Your child has just been evaluated for ADHD, and as you sat there being told what the condition is all about, it occurs to you that perhaps you have the disorder as well. Your attention span is flighty, you tend to be disorganized, and you can't even sit still long enough to watch a movie. Could you have ADHD as well?
It's possible that your child may have inherited the disorder from you; after all, the predisposition for ADHD is genetic. The tricky part about having an ADHD child when you yourself have ADHD is that you have to manage the symptoms of two people - yourself and your child's. At first, it sounds like a case of the blind leading the blind, but with experience you will learn to help your child manage ADHD despite your own symptoms. Here are some ADND parenting tips to help you get started.
Go on an ADHD diet with the whole family
Many symptoms of ADHD are actually just allergic reactions to food substances. Unlike classic allergies, which manifest themselves as physical symptoms (e.g. sneezing, watery eyes, rashes), these food allergies show up as behavioral disturbances. This happens because foods with gluten, casein, phosphate, or artificial additives affect brain wave activation patterns, causing mixed-up signals and explosive behavior.
The tricky thing about dealing with food allergies is that there is no test that will identify what specific foods you or your child is allergic to. A good place to start is an elimination diet. This special diet involves "rotating" food groups to give them enough time to leave the body. If you notice any behavioral improvements, they are probably caused by avoiding a specific allergenic food. There are many books that will teach you how to do a rotation diet successfully. You can also try going on a gluten-free casein-free diet, where all wheat and dairy foods are eliminated. Gluten in wheat and casein in dairy are known to trigger ADHD symptoms by altering brain wave patterns and causing gut imbalances.
For best results, the whole family has to go on the ADHD diet. Not only do you hit two birds with one stone (you and your child), but it will also prevent your child from sneaking in some forbidden foods.
Anticipate problems and solutions
You can make your life easier by learning to work around situations that will trigger your child's symptoms. For instance, if your child gets fussy during shopping trips, leave him at home at the babysitter when you have to run to the mall.
Take a break
Sometimes it helps to get a babysitter to watch out for your child, even if you'll just be staying at home. You too need some time and space from parenting to pursue your interests or simply to rest.
Get outside help
Aside from seeing a professional clinician who can help you treat your ADHD, there is one other professional you should consider - a cleaning lady or a professional organizer. If you can't seem to keep the house organized or clear the clutter from room, a cleaning lady can help you sort things out and make your home neater than it's ever been.
Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is ADHD.
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