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“What can I expect as an adult from my ADHD treatment in the first 6 months?” David W. Goodman, M.D. CHADD Webinar

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If you were recently diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I invite you to listen to this webinar. I was asked to speak online LIVE for the Children and Adults with ADHD Association (CHADD) Webinar Series “Ask the Expert”. I discussed the benefits of ADHD treatment as they unfold over the first 6 months of treatment. If effectively treated with the sequence of medication and psychotherapy, there is a predictable pattern of improvement that can be expected. Understanding this pattern will help you discover what gets better and when. Patients and families are often amazed that I can predict what will happen over the first 6 months and you may be too.

Because it is a long all inclusive video, you may choose to watch two months at a time depending on where you are in treatment. I would encourage the ADD adult to share this video with family members in the house. It will faciliate discussion and help others understand how to be helpful.

I owe my patients the insight I have gained from their journey of distress to satisfication. Hopefully this is helpful to you.

David W. Goodman, M.D.

The Wall Street Journal quotes Dr. David W. Goodman on Older Adult ADHD

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The Wall Street Journal published an article on ADHD in older adults over age 50. Quoted in the article, I helped provide important information on this subject. Highlighting why ADHD needs to be considered in older adults complaining of cognitive difficulties, the article serves to increase public awareness on a disorder clinicians don’t ever consider when seeing older adults.

Fortunately, ADHD in older adults responds very well to the traditional ADHD medicine and therapies. It is so important to get a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation from an expert who understand how to make this diagnosis accurately.

If you are reading this blog, then you are interested in this topic. I encourage you to listen to my NPR interview on ADHD in older adults. It is never to late for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

David W. Goodman, M.D., LFAPA

NBC News interviews Dr. David W. Goodman for the new study on stimulants for ADHD and psychosis risk. March 21, 2019

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Stimulants for ADHD and risk of psychosis has been a clinical concern but the risk has thought to be quite low. Dr. Goodman’s comments about the study can be read here. The recent New England Journal of Medicine study has demonstrated the risk of psychosis with amphetamines is 0.2% and methylphenidate is 0.1%. These findings were generated from two very large health insurance databases. The study analysis are statistically sound and the authors duely note limitations to be considered when interpreting the data. While the risk of psychosis is a clinical concern and should be identified quickly when it occurs, it is a rare phenomenon. The Number Needed to Harm is 1 in 660. That means that this event may occur once in 660 patients.

For patients, families, and prescribers, effective medications for ADHD should not be avoided because of these findings. While the risk of psychosis from stimulants is rare, the negative consequences of ADHD are numerous: more likely to not finish high school, more likely to drop out of college, more likely to take longer to finish college degree, more likely to be involve in criminal behavior and get arrested, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, more likely to have concussions, more likely to have multiple jobs over 10 years, more likely to be in motor vehicle accidents/injuries, more likely to get divorced, more likely to declare personal bankrupcy, more likely to be fired from a job….get the idea! Untreated ADHD impact on life is far greater than the rare risk of psychosis occurring.

If you or a loved one starts acting peculiar or saying things that sound bizarre while on ADHD medication, this is the time to consider psychosis. Contact the treating prescriber and alert them. The person should get evaluated as quickly as possible.

David W. Goodman, M.D., FAPA

Dr. Goodman interviewed for Today.com on ADHD parents

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Parenting an ADHD child is challenging. Yet, this challenge is heightened when one or both of the parents have ADHD. While consistent behavioral routines are advocated in ADHD households, untreated ADHD parents will have great difficulty executing consistent oversight of their children.

from Today.com reviewed a video of a family whose has ADHD and wanted to offer recommendations to those parents with ADHD, treated or untreated.

Dr. David W. Goodman on CHADD Webinar Ask the Expert April 18, 2019 at 2pm LIVE

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“What can I expect as an adult from my ADHD treatment in the first 6 months?”

