Homeopathic Approach for People with ADHD
Homeopathic medicine is holistic and effective and can restore balance and health to people with a wide range of conditions, including those with impulsivity, focus and attention issues, as with those who have ADD and ADHD. Most Americans mistakenly think the term "homeopathic" is a general term for all natural medicine, but that is not correct - it is its own system of medicine developed by a German doctor over 200 years ago, and is the second largest form of medicine in the world today.
For more general information about homeopathy, including informational videos and the latest in scientific and clinical research, spend some time on the National Center for Homeopathy's informative website. http://www.homeopathycenter.org/learn-about-homeopathy
In homeopathy, there is no one remedy for one condition, but typically a great many. The homeopathic remedies are ultra high dilutions of substances in nature. The symptoms which that substance can produce if taken too much or too often are the symptoms which the homeopathic remedy (ultra high dilution) can resolve.
Each remedy has a range of conditions, symptoms, and qualities associated with it which are complex and specific. For example qualities of pain differ for the same condition in the different remedies, such as speed of onset, sensation of pain, heat, location of pain, sensitivities, and emotional expression or lack thereof in health and imbalance.
For people who have ADHD there are very common symptoms such as impulsivity, restlessness, and distractability. There are hundreds of homeopathic remedies which can address these symptoms. Finding the one which will efficiently help an individual depends on other more specific qualities such as what happens when you are stressed out, how do you cope with it? The child who hits and lacks empathy needs a different remedy than the one who will be very anxious and develop a nervous habit under stress.
Likewise, there is a quality to restlessness which can be matched by different homeopathic remedies, moving the individual towards greater calm: there is totally impulsive and physical restlessness, there is rhythmic restlessness, nervous fidgeting, restless legs or whole bodies in bed at night, there is manic euphoria, and many other expressions. These all indicate a different homeopathic remedy.
Finally, homeopathic remedy selection is also based on they types of other symptoms and conditions a person has had in their lifetime, and also family health history.
The featured pictures of substances represent homeopathic remedies useful in resolving ADHD: Tarentula, Stramonium, and Sulphur.
So what does getting better look and feel like with homeopathy if you have ADHD?
First of all, if you are not taking other medications, then you probably begin by taking the remedy just once or twice, and then evaluating your response over about one month.
That is because the remedy acts as a trigger to your own healing response, which is very different than the conventional or even nutritional or herbal approach.
Depending on the health of the person, and sensitivity, you may or may not need to repeat the remedy more frequently.
The person should notice improved balance on the mental and emotional level first, or at the same time as any chronic physical symptoms - this is the "direction of cure" created by homeopathy (and your body!).
This often means less impulsivity, more ability to focus, less runaway or rushing thoughts if that was an issue, and even greater empathy.
How long does it take?
It very much depends on the individual. For kids who haven't had pharmaceuticals of any kind, the response time is often very short. For someone who has lived with these issues for decades and perhaps also had suppressive drugs, it can be a longer and more complex process.
Most of the kids in my practice have had tremendous benefit with several months of treatment. The good news is that with the right remedy, eventually the gains can be sustained without continuing the homeopathic remedy. This is how homeopathy works with the vital force of the individual to bring about greater health.
Kathleen Scheible, CCH
Bernal Homeopathy, San Francisco
415 647 7919 X2
www.bernalhomeopathy.com
To Buy or Not to Buy...A Very Good Question
Sale! This weekend only! Prices slashed! Best prices of the season! 
How can I possibly resist offers like these? Why look at those things. They're wonderful. What great boots. I love that lamp and mine is so old. A new phone with no contract, I'd better get that, my phone has a cracked screen. Oh yeah, and gifts for the family. My nephew is into....
And so it goes. The proverbial "bright, shiny objects" have led to a whirlwind of impulse buying. The credit card now has a really scary balance and the enjoyment of new things is tempered by the anxiety over paying for them.
Are there solutions? Absolutely.
Do:
Make a list of all the people you really must have a gift for.
Look at how much money you realistically can spend.
Decide how much you can spend for each person and if there's any left for yourself.
Think about what kinds of gifts fit your budget.
Consider things you can make yourself.
Don't:
Go to stores and holiday fairs credit card in hand and ready to buy things that appeal to you.
Shop with friends who have way more money than you have and can spend freely.
And here's a tip, if you don't wait until the last minute you can start gathering things through the year and storing them so you have your own cache of gifts.
Still not sure you can manage. Find someone who will help you set limits and hold you accountable. Maybe a coach.
Ten Tips to Keep Up During the Holiday Season
The days are getting shorter as we approach winter, and you might feel like there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done; especially during the holiday season. Is it possible to keep up? Or even get ahead? Here are some tips.
