Zoe Kessler's Blog, page 6
March 28, 2014
Why I’m Going Off ADHD Medication
I’ve been off my ADHD stimulant medication for about two weeks now.
When I started taking meds, I promised myself that one day I’d get off them. It looks like that day is here.
I didn’t plan it, exactly. My prescription ran out and my doctor was on holidays so I couldn’t get it renewed.
My decision not to renew my prescription
The medication hasn’t been as effective over the past few years as it had been, so, after about two weeks with no major disasters, I decided to make m...
March 24, 2014
ADHD: Awesome or Awful? Depends…
Zoë and her birth mom, 2006
So I’m interviewing an adult with ADHD. His resume is intimidating. He’s brilliant, funny, accomplished. And his ADHD stories are off-the-charts.
Suddenly, impeccable professional that I am, I burst into tears. And no, it’s not because I’m jealous (I am; but that’s not why I’m crying).
He was talking about his childhood.
“I remember when I’d do something crazy as a child, and I’d have to be punished.
“Later, I’d be at the dinner table after the punishment was over and e...
March 18, 2014
New Research on ADHD and Childhood Abuse
D. Sharon Pruitt via Compfight
A study published on March 3, 2014 in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma shows 30% of adults with ADHD reporting physical abuse before the age of 18 (as opposed to 7% of the general population). The researchers conclude that there’s a strong association between childhood abuse and ADHD.
Sadly, I’m not surprised. This was on my list of as-yet unproven theories about ADHD. I talked about some of the reasons why kids with ADHD were at higher risk of...
March 14, 2014
ADHD Sucks: But It’s Not What You’re Thinking…
Insomnia Cured Here via Compfight
They said it could never happen.
He was still an eccentric dresser. A night hawk.
At first, nobody noticed a difference.
“I told you so,” said Marg.
He couldn’t deny it.
Recalled it vividly, in fact.
He’d held her in his arms, her long, athletic body in blue satin, neck tantalizingly exposed and glowing like alabaster, one blue vein bobbing like a life buoy floating to the surface, pulsing deliciously…
“You’ll get ADHD,” she said.
He thought it was a ruse. No one get...
March 10, 2014
ADHD: What Are We Good At? 5 Steps to Find Out
Recently, a woman we’ll call Jane asked me some questions that I think we’ve all asked at one time or another, so I’d like to share my response with all of you.
Jane wrote:
“I was only diagnosed with ADHD at 25. Trying to be something I’m not is the story of my life. My question is: What are we good at? Almost everything requires paperwork and some ability to keep a semblance of organizational skills and professions require the passing of exams…the bane of my life....
March 4, 2014
Find Your Wings and Soar with ADHD
Dawn Huczek via Compfight
I sat on the back step in the morning sunlight. The birds sang “Spring is coming.” At minus seventeen degrees celsius, with snow banks on my deck taller than me, it was hard to believe.
I popped in the earbuds. Adele played, but not so loud that I didn’t catch the regular tap-tap-tapping that started up to my right.
A woodpecker, I thought.
I glanced at my neighbor’s deck. His teardrop-shaped feeder appeared to be unoccupied. I waited. Then, sure enough, a downy woodpe...
February 17, 2014
ADHD and Gullibility – Part II
In ADHD and Gullibility – Part I I shared an incident where I nearly got caught by a telephone scam artist. Those of us with ADHD might be smart, but unfortunately that doesn’t inoculate us against being taken advantage of.
In today’s post I’ll explain why we can be sitting ducks for practical jokers, scammers, and con-artists, and what to do about it.
Missing social cues
As kids, a lot of us with ADHD were either drowning in social awkwardness; having too much fun s...
February 9, 2014
ADHD and Gullibility – Part I
Remember the first time someone pointed at something over your shoulder, you turned around and they pulled a fast one on you? I still blush when I get caught. You’d think at my age I wouldn’t get caught. Or blush.
Apparently, I’m not alone in my gullibility and sometime naïveté. There are some good reasons why adults with ADHD might be more gullible or overly trusting than others.
I’ll explore the reasons for this in Part II. For now, here’s a story about how last week, I nearly got caught.
A we...
February 5, 2014
Corporations and Mental Health: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
David Blackwell. via Compfight
I thought twice about sharing the news about the academic scholarship from Shire (see Scholarship for ADHD Students). I’m well aware of the large faction who generally vilify pharmaceutical companies and specifically skewer those of us who are open about including ADHD medication as part of our treatment regime.
The week before, I was invited to participate in Bell Canada’s “Let’s Talk” campaign to raise awareness and remove stigma from mental health. Bell is one...
January 30, 2014
Scholarship for ADHD Students
CollegeDegrees360 via Compfight
Because of the deadlines, I wanted to get this post out right away. I will be sharing some thoughts and considerations regarding corporations and mental health in a future blog post, but for now, just (mostly) the facts.
First, a disclaimer: in sharing this information I do not stand to gain in any way, financially or otherwise from, nor do I have an affiliation with or any association whatsoever with Shire or Shire Canada Inc. or with the Edge Foundation. Psych...
