ADHD AWARENESS MONTH

October 2021

Here’s Part 2 of our ADHD A to Z…

N is for Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a drug-free treatment that uses a sophisticated brain-computer interface to ‘strengthen’ or ‘re-train’ the brain and has been the focus of considerable research for over 60 years. Neurofeedback training is a proven and effective treatment for ADHD that provides long-lasting results, and can help whether someone is taking medication or not.

O is for Omega 3

The ‘stuff’ of your brain is like soft putty and if you wanted to try and make some you’d follow this rough recipe: a 40% mix of water, protein, carbohydrate, salts + 60% fat. Mostly fat! Some cool doctors would say - you’ve got a big fat head!

So, if it’s that fatty, those fats have got to be pretty important right. Well, yes, they are.

The types of fats your body has available to use to build a brain can change the actual structure of brain cells, the way neurons can communicate with each other, and the amount of inflammation the brain has to manage.

The best fats to build a brain are EFA’s - Essential Fatty Acids. Essential means you can only get them from what you eat, your body can’t make them on its own. It likes to get the omega 3 goodies, like DHA and EPA, in natural whole form, like you do when you eat oily fish like sardines, mackerel, herring, trout and salmon. If we don’t, or can’t, eat enough of these foods’ supplements can help.

P is for Play

Play in nature and with natural risk is key. It’s a wonderful thing to sit back and watch a child progressively challenge themselves, while having fun at play, until they master climbing walls or balance beams. How amazing for their brains would it be if they built their own ladder from branches and then used it as monkey bars!?! Children nurtured with a growth mindset are more likely to: put effort into learning; take setbacks as just part of the process; embrace life-long learning; and see themselves as flexible and changeable. High time to find an adventure nature playground and grow your grit (and a bit of brain) today!

*Photo by* *Elisa Kennemer* on *Unsplash*

Q is for QEEG

QEEG is a brain-based assessment that looks at directly at brainwave activity. QEEG brain scans measure your brainwaves and can detect unusual patterns of brain activity in specific areas of the brain. Different areas of the brain have different functions and if a brain is not producing the right type of brainwave activity it cannot do the job it was designed to do. QEEG brain scans can help to pin-point problems in the brain and explain why someone has difficulty with specific things, like attention, emotional regulation, or learning. The results from QEEG scans can be used to help direct therapies such as neurofeedback and can also be used to help predict response to different medications.

R is for Resistant starch

Going back to G and your gut garden…including foods that have resistant starch in them with some of your meals you can give your insides the ingredients it needs to grow and keep some healthy bacteria. A diverse microbiome is vital to make some brain communication chemicals (neurotransmitters), things like GABA, serotonin and dopamine. Maggie Dent explains ‘these are not always easy for young children and teens to make on their own’. Resistant starches are things like potato salad, rice/pasta salads, and using cooled cooked oats to make a breakfast muesli.

S is for Screen-time

Australian screen time guidelines:

If you are under 2 years old you should have ZERO hours a day.
2 – 5 years old you should have less than ONE hour per day. Just one hour.

That is just: Playschool; Bluey; Sesame Street and a quick Song with Justine Clarke. Then TV off.

From 5 – 17 years old you should have less than TWO hours per day.

Let’s think seriously about how quickly we get there.

T is for Therapy

All leading ADHD associations, organisations, and advisory groups recommend finding the right combination of therapy options for each individual within what is known as a ‘multimodal’ treatment approach. This means that different therapies works for different people, and the secret is to find the combination of therapies that work best for you.

U is for Unlearning

Sometimes we learn things that are not helpful, they can be habits that are hard to break. The reason some unhelpful ways of thinking can be difficult to change is because of the way our brain quickly creates links from little streets, freeways, all the way to the fastest superhighways. The more often we think, feel or behave in a certain way the more likely this way becomes a busy highway. This is neuroplasticity in action. For better (and worse) this is how our brain changes. The most important thing to know is that the brain is ‘plastic’, and that means its very nature is to change, we may just need guidance to steer the change in the most positive directions possible.

*Photo by* *Max Goncharov* on *Unsplash*

V is for Village

Connecting with helpful others can be supportive and reassuring. When we learn that others are going through very similar things to ourselves our challenges lose their stigma and real conversations can start. Making and keeping social relationships can be extra hard sometimes when we may feel that the focus of our day is just our symptoms of ADHD. Specific support groups may provide a regular safe space to share what you may be experiencing. Village life in general is also positively associated with longevity and wellbeing.

W is for Wander

Deep down we all know we need to wander in the wild more. Our brains have not changed much since that of our natural ancestors, not much at all. We need many of the same conditions as them to be well, but just think about how different our lives are. Some experts, like Dr Stephen Ilardi, argue modern epidemics are related to this deep disconnect with our natural world. So be barefoot, get grubby, go green, move naturally and re-wild your whole family.

X is for Xerox

The brain loves a copy, a repeat, doing things that work over and over again - to grow a highway for budding neurons to travel along. If you find a new way of doing things that works well for you note it down and act on it…don’t let it get lost on a ‘to do’ list. The exact number of repetitions it takes to create a new helpful habit is unknown, what is known is it is in the doing that the change happens.

Y is for You

Some clichés are overused for undeniably meaningful reasons – ‘There is only one you’ is one of them. It is profoundly true. You may experience symptoms of ADHD that look something like those of someone else, but there may be an entirely different underlying cause for you experiencing it from them. Remember you are on your own inquisitive journey to find out as much as you can about yourself so that you can be in the driver’s seat steering your own change.

Z is for Zzzzz

Most of us need a solid sleep routine and a quality 8 hours of shut-eye for our brains to back up, build up and clean up from the day before. Here are a just few sleep tips:

Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day
Get a good amount of outdoor exercise during the day
Decrease evening blue light exposure by using settings, apps and glasses/screens
Be completely screen free in the 2 hours leading up to bedtime
Have a warm bath/shower then slip into a cool bed and bedroom
Make your bedroom ONLY about sleep and relaxation, no screens at all for anyone
Try a relaxation, mindfulness or meditation exercise designed for sleep in bed

If this ADHD A to Z has made you wonder about how your unique brain functions and changes, with everything you think, feel and do each day, the Team at The Perth Brain Centre embrace you and your curiosity. You can watch, read, call or email, to find out more today.

About the author - Ms. Emily Goss (Occupational Therapist, Senior Clinician, The Perth Brain Centre).