Last week I participated in a class on the ADD Classes site called "AD/HD and Eating
Disorders" with Dr. Patricia Quinn, who for the last decade, has devoted her attention professionally to the issues confronting girls and women with ADD (ADHD or AD/HD).
Finally, someone is looking into why so many women have trouble following a normal eating & exercise routine. Dr. Quinn describes several recent studies that followed women who were being treated at an Obesity Clinic for lifelong issues with weight control.
In one study over 40% of them had undiagnosed ADD (ADHD or AD/HD)! Once they were treated for the ADD, they were able to successfully lose weight. Her one hour class covers many types of eating disorders including Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, and Night Eating, all of which have been found to have a very high proportion of undiagnosed ADD (ADHD or AD/HD).
If you want to hear the recorded class, AD/HD and Eating Disorders you can sign up at ADD Classes For only 9.95 a month you'll get access to the entire library of hundreds of classes and you can download them to listen on your MP3 player too!
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Dr. Quinn's class not only provides information about the studies but also answers questions about which kinds of ADD (ADHD or AD/HD) treatments have been most effective in help women with different eating disorders. The Q & A session with Dr. Quinn is extremely informative and practical.
HOW THIS CLASS HAS HELPED ME
This class has changed my life forever. As someone who has yo-yo'd and struggled with weight control most of my life, and has tried every program out there, I couldn't believe how she described parts of my history with weight almost as if she knew me. This led me to go to Dr. Omilian, a D.O. who treats ADD / ADHD here in NJ to see if I had undiagnosed ADD. Turns out I do.
All my life, my "creative" organizing methods and insights were driven by my own inability to organize using traditional, complicated, inefficient methods that require a lot of maintenance. Little did I know I was developing my own "compensating structures" for ADD / ADHD that allowed me to be successful in life at everything BUT long-term weight maintenance. Organizing to lose weight is probably the toughest organizing job there is.
My ADD / ADHD is relatively mild and has not caused me the severe problems ADD causes for some people - though it does explain many of the life problems I've had to overcome. I believe the reason I was able to conquer many of my issues on my own is due to my extremely high need to achieve results which motivated me to use my creativity to organize for success.
Luckily, I'm also a student of personality types and understood that "one size does not fit all". I have always known I was a creative type that needed non-traditional organizing methods. If I tried a traditional planner, calendar or tickler file system or a filing system that I didn't maintain well, I didn't feel like a failure, I just invented my own system and kept at it till I found a way that did work for me.
Regarding weight control, I've been successful using my creativity to help me plan healthy meals & snacks during the day, I've quit sugar and gluten, lower salt intake, stop drinking soda, and even to quit smoking. I also organized my shopping routine so that I eat mostly unprocessed foods but still can be spontaneous. But so far, I haven't been able to completely control my impulsive night eating and cravings for high fat foods. That is a hallmark of ADD related eating. Now that I've started medication for ADD that curbs impulsivity, I'm already noticing a HUGE difference in my ability to plan what I eat and stick to it - even at night.
COULD GETTING TREATED FOR ADD AVOID NEED FOR BYPASS SURGERY?
I know this story is just the beginning of my journey to conquer weight control, but I wanted to share it on my blog in hopes that it may inspire other women to make sure they have tried everything else to help them lose weight before resorting to gastric bypass.
I had considered getting a gastric bypass several years ago but decided not to because I am extremely healthy and did not want to risk my health and high energy levels. I know so many woman who experienced serious complications and whose health and energy declined after getting a bypass. To be successful in the long term with a bypass, you must be able to follow a healthy eating & exercise program. That's why so many women end up regaining their weight two years after the bypass.
If I can help relatively healthy women like me avoid doing something as radical as gastric bypass when the real problem is untreated ADD, exposing my personal issues with weight will have been worth it. Don't get me wrong, bypass is a great option for people who have serious life threatening health issues like high blood pressure etc. but if your primary problem is sticking to an eating and exercise routine, I encourage you to find out if you might have ADD (ADHD) before getting a bypass. The right treatment and the right ADD Coach might be what you really need.
MORE ABOUT DR. QUINN , WOMEN AND ADD / ADHD
Dr. Patricia Quinn has worked for over 28 years in the areas of ADHD appeared in the video aired on PBS titled, OUTSIDE IN: A Look at Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Her 1999 book, Understanding Girls with ADHD, was co-authored with Drs. Nadeau and Littman and is groundbreaking in its presentation of this population. She was also co-editor of ADDvance: A Magazine for Women with ADD and is co-founder and currently the director of the non-profit organization, The National Center for Gender Issues and ADHD. In 2002, Dr. Quinn co-edited with her partner, Dr. Nadeau, two volumes on these important topics, Understanding Women with ADHD and the only text for clinicians, Gender Issues and ADHD: Research, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
ARTICLES
Diet and Weight Management Strategies for Adults with ADD (ADHD) by Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D.
The ADHD-Friendly Diet by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., Suzanne Rostler, R.D.
MORE ABOUT ADD CLASSES
I LOVE ADD Classes. They have been extremely helpful to me in recommending organizing solutions that work for my ADD & ADHD clients. Personally, audio is a great way for me to learn. I download them and listen when I travel in my car. Makes my trips go quickly, especially those long trips we take to Virginia to see my husband's family. Learning while driving also helps me reduce stress in traffic.
Listen to an Audio Clip describing the ADD Audio Teleclass Library!
A few Audio Class Topics
- Daily Routines for ADD / ADHD
- Decision Making with ADD / ADHD
- Managing Adult ADD / ADHD
- Life Balance with Adult ADD / ADHD
- Help! My Partner has ADD / ADHD
- Parenting a Child with ADD / ADHD
- Many Many More!
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