Sat, 11 Apr 2020 15:39:03 -0700WeeblySun, 30 May 2010 21:01:43 GMThttp://drmelissamcmullin.com/resources/adhd-and-your-childAidan has always been energetic.  When he entered kindergarten, his teachers commented that he seemed more impulsive than the other children and never sat still.  As he progressed in school, he was observed having difficulty waiting his turn and getting into fights with peers.  Academically, he struggled and never seemed to quite live up to his potential.

Emma is a quiet child.  She rarely gets into trouble and is passive socially.  Emma’s teachers never say anything about her academics but wonder if she’s as engaged as she needs to be in learning.  When you help her with homework, she seems to “space out,” and when you ask her to do chores, she often forgets.  Her organizational skills are lacking, and she loses pens, homework, and her favorite toys frequently.

Both Aidan and Emma exhibit signs of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  ADHD, also known as ADD, is frequently the reason a child or teen is referred to a psychologist.  Teachers may notice that a child has difficulty sitting still, is easily distracted, carelessly completes assignments and/or rarely pays attention in class.  The child may be accused of disrupting the class during lessons or is simply labeled as “not trying” in the classroom.  While some of the above symptoms are consistent with ADHD, it’s vital to have your child assessed by a psychologist or psychiatrist to be certain.

ADHD symptoms are present in a variety of other mental health domains, and without an assessment, the treatment your child truly needs might never be received.  Nonetheless, with an estimated 10% of the population meeting criteria for ADHD, it’s not an unlikely foe.  When should you be concerned about your child having ADHD?

Teachers are often one of the first to notice symptoms of ADHD.  If a teacher has mentioned that they have noticed your child struggling with inattention, it’s important to consider their concern.  However, frequently female children or children without hyperactivity will NOT be identified by their teachers.  In fact, it’s possible to struggle with ADHD throughout childhood and adolescence without ever being diagnosed.

In some cases, these individuals are able to develop coping strategies to address their short attention span, scattered organization, and difficulty following through with activities.  Others have poor grades and end up with limited options for their education.  So, what are some ways to avoid this struggle for your child?

If you are inherently concerned about your child’s attention, it is usually a good indicator that it’s time to seek a formal assessment.  However, some degree of inattention is normal in all children.  ADHD is rarely diagnosed in toddlers, for example, because scattered attention and a limited ability to concentrate are consistent with normal development for that age.  A typical ADHD child with difficulties with both inattention and hyperactivity may have the following symptoms:

·         Frequently fails to pay close attention to details.  For example, completing an assignment before thoroughly reading the assignment or making careless mistakes on math questions.

·         Struggles to pay attention and may appear to not be listening when spoken to directly.

·         Partially completes assignments and then forgets about them or has to complete them in a rush at the last minute.

·         May perform well under pressure after excessive procrastinating.

·         Ability to organize assignments, their room, and their activities is chaotic at best.  Frequently lose things and often forget assignments, activities, phone calls, etc. they are supposed to complete.

·         May talk excessively, interrupting others in conversation.

·         Appear as though it’s nearly impossible for them to sit still and appear “on the go” all the time. 

 

Usually, ADHD symptoms are present prior to age 7, but if your child is exhibiting these difficulties at a later stage, it could be a sign of another mental health problem or the result of a recent head injury.  Regardless, initial diagnosis will allow you to determine appropriate interventions for your child.  Interventions can include psychotherapy, support groups, medication, exercise, meditation, dietary changes, life/organizational coaching, study skills, and even neurofeedback.  Regardless of the interventions used, the sooner your child is diagnosed, the sooner they can be provided with a supportive environment to help them learn to better manage their ADHD symptoms.   ]]>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:04:00 GMThttp://drmelissamcmullin.com/resources/depression-and-anxietyContending with depression and anxiety on your own can be a scary prospect. You might feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.  Maybe you've pursued therapy and found yourself wondering how talking about your childhood will make you feel better.  Perhaps you dropped out of therapy because you didn't feel like it was helping.  We all want to feel better sooner. 

If you are interested in experiencing improvements quicker, I encourage you to consider contacting me for an appointment.

If you are lucky, you have found a good therapist.  Someone who listens and seems to gel with you.  They take your goals into account and try to make sure you are NOT "wasting" time in session.  But even then it takes time to feel better and can require more than just weekly therapy.

Whether you're looking for self-help, want greater focus to your work in therapy, or have been in therapy and want to keep working towards progress on your own, the following resources might be helpful.
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The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns, M.D.

This is a workbook designed to help you help yourself.  Dr. Burns is a Stanford professor, and he developed a self-paced, user-friendly guide to changing your thoughts or behaviors to help you feel better.  This book may seem a bit long, but it is designed so that one-third of the book addresses depression, one-third anxiety, and the last third is intended for clinicians working in mental health.  While the title might sound cheesy, Dr. Burns has conducted extensive research on the use of this handbook and has found it to be quite helpful for adults in combating depression.  I recommend this book to all of my adult and teen clients.

Mind over Mood by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky

Similar to The Feeling Good Handbook but with less narrative.  This book utilizes a different format to present similar ideas to Dr. Burns' book.  The focus of this book relative to the handbook is that it's less about educating or considering every day situations that might arise that cause you to feel "bad."  You begin to look at your thoughts and behaviors from the beginning and how to change them.

When Panic Attacks: The new, drug free anxiety therapy that can change your life by David Burns, M.D.

More up-to-date than Dr. Burns' handbook, this workbook walks you through understanding anxiety related to panic and how to combat panic attacks.

The 10 Best Anxiety Management Techniques: Understanding How Your Brain Makes you Anxious and What You Can Do to Change  by Margaret Wedrenberge

This workbook is a bit more mindfulness-based than the above.  It discusses self-care habits that fuel anxiety and how to nuture yourself to begin to see baseline reduction of anxiety.  A good read and great for those who are interested in implementing changes to self-care to feel better.
]]>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:46:45 GMThttp://drmelissamcmullin.com/resources/emergency-hotlinesIf you are in crisis and thinking about harming yourself or someone else please call 911 or go to your local emergency room. 

If you need to talk to someone about a crisis please refer to the hotlines below:

Suicide Prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255

For other Crises:

Child Abuse
Child Protection Hotline (Los Angeles County DCFS) Within CA (800) 540-4000

Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline
(800) 799-7233

Running Away
National Runaway Switchboard
(800) 231-6946

Substance Abuse
National Help Line for Substance Abuse
(800) 262-2463

Rape and Sexual Assault
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
(800) 656-HOPE

Pregnancy
Planned Parenthood Hotline
(800) 230-PLAN (230-7526)
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