Guidance For Uncertain Times Series

Women and Girls with ADHD

ADHD 365

Many women struggle at midlife with undiagnosed and untreated ADHD complicated by hormonal changes. They typically report feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, misunderstood, and distressed at a time in their lives when they often have the greatest demands on their time and energy. Women not diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders, substance use, and low self-esteem.

In this episode, Dr. Carol Robbins provides an understanding of the challenges women face in midlife with ADHD, coping strategies, and the importance of reaching out when help is needed. 

Carol Ann Robbins, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD across the lifespan. She is the clinical director of the Annapolis ADHD Center and works with Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, an internationally known expert on ADHD, at the Chesapeake ADHD Center of Maryland. Dr. Robbins is a seasoned speaker, presenter, and author, as well as past president of the Maryland Psychological Association and coordinator of the MPA Post-Doctoral Institute on ADHD Across the Lifespan. She has served as coordinator of the Anne Arundel County chapter of CHADD since 2002.

Women in Midlife and ADHD

While most of the available information about ADHD deals with how it affects children and teenagers, we know it is a lifelong condition. How does ADHD affect people who are age fifty and older? Why are diagnoses increasing in this age group? What special challenges do they face, and how can they improve their daily lives? 
 
Our guest for this episode is psychologist Kathleen Nadeau, founder of the Chesapeake Center and author or coauthor of more than a dozen books on ADHD. She discusses what ADHD looks like in older adults, the ways ADHD is more challenging for women, what to expect if you pursue a midlife diagnosis, and more. She also shares a few simple steps you can take to improve your quality of life with ADHD.

ADHD in Adults at Midlife

ADHD can contribute to unique challenges that only girls with the disorder confront. Learn what you can do, anchored in the latest research, to guide girls through the challenges of ADHD. 

Working Solutions 

Understanding Girls with ADHD

The message is clear. Treatment for ADHD, along with the related health risks it poses, has the possibility of adding an average of nine to 13 years to the lifespan of children and adults diagnosed with ADHD. This is the implication of a cutting-edge research study conducted by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., who evaluated the connection between ADHD and 14 critical health factors including nutrition, exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use.

Dr. Russell Barkley: Untreated ADHD Reduces Life Expectancy

Most people with ADHD struggle to manage their time. We will take a deeper look at the science of time awareness and time management through an ADHD lens. Uncovered the reasons why the ADHD brain estimates, uses and values time differently. This podcast will teach adults to “see” time by externalizing it and “feel” time by building motivation.

The Science of Time Management

For teens with ADHD, finishing high school and preparing for college can be exciting and daunting at the same time. How do parents and students seek a college in getting the appropriate accommodations to ensure success? Listen to CHADD's ADHD 365 podcast on Students with ADHD Transitioning from High School to College, featuring Certified Educational Planner Judith Bass, for tips and strategies that may help your child succeed in college.

Students with ADHD Transitioning from High School to College

In this podcast, Connor Patros, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and CHADD's 2018 Young Scientist Research Awards post-doc winner, discusses his interest in looking at how neurocognitive factors (or executive functions) are related to symptoms of impulsivity in ADHD, and also the interventions that can strengthen executive function deficits.

Executive Functions and Impulsivity in Children with ADHD

The decision to medicate a child with ADHD is a difficult choice for many parents. The news and social media have accounts of people benefiting from medication, while there also are stories of grave dangers associated with these drugs. What are the benefits and risks of taking ADHD medication? How do you know what’s right for your child?

Understanding the ABCs of ADHD Medications with Max Wiznitzer, MD

We know how difficult this time might be for you and your family, and we will face the COVID-19 crisis as a community. CHADD wants you to know you are not alone. We are here with support and information about keeping your family safe and meeting your ADHD needs. CEO Bob Cattoi shares what CHADD can do for you during this challenging time.

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Supporting the ADHD Community During the Coronavirus Pandemic

If you’re struggling emotionally over the global pandemic, you are not alone. We talked with Craig B. Surman, MD, who offers calming tips and a guided meditation adapted for those with busy minds.