1. Look at the dates of the big holidays you celebrate. What do you typically do for each of them. Think about how long the preparations have taken in past years and schedule start dates for the tasks.
2. Do you have to do everything yourself? Consider what you can delegate and let others take care of those things.
3. Are the items on your list tasks "must do" or just "it would be nice to do." Focus on the must do items.
4. How much time can you free up to do the things that are actually important? Is watching television or hanging out on Facebook really necessary?
5. Plan each day every morning. Think about what tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
6. Learn to say no. It's okay to set limits.
7. Less is more. Think about what is enough and what might be more than necessary.
8. If things feel overwhelming just pick three things you will do that day and put your energy and time into doing them.
9. Give yourself credit for anything and everything you accomplish no matter how small.
10. Get plenty of rest no matter what.
Think of being the person who designs your life.
Need help? Contact me for a complimentary half hour phone coaching session before 11/30/14.
Group Coaching for People with ADHD and Other Non-Linear Thinkers
Have you considered ADHD coaching, but thought it’s too expensive? Or too inconvenient and time-consuming?
Here’s the solution—Group Coaching
• 6-weeks – the next session begins Tuesday evenings, October 21
• Each session = 90 min. sessions
• Group limited to 8-10 people
Total Fee: $150.00
Web special – 30 minute coaching session prior to the first session
Each group session will include discussion of a specific ADHD topic and explore strategies to manage the issue.
Contact me: Sydney Metrick to sign up
510 223 3882 Sydney@ArtfulCoaching.com www.ArtfulCoaching.com
And check out my new video series on YouTube
Addressing ADHD: A Whole Person Approach
Addressing ADHD: A Whole Person Approach--video series
• Are you someone who fears the clock? Does it seem like you don’t have enough time to do what needs doing?
• Is losing and forgetting and issue for you? How many times have you lost your keys? Cellphone? Umbrella? Mind?
• Are you terrible at delegating — whether to other people or to technology?
• Is procrastination an issue for you?
• When you do begin a task, are you likely to get sidetracked?
• Are you more likely to focus on your failures and overlooking your successes?
• Have you been criticized by others for your behaviors?
You may have Attention Deficit Disorder--ADHD. Coaching is one way to get the support you need to address your challenges. But there are others. Find out what other professionals have to offer in the Addressing ADHD video series on YouTube.
www.artfulcoaching.com/wp-admin/post-new.php
Synchronize Your Brain
Do you: have trouble prioritizing, show up late for appointments or miss them all together, find it hard to set boundaries, procrastinate, have to circle around work before starting? These issues and others are frequent challenges for those of us with ADHD.
Getting organized may be easier said than done. However, it is possible to make improvements in all of these areas. If you have attention deficit disorder it is a neurobiological condition. It's how your brain works (or doesn't).
So let's look at how to help your brain function optimally. That might include getting sufficient sleep. Develop a sleep/wake schedule and routine. Exercise is also good for your brain and your body. Your diet is how you feed both your body and your brain, so think about what you eat and what nutrients you're getting. Posture is important, too. Your brain and spinal cord are constantly communicating with the rest of your body. If you're out of alignment you have a road block in communications.
Stay tune for upcoming posts that will feature tips in all these areas and more!
Let me know some of your challenges so I can have my collaborative network of experts share ideas and advice.
But Wait...I'm Almost Done
Ever get pulled into an online story and know you don't have time to read it all? Or see an intriguing headline posted on your landing page or on some other page you're visiting? Or there's a link to something you feel you absolutely must read for whatever reason and you feel pulled to reading it right now.
This happens to us non-linear thinkers all the time. Right now feels like the time to attend to something that's interesting to us. The downside is that spending that time "right now" can make us late for something we'd already committed to doing.
That fifteen minutes you spend reading an article on line causes you to walk out the door to an appointment fifteen minutes later, or have to skip something else like maybe your breakfast. If only there was a way to save the article and bring it with you so that when you're sitting in the waiting room at the dentist's office, or on your lunch break at work you could read it then. Wouldn't that be a good solution?
Say yes.
This is about time management. As it happens, there are ways to do just that. Both "Readability" and "Pocket" help you save web pages for later reading. The Readability site boasts "Readabity turns any web page into a clean view for reading now or later on your computer, smartphone, or tablet." And at GetPocket.com you'll find another version of the same option. The exact article is right there when you have the time to read it.
Now all you have to do it remember to bring your phone when you leave! Happy reading.
Lessons not Mistakes
Mistakes will be made. We all make them. They may be due to carelessness, lack of understanding or information, or some other reason. Many mistakes can be corrected, all can be teachers. What I want to focus on are the mistakes of behaviors that those of us with attention deficit disorder often make and how we can reduce the kinds and numbers of mistakes in our lives.
