February 19, 2005

Kaleidoscope=ADHD

I have tentatively been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The description that best describes the syndrome to my experience, is that I live my life in a kaleidoscope. Truly, my life is beautiful and I notice facets of lovliness that bypass many. But it is distracting to the utmost extreme to live like this (great, usually!) and unfortunately, in vet school this is something that does not allow me to concentrate my efforts singularly. DAMN! and so I am on the quest of finding a treatment/remedy that works to get me through this school thang in 4 years (I can't afford to retake classes! Already gonna be hundreds of thousands in debt!!!) I hear Rhodioloa rosea(Golden root) and Ginko biloba (Skullcap)help. Also going the western med way and trying some concerta.
Interesting things I learned about ADHD:

*Due to: decreased dopamine in the brain because of either low dopadecarboxylase (enzyme that makes dopamine) or too many dopamine transporters (that remove dopamine from the circulation).
*Dopamine and Norepinepherine provide modulatory influence on functions of prefrontal cortex such as working memory and attention. Dopamine works in the reward pathway, therefore you get motivation problems without it. A decrease in Norepinepherine leads to hyperactivity, distractability, and inability to focus.
*3-6% of adults have ADHD (45-75% of childhood ADHD persists)
*Diagnosable if the symptoms interfere with normal daily functioning.
*70% of adults with ADHD have comorbid disorders (I don't. Yay.)
*Nonpharmacological Treatment: environmental modifications like shopping in smaller stores to reduce distractions, enlisting the aid of calendars, lists, organizing things to help provide structure to alleviate the burden of having to remember various details.
*Pharmacological Treatment: Stimulants (like concerta, ritalin) (concerta=methylphenidate and long acting, immediate release and delayed osmotic release mechanisms)
and Nonstimulants (Atomoxetine=Strattera)
*A neat word I learned while researching this= ANHEDONIA (absence of deriving pleasure from acts that normally cause it)

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