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Managing Anxiety

Podcast Text Transcript: https://chadd.org/podcasts/guidance-for-uncertain-times-ways-to-stay-healthy-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Are you among the nearly 90 percent of Americans living under stay at home orders? It can be difficult to maintain healthy eating and sleeping routines when you’re not able to leave home or when daily life is stressful because of the complete change in daily routine.

Dr. Roberto Olivardia provides information on designing a healthy routine, planning simple and nutritious meals, and getting enough exercise when your opportunities for movement are limited. Supporting your good health now is critical for lowering feelings of stress and maintaining a good sense of well-being.

Roberto Olivardia, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and issues that face students with learning differences. He also specializes in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and in the treatment of eating disorders in boys and men.

He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders. He is a member of the International OCD Foundation, International Dyslexia Association, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association and the American Association of Suicidology.

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Ways to Stay Healthy During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Parenting a child who has ADHD can be stressful, but a national health crisis can increase those stress levels in unanticipated ways. Parents can set the emotional tone for their families, help to manage children’s fears and anxieties along with their ADHD symptoms.

Dr. Andrea Chronis-Tuscado shares with parents what they can do during this time to answer children’s questions about COVID-19, keep a family routine while using behavioral strategies to address children’s ADHD symptoms and co-occurring conditions.

Dr. Chronis-Tuscano's research focuses broadly on understanding early predictors of developmental outcomes for children with ADHD, including depression and alcohol/substance use, and developing novel treatments that target these early risk and protective factors.

Dr. Chronis-Tuscano is the president of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, an associate editor of the Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, and a member of the CHADD Professional Advisory Board. Dr. Chronis-Tuscano currently serves as ADVANCE Professor for the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences (BSOS) at UMD.

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Parenting Children With ADHD  During A Crisis

This podcast is about helping families coping with ADHD with strategies and tips to manage and avoid potential conflicts due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Learning Objectives:
1. How ADHD impacts conflict at home during COVID-19
2. Strategies for families to decrease conflict
3. How to managing stress as a parent
4.Strategies for managing sibling conflict
5. How to handle teenagers during COVID-19

Podcast Text Transcript: https://chadd.org/podcasts/guidance-for-uncertain-times-tips-to-help-you-manage-and-avoid-family-conflicts/

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Avoiding Family Conflicts During the COVID-19 Crisis

Mothers, are you taking care of your mental and physical health during COVID-19? Parenting children with ADHD can be demanding; compound it with work, school, and a family confined under one roof, and self-care is paramount.

It's time to stop the madness and not feel guilty when you take time for yourself. You can't do it alone. It's time to permit yourself to breathe. 

Terry Matlen explains how mothers who have ADHD and parent children with ADHD can learn to balance home, work, and school while regaining a sense of self—regardless of the current crisis.  

Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, is a psychotherapist, consultant, writer, and coach who specializes in adult ADHD, with a special interest in women with ADHD. She is the author of two books: The Queen of Distraction and Survival Tips for Women with ADHD. To learn more about her, visit addconsults.com.

Podcast Text Transcript: https://chadd.org/podcasts/guidance-for-uncertain-times-mothers-and-adhd-permit-yourself-to-breathe/

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Mothers and ADHD-Permit Yourself to Breathe

CHADD is the nation's leading nonprofit organization serving people affected by ADHD. As home to the CDC-funded National Resource Center on ADHD, CHADD is the most trusted source for reliable, science-based information regarding current medical research and ADHD management. CHADD offers comprehensive programs and services at both the national and local levels.

 ADHD 365 podcast brings listeners into conversations about living with ADHD from every imaginable angle. The ADHD 365 podcast provides expert advice, tips, and strategies for families, adults, educators, and professionals. Each show is sponsored by companies, organizations, or individuals that support and provide a service to the ADHD community. 


 All Things ADHD podcast offers listeners access to educational content from leading experts who promote healthy living with ADHD. The All Things ADHD podcast is a learning resource program produced by CHADD's National Resource Center, funded by the CDC, to disseminate expert advice, guidance, and information to improve the lives of families and adults affected by ADHD. 




CHADD does not endorse products, services, publications, medications, or treatments, including those that sponsor or advertise in any CHADD publications, webinars, or podcasts.

This podcast is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38DD000002-01-00 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.

Guidance for Uncertain Times: Mothers and ADHD-Permit Yourself to Breathe

Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD)