Your Brain & ADD with Dr. Daniel and Tana Amen

DEFINING ADD/ADHD

• A neurodevelopmental disorder where over time you have a short attention span, are distracted, disorganized, procrastinate and have issues with impulse control
• Don’t have to have all symptoms and there are different types of ADD
• ADD doesn’t look the same for everybody
• Distractibility means they hear, see, feel too much and the world comes at them faster
• Disorganization for space and time
• Tend to be messy or organize by a pile system
• Impulsivity

Caveats:

• Short attention span but not for everything—for regular everyday things like homework, paperwork, and chores
• Can pay attention to things that have their own dopamine (things that are new, novel, highly stimulating, interesting or frightening)

CAREERS & ADD

• Prevalence of ADD in different careers: higher prevalence in more stimulating careers e.g. trauma nursing, entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurs might hire a COO who is a little OCD, surround themselves with people who organize them
• Ideally, pick a field that keeps you stimulated
• Myth: if you have ADD you’re not intelligent

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADD

• Classic ADD: short attention span, distractibility, impulsive
• Girls: inattentive ADD, short attention span and distracted, but don’t have hyperactivity and impulsivity, struggle to live up to their potential

HOW TO WORK OUT IF YOU HAVE ADD

• Book mentioned: Healing ADD
• Amen Clinics ADD Test

SEEKING HELP

• Seek out medical help: medication and natural ways to treat it
• Exercise is a natural treatment
• EPA fish oil is good for ADD and Depression
• Higher protein and lower carbohydrate suits some types but not others
• Ring of fire: the whole brain works too hard, and stimulating it with medication can make it worse
• ADD can mean low activity in the prefrontal cortex (decision making)
• Different types of ADD require different treatment
• People with ADD might engage in negative thoughts, fighting, conflict-seeking to seek dopamine and stimulation

HEALING YOUR BRAIN

• You wouldn’t judge someone for getting glasses, they just need to fix it
• Healthy person: when they concentrate their brain activates, a person with ADD: when they concentrate their brain deactivates, meaning the harder they try the worse it gets
• Medicine, supplement and lifestyle interventions help them to focus
• Things that will make it worse: not sleeping, alcohol, sugar, too much processed food
• Gluten can turn off your cerebellum: decrease activity there which is connected to your frontal lobes and ability to focus
• Coordination exercises like juggling help your brain overall and help focus
• Martial arts: complex bilateral moves requires focus and repetition and is helpful
• Study: more grey matter in the brains of people practicing martial arts

WHAT TO DO FIRST

• First know what type of ADD you have: Amen Clinics ADD Test
• Seek out a clinic to check the diagnosis: Amen Clinics
• Assess your sleep environment: make sure it’s dark
• Elimination diet: eliminate gluten, dairy, corn, sweeteners

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