Performance Enhancement
by Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, The Gift of ADHD
Many of the medications used to treat ADHD are considered to be universal performance enhancers. This means that they will increase the performance of people who don't have ADHD as many university students during final exam week know.
Dr. Larry Diller in his new book "Remembering Ritalin" offers a warning that we are in the midst of an epidemic of stimulant prescriptions perhaps driven by a value system that pushes performance at any cost. Dr. Diller has prescribed Ritalin type medications to children for 32 years and so he is not against Ritalin. Because he believes it can be an important component in treating ADHD, his dire warning is all the more credible. He writes,
"Last year nearly 84,000 tons, tons(!) of legal speed were approved for production in the United States. That's more than a half a pound for every man, woman and child in America. We are 4% of the world's population but use 80% of the Ritalin. Apart from what that says about our values (performance at any cost?) I am deeply concerned about the threat of another doctor prescribed stimulant abuse epidemic. We've had regular cycles of such epidemics every 20 years or so (the last time was in the 1970s when women took Dexedrine from their doctors to lose weight and many became addicted). Here's the irony about Ritalin. It's actually safer for children than for adults. Children neither have access to the drug nor do they like higher doses. They complain saying they feel nervous or weird. Older teens and adults have access to the pills and they like higher doses saying they feel powerful and grand. I'm afraid we are actually in the middle of another doctor prescribed epidemic. And I leave you with the warning that a society that copes by using drugs does so at its own peril."
The sad thing about this epidemic is that there are so many additional or alternative methods for enhancing performance. In future posts, I will elaborate specific methods and cite research for enhancing performance through other strategies. Just to get started, I will list 38 strategies for enhancing performance below. This list is by no means comprehensive nor does it exhaust the tool kit I use in coaching families and adults with ADHD. It does however suggest that medications should not be the first treatment approach for deficits in attention and performance. Here goes:
Managing Attention Deficits
1. Increase Attention by Decreasing Stress
2. Increase Attention by Increasing Interest in a Task
3. Increase Attention by Prioritizing
4. Increase Attention by Saying No to Unreasonable Demands
5. Increase Focus by Setting Goals
6. Increase Focus by Creating a Mission Statement
7. Increase Focus by Finding Sweet Spot
8. Increase Focus by Increasing Time in Nature
9. Increase Focus by Creating a Not-To-Do List
Managing Impulsivity and Hyperactivity
10. Decrease Impulsivity by Pausing
11. Decrease Impulsivity by Increasing Detachment
12. Decrease Impulsiveness by Asking "What Did You Mean By That?"
13. Decrease Impulsivity by Managing Anger
14. Decrease Impulsivity by Listing Consequences
15. Decrease Impulsivity by Translating Complaints into Requests
16. Decrease Impulsivity by Practicing Communication Skills
17. Decrease Impulsivity by Increasing Positive Self-talk
18. Decrease Hyperactivity by Increasing Self-Care
19. Decrease Hyperactivity by Increasing Exercise and Relaxation
20. Increase Persistence by Managing Emotions
21. Increase Persistence by Increasing Awareness of Benefits
22. Increase Persistence by Decreasing Self-Criticism
23. Increase Persistence by Increasing Rewards
24. Increase Task Completion by Predicting Obstacles
25. Increase Task Completion by Identifying Unmet Needs
26. Increase Task Completion by Asking for Support
Create Real World Success
27. Increase Motivation by Decreasing Depletion
28. Increase Motivation by Noticing Progress
29. Increase Motivation by Focusing on Positive Feelings
30. Increase Motivation by Asking "Why do I want to change?"
31. Increase Confidence by Identifying Strengths
32. Increase Confidence by Listing Past Successes
33. Increase Organization by Reframing
34. Increase Organization by Decreasing Emotional Upsets
35. Increase Organization with Technology
36. Increase Time Management by Taking 10 minutes Each Morning
37. Increase Time Management by Building New Habits
38. Increase Time Management by Using Prompts and Reminders
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb is a worldwide ADD expert and offers ADD coaching by phone to residents of California. For more tips and tools about ADHD visit http://www.visionarysoul.com. Learn about individual sessions Visionary Soul Healing Sessions
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb is a clinical psychologist and author of The Gift of ADHD, The Gift of ADHD Activity Book, The Gift of Adult ADD, The ADHD Workbook for Teens and Listening to Depression: How Understanding Your Pain Can Heal Your Life.
by Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, The Gift of ADHD
Many of the medications used to treat ADHD are considered to be universal performance enhancers. This means that they will increase the performance of people who don't have ADHD as many university students during final exam week know.
