The Carter Center Mental Health Program Our Goal Under the leadership of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a long-standing champion for the rights of people with mental illnesses, the Carter Center's Mental Health Program works to promote awareness about mental health issues, inform public policy, achieve equity for mental health care comparable to other health care, and reduce stigma and discrimination against those with mental illnesses. How common are mental illnesses? Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States and around the world. Even the most serious mental health conditions can be treated, however, allowing people to better contribute to their families and communities. Our Strategy The Mental Health Program uses the Center's convening power to bring together health leaders and organizations to discuss important issues facing mental health care systems nationwide during the annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy and through our Primary Care Initiative. Mrs.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and ADHD) - Psych Central An Introduction to ADHD in Adults By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Have you ever had trouble concentrating, found it hard to sit still, interrupted others during a conversation or acted impulsively without thinking things through? Most of us can picture acting this way from time to time. Unlike a broken bone or cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, also sometimes referred to as just plain attention deficit disorder or ADD) does not show physical signs that can be detected by a blood or other lab test*. The causes remain unknown, but ADHD can be diagnosed and effectively treated. Attention deficit disorder has been around a lot longer than most people realize. Wondering if you might have ADHD? It's free, no registration required, and provides instant feedback. ADHD usually appears first in childhood, but can also now be diagnosed in adults (as long as some symptoms were present in the individual's childhood, but simply never diagnosed).
National Alliance on Mental Illness | Family-to-Family What You Should Expect Meets for 12 session, 2.5 hours each, free of cost.Designed for loved ones (over age 18) of individuals living with mental illness.Taught by trained family members of individuals living with mental illness.Provides critical information and strategies related to caregiving.Incorporates presentations, discussion and exercises. Designated an Evidence Based Practice in 2013 by SAMHSA. A tribute video containing moving testimonials about the NAMI Family-to-Family program from family members and course instructors. To download this video please follow this link: Why You Should Attend A toolkit of information Up-to-date information about a range of mental illnesses, including co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders.Impact of mental illness on the brain.Current research on treatments including medication, side effects and evidence-based therapies. Training in preparedness and emotional resiliency
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnosis Children mature at different rates and have different personalities, temperaments, and energy levels. Most children get distracted, act impulsively, and struggle to concentrate at one time or another. No single test can diagnose a child as having ADHD. Between them, the referring pediatrician and specialist will determine if a child: Is experiencing undetected seizures that could be associated with other medical conditionsHas a middle ear infection that is causing hearing problemsHas any undetected hearing or vision problemsHas any medical problems that affect thinking and behaviorHas any learning disabilitiesHas anxiety or depression, or other psychiatric problems that might cause ADHD-like symptomsHas been affected by a significant and sudden change, such as the death of a family member, a divorce, or parent's job loss. The specialist also will ask: Are the behaviors excessive and long-term, and do they affect all aspects of the child's life? A learning disability. Treatments
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse ADHD and Addictions Blog Posts, Books and Articles If you find this page useful, please share it. While adults with ADHD are only 5% of the population, ADDers are dramatically over represented in people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs, the SMALLEST numbers I’ve seen on ADHD and addiction are 20-25% in peer reviewed clinical journals in Pub Med, and I’ve frequently seem much larger ones. If adults with ADHD aren’t diagnosed and treated, and 85% of them aren’t, they will find ways to treat themselves or self medicate. Unfortunately as many former addicts have told me, many Adders going through rehab or drug and alcohol counselling, aren't told about the connections between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Addictions, which will make it harder for them to stop and stay sober. Blog Posts on ADHD and Addictions Books on ADHD and Addictions Articles on ADHD and Addictions Blog Posts on ADHD and Addictions Study 33% of Alcoholics had ADHD 65% of Drug Users Had ADHD From the Journal Alcohol and Alcoholism. Books on ADHD and Addictions
ADHD: Executive Function Impairments A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments by: Thomas E. Brown Preview the first 18 pages by clicking here Purchase this book here A new model of ADHD proposed by Thomas Brown, Associate Director of the Yale Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders in Yale’s Dept. of Psychiatry, explains why individuals with ADHD can focus very well for a few specific activities that strongly interest them or which threaten imminent unpleasantness, even though they have chronic difficulties in focusing for most other tasks, including some they recognize as important. Many who know persons with ADHD, even some professionals, assume that individuals with ADHD simply need to exercise “willpower” to make themselves apply their ability to focus in other areas where they need it. Dr. Why can those with ADHD focus very well on some tasks while having great difficulty in focusing on other tasks they recognize as important? Dr. Reprinted with permission. by
What is ADHD? - Cathi Zillmann - All about ADHD The definition of this disorder is a work in progress because the exact nature of brain problems is as yet impossible to see. The most recent official definition from the American Academy of Psychiatry was published in 2013, and many in the ADHD field are not satisfied with it because it leaves out any discussion of executive function. The complete name is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, it comes in three types: -Predominantly Inattentive Presentation (formerly called ADD) -Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation -Combined Type (formerly called ADD with Hyperactivity) The name is confusing, and most people have trouble remembering that it isn’t just about “being hyper” despite the name. The evolving definition Since the late 1990s and the work of Russell Barkley, it has come to be considered a problem with the brain’s executive function–or self-regulation system. My favorite author about ADHD is Thomas E. So what is it really? ADHD affects emotional regulation as well.
ADHD & the brain: Does ADHD treatment improve long-term academic, social and behavioral outcomes? The ADHD challenge The core symptoms of ADHD frequently cause significant impairment in academic, social and behavioral functioning that adversely impact individuals’ quality of life. These symptoms often persist into adulthood, potentially compromising an individual’s functioning over many years. Understanding how ADHD impacts long-term functioning, and whether adverse long-term affects are diminished with treatment, is thus extremely important. In last month’s issue of Attention Research Update I reviewed a paper that synthesized research on long-term academic outcomes for youth with ADHD. What about the impact of ADHD and ADHD treatment on long-term outcomes in other important domains such as social and occupational functioning, antisocial behavior and substance use, driving, and self-esteem? The evidence review The authors began by searching for relevant studies published between 1980 and 2010. The Results An important caution
Teaching Students with Attention Deficit Disorder If you find this page useful, please share it. Links to 40 Articles and Ebooks on Teaching Students with ADHD 8-10% of students in school have ADHD. These articles and ebooks will: help ADHD students learn more and with less struggle reduce the ADHD student's stress and ODD improve the whole classroom environment reduce the teacher's stress As someone who used to be a teacher for 5 years, and who's been an Adult ADHD coach since 2003, I prefer to focus on the practical vs. theoretical articles. ADHD is the number two inherited genetic condition after height, 80%. Hint to teachers, if a child has ADHD, it's important the parents get screened for it too, if not for themselves, then for the benefit of their child. If mommy or daddy or both are in denial or mimimization about their ADHD, they will often be in denial or mimimization about their child's ADD. Quick Harvard Adult ADHD Screening Test, and 10 ways to manage adult ADHD. Many Adders with a high IQ go undiagnosed.
Executive Functioning and Learning Disabilities I have often written about learning strategies, and how important it is to help students become “strategic” in their approach to learning, and I discussed some ways that teachers can promote student learning by both teaching and reinforcing the use of effective strategies to their students and by imbedding effective teaching strategies into their classroom instruction. What was missing from that discussion was any real focus on the kinds of “thinking” students need to do when they are confronted with different types of learning challenges and opportunities. These “thinking ingredients” fall under the umbrella term “executive functioning.” A Working Definition of “Executive Functioning” “Executive functioning” is a term used to describe the many different cognitive processes that individuals use to control their behavior and to get ready to respond to different situations. We All Have It and We All Do It
ADHD and Social Issues | ADHD Behavior Parents ask this question so often; I’m surprised a book hasn’t been written on this one topic. Everyone seems to think kids are maturing at later ages now more so than even in the recent past. It appears that this delay in reaching some level of maturity is probably related to changes in our society. Everyone matures at a different age, at different rates and reaches levels of maturity that can vary so widely as to make it difficult to say when it has been reached. This is probably one of the first things parents notice when a child is beginning the stages of “growing up”. As kids mature they stop answering questions with huh? Some teens develop social skills before their teen years. When your teen start doing things to improve him or herself, then they have realized if they want to get what they want out of life, them they must continuously learn to improve themselves. For the parents of most teens, this may be one of the most demanded and sought after signs of maturing.