Comments for How About Making Some Guided Imagery for ADHD? at http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com , comment 1 to 10 out of 10 comments http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:20:18 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3470 As an adult with ADD, I agree that limiting sugar and processed foods can help. I also take a homeopathic supplement called Attend, by the company Vaxa. I notice immediately when I don't take it. I also find that regular exercise, being outdoors, and having routine 'alone' time helps me quite a bit. Stress certainly makes this worse, however, deep breathing techniques seem to help. - Rosalyn Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:40:55 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3469 I'm an ADD coach who has worked with lots of students and adults for many years. One thing I know for sure is that stress and anxiety makes ADD symptoms worse! As well as conscious breathing and other relaxation techniques, a huge help is to use external cues to slow down, become aware of where attention is in the present moment, decide if it's the best choice, and then proceed or change direction. I use a lot of mindfulness, relaxation, and even meditation in my coaching and classes and people have found these methods a huge help. I have lots of info on my website about ADHD so if you're interested, please take a look. www.addfamilycoaching.com And please let me know if I can be of further help. I recommend your CD's often to my clients. ~Mimi - Mimi Handlin Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:51:15 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3467 This is great. Plse keep it coming. I'll be coming through all this and asking more questions after mid-October, when I come up for air. Thanks so much, all. - Belleruth Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:00:18 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3464 A large part of my coaching practice for self-mastery, resilience and performance with kids, cross-systems advocacy on behalf of kids and their families, and a dedicated focus of holistically designed and facilitated school community~classroom workshops (reached more than 3000 kids and staff) are created and focused to respond and shift the day to day life navigations and challenges often held within ADD/HD labels and expressions; to co-create less stress, more success in whole person multi-sensory skills, and more lived experiences of self-mastery and the satisfactions that kindle more resource-full and also greater safety. We use specifically designed holistic 'coaching sheets', imagery, kinesthetic energy processes, Reiki, meridian tapping techniques, and customized flower essences for day to day practical life, more ease, challenge targets, project focus and satisfaction boosting. Happy to offer detail/ input from my experiences creating and offering this over many years and in diversity of settings from living rooms to classrooms to residential programs (and consults to kids, families, systems and private organizations wanting to meet needs in better ways). Please feel free to let me know if any of above summary may hold nuggets useful when drilled down for future dedicated imagery being created or possible support resources/approaches. Best, Jody - Jody Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:54:24 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3463 I have 2 adopted teenagers with ADHD..one diagnosed by an MD, one diagnosed by me. Parents of kids with ADD will accept any & all alternative (To medicines with horrible side effects.)help! What a great idea! - Zona Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:07:58 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3462 I recommend looking at the Love and Logic folks. Innovator Jim Fey is one of the AD-- diagnosed folks who was once a rigid rules following teacher. In "Calming the Chaos" he explains what's going on for the kids and how to work without drugs. - Sandy Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:30:15 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3461 The previous posts have it just right - anxiety is the first and often, greatest obstacle for kids and adults with ADD/ADHD. Perhaps you've already heard about mindfulness practices targeted specifically for ADHD? Researchers and clinicians Lidia Zylowska, MD and Susan Smalley, PhD, at UCLA's MARC (Mindful Awareness Research Center), developed a Mindful Awareness Program, MAP for ADHD, with practice tailored to ADDers. Dr. Zylowska recently published a self-help book, "The Mindfulness Prescription for ADHD" which includes a CD for practice. Naturally, this approach is a little different from guided imagery, moving towards a common goal. I've had a handful of patients like and benefit from it. The practice cultivates awareness and attention, and strengthens the brain's ability to regulate. Might be worth looking into for inspiration and cross-pollination! Appreciatively, Dr. Laura F - Laura Forsyth Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:17:50 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3460 I would love to see guided imagery specifically for ADD. The sudden outbursts of anger when frustrated are the biggest problem my son has, although he's doing very well in school. Forgetting details and losing things also causes a lot of distress. His pediatrician actually suggested listening to a number of your recordings and also some by a Scottish counselor named Andrew Johnson and they've been a big help. My son listens a lot to your recording for OCD because that seems to help him a lot with panic and anxiety. Maybe an ADD recording could include something to encourage the listener to break tasks down into small steps and to write the steps down or record them out loud - that's something that helps a lot of kids with ADD, but it's hard to put into that into a guided imagery recording. - Lynn Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:08:10 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3458 Very exciting, Belleruth! I agree with Janine and Gigi about the issues those with ADHD have in feeling stupid, dealing with anxiety, experiencing panic attacks as well as social challenges and suffering from low self-esteem. I'd like to also add that impulsivity, quite dangerous at times, is also one of the tremendous challenges that folks with ADHD struggle with. My understanding is that, in some instances, their brains crave excitement or thrills to make up for the excess in slow brain waves that they may have as well as the desire to feel normal. Or, in our experience, it seemed that the enormous frustration simply built up to a point where the flight/flight response kicks in and does so in an unbelievably intense way. It's been a hard one to figure out for sure. As a parent who turned repeatedly to your imagery resources to help calm me down while dealing with the dangerously impulsive outbursts of an ADHD child, I can tell you that could be one of the biggest helps for not only the client but the whole family as well. So, finding the right balance between helping someone with ADHD being calm, focused and confident to perhaps straying too far into twilight reverie may be the ultimate challenge on this one. I'm sure you'll find the right mix, though and I'll eagerly await it's arrival! Go gettum, Belleruth! :) - Craig Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:52:15 +0100 http://www.belleruthnaparstek.com/ask-belleruth/how-about-making-some-guided-imagery-for-adhd.html#comment-3457 My daughter has ADD (without the H) and I can tell you that the resulting frustration and extreme emotional outbursts are the very worst part for her and for our family. Anxiety, panic, low self esteem, a feeling that life is just too hard and everyone's expectations are unrealistic, feeling that no one understands what life is like for her; these are just a few of the things that my daughter feels. For my daugher eliminating processed sugars (not easy with an 11 year old), avoiding artificial additives and undergoing Neurofeedback have helped with the emotional side. She is still very much struggling with the focus and attention areas, however, and I worry about her long term self image as this continues. Socially, she expects to be rejected and often makes it a self fulfilling prophecy, although she is a very friendly and personable girl. E-mail me for info any time, Belleruth. I am one of those mothers who is begging for this type of CD as well. - Gigi Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:03:08 +0100