We may frequently forget appointments, people's names, tasks we were to do; we may lose important things, get lost ourselves, procrastinate and miss a deadline. Maybe we say inappropriate things at inappropriate times, spend too much money on something because we didn't research the options, overdraw our checking account. Yep, we may make these and other mistakes, and we may make them with some regularity.
The key here is to use every mistake as a learning opportunity. What kind of reminder would help you remember an appointment? How might setting up online banking and checking your account daily help you know how much money you have? What if you set start dates for stages of a project as well as due dates? How might you be more successful if someone held you accountable for something you said you'd do?
This is what we do with coaching. You get to make mistakes. There's no blame, no fault-finding. We evaluate what occurred and come up with strategies you can gradually implement.
Mistakes will always be made, but improvements can also be made.
Overwhelmed? Stick a Needle in it.
As an acupuncturist Marie Bowser gets to help people shift out of a state of stress and into a state of balance with acupuncture and herbs.
"This shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest” allows body systems to operate more efficiently, including brain function, focus and mood. Whether you have an ADHD diagnosis, or you just have a lot on your plate and feel overwhelmed, there are additional things that you can do ON YOUR OWN to further enhance focus and reduce stress."
"NOURISHMENT: When we forget to eat, blood sugar drops, cortisol levels rise and a stress response is triggered. One of the most important things that you can do to improve mental focus and calm the nervous system is to eat regular, nourishing meals. If remembering to eat is a problem for you, make sure you're setting a timer or electronic reminder."
"SLEEP: Sleeping gives the body an opportunity to integrate information and recover from stress. If you are struggling with following through on your vision and to-do list I highly suggest getting 8 hours of sleep and ideally falling asleep by 11 P.M. If you get too little sleep because of insomnia, this can be addressed with acupuncture and herbal medicine."
"MEDITATION: Meditation is my favorite prescription for reducing stress, re-setting the nervous system and creating focus. “Insight Meditation” and “Transcendental Meditation” are systems that do not require that you “control” your mind and might be easier to learn. Taichi, qigong, yoga and running also elicit a meditative state. My personal favorite meditation technique is knitting."
"Nourishment, Sleep and Meditation are just a handful of lifestyle shifts that I advise patients to incorporate in order to improve mental focus and mood. Certainly, having support from a coach or acupuncturist can help you to incorporate these things and make bigger shifts in your health and experience."
Find Marie Bowser, LAc, Dipl OM at Solano Avenue Acupuncture
1498 Solano Avenue, Albany, CA 94706
www.mariebowseracupuncture.com
Does Diet Matter?
The connection between the gut and the brain
I've asked my colleague, Sara Russell to talk about why diet matters for people with learning differences. Here's what she says:
We have ten times more microbial cells living in our bodies than we have cells of our own. This means that 90% of the DNA in our bodies isn’t even ours. But before you rush out and buy antibacterial soap or call your doctor asking for antibiotics, keep in mind that we depend on probiotic microbes to stay alive and healthy. Their benefits are too numerous to list in this short article, but include digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, production of some vitamins, elimination of toxins, proper immune function, healthy energy and metabolism, as well as optimal memory and concentration.
The gut houses a very large percentage of our microbiota, and the complex connection between the gut and the brain is supported by the nervous system, which helps carry messages back and forth between the gut and the brain. Our gut microbiota, just like us, can be anywhere on the imaginary line that moves from perfect health to dreadful dysfunction. The more balanced the microbiota, the clearer and crisper the messages delivered from brain to gut and gut to brain, and the faster our cognitive processes. The more imbalanced our microbiota, the more disrupted the messages.
There are many dietary and lifestyle factors that can support or damage our microbiota. To make a long story short, processed foods, diets high in sugars and starches, antibiotics (in medications and in the food supply) and some other medications, and foods contaminated with the popular herbicide Roundup are devastating to the health of probiotic microorganisms and favor instead the proliferation of unhealthy microorganisms that can cause dysfunction and disease when out of balance. Many people with asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD and autoimmune conditions have an unbalanced microbiota, and their symptoms often improve drastically through nutritional and lifestyle modifications that restore balance.
Sara Russell is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and certified GAPS Practitioner. Find her at www.yourprobiotickitchen.com
Planning Saves the Day
From taking a trip to making a cake from scratch, planning is important. The planning process is the same no matter what you apply it to.
First comes the Inspiration--"I think I'll bake a cake for an upcoming occasion."
Then Planning--"Looking in the recipe book I see I need flour, eggs, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, oil and vanilla. I'll also need a two bowls and two nine inch round pans.
