Blog

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    ADD – AD/HD: Trying Harder Can Be A Recipe for Trouble!

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

    Today is one of those days when trying harder just seems to make things worse. I spent most of the morning trying harder, to no avail. My laptop crashed this morning. I was really upset, as I imagine many of you might be, too. I wanted a quick fix, which was just not going to happen, of course. As I got more and more wound up, I realized what I needed to do. I needed to take a step back and think. When I took a step back, I realized that none of the issues involved in not having my laptop were insurmountable. I called the tech support. They promised to come soon, really. In the mean time I’ll do the best I can in…

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    ADD – ADHD: Following The Rules Can Be Hard

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

    In my last post, I wrote about following the rules. I asserted that, as long as you are being intentional and aware of the consequences, you should make the choices that are best for you. Sometimes, like this morning, I don’t follow the rules and I wish I had. Sometimes, as is the case with many ADDers, I just don’t pay attention. So, I thought about these cases. This morning I was trying to finish up my taxes, which I thought would not be that hard. After all, my accountant had clearly listed the instructions and, even put a sticky, “Sign Here,” where I was supposed to sign. In my usual fashion, I skimmed the instructions. I am sure that skimming is not recommended when…

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    ADD – ADHD: You Don’t Have Follow The Rules!

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

    I am not much of a “rule follower,” as many of my close friends and family members can confirm. The other day, my daughter and I were having a conversation about whether it is good to do your own thing and not be a follower. In the course of our conversation, she told me that she thought that I just did my own thing most of the time. As I thought about this, I decided that she was only partially right. What she has not gleaned from watching me is that sometimes I will decide to take a particular action based on my understanding of the possible consequences, as my well the “rightness” or “wrongness” of the rule. I always encourage my clients to carefully…

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    ADD-ADHD: What Do You Really Want To Understand?

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, Blog

    “Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.” ~Unknown When I read this quote, a lot of questions starting running though my head: What does this say about perfectionist tendencies? How does limiting the scope of what we do help to accomplish what is important? How does focusing on becoming better in a few areas, rather than many, help us feel more successful? How does doing too much lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed? How can we apply, “need to know basis,” to what we choose to focus on at any one time? I am sure that I could come up with more questions, but I think that is enough for now. What other questions occur to you? What really resonated for…

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    ADD Foibles: Oops, Did I Misread That?

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

    Ok, just for the record, I do not really follow sports and am not much of a spectator, unless I’m watching my daughter. So, why I am reading Sports business daily? Good question, thanks for asking. I am interested in the human interest side of sports. You know, like following the exploits of A-Rod and Madonna… In this case, it was the reporting about Major League players and their use of stimulants for AD/HD, as reported in this article that caught my attention. And you know, it is hard to catch my attention… As I was preparing to write this blog, I realized that I had misread the article. So then I decided that I was going to use the article, anyway. There is nothing…

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    Rx and College Students with AD/HD

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

    While engaging in my favorite morning ritual of drinking coffee, writing and listening to NPR, I heard this report, "More Students Turning Illegally To ‘Smart’ Drugs," on Morning Edition. I was not surprised to hear of the illegal use of Adderall and Ritalin by college students. I knew that this was occurring when I worked at Boston University. While I was not surprised, I was immediately concerned about how people would interpret this report, especially after hearing from a college senior with ADD, who had a monthly prescription for Adderall. He says that he rarely uses the 60 pills he gets each month, unless he needs to "pull an all-nighter." Instead, he says:"I usually just give it to my friends. I don’t really want to…

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    ADD – ADHD: Preventing Hard Drive Crashes

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, Blog

    At some point most of us have had to deal with a computer that is running too slowly. So, typically, we clean the hard drive in order for the computer to run faster and smother; the idea is to create extra free space. First, we analyze our hard drive, and then decide what items to keep and what items to delete. When you have AD/HD and your brain is full of information, like tasks and ideas, you may feel overwhelmed when faced with making these decisions when it comes to your life. When you do make these choices, though, you will be amazed at the extra free space. We all are faced with too many options. Thinking about today, I could: meet with clients, clean…

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    AD/HD: Staying Grounded…In Tough Times

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, Blog

    The state of the economy has taken up quite a bit space in my head, lately. This seems reasonable, when, aside from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it is the hottest topic in the news, right? Specifically, I have been thinking about the connection between fear and the economy. Then I started pondering the relationship between fear, the economy and AD/HD. Whew… Clearly, the economy is in rough shape, as we slide deeper into a recession. While I was an economics major in college, there are resources far more credible than me to give an in depth commentary on the current state of the economy. Suffice it to say, as a result of the recession, many people are suffering because of the loss of jobs,…

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    ADD – ADHD: How Do You Motivate Yourself?

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

    I received the following question from a client this week. “Are you willing to share how you pull yourself out of those “can’t get anything done” spots?” I did my best to answer. What do you do? I’m sure that you can add to this list. Sometimes, I act “as if,” which comes from a Hebrew term I learned. That is I do one thing even if intellectually I’m thinking it does not matter. I set a minimum goal for the day, if I’m not feeling productive. For example, even if I am in a hole, I make sure that I take care of my active clients. It is not enough to keep a business going, but some days are just like that… Other times,…

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    ADD – AD/HD: Yes I Can!

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Emotional Regulation, Blog

    Today is Martin Luther King Day. It is a day when we not only remember the legacy of MLK, but it is also a day when we remember that there is still work to do to make this a truly just world. Tomorrow Barak Obama will be inanugrated as the first African American president. Yes, it is monumentally historic, but our collective work is not done, yet. Today and tomorrow are about hope, as much as they are about the results of a dream. While I am realistic about the challenges that we face as a nation, I am hopeful, though. I am hopeful because, regardless of the speed or results of the changes, we may once again be a country based on values that…