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The Surprising Truth About Lumosity and Other Brain Training Games

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

I often get asked what I think about brain training games. And I always say the same thing, which is: The only one that seems to be effective in the long term and is backed by solid scientific research is Cogmed Training to improve working memory. According to Cogmed, “80% of users see measureable improvements.” And the research, not only backs up these claims, but shows that the improvements are not only seen in the game, but also in real life improvements in working memory for users. The questioning rarely ends there, though. “But, Marla, what about ones like Lumosity? It says on its website that it can improve memory, attention, flexibility, speed of processing, and problem solving.” For an adult with ADHD that sounded…

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5 Tips You Need So ADHD Coaching Works for You

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

If you decide to pursue ADHD Coaching as part of your holistic treatment plan for your ADHD, you can anticipate it will help you effectively manage your ADHD in many ways. Inevitably, though, you will also find it challenging at times to stick with it. At some point you might even question why you decided to do it! And you may even be tempted to quit coaching before you have reached your most intensive goals. These are common responses. After all making changes is not easy! It makes sense that you would have doubts in the course of your coaching journey. But, if you know in advance about the misgiving you might have along the way, you can be more prepared to address them in…

Take These Three Steps to Reduce Your ADHD Symptoms
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Take These Three Steps to Reduce Your ADHD Symptoms

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

  I know you’ve heard before that you should… What if you also thought of these as a means to treat your ADHD and make things easier? Yes, easier. Would you want to invest more time and energy trying to improve in these areas? While medication can form the cornerstone of a treatment plan for ADHD, expanding your notion of what it means to treat your ADHD can open up the doors to include other options. Step through the threshold and see what is possible.. What Can Water Do For Your ADHD? Our brains are 85% water, and so depend on sufficient water to function well. More specific to ADHD, water facilitates the production of the neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine and norepinephrine, that are necessary for…

ADHD And Support You Can Afford
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ADHD And Support You Can Afford

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

  While my hope is that every adult with ADHD who wants help can get support, I also know that investing in 1-1 ADHD Coaching can be too much of a reach for some. In part I know this from the emails I’ve received and conversations I’ve had with prospective clients who say or write something along the lines of: So, when I heard such a comment again recently, I thought about what I have done in situations where I get that queasy feeling in my gut just thinking about spending money for support, whether it is coaching, a class or a group. After all, I know I owe a great deal of my success to the help I’ve received from other professionals Just Do…

ADHD Treatment: An Interactive Guide For Making Decisions
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ADHD Treatment: An Interactive Guide For Making Decisions

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

You may think of medication when you think of treatment for ADHD. Most people do. But, if you have ADHD and want to manage it successfully so you can reach your goals, you should know that  medication alone will likely not be effective. That’s right. In order to effectively treat your ADHD, you need to create a holistic treatment plan . And what is that, you may be wondering. To answer that question I’ve created a free 43 page interactive PDF workbook, Treatment Options for ADHD Workbook:  A Guide to Exploring and Making Decisions About Treating Your ADHD. Best practices for using the  guide: Take your time. Follow your interest. You can skip around to different sections easily by clicking on the bookmarks. You can…

ADHD and Sleep: Are You Getting A Good Night’s Sleep?
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ADHD and Sleep: Are You Getting A Good Night’s Sleep?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

  When it comes to sleep and ADHD, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest a greater occurrence of sleep problems in adults with ADHD than the general population. We also know that lack of sleep can make your ADHD symptoms (challenges with focus and attention) worse. So, if you have sleep issues, it is important that you address them as part of a holistic treatment plan for your ADHD. Whatever your challenges with sleep they likely fall into one of four areas. Falling Asleep Like many with ADHD, you may be an avowed night owl; you get a second wind late at night. The official medical term is Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome. You may find yourself unable to shut of your mind, even though…

Complementary and Alternative Treatments For ADHD
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Complementary and Alternative Treatments For ADHD

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

  Medication might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about treatment for ADHD. You might also think of therapy and ADHD Coaching as means of treatment. True, these are the standard methods of treatment, and the only ones that are fully supported by scientific research as effective treatments in the long term. And for many with ADHD these form the cornerstone of a holistic treatment plan. However, if you consider treatment as a means of reducing the ADHD symptoms that cause you to struggle in your daily life, the options available become more plentiful. You might even be surprised at some of the options I’ve included below. While others may appear to just be common sense. I certainly encourage you…

ADHD Support: Therapists and ADHD Coaches
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ADHD Support: Therapists and ADHD Coaches

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

Who do you have on your team for support? J. Russell Ramsay, PhD, co-director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program posits that: …with the ADHD medication as a foundation, it’s the psychosocial treatments that can come in and finish the job. However, like many adults with ADHD, you may feel the shame of years of failed accomplishments as a result of living with undiagnosed ADHD, and may be reticent to ask for help. You may even have come to believe that you are not capable of reaching your goal(s) and are ready to give up. Wherever you are in thinking about or attempting your goals, you don’t need do it alone. With help you can reach your potential. Therapy and…

ADHD and Medication: How Do I Make the Decision?!
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ADHD and Medication: How Do I Make the Decision?!

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

The decision to take medication for ADHD can be complicated for many people. Often made more complicated by pieces in the media, such as the recent article Ritalin Gone Wrong by Alan Sroufe, Ph.D., (NY Times, Jan. 29, 2012). As Dr Ned Hallowell noted in his response on his blog,  Dr. Hallowell’s Blog, Dr. Sroufe’s article is “inflammatory rhetoric” filled with “scare tactics and wrong-headed assumptions.” Articles, like Dr. Sroufe’s, can make it more difficult for you to make a decision, as the rhetoric can really cloud your ability to make an informed decision based on facts, if you let it. To help you arrive at a well thought out decision that works for you I’ve put together a 11 page interactive workbook, ADHD and…

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ADHD and Electronics: Should You Pull the Plug?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

For a long time I did not watch TV at all. Then I discovered Hulu and Netflix… Sometimes, I admit,  I watch too much TV, especially during the winter months. I’ll even multitask – checking email and watching a show. Mostly, I watch TV as a way to relax and turn off my brain. Is this ok? Exploring an Opinion What is the impact of electronic use by children and adults with ADHD? Last week Pierre de Villiers emailed me the comments below and asked me to respond. Since I thought my response would be of interest to many of you, with his permission, I decided to answer it in a public forum. While Pierre’s comments are about children, the issues he raises are also…