The Preparation step requires obtaining all the ingredients and supplies, setting them out with the recipe and getting yourself ready to bake.
The next step is to execute or mix the ingredients, pour them into the pans and bake for a specific time.
Evaluation follows. With a cake this means inserting a toothpick to see if the cake is baked through. The final evaluation is in the eating.
Forgetting to plan or prepare can result in failure or extremely creative last minute juggling. Sometimes the "saved by the seat of your pants" approach turns out well, but more often--not so much.
Five minutes planning can save lots of time in doing and bring about a far greater likelihood for success.
You "Get To" ...
It's difficult, tedious, takes too long. You're not sure where to start or what to do. Does that make the task sound appealing? Of course not. I frequently hear these complaints as reasons why people procrastinate. Yet, if you're like the people I'm referring to, you actually want the thing or things done.
So what's the solution? First, remove that negative association you have for what's likely to be a neutral task. Instead of focusing on the downside of the task what if you looked at the benefits? Think, "I get to..." rather than "I have to..." and notice the difference that makes.
The Secret to Getting Results
My clients always say they'd like more time, more money, better health, a more organized home or office. Who doesn't want their life to be better, anyway.
So here's the thing. To have improvement in any or all of the above areas you must make the commitment to do the daily work to get the result you say you want.
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins says, "“I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment and life’s greatest rewards (are) reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret.”
The secret is to expand your comfort zone. Make a commitment to yourself. Get clear about specifically what you want your life to look like, and accept that in order to have or do what you say you want you'll need determination and persistence...and maybe the support of a coach. That's what I'm here for.
Let's Look at Calendar and Task Solutions
Does your task list seem to get longer each day? Do some things take longer than expected? There are many reasons why just keeping a calendar may not be enough to keep you on track. Many of my clients and students find color coding helps simplify things. Keeping things simple makes sense, right?
The image above comes from Moz, and they even have a cool video that details how they use the system: http://moz.com/blog/project-management-tips-for-marketing-teams-whiteboard-friday
Now you may or may not be part of a team. Still a variation of this idea might be a great solution for you. Color code the different types of things you do each day and use post it notes to move around appointments and task that will take 30 minutes or more.
Remember to include the accomplishments column!
Two Steps Forward and One Step Back
Everyone wants changes to be quick and easy. We also want the positive changes to last. Creating change means creating new habits and routines. When we do that we are actually changing our brains, making new connections that, over time, will become comfortable.
The thing is, creating the changes requires a process that is often uncomfortable. Consider going to the orthodontist to get teeth straightened. I had to wear braces on my teeth for over a year, and go back regularly during that time to get the braces gradually and painfully tightened. Once my teeth were straight and beautiful I had a moment to rejoice before learning I'd have to wear a retainer for another year or more just to make sure my newly ordered teeth didn't begin to drift back to the way they'd been for years.
When you set a goal to develop a new habit give yourself time to succeed. We sometimes forget, or don't work with the new behavior long enough for it to stick. If you "mess up" that doesn't mean you need to give up.
Mike Macedonio, President of the Referral Institute, uses the metaphor of bicycling uphill. Once you have momentum, stopping at an intersection means starting up again feels like starting from scratch.
People with attention deficit disorder benefit from developing routines. Impatience might make you feel like giving up too soon. Just remember, two steps forward and one step back, and keep on trekking.
Making Time for Fun
Guest blogger, professional organizer Dana Arkinzadeh shares some great ideas. Check it out.
Getting organized is all well-and-good, but there needs to be a reward for all your efforts. Remembering that the point of being organized is to have a rich life created with intention. Don’t forget to set aside time to enjoy that life you are creating! Should you delay your reward until all the work is done? We think not!
How do you make time for fun in your life? Do you always feel like you’re “taking care of business?” Try these tips to keep clutter at bay while leaving space and time for enjoyment.
Use a ten-minute timer to track your organizing sessions
Give yourself rewards for time spent “being productive”
Commit to a friend or colleague that you’ll limit the time you are working on your home improvement campaign
Schedule events, buy tickets, make dates – to create a balance of work and play
Block out a regular times each week to work your organizing projects
Make a game out of the organizing process. The FlyLady.net recommends a regular session of the 27-fling boogie. During this session you flit around the house, finding 27 things that can be jettisoned…put them aside in a box to bring to donation and then you’re done!
Structuring your organizing time can help you stay motivated and make progress you can see.
And, when you’re out, having fun, enjoying the view from the top of the Ferris wheel, you’ll get a perspective on your life that will enrich you.
What do you do to balance work and play in your life?
Dana Arkinzadeh, DMA Organizing helps people go from clutter to clarity. Her weekly blog is Notes From The Junk Drawer.