Attention deficit Disorder

SquidNebula
SquidNebula Posts: 107 Member
in Motivation and Support
Anyone out there with ADD? What do you do differently with your diet that helps?

I have ADD-- I'm not on meds. I'm going to college- I don't have insurance and I can't afford to have a prescription or go to the doctor on a regular basis. I'm having hard time with my studies. I feel like I'm constantly fighting myself and it seems like it takes me three times longer to get anything done compared to everyone else. It's incredibly frustrating.

I've been so strapped for time that I haven't been working out like I want to either.

Any input would be helpful.

Replies

  • redrover
    redrover Posts: 71 Member
    Bump
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    There are usually special assistance centers at most college's for people who need more time or extra help, a lot of people with ADD or LD's use them. When I was in grad school I worked in the tutor center at my Uni and worked with a lot of ADD and ADHD students, I'd look into if your college has one. Once you get that under control, you'll have better control over managing your time and can fit in more exercise. In the meantime, I'd try to make sure you get in 30 min a day, get up 30 min early and go for a run or long walk.
  • Trapwolf
    Trapwolf Posts: 142 Member
    Hi, I was labeled with A.D.H.D as a teen. And used to take meds. They made me feel they were changing who I was, so I stopped taking them. I have learned to function without them completely. I wish you the best/ :O)
  • kuzurichan
    kuzurichan Posts: 134
    I have ADHD - I haven't tried anything with my diet yet, but I'll keep an eye on this thread! :)

    Hope you find something that helps!
  • singinghorse
    singinghorse Posts: 5
    Anyone out there with ADD? What do you do differently with your diet that helps?

    I have ADD-- I'm not on meds. I'm going to college- I don't have insurance and I can't afford to have a prescription or go to the doctor on a regular basis. I'm having hard time with my studies. I feel like I'm constantly fighting myself and it seems like it takes me three times longer to get anything done compared to everyone else. It's incredibly frustrating.

    I've been so strapped for time that I haven't been working out like I want to either.

    Any input would be helpful.

    The only input I can give is what I've learned from my BF who was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age. He is on meds and is working towards his MFA. He was very frustrated after going to two different colleges (did finish his Associates) and not learning the skills he needed to make it through college. After taking a couple of years off he started at Landmark College in Vermont which is the only college in the US for students with ADD, Dyslexia, etc. He's finally learning the skills he needs, is currently finishing up his last semester there and has his applications out to other schools for the spring semester. He still struggles sometimes, especially with time management, but he has a much better grasp on everything now that he's learned the skills that work for him.

    Long story short, I completely agree with what ubermensch13 said... if your school has that kind of resource, it would probably be a great thing to check out.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    yep.

    diet wise eat as clean as you can. and make strategic use of caffeine. i drink several cups of tea, coffee or caffeinated diet soda during the work day when i need to . when i was younger i was diagnosed and then i participated in a study where people tried natural ways to control ADD.

    for some people (like me) ADD is related to lowered dopamine levels. dairy, met and nuts as well as green leafy veggies help your body increase dopamine. caffeine also help but of course you want to be careful with drinking too much. i usually have a coffee in the AM, a diet mt. dew or coke zero at lunch and 2 cups of green tea after lunch

    as far as habits. you need to be as organized as you can.

    one thing i do that's helped a lot of creating a spreadsheet of all the things i have to do for that day (actually i update my sheet the night before) and assign a numeric value of how much time the task will take me. when i say all the things, i mean everything. there's also another field for me to type how much time i've spent on the task. a separate tab calculates this time and gives me a percentage to show how much work i have. so since i use this for work, 8 hours worth of uncompleted work = 100% capacity.

    one of the big parts of ADD, at least for me, is not being able to manage time so well. so using my spreadsheet, i can at least track how much time i've worked on a project. it sounds more complicated than it really is but i've found it really helps keep me focused especially when i have bigger projects that will take several hours to complete.

    my boss at my new job saw my spreadsheet and he was like OMG you're so organized!! that's brilliant. i was like ohhh if you only knew :laugh:

    oh yeah i forgot adequate sleep helps a lot, so try to get your 8 hours.
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
    I'm sorry, what did you say?

    I don't think it's a "disorder", but I do have the thinking style associated with ADHD.

    I think my biggest realization has been that a boring plan will not be something I can stick with. In fact, even the concept of a plan is hard to stick with. I have general guidelines (see my profile) that I try to follow, but even then I'm not perfect. Eating the same crap over and over again is definitely not helpful for me, unless it's a chocolate protein smoothie. mmmm chocolate.

    One thing that has helped me has been a fitbit pedometer. It's great for pushing me to action when I wouldn't otherwise think of it. That's on the days I remember to wear it.

    Finally, kettlebell exercises have been the first exercise I have ever actually kind of enjoyed. They are so varied and variable that I don't get bored with them very quickly. I've been doing the videos on this site (free) http://livefitrevolution.org/.

    One final note is that you have the time. You have all the time you need. You just have to figure out what you're actually doing with that time and whether you're spending it the way you really want to. I pretty much had to give up TV to get to where I am.
  • melissa5604
    melissa5604 Posts: 43
    I too was diagnosed with ADD , and was presribed meds but my body did not like them so I stopped taking them yrs ago. I have trouble with too many people talking at one time...in order to focus , I have to just tune everyone out. I cannot even read a book with the tv on. lol.
    I never exercised before, so I really have to pay attention and concentrate, to get the movements and all. My trainer probaly gets annoyed because he has to show me how to do certain ones over and over. School was a drag for me, I could not concentrate , and the medicine made me want to jump up and dance..lol. I have found if I need to study something, turn all the noise makers off, kick everyone out of my space, and shut the door. Thats the only way , otherwise , I am reading the material , but not absorbing it. Just keep at it , and talk to your counselor at school, see if there is a program that can help you. Actually I got more tips from a counselor than I did from a dr.

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