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back to using marijuana."
Her use of drugs and alcohol, which
had begun in high school, increased
until, at the age of 20, she entered an
inpatient rehabilitation program.
Eventually, she started taking
Concerta, another stimulant medica-
tion used to treat ADHD, which has
helped improve her concentration and
organizational skills. She is now
attending graduate school, working on
a master's degree she expects to com-
plete next spring. Last year, she got
married.
"I always started things, but had
trouble finishing," she said. "Now I'm
a good finisher.
Dr. David Averbach, a psychiatrist
with a private practice in Novi,
believes that ADD is more apparent in
women because they are called upon
to do more multitasking than men, at
home and in the workplace.
"The chemistry is similar, but the
manifestation is different," he said.
We generally see more co-morbid
conditions in women with ADD, such
as anxiety, depression and mood disor-
ders. Sometimes, they need tek-be
treated for both ADD and depression,
but a good rule of thumb is to treat
the most disabling condition first and
then look at what's left." •
ADD is commonly treated with
stimulant medications such as Ritalin,
Adderall, Concerta, or newer non-
stimulant formulas like Straterra.
Problems with drugs or alcohol,
such as Brooke's, are common in peo-
ple with ADD, as they attempt to
calm their internal chaos through self-
medication. Ritalin abuse has even
been a topic on prime-time TV, when
one of the characters in the "Desperate
Housewives" series was found taking
her daughter's medication.
Dr. Averbach believes that the bene-
fits of stimulant medications outweigh
the risks, even for people who are
prone to addiction.
"These drugs can help control
impulsivity, which allows good judg-
ment and better decision-making to
prevail," he said.
He added that taking these medica-
tions in the form of time-release cap-
sules also deters the potential for
abuse.
"When you find the right medica-
tion, and it works, it's wonderful," said
Dr. Lowe. "It gives kids more self-con-
trol, helps them learn to begin and
end tasks, and allows them to be
themselves. When that happens,
school becomes a better place to be."
Medication is usually more effective
when used in conjunction with therapy

Keeping On
Track

• Use an organizational system
geared for people with ADD, such
as the software planner from
addplanner.com , which has specific
functions that help the user switch
tasks, plan long-term projects, and
get to appointments on time.
• If you are constantly over-
whelmed, seek help from a profes-
sional organizer, coach, or therapist
who is trained to work specifically
with clients who have ADD.
• If sensory overload is a prob-
lem, use products such as noise
blocking machines, hammocks,
calming background music, foun-
tains, and tag-less cotton T-shirts.
When you really need to concen-
trate, use headphones.
• For children and adults who
just can't sit still, try using "fidgets"
such as squeeze balls, Silly Putty or
plastic Klixx toys. Rocking chairs
and trampolines can also help con-
centration for those who have to
keep moving.
• Instead of jotting things down
on Post-it notes, napkins and mis-
cellaneous scraps of paper, keep a
single notebook or digital recorder
with you throughout the day to
capture information, reminders and
appointments.
• Set a kitchen timer or program
your watch or cell phone to remind
you or your child when to switch
from one activity to another, when
to start getting ready for an
appointment, when to leave the
house, etc.
• Work with your own internal
clock; if you are most energetic and
alert first thing in the morning, use
that time to do tasks that require
the most concentration and do less-
challenging things later in the day.

and behavioral strategies. Activities such
as martial arts and yoga have also been
found to help increase concentration
and improve physical coordination.

Discovering ADD

Like many people, Terry Matlen dis-
covered her own ADD while trying to
help her youngest daughter,
Mackenzie, now 17, whose symptoms
began at 16 months when she devel-
oped encephalitis from an immuniza-
tion.
"I was doing research, trying to help
my child, who was totally out of con-

trol, and, by a fluke, I read about
adult ADD," said Matlen, psychother-
apist, consultant and director of add-
consults.com, which provides online
support, consultation, and informa-
tion for people with ADD. "Suddenly,
the lights went on. I realized I fit the
picture, too.
"As a kid, I very disorganized and
very anxious," said Matlen of
Birmingham. "I always felt lazy, stupid
and incapable, starting projects and
never being able to finish anything. I
even had a hearing test, because if
there was any background noise at all,
I couldn't hear. I couldn't filter; I felt
like I was being bombarded all the
time."
Matlen also had another common
symptom of ADD, hypersensitivity to
certain tactile sensations. Most jewelry
or even the tags inside of many cloth-
ing items made her uncomfortable.
Once Matlen realized she had ADD
and began treatment, in the form of
counseling and medication, her life
began to change for the better.
"Medication is a great tool, but it's
not a magic bullet," she said. "You still
have to learn new strategies and work
through some of the childhood issues
you've carried into adulthood.
"The good news is that ADD is one
of the few disorders that can be treated
successfully. You have to reframe your
thinking. Someone who says, 'I'm
lazy', is really saying, 'I'm over-
whelmed, I don't know what to do
first.
Like many girls, Matlen's childhood
ADD symptoms went unnoticed
because she did not have overt behav-
ior problems, like many boys who
have the hyperactive component.
"Girls with ADD are usually the
ones looking out the window twirling
their hair," said Matlen. "When they're
older, they have issues with depression,
anxiety and substance abuse, but those
things are usually caused by the ADD.
Sometimes, these women also become
smokers or develop eating disorders,
because eating and smoking can have a
calming effect."
Rachel Felsenfeld, 10, of
Farmington Hills sums up her feelings
about having ADD:
"Sometimes, I just want to say, •
`Hello world, this is me. I have ADD,
and you're just going to have to live
with it. I'm not impaired. I'm strong
and able-bodied; I'm just like you. So
couldn't you just cut me a little
slack?'"
To help other women cope with the
challenges of ADD, Matlen wrote a
book called Survival Tips for Women