I have been invited to speak online LIVE for the Children and Adults with ADHD Association Webinar Series “Ask the Expert”. I will discuss the benefits of ADHD treatment as they unfold over the first 6 months of treatment. If effectively treated with the sequence of medication and psychotherapy, there is a predictable pattern of improvement that can be expected. Understanding this pattern will help you discover what gets better and when. Patients and families are often amazed that I can predict what will happen over the first 6 months and you may be too.

Register for the Webinar at CHADD.org and find out what you can expect from treatment. I’ll post the link as soon as CHADD sets it up.

ADDitude Magazine Webinar ADHD in Older Adults David W. Goodman, MD

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On May 1, 2018 I presented the first webinar for ADDitude Magazine on ADHD in adults over the age 50. The presentation with audio and slides is available to be hear for free. This is a rare discussion of prevalence, diagnosis, impairments, and treatment of older adults. Complaints of cognitive symptoms are common in older adults, however, ADHD is rarely considered in the diagnostic considerations. Rarely are adults with ADHD diagnosed in childhood because in the 1960s-70s, only hyperactive, disruptive boys were diagnosed. Therefore, clinicians, not trained to identify ADHD, often miss the diagnosis especially in older adults.

Listen to the webinar and learn how ADHD persists for a lifetime in many adults.

ADDitude Magazine Webinar “ADHD in Older Adults” David W. Goodman, M.D. May 1, 2018

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Technology is not always a cooperative servant. My ADDitude Magazine webinar scheduled on Febuary 27, 2018 was interrupted by a technical problem after 10 minutes. No one was more upset about this than I. However, good news. the webinar has been rescheduled for May 1 Tuesday 1pm for 1 hour. This will be a 30+ minute presentation with slides followed by Q and A live. You can register for the webinar and, if not available for the time, watch it at a convenient time for you.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  1. how to identify and understand ADHD symptoms in adults over age 50
  2. the importance of an accurate diagnosis in older adults who are experiencing mental changes
  3. why clinicians don’t consider that ADHD might be the reason for “thinking problems” in older adults
  4. signs that clinicians and older adults should be aware of in the diagnosis process
  5. how stimulants might fit into a treatment regimen for adults who are taking multiple medications
  6. how medication and organizational skills can improve daily functioning and quality of life
  7. how to approach a parent who you suspect has had lifelong inattention and disorganization

Hope you can join us…and tell anyone who might benefit….like your parents who have had symptoms for as long as you can remember. While the webinar is billed for clinicians based of the research basis of the presentation, it will not be beyond the scope of the general public to understand.

David W. Goodman, M.D.

US News and World Report interview David W. Goodman, M.D. on Social media use by ADHD people

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U.S. News and World Report interviewed me  in December 2017 about recent research publication (Language of ADHD in Adults on Social Media, Dec 2017) comparing the use of social media between ADHD and non-ADHD people. The authors specifically looked an the vocabulary between each group and discovered, not surprisingly, that ADHD individual tend to use more “colorful” language like profanity. They analyzed approximately 1.3 million tweets written by 1,399 Twitter users with self-reported diagnoses of ADHD, comparing their posts to those used by a control set matched by age, gender and period of activity. They found that users with ADHD are found to be less agreeable, more open, to post more often, and to use more negations, hedging and swear words.
More importantly, using artifical intelligence analysis, the authors could pick out the ADHD individuals with approximately 80% accuracy based on language and syntax. Translation: the use of vocabulary and syntax can reveal much more about you than you would have ever thought possible.

I have taught psychiatric residents at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for over 30 years. I tell each one “When ever someone is speaking, they are telling you something personal about themselves. The question is ‘Do you have the secret decoder ring?’ With the above research, apparently artificial intelligence will be the decoder ring in the near future. Imagine wearing glasses that would give you this insight in real time as you conversed with someone…and someone you are talking with is wearing the glasses. Scary? No, worse. Incomprehensible. Well, never mind. It’s not available…yet.

Thank you for reading my musing.

 

ADDitude Magazine Webinar “ADHD in Older Adults” David W. Goodman, M.D.

