ADHD, Clarified: Essential Strategies for Thriving with ADHD (w/ Doctors Hallowell and Ratey)

Happier living with ADHD means unwrapping and exalting your gifts. In this hour-long ADDitude webinar, Ned Hallowell, M.D., and John Ratey, M.D., share 7 strategies tailored to your brain’s special ways, and engineered to transform your ADHD into a life-enhancer.
Download the slides associated with this webinar here: www.additudemag.com/webinar/a...
11:00 VAST
14:18 Understanding the Demon of the Mind
22:21 The Cerebellum Connection
27:25 Healing Power of Connection
32:41 Finding the Right Difficult
35:51 Create Stellar Environments
37:18 The Power of Exercise
39:10 Medication
Related Resources
1. Read: 7 Keys to Living a Happy Life with ADHD
www.additudemag.com/happier-l...
2. Read: ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One.
www.additudemag.com/attention...
3. Additional Reading: “It Stops with Me:” The End of ADHD Stigma and Cruelty
www.additudemag.com/attention...
4. eBook: "Your Complete ADHD Guide"
www.additudemag.com/product/a...
Visit us at the ADDitude website: www.additudemag.com
Subscribe to the ADDitude KZbin Channel: / @additudemag
Follow ADDitude on Facebook: / additudemag
Follow ADDitude on Instagram: / additudemag
Follow ADDitude on Twitter: / additudemag
Follow ADDitude on Pinterest: / additudemag

[@frankbreuer8849]

ADDitude is a supervaluble resource - I say this as a 'consumer' and professional alike. I came across leading expert through ADDitude that I didn't know they existed. That tells me how well regarded ADDitude really is.

[@aishanusoul]

Lesson - Emotional health, self control, & a sense of purpose important. Nature, love, & connection.

[@rich120673]

Thank you very much gentlemen - just had my Ferrari brain want to drop this message: for the question "How can I make this a positive experience for my 9 year old?" - MY answer would be "Get your child the F out of the regular school system" - I can't stress enough just how damaging a regular school experience can be for someone with ADHD's self esteem & self worth. IT IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR US TO LEARN!! I don't even think it's good for people without ADHD, but for us, it can literally ruin your life by ruining your formative years. These are the years you need to build confidence - to have that confidence taken away for no good reason, can lead to decades of pain and self loathing. I think we would all be less maladjusted if the current school system was thrown in the garbage. On a positive note: I am SO happy to have discovered this magazine 🙏 thank you for existing and please keep going.

[@alek_42]

You've so eloquently described my exact experience with school in general. If only I got to know about this stuff a little earlier... Hey, at least I'm on the right path for my mid 20s and onward!

[@susunque2245]

Ditto Ditto dat👍👏👏👏I still recall a teachers sidenote on a graded essay I wrote...🤔😏flattery will get you nowhere "??!!😬🤦‍♀️yikes.still with me..Lol🥴Yet what a relief to discover it wasnt my fault..well not ALL Lol..🤭.. I rarely take time to share my thoughts🤫YeT.. I so totally agree with your thoughts on "public school issues" and Yes, once you realize there are many ways and sources that we who struggle daily vs those working with a neurotypical brain..the greatest gift of all is when you realize you can't do anything and bottom line..Im fine as long as I know I can understand mE😏😬😉 I continue to struggle daily over a condition totally ignored more than half my life..😬😏🤞👍👍😉great video and so on point!👏👏👏

[@bomcimtube]

What is the alternative?

[@OrthodoxInquirer]

@@bomcimtube Homeschool

[@theholmes3751]

@@bomcimtube Montessori school possibly

[@petishablake9828]

4:42 the drone stops rambling

[@kathrynsacdalan9244]

Great video. Also, 8 minutes of intro is tough to slog through with ADHD.

[@bellanoire2271]

ADHD affects every area of my life. (ex function, time blindness, hyper focus, perfectionism,procrastination etc) I have to try 1,000 strategies to do the most basic things. I couldn’t even finish listening to this video thats packed with so much valuable information bc of my hypersensitivity to sound. Every time Dr. Rarely says something with an “s” it makes this high pitched whistle noise and throws off my focus. There are a couple other YT channels I’d love to learn from but they also have that same whistling sound and it disrupts my attention. I don’t even know why. I tried to find ways to adjust the audio on my iPhone/iPad with an equalizer app but none of them work. I’ve learned to not even express how I feel unless I’m talking to a health professional or a someone who has ADHD themselves bc they don’t understand and make me feel worse. I’m sooo tired of spending precious time trying to figure out how to navigate through life as an adult with ADHD it’s exhausting. But something within me will NOT let me give up on my dreams!! 😟🙏🏽

[@Emmmaaapi]

I don't know if this helps you at all, but if you are able to download the audio/video you can then edit the sound in an editing program. There's lots of tutorials for how to "de-essify" online, and i guess it might be possible to do something about the room sound as well to make it softer. I have the exact same problem :/

[@bellanoire2271]