Dr. Larry Diller in his new book "Remembering Ritalin" offers a warning that we are in the midst of an epidemic of stimulant prescriptions perhaps driven by a value system that pushes performance at any cost. Dr. Diller has prescribed Ritalin type medications to children for 32 years and so he is not against Ritalin. Because he believes it can be an important component in treating ADHD, his dire warning is all the more credible. He writes,
"Last year nearly 84,000 tons, tons(!) of legal speed were approved for production in the United States. That's more than a half a pound for every man, woman and child in America. We are 4% of the world's population but use 80% of the Ritalin. Apart from what that says about our values (performance at any cost?) I am deeply concerned about the threat of another doctor prescribed stimulant abuse epidemic. We've had regular cycles of such epidemics every 20 years or so (the last time was in the 1970s when women took Dexedrine from their doctors to lose weight and many became addicted). Here's the irony about Ritalin. It's actually safer for children than for adults. Children neither have access to the drug nor do they like higher doses. They complain saying they feel nervous or weird. Older teens and adults have access to the pills and they like higher doses saying they feel powerful and grand. I'm afraid we are actually in the middle of another doctor prescribed epidemic. And I leave you with the warning that a society that copes by using drugs does so at its own peril."
The sad thing about this epidemic is that there are so many additional or alternative methods for enhancing performance. In future posts, I will elaborate specific methods and cite research for enhancing performance through other strategies. Just to get started, I will list 38 strategies for enhancing performance below. This list is by no means comprehensive nor does it exhaust the tool kit I use in coaching families and adults with ADHD. It does however suggest that medications should not be the first treatment approach for deficits in attention and performance. Here goes:
Managing Attention Deficits
1. Increase Attention by Decreasing Stress
2. Increase Attention by Increasing Interest in a Task
3. Increase Attention by Prioritizing
4. Increase Attention by Saying No to Unreasonable Demands
5. Increase Focus by Setting Goals
6. Increase Focus by Creating a Mission Statement
7. Increase Focus by Finding Sweet Spot
8. Increase Focus by Increasing Time in Nature
9. Increase Focus by Creating a Not-To-Do List
Managing Impulsivity and Hyperactivity
10. Decrease Impulsivity by Pausing
11. Decrease Impulsivity by Increasing Detachment
12. Decrease Impulsiveness by Asking "What Did You Mean By That?"
13. Decrease Impulsivity by Managing Anger
14. Decrease Impulsivity by Listing Consequences
15. Decrease Impulsivity by Translating Complaints into Requests
16. Decrease Impulsivity by Practicing Communication Skills
17. Decrease Impulsivity by Increasing Positive Self-talk
18. Decrease Hyperactivity by Increasing Self-Care
19. Decrease Hyperactivity by Increasing Exercise and Relaxation
20. Increase Persistence by Managing Emotions
21. Increase Persistence by Increasing Awareness of Benefits
22. Increase Persistence by Decreasing Self-Criticism
23. Increase Persistence by Increasing Rewards
24. Increase Task Completion by Predicting Obstacles
25. Increase Task Completion by Identifying Unmet Needs
26. Increase Task Completion by Asking for Support
Create Real World Success
27. Increase Motivation by Decreasing Depletion
28. Increase Motivation by Noticing Progress
29. Increase Motivation by Focusing on Positive Feelings
30. Increase Motivation by Asking "Why do I want to change?"
31. Increase Confidence by Identifying Strengths
32. Increase Confidence by Listing Past Successes
33. Increase Organization by Reframing
34. Increase Organization by Decreasing Emotional Upsets
35. Increase Organization with Technology
36. Increase Time Management by Taking 10 minutes Each Morning
37. Increase Time Management by Building New Habits
38. Increase Time Management by Using Prompts and Reminders
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb is a worldwide ADD expert and offers ADD coaching by phone to residents of California. For more tips and tools about ADHD visit http://www.visionarysoul.com. Learn about individual sessions Visionary Soul Healing Sessions
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb is a clinical psychologist and author of The Gift of ADHD, The Gift of ADHD Activity Book, The Gift of Adult ADD, The ADHD Workbook for Teens and Listening to Depression: How Understanding Your Pain Can Heal Your Life.