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ADDitude Magazine online invited me to present a free webinar on ADHD in Older Adults Tuesday, February 1pm EST. Because I co-authored the first literature review of world-wide scientific research on ADHD in older adults, ADDitude Magazine believes it is an important issue for its millions of readers. Register for the webinar and if you can’t make the time, it will be available for replay and podcast download from iTunes.

While it is well established that ADHD persists into adulthood in 60% of children with ADHD, there is almost no recognition of ADHD in people over age 50. However, there is enough international research to alert people and clinicians that ADHD should be considered and part of the evaluation for cognitive complaints in aging patients.  This is especially true when ADHD has been diagnosed in a first degree relative (mother, father, son, daughter).

So, if an older family member has a history of life-long inattention, poor memory, forgetful, misplacing things, taking too long to complete tasks, shows up late, doesn’t listen in conversations, easily eruptive and impatient, …well, you get the picture, then join me for the webinar where I’ll cover some the scientific research along with insights for diagnosis and treatment. Perhaps more importantly, how to approach an older family member with your observations and concerns.

For my older patients diagnosed and effectively treated, they are grateful to function at a higher level, relieved of the fear of dementia, and now realise “That (ADHD) wasn’t me as a person.” At any age, that insight is liberating.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  1. how to identify and understand ADHD symptoms in adults over age 50
  2. the importance of an accurate diagnosis in older adults who are experiencing mental changes
  3. why clinicians don’t consider that ADHD might be the reason for “thinking problems” in older adults
  4. signs that clinicians and older adults should be aware of in the diagnosis process
  5. how stimulants might fit into a treatment regimen for adults who are taking multiple medications
  6. how medication and organizational skills can improve daily functioning and quality of life
  7. how to approach a parent who you suspect has had lifelong inattention and disorganization

Dr. David W. Goodman Interview by NPR Morning Edition May 29, 2017

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National Public Radio recently posted my interview (click on “Heard on Morning Editon”) from April 2017 about a research publication reviewing a revised adult ADHD screener developed in coordination with the World Health Organization. What the journalist didn’t know at the time that I will share with you is that I was a pre-publication peer reviewer on this study. That means I was very knowledgeable about the details of the study and had offered my critique to the publisher prior to publication. For additional background on this screener, see my previous blog.

 

Now, let’s address the audio quotes.

Dr. Lawrence Diller says “I don’t know what ADHD is anymore” referring to changes over the past 3 decades of changes in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual used to establish diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders. I’m surprised by his comment given 20+ years of international research (tens of thousands of scientific publications from around the world) that has better defined the symptoms and impairments of ADHD. It is this research that has contributed to better defining ADHD in children and the progression of ADHD into adulthood  therefore accounting for the evolution of changes in the current DSM 5. The diagnosis of ADHD is not based on a cluster of symptoms at one point in time. The diagnosis is based on the cluster of symptoms as they impair the person over the course of their life. Everyone has some inattention and distractibility at some point but few have the symptoms since childhood that have never gone away and are observed by others as a problem.

How about Alan Schwarz’s comments who disqualifies published peer reviewed science by indicting the experts and researchers who have conducted research with and without pharmaceutical support. To indict the international ADHD research community would be to suggest an international conspicacy of hundreds, if not thousands, of physicians and psychologists across 7 continents. This is a basic journalistic method (shoot the messager) to distract readers from the merits of an issue. I have personal experience with Mr. Schwarz who took to indicting me in his New York Times article when he conveyed to readers that I was advocating teaching primary care physicians how to diagnosis ADHD based on a short video clip. What he deliberately chose not to include in his article was the fact that the video was a visual representation accompanying a 2500 word, 168 scientific references, and peer reviewed article. Focused only on his agenda to act as “educator” to save the “victims” of ADHD medications from the “villians” of doctors, he deliberately misrepresented information for his self-serving purposes.

So, I’ll leave you with my saying, “The credibility of information is dependent on intent of the provider”. A salesperson gives you only information he/she wants you to have to close the sale. An educator gives you information so that your interest is best served first. You need to carefully discern this for yourself.

I will continue to present science in the halls of opinions.

Thank you for your interest….and focused attention.

David W. Goodman, M.D., FAPA

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