Center of Attention
Newsletter of CHADD of Northern California
Also at: http://www.chaddnorcal.org/newsletter
18 August 2001

CHADD Works to Improve the Lives of People with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder through Education, Advocacy,
and Support.

===== In This Issue =====

About the Newsletter
Feature Article: Tips on the Management of Adult ADHD
This Week - Minutes from Executive Board Meeting, Northern California
Friday folder: From Division of Public Policy, CHADD National Office
Please Tell Us
Calendar of Events

===== About the Newsletter =====

The Center of Attention is CHADD of Northern California's bi-weekly
newsletter. The newsletter is designed to keep you up to date with
CHADD of Northern California's activities and updates in the field.
It's a new step toward bringing the members closer together.

===== Feature Article ======

The following article was published in ADDvisor newsletter in July
1999. We are grateful to Alan Graham and Bill Benninger of ADDvisor
for permitting us to publish this article in our newsletter.

"ADDvisorTM is your link to trustworthy, reliable information about
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If you would like to
participate in any of our calls or our other programs, or would
simply like more information, including times and fees, call us at:
1-866-ADDvisor

Or you can email Alan Graham at Alan@... or Bill Benninger
at Bill@.... We will give you the information you request."

TIPS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ADULT ADHD

Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD have listed 50 tips or
practical suggestions for the management of adult ADHD. These are
non-medication suggestions. Over the next few months, we will share
these very useful strategies that Drs. Hallowell and Ratey has
proposed. They are divided into four categories: 1)insight and
education; 2)performance management; 3)mood management; and
4)interpersonal life. This month we will share the suggestions for
insight and education.

1. Be sure of the diagnosis.
Choose a professional who truly understands ADHD and its related disorders

2. Educate yourself.
Understand ADHD. Read books. Talk to professionals. Gather information. Learn.

3. Coaching
Get yourself a coach. A coach can help you get and stay organized,
stay on task, give you encouragement and be in your corner..

4. Encouragement.
Adults with ADHD need lots of encouragement. Find people who
understand you and encourages you to reach your goals.

5. Realize what ADHD is NOT!
ADHD is not a psychological conflict. It is not because you and your
mother don't get along.

6. Educate and involve others.
Teach others around you about what ADHD is and what they can do to
help. This can include family, friends, coworkers, even your boss.

7. Give up guilt over high-stimulating behavior.
Understand you are drawn to this type of thing. Try to make better
decisions, don't "beat yourself up" about the bad decisions.

8. Listen to feedback from trusted others.
Individuals with ADHD are poor self-observers. Information from
others you trust can help you.

9. Consider joining or starting a support group.
Much of the information you need is in the minds and experience of
other people. Bring these people together for support and increased
knowledge. With new technology, telephone groups, like the ADDvisor,
can be helpful in providing this support. (Ask us!)

10. Try to get rid of the negativity.
Many of you have heard negative feedback for ages making it hard to
accept the positive. Psychotherapy may help with this.

11. Don't feel chained to conventional careers or conventional ways of coping.
Give yourself permission to be yourself. Give up on what you thought
you SHOULD be and explore what you REALLY WANT to be.

12. Remember what you have is a neurobiological condition.
ADHD is caused by biology. It is how your brain is wired. It is NOT
a disorder of will or moral fiber. Weakness of character has nothing
to do with it. It is rooted in biology.

13. Try to help others with ADHD.
By helping others, you learn more yourself and feel good about helping others.

======== This Week ==========

Highlights of minutes of Executive Board Meeting, 8/11/2001

The best news is that Lori Schifrin will become the "Program
Director" for CHADD of Northern California. This should help us
coordinate groups and events better and help us develop new programs
for our members. As a part of that change, Dawn Metzler has created a
"Parents and Children" committee to address the specific needs of
those groups and help us develop more support for parents around
school issues and the like.

Branches are now going to be organized by counties. This allows us to
more easily grow in to new areas that want to have CHADD groups. The
only branch where this makes a difference is that "Mid-Peninsula" is
renamed "Santa Clara County."

Those in the southern part of San Mateo county are of course still
welcome! But since the meetings are in Santa Clara, that will be the
name. San Mateo county currently has no active groups, but it is
coordinated by our San Francisco Coordinator, Eileen Barry.

Financially, CHADD of Northern California is in good shape, for which
we are grateful to our members and those who have donated to us.

CHADD National is working on a new brochure that we hope to have soon
to hand out to new members at meetings. More later.

The next committees that we are going to work on developing more are
the "Legislative Committee", one for "Media and Public Relations",
and a "Development Committee" (fundraising). If you are interested in
helping develop any of these committees, drop us an e-mail.

