tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7789515854942440667.post4304772549270134864..comments2024-01-29T09:52:55.934-05:00Comments on The ADHD Blog: Recovery, Hope, and Self-EsteemThe ADHD Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03283319351468904913noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7789515854942440667.post-62010431406843872172008-05-12T20:02:00.000-05:002008-05-12T20:02:00.000-05:00Tieing in the concepts of self-esteem and sports, ...Tieing in the concepts of self-esteem and sports, which have appeared in a number of the blog entries, I encourage parents to explore non-team sports for their children.<BR/><BR/>My son never got into T-ball or soccer, or any of the other team sports. So we decided to let him try martial arts. That's a sport that emphasizes discipline and focus, yet allows each participant to proceed at his/her own pace. After 8 years, my son earned his fourth degree black belt. (There were other kids there with a variety of conditions, including Asperger's.)<BR/><BR/>Before he entered high school, I enrolled him in a 4-day day camp on wrestling. He'd never wrestled before, but he loved it and made varsity in 10th grade. It's great for physical fitness, and--maybe surprisingly--it's very good for participants with disabilities. One of the wrestlers on the team is deaf. And there's a kid on another team who doesn't have an arm. (That kid legitimately made varsity.) It's a tough, demanding sport, but they say that ADHD really involves "selective attention." If they focus on the sport, they can do very, very well. And what it does--unlike most team sports--is allows the individual to push him/herself to the limit--regardless of where that limit is.<BR/><BR/>More recently, he's continued with martial arts (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) and grappling...with some success. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6oOBw3Trc<BR/><BR/>Sports aren't for all kids. But if a kid is "turned off" by team sports, try a non-team sport. Start with martial arts and see what happens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7789515854942440667.post-30068096640228694812008-05-08T08:45:00.000-05:002008-05-08T08:45:00.000-05:00Dear Clarke,I appreciate the topic of this blog en...Dear Clarke,<BR/>I appreciate the topic of this blog entry. <BR/><BR/>I think the mental health concept of recovery can be a very helpful part of dealing with AD/HD. To me the word recovery denotes a process - it is an activity. When the word is used to describe a physical illness or injury, it is automatically perceived as a process that is going to take time and effort on the part of the person recovering. This is both good and bad. Good in that this is something a person with AD/HD will be actively and personally involved in. And, bad, in that most processes aren't quick and the effort can be tedius and difficult at times. <BR/><BR/>And with mental health and physical health being thought of in different ways, it adds an additional challenge. We wouldn't think of imposing on someone recovering from an illness or accident - they need time and space to heal. We are protective of them. The amazing part is that this occurs even if we don't like the person all that much. Think of how we treat our colleagues, neighbors, or relatives when they are dealing with a medical problem - most conflicts and hard feelings go out the window, even if it is only temporarily. It is naive to think that anyone would cut us the same slack if we are newly diagnosed or experiencing a change in our treatment plan for AD/HD. Most of us disclose the AD/HD in ourselves or in our family very selectively.<BR/><BR/>I like that SAMHSA recogizes the importance of hope. When I look back upon my family's AD/HD journey (which is apparently never going to end) it was messages of hope from those that truly understand AD/HD that carried me through the awful times. My involvement with CHADD has provided me with examples of those who conquered obstacles, given me hope by providing strategies to help with the negative side of this, and allowed me to meet friends who helped me arrive at a more realistic view by telling me when it was time to "get past it". <BR/><BR/>The hopes I had at the beginning of this journey are very different than where I am today - but the important thing is that my hope is still alive.<BR/><BR/>Marie Paxson<BR/>President-elect, CHADDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com