Yafa Crane Luria
Teacher | Author | Positive Discipline Trainer
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From Dr. Amen:
People with Anxious ADD show the hallmark ADD signature of low prefrontal cortex activity combined with overactivity in the basal ganglia, a region of the brain that allows for smooth integration of emotions, thoughts, and physical movement.
When there is overactivity in the basal ganglia, people tend to “freeze” and become immobile—in thoughts and/or actions—during stressful situations. For this reason, people with Anxious ADD often avoid conflict like the plague, unlike other ADD types that tend to be more excitement and conflict seeking.
***Without looking at the brain, traditional diagnostic methods may result in misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment, which can devastate lives.
What Does Anxious ADD Look Like?
- Core AD/HD symptoms are compounded by fears of being judged, conflict avoidance, and the tendency to freeze in anxiety-provoking situations.
Traits – hallmark ADD symptoms, plus:
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Tension
- Predicting the worst
- Fear of being judged
- Freezing during anxiety-provoking situations, such as test taking
- Suffering the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as headaches or stomach aches
Gary’s Story (from Dr. Amen):
Gary, 54, initially came to the clinic because he was having trouble with his teenage son, Josh. Gary and Josh always seemed to be fighting over Josh’s schoolwork, chores, and issues of disrespect.
Gary hated the conflict and avoided it at all costs, but then would explode after it went unaddressed for so long. Gary also struggled with headaches, negative thinking patterns, and often felt sad because he thought he had failed as a father. He felt anxious, nervous, and struggled to keep up at work.
Josh ended up being diagnosed with Classic ADD and responded well to treatment—his grades improved. Encouraged by Josh’s response, Gary talked more about his own struggles with organization, attention, and procrastination. The anxiety, mixed with the inattentive symptoms, had been negatively affecting Gary since he was a child.
On a combination of relaxation training, supplements, and a low dose of a stimulant, Gary felt as though he was a more focused and positive father, and performed better at work!
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Take this assessment to get some idea of your or your child’s type of ADD/ADHD. This is not a substitute for medication, seeing an Medical Doctor or Naturopathic Doctor, or getting the therapeutic or coaching help that you or your family might need.
(My information comes from ADDitude Magazine, Smart Kids with LD, Amen Clinics, and from my own experience as a former teacher and school counselor, and current ADHD Coach and Strategist.
xo, Yafa
Copyright 2017 Yafa Crane Luria All Rights Reserved
About Yafa Crane Luria
Yafa Crane Luria is a 30-year veteran teacher and school counselor, a Positive Discipline Trainer, and the author of the Mom’s Choice Award®-Winning book: How To Train Your Parents in 6 ½ Days and the Amazon Kindle Best Seller: Getting Schooled: 102 Practical Tips for Parents, Teachers, Counselors, and Students about Living and Learning with ADHD. She was diagnosed with ADHD (then called “Minimal Brain Dysfunction”) in 1980, one of the first to be diagnosed as an adult. Yafa specializes in helping ADHD families who have tried everything and are still frustrated by their child’s or teen’s Blocked but Brilliant brain. Fun fact: Yafa’s nickname as a child was “Mountain Goat” because she climbed on EVERYTHING! She can be reached at her website: BlockedToBrilliant.com
To read about the other types of ADHD view all posts by Yafa Crane Luria here.
