dose is reached. Some adolescents and adults need smaller doses than those taken by children; some young children need larger doses than most of their peers.
Preschoolers and Meds: Research has shown that a majority of children aged 3 to 5 1/2 years with moderate to severe ADHD had significant improvement in symptoms when treated with stimulants. Side effects are slightly more common than is usually seen in older children, but still minimal. In 2012, the AAP recommended that children aged four to five with significant ADHD impairments should be treated with behavior therapy. If not effective after nine months, stimulant medication is recommended.
Impulsive Forever? Many with ADHD never manifest excessive levels of hyperactivity or impulsivity in childhood or beyond. Among those who are more "hyper" and impulsive in childhood, a substantial percentage outgrow the symptoms by middle childhood or early adolescence. But impairments in focusing and sustaining attention, organizing tasks, managing emotions, and using working memory may persist and become problematic, as the person enters adolescence and adulthood.
ADHD Is Different: ADHD differs from many other disorders in that it cross-cuts other disorders. The executive function impairments that constitute ADHD underlie other disorders as well. Many learning and psychiatric disorders could be compared to problems with a specific computer software package that, when not working well, interferes with a few functions. ADHD might be compared to a problem in the computer's operating system that is likely to interfere with the operation of many different programs.
Maudsley Learning Online
Thanks to Alison for finding this little gem ...
www.maudsleylearning.com/maudsley-learning-online
"Maudsley Learning Online is a social learning platform where everyone is welcome to learn more about mental health and wellbeing. It acts as a repository of world class information and features topic based communities with optional eLearning modules"
Once you subscribe, you can find useful groups including Adult AD/HD.
www.maudsleylearning.com/maudsley-learning-online
"Maudsley Learning Online is a social learning platform where everyone is welcome to learn more about mental health and wellbeing. It acts as a repository of world class information and features topic based communities with optional eLearning modules"
Once you subscribe, you can find useful groups including Adult AD/HD.
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EFDD: a recent ADDitude webinar was helpful in terms of gaining a clearer understanding of the Executive Functions, the key component of AD/HD. Furthermore, Barkley powerfully argues that Executive Function Deficit Disorder could eventually become a more realistic term to use rather than AD/HD.
How ADHD Affects Executive Function in Adults and Kids Identifying and treating executive function disorder in adults and children with ADHD
"Is your forgetfulness, inability to plan, and impulsivity a symptom of ADHD, or could it be an executive function disorder?"
In this audio and slide presentation, hosted by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., learn how ADHD can wreak havoc on your executive functions, and what you can do about it. Barkley discusses:_
How ADHD Affects Executive Function in Adults and Kids Identifying and treating executive function disorder in adults and children with ADHD
"Is your forgetfulness, inability to plan, and impulsivity a symptom of ADHD, or could it be an executive function disorder?"
In this audio and slide presentation, hosted by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., learn how ADHD can wreak havoc on your executive functions, and what you can do about it. Barkley discusses:_
- How to identify executive function deficit disorder in adults and children with ADHD
- The seven major types of executive function and how they control behavior
- Treatment strategies for managing executive function deficits."
Source:
#85 ref http://www.additudemag.com/RCLP/sub/11114.html
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The Slides from the webinar:
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The Audio of the webinar:
NB: This is from a podcast site that does not require you to use itunes or force you to subscribe to anything (unless you choose to). This webinar page also features other ADDitude broadcasts. http://podbay.fm/show/668174671 Podbay also has an Android app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fountainla.podbay Please also our audio page for further fascinating AD/HD podcasts .... |