@@Emmmaaapi wow after all this time and research I never thought about downloading the video and trying to adjust the audio quality from there lol I’m def gonna try this out later on today. Thank you so much 😊

[@Emmmaaapi]

@@bellanoire2271 if you end up getting really fired up about it, maybe you can offer to do sound editing work for the youtube channels you most like? 😄

[@bellanoire2271]

@@Emmmaaapi lol Yess I would love to do that

[@ellen_3]

....sometimes I turn off audio altogether n read captions.....and fast forward or the opposite n have to read few xs lol

[@sharontree7272]

i am a 66 yr old female late diagnosed. I ruminate constantly and currently it’s over the search for motivation based on what gives me dopamine. i like my brain . too bad it’s a nuisance to others

[@frankbreuer8849]

For me, here are only a few lovely experts on ADHD, that are actually both helpful and rock solid in their knowledge, It's more than a handful, less than a dozen of people, in terms of numbers. Their cotribution is priceless. Full stop. When I say that Dr Ned stands out, (for me) it's because he's stance is hands-on, practical, no BS, and deliberately fighting the deficit orientation of the traditional medical approach without denying the problematic side of ADHD. Kudos. Thank you for your superb input

[@frankbreuer8849]

Sorry, not sorry for not correcting auto-correct.

[@ilikepingpong]

51:39 What Dr. Ratey says after this. As a defiant teenager in the late 90s, I discovered my love for skateboarding & guitar at about the same time. Both these things allowed me to independently expel my angst and express my creativity, while constantly laughing with a group of friends. And good for balance! It would be another 20 years before I knew anything about ADHD. But looking back, I think it's no coincidence that my grades and interest in school started to improve around this time. And also probably no coincidence that dropping these things from my lifestyle more and more over the years is what has brought on more and more mental blockage from undiagnosed ADHD.

[@RavenVapor873]

My son did the same thing 😅 and he still skateboards and tries to stay active. I think it's wonderful! Whatever makes you happy 😁✨ It's healthy 🎊

[@carsonatornz6041]

Find something that is difficult, which you enjoy and excel at - this is your ADHD gift. Thank you for this

[@user-jj6im6bp6k]

My mother took my brother am I for it tests when I was about 7, mine was significantly higher than my brothers, consequently a lot was expected of me. I was the the clever one. I remember saying to my my mum that I wished my brain would slow down and I could just work at a checkout till (16 yrs). I studied psychology,physiology and psychobiology at University .I am 52 now, it’s like having 100 ideas , wanting to pull a thread and not being to pick which one .

[@letsgoBrandon204]

32:03 - Social connection isn't necessarily 'fun'. I find it extremely stressful and awkward. I think social interaction is more like cold showers - It feels awful, but it's good for you.

[@dylekent5894]

Yup it’s sort of a double edged sword for sure. Personally I actually really enjoy connecting/spending time with authentic, good-natured people like a lot of my family members both immediate and extended and I feel a genuine sense of love and care that really recharges me; since I got sober almost a year ago and got officially diagnosed and started on some meds that have helped me a lot I feel so much more comfortable and secure around family and a couple friends, but I definitely still struggle to establish meaningful connections/relationships with unfamiliar people and tend to feel super drained if I overextend myself and don’t uphold my boundaries properly. I mainly connected with others through drinking/drugs/partying and skateboarding growing up and have developed a tendency towards isolation in recent years. I feel like I have a lot of trouble relating to people nowadays and am still learning how to navigate social life in Recovery. Sry for the long comment and God Bless whoever reads this🙏🏼👊🏻🤙🏼✌🏼🫡

[@ILLRICARDO]

I am like you, I do find social connections difficult, I can never maintain them, and always run out of things to say, even if it is with a woman I like....kinda sucks, because I really like the woman, but always run into awkward silences....

[@christopherarmstrong2710]

18:40 Don’t feed the demon with your attention. Click bait news 28:10 For some reason people fear connection. Connecting makes you feel vulnerable. Most of us, particularly men, would rather fight than connect. We’d rather be in an aggressive stance than a vulnerable stance. However, being vulnerable is really good for you. 35:18 Find your right difficult thing - for a lot of ADD people it’s some kind of entrepreneurial activity, planning a trip around the world, etc. Something that involves something big and allows you to express your imagination. 35:45 Create the stellar environment - put yourself in the right environment to thrive. The right job, the right spouse, right friendship and group that you’re affiliated with so it’ll give you positivity. 44:12 “Race car brain with bicycle breaks.” 52:45 ADHD traits and entrepreneurship - creativity, persistence, enthusiasm, interest, avoiding boredom (looking for the new and you’ll find it). Seeing that the emperor has no clothes (a positive and negative trait) - challenging conventional wisdom, seeing something different and you follow it. 56:00 Live with ADD and don’t be ashamed of it. It’s a funny part of life if you let it be funny.

[@consciouswithcathleen]

Thanks for putting a different perspective on this! Over many years of teaching, I have seen so many brilliant kids getting the ADD label and being made wrong instead of being honored for their gifts!

[@wendyhannan2454]

Well said Cathleen, I wish there were more teachers like you 🙏

[@salparadise1220]

"ADHD people often feel bad, like they don't deserve love/acceptance/purpose." (sic) Yes, that's me. From a scarily early age I was told I was useless, a pain, that I didn't deserve anything, that I was loved because I had to be but wasn't liked, that they wished they'd never had me to begin with (which was the perfectly wrong thing to say to a child with ADHD, loads of RSD, and a younger brother who they doted on, who was good, well behaved, helpful, had a tidy room, did his homework, passed the exams, picked the right friends, and so on.) I didn't find out I had ADHD until I was in my mid 50's, so I've had 50 years of this horrible nonsense dominating my inner monologue. Never found a purpose, or "my difficult thing", or a direction, or anything really. Chose the wrong partners, the wrong friends, the wrong everything pretty much. Now I know why. Even the most basic, steady encouragement was missing. I either got told I was being ridiculously stupid when I was not and so it was a "wicked waste" or I was left to my own devices. Many, many learned maladapted coping routines developed. The rest was inevitable. Everything that could have happened to make it much harder did. And then everything I could have done to make it much harder I went on to do. So yes, definitely an issue with deserving anything other than judgment and rejection.

[@BradKittelTTH]

Wow, the coffee as a medication hit the nail on the head. Why is that not pointed out in the discussion more? I considered my coffee habit so beneficial and did not understand there is a medicinal effect that combined with THC it allows me to operate at hyper speeds that defy logic used by most diagnosticians. Perhaps you could expound on any medical research supporting that.

[@CarolLiege]

I did an internship at Mass Mental Health Center in 1966. Dick Shader was Chief Resident then. You take me back to a wonderful time in my life there! Loved it.

[@suechang7443]

Thank you doctors for shining a light on methods to help us give our child a positive message. You’ve given a wealth of information for us to utilize!

[@tinaingram1008]

Racing car brain with bicycle brakes! Love this! At 57 years old I'm just grasping that the exhausting and emotional mystery of my life has possibly been down to undiagnosed ADD (although VAST seems to pinpoint our family experience better ) Having travelled a period I liken to 'feeling startled in the headlights ' with this realisation, the reframing outlined in this of unwrapping my VAST potential talent feels like an empowering hug. The current waiting time in the UK from GP referral is estimated to be 50+ months !! Thank you for the work you do, especially the learning I have gained through listening several times to Driven to Distraction. Fabulous choice of narrater. Off to see if your new book is on UK audible . Thank you, a brighter future filled with new vigor to pursue my best brilliance with renewed self awareness and tools to manage RSD.

[@terryrowles]

Thank you ADDitude

[@tb8827]

You make the world a better place.

[@wendyhannan2454]

Love these two guys, I can relate to jumping out of a window, being so horribly bored 😂

[@VooDooSue]

So, a question. (And, of course, I'm only 19 minutes in and have exhausted my attention span.) The discussion of discipline and just not letting the default "voice" have control. That assumes people know about that....AND can manage it. Two really big areas. If it were simply about discipline, no one would have an issue. I promise to continue watching to see if this point gets addressed. ❤

[@CarolynMatyjanka]

My soul is always fed when Dr Ned speaks...so many good things!!!

[@TheGoofygirl67]

Thank you so much!

[@karenshaffer4346]

Bravo gents, keep the research & perspectives coming!!! So valuable as a teacher & mum.

[@John-dt4bi]

Thank you both so much. This was so helpful. And I have to subscribed to ADDitude magazine.

[@lauraaguerreberry7670]

Thank you doctors , I really enjoyed and learn in this webinar !!

[@muzosh]

is there a summary I can read instead.. 😅

[@annemarie4008]

Thank you for everything you do🙏🏻❤️

[@olgapetrova7813]

The steam is Invaluable and mighty astonishing in terms how precisely correct it is!

[@dray252]

11:53 ❤ me at work right now trying to stay with it

[@susank3986]

I love these two together :-)

[@christopherarmstrong2710]

Fantastic conversation!

[@madgepickles]

I really appreciate all of these videos I've learned so much and will continue to watch as much as I can. My frustration with them is that while I understand wanting to share the presenters faces, we can't see those slides at all. So it renders them relatively useless

[@RavenVapor873]

Is it possible for you to come back to this KZbin podcast and answer some questions and reply to comments? Everything I'm seeing is at least 6 mo old. It's still incredibly helpful and the best source for good info I've found. I feel like I was diagnosed too late again. 😂 So, ANSWER me ‼️ 😁

[@helenbodel3974]

Thank you, Ned, for your remarkable, VAST guidance throughout the years, from our decade together at Fessenden which fanned out into decades of fleeting moments together at Boston and Princeton schools. The Bodels are ever-grateful to you for teaching us about A.D.D. and how to welcome it into our lives. fyi, I retired to Putney, Vermont (guest suite awaits!); Michael's family lives nearby; he is at Dartmouth; Annie, at Moss Landing Marine Labs in her mama's home state, California. Sending hugