The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

  Brian M. Murray, MS, IMH   Addiction and adults with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), particularly men, can be a problem. It is a problem because there is a street fix for ADHD that often leads to antisocial behavior in the form of getting into trouble with the law. Here is how this works. ADHD in children and adults is frequently medicated with prescription drugs such as Adderall (Dextroamphetamine/Amphetamine) which are psycho-stimulants that enable the ADHD sufferer to focus. As a result, they can focus better at work, school and other areas of life in which they previously had trouble.   What happens when a person becomes an adult and they still have ADHD symptoms? Finding a medical doctor to prescribe proper medication is paramount. However, if this is not done, they can begin to find alternative ways to fix their problem often in the form of caffeine or other “approved” psycho-stimulant products that imitate “speed”. On the stree...

  By Chris Hammond It is yet another counseling appointment for Sam who is 13 years old and is struggling in school, home, and everywhere he goes.   He has been diagnosed with ADHD and depression in the past but all of the medications have failed to work and his is getting worse, not better.   He is a bright boy who can do well at school but he frequently falls asleep while doing homework saying that it is too boring.   Socially he struggles with his peers as he seems disconnected, detached, and distracted.   You are beyond frustrated, having tried numerous therapies and medications convinced that something is wrong but unable to identify it.   Finally you begin to believe that he is just lazy. While laziness may play a factor in Sam’s teenage brain, there might be something else.   Frequently, lack of proper sleep can have waking symptoms of ADHD or even depression.   Without proper REM sleep, a still growing teenager will struggle...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH Quite possibly my favorite trait of an ADD/ADHD person is their ability to misplace so many important things in a variety of places. One would surmise that as time goes on, the number of places that their sun glasses, cell phone, wallet, homework or keys would land would be limited or at the very least consistent with previous locations but this is not the case. Rather, those with an advantage of ADD/ADHD seem to have an unlimited number of new and creative locations for their most basic and most frequently used items. Not only is the location of the keys creative, but at the moment of initial placement, it is also logical and systematic. The difficulty lies in remembering the logic of the location instead of the actual location because the logic of the location is the right key needed to solve the end mystery. This key concept can then be transferred to other traits of difficulty for those blessed with ADD/ADHD. Bigger than life dreams. Spend a little t...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH One of the many challenges of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is taking the first real step in beginning a task or assignment. There are the many sort of, kind of begins such as organizing your desk, sharpening all of your pencils (because one is never enough), going to the bathroom, adjusting the lighting, and checking your email again but in actuality, you have not really begun the task or assignment. Rather you have gotten ready to begin to prepare to start the task or assignment and before you know it, time disappears and nothing is accomplished. Sadly enough the rituals that you spent all of your time engaging in prior to beginning a new task or assignment and often repeated the very next time you begin to prepare to start. Or worse, new rituals are added to the list even further delaying your start. In the long run, such delays can negatively affect your work performance, a school grade, a messy garage or the other ten projects ...