BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Attention Deficit Disorder Meditation Can Help ADD

This week I'm exploring another way to help manage symptoms without medication. Try meditation! Meditation can help mood and memory. It can relieve stress. Intrusive thoughts can also be helped by the practice of meditation.

Many times when people think of meditation they feel like they need to embrace some foreign philosophy. That's not necessarily so. This article gives a very straightforward method of meditation that includes step-by-step instructions.

I hope you find it helpful! Meditation Can Help ADD

I agree, Connie. Meditation is fantastic. And too many people misunderstand it. They think of India's swamis or Buddhist monks.

Meditation is simply quieting the mind. The best minds throughout history have received their life-changing insights during quiet contemplation and meditation, including Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Van Gogh.

Quieting the mind *is* good for those with ADD! Thank you for the article. I'm going to meditate now.

I agree. Meditation doesn't have to be complex and works greatly w/ADD. You've got to start out very small in doses, like 60 sec. and work your way up. My daughter was diagnosed w/ADD so that helped me work with other kids.

She went to a small town school. And oh did they like things their way. The after school workers use to lock her in a closet for a time out.

As small a town goes though for that one, over a period of 1.5 years, 2 kids hung themselves in their parents back yards, one in a park and that's just scratching the surface as to other means.

The closet incident happened twice until she told me and figured out for herself, that was wrong. She and another girl in time out screamed and kicked the door with their feet until someone else unlocked it and those workers were fired.

My daughter is a lot like me, free-spirit. She doesn't belong to anyone and thinks for herself based on experience, living life and what she thinks and feels.

She'd hug a teacher to make their day, pick up a rolling can in a groccery store, help in the kitchen, scrubbed a floor (we did it Pippi longstocking style) No roller skates but we put towels on the bottom of our feet

Cleaning Day FUN!

In the end that conforming small town, put her on drugs and sent her to counseling, while I simply changed her diet and taught her meditation.

Per my ex husband's request he got a court order to put her on drugs.

I had simply cut out the sugar and she was over the top better. I called cherry tomatoes, "natures' candy" and that was good enough for her.

The next time I saw her, she had deep blue purple rings under her eyes and said, "Mom, do I have to take these?

I said "No."

I'm glad meditation helped. My role is to explore a lot of different ways of living well with ADD. For some people, medication does not work well. For others, it is life changing--and in a good way.

What I can say is this-every person that I've ever known who had success with medication had a caring, reflective medical practitioner. These people are willing to listen to parents and children. They are flexible and willing to try different dosages and medications. These professionals aren't bound to one medication, often the one where the pharma rep brings lunch to the office. They don't turn kids into zombies with large doses or the wrong meds.

I am so glad that you found things that worked for your daughter. Parents are experts on their children, and they need to be strong advocates for their children. Your daughter is fortunate to have you.

The weather is warmer, and it is a perfect time to go outside to meditate.

Find a safe place where you can just be one with the infinite. Use your favorite meditation technique. If you don't have a favorite, why don't you go to the Meditation site? That is a wonderful place to start your journey.

My week has just been a hot mess! When I add it on to last week, my ADD is seriously into hyperdrive!

So, I am going to practice a bit of meditation, then maybe take a very quick nap before my six or so hours of school work tonight.

What's you favorite method of coping with ADD symptoms running rampant in your life? I could use some new ideas!

Has anybody done walking meditation, like in a labyrinth? If so, do you like it, or do you find the walking distracting from the meditative state?

I seems like a walking meditation would be perfect for somebody who has hyperactivity!

My honey says "RITUAL. RITUAL. RITUAL. Start 1 thing to do every day at the same time. Rinse lather and repeat for about 2 weeks. Once it becomes part of your daily ritual, it becomes a subconscious decision, removing it from the clutches of overdrive ADD."

"2nd method-take a walk around and purposely let your ADD go nutty. Walk around a store, a parking lot, your house. Just give it free rein for 15 minutes or so. No need to actually do anything other than walk around a bit.
This behavior gives you a chance to NOT let impulse control your actions. It's not denying yourself anything, it's simply putting yourself on cruise control until the impulse fades.
These are the 2 things that have always worked for me. g'luck"

Not my words, but yea that explains why sending out for milk and bread and then coming back a full hour later! Now I know!!

Great ideas! Your honey is one wise dude!

I absolutely agree, Connie. One resource that I think is extremely helpful regarding meditation
(and acpuncture as well) is a natural clinic. They are based in Natick MA, and although they are geographically removed from where others may live, they have a wealth of printed information and homeopathic medicine based upon research that they feel has been very helpful to those with Attention Deficit Disorder. They are definitely a site worth contacting.
Kathleen

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