======== Friday Folder ==========

The "Friday Folder" comes from the Division of Public Policy, CHADD
National Office. A highlight:

No new Actions on the other two legislative priorities, The Family
Opportunity Act or Mental Health Parity. HOWEVER, IF YOU SPEAK TO
YOUR CONGRESSWOMAN OR CONGRESSMAN, OR YOUR SENATORS, PLEASE REMEMBER
THAT THE CURRENT LIMITED MENTAL HEALTH PARITY ACT EXPIRES SEPTEMBER
30, 2001 AND THEREFORE THE SENATE MUST ACT QUICKLY ON S.543,
UNANIMOUSLY PASSED BY THE SENATE H.E.L.P. COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE
MUST ACT ON EITHER THE SENATE BILL OR H.R. 162.

CHADD National Office
Division of Public Policy
Stephen Spector, J.D., Director of Public Policy
Lydia Farnham, Administrative Assistant
stephen_spector@... and lydia_farnham@...
===== Please Tell Us! =====

We thank members for their responses to the Newsletter. Any comments,
suggestions, or criticisms will be greatly appreciated. Please
continue to help us make this newsletter more beneficial to you all.

You can e-mail your comments to us at CHADD_Dimples@....
Simply replying to this e-mail will also send your message to the
right place.


======== Calendar of Events ==========
8/20/2001, Mon. Canceled - San Francisco
CANCELED- Adult Drop-In Support Group, The Adult Group has been
CANCELED for this month. Check back.
CPMC California Campus, San Francisco - Contact: San Francisco
Warmline: 415-442-1944
============================
8/21/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Drop in Support Group, for Adults and Teens with ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
8/22/2001, Wed. 9-10:30am - Marin
Support Group for Parents of Children / Teens with ADHD, Share your
concerns with a parent who really understands.
10 Glen Drive, Mill Valley - Contact: Mary Jo Sorensen: 415-388-8817
============================
8/28/2001, Tues. 6-8:00 PM PST - Online
Tom Quinn - Dads and ADHD,
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
9/5/2001, Wed. 7-9 pm - Contra Costa
Walnut Creek Adult General Support Meeting, Ongoing, confidential
support groups for Adults with ADHD
Kaiser Mental Health, Walnut Creek - Contact: Donna Love: 925-687-4324
============================
9/5/2001, Wed. 7:30pm - San Francisco
Women's ADD Support Group, Please Call Lynn to confirm times and
locations before attending.
CPMC Davies Campus, San Francisco - Contact: Lynn: 415-621-1078
============================
9/11/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Parenting Skills - Mark Edwards, MFT, Come learn about parenting
skills when you have a child with behavioral difficulties. Also learn
about the new Parent Child Interactive Therapy(PCIT). Mark teaches
parenting skills at Family Services Agency and has a private practice
in San Rafael for children, teens and adults.
Town Center Corte Madera Community Room, Corte Madera - Contact:
Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
9/12/2001, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm - Santa Clara
Speaker TBA,
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Santa Clara Warmline: 650-949-5472
============================
9/12/2001, Wed. 7 - 9 pm - Sonoma
Linda Peper, PhD., The Amen Clinic, "ADD, Depression & Anxiety, The
Six ADD Subtypes and their Effects on Family Dynamics."
Kaiser Hospital Building, Santa Rosa - Contact: Thora Lares: 707-765-4863
============================
9/12/2001, Wed. 7 - 9 pm - Alameda
Tri-Valley Parent Support Meeting, TENTATIVE - CHECK BACK
Thomas J. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton - Contact: JoAnn Matone: 925-484-2173
============================
9/18/2001, Tues. 7-9pm - Marin
Drop in Support Group, for Adults and Teens with ADHD and Significant Others
Marin Community Mental Health, Greenbrae - Contact: Beverlee: 415-789-9464
============================
9/19/2001, Wed. 7-9 pm - Contra Costa
Walnut Creek Adult General Support Meeting, Ongoing, confidential
support groups for Adults with ADHD
Kaiser Mental Health, Walnut Creek - Contact: Donna Love: 925-687-4324
============================
9/19/2001, Wed. Reg: 7pm, Meet 7:30pm - Santa Clara
Adult, Parent and Spouse Support Groups, Separate peer-facilitated
groups let you share struggles and strategies with each other.
Includes video.
Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto - Contact: Santa Clara Warmline: 650-949-5472
============================
9/25/2001, Tues. 6-8:00 PM PST - Online
Marlene Snyder - From School Discipline to Juvenile Justice--What Works,
CHADD Online Chat, Internet - Contact: Message Line: 510-291-2950
============================
10/18/2001, through 10/20/01
CHADD Thirteenth Annual Conference on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder, Communicating the Science of AD/HD: From Fiction to Fact
Anaheim Marriot, Anaheim, CA - Contact: See Website:
http://www.chadd.org/conference.htm