A Smarter Way to Solve
Your Adult ADHD Puzzle —
Including in Relationships — and
Speed Your Learning Curve

Goal:  Building a strong foundation in our modern, scientific understanding of what ADHD is—and is not.

When we operate from misinformation—or scattered bits— our footing remains slippery.   We might even remain stuck in “denial.”

You might feel well-educated on Adult ADHD—and you might be.

But consider for a moment that ADHD is a huge “market” these days—and the Internet has no watchdog.  Neither does  book-publishing.

How can you tell expert consensus from random opinions? By learning with a respected guide.

This is your life we’re talking about.  Your future.  Facts and evidence matter.

Goal:  Know what makes the ADHD diagnosis in general—and in your case. Step by step.

Even adults diagnosed long ago can remain unclear about their evaluation.

Fuzziness fosters uncertainty or skepticism —and impedes progress.

How can you track treatment goals—and celebrate progress—if your specific symptoms remain vague? 

Not yet diagnosed?  If you believe anti-psychiatry critics, you might view the ADHD diagnostic criteria as simply one or two behaviors, such as procrastinating and forgetting.  

Reviewing the criteria—the specific symptoms and how they add up to a diagnosis—can help streamline  solutions. 

It can also help you to work best with the evaluating or treating professional. To be pro-active, not passive. To know what’s a symptom vs. poor coping strategy.

Goal: Know what should happen throughout the evaluation process— and boost your confidence as a mental healthcare consumer.

• Basic evaluation process 
• Downloadable intake forms
• Q&A on the basics
• Why third-party support can be a smart strategy
• Tips on finding a professional to perform the evaluation or provide other ADHD treatment

Goal: Learn all about the key to optimizing your planning and time-management—as an individual and/or a couple

We approach Executive Functioning  from six essential angles :

1. Drilling down into the specific  Functions (e.g. planning, organizing, visualizing rewards, etc.)
2. Eavesdropping on a couple where Executive Functions went missing in action. It’s a too-common scenario that illustrates how long-running conflicts often spring from poor EF.
3. Reframe our couple’s long-running conflict through the EF lens. (One small habit change could prevent future calamities!)
4. Understanding how non-ADHD savvy therapy tends to  misperceive EF-related challenges as intentional or pathological behaviors.
5. Clear emotional roadblocks that prevent getting organized around time and tasks.
6.  Revisit a tragic accident from 1848—often credited with paving the way to the EF models. (Surprise! Brain affects behavior)

Goal: Identifying the  misinterpretations and poor coping responses that fuel your  ADHD Triple Whammy Roller Coaster.  As an individual and as a couple.

In the introductory module, we took a sneak peek.  Here, we go deep.

We explore how each person’s Triple Whammy Roller Coaster develops over time. Typically in three stages—symptoms, misinterpretations, coping responses.

Once you start distinguishing core symptoms from “bad habits”, you gain clarity on handling each.

Soon, your  coaster becomes a smoother, more enjoyable ride.  

Goal: De-tangling your day-to-day interactions to see exactly where misinterpretations and counterproductive coping responses are creating chronic problems.

Think of the Dysfunctional Interaction Cycle as how your Triple Whammy Roller Coaster plays out on a micro-day-to-day level. 

It is loosely based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) adapted for ADHD and is a  centerpiece of our Adult ADHD-Focused Couple Therapy™ model.

This four-phase cycle happens so quickly—our thoughts and emotions so automatic—we don’t even notice it.

In this step, you identify your negative cycles—and take steps to turn those gears in a positive direction.

Goal: Giving yourself the time and space to absorb  news of the ADHD diagnosis, actual or likely

Have you taken the opportunity to sort through the mix of emotions — from relief to grief?

1.  Why this process has lasting importance
2.  Expect reactions to shift, especially in the early days
3.  Explore the stages of reactions, as noted by two ADHD researchers: first for the adults with ADHD and then for their loved ones and partners
4. Think about what acceptance of the diagnosis means
   

Goal: Getting an idea of which strategies can help what—and why

1. Optimizing medication and sleep
2. Using new tools and habits to support Executive Functioning
3. Improving communication and seeing how CBT for ADHD can apply to couples.

Future courses cover these topics in-depth.

Goal: Taking stock of your situation, as an individual or a couple, and how you plan to move forward.

You’ll find tools to help you establish your baseline situation—and target goals one by one. 

If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you’re there?

These tools also help you can measure and celebrate the progress to come.

Are you thinking, “Gina, please. I think I’ll remember if there are positive changes”?

Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t. You might be surprised at what some folks forget. And, I don’t mean just those with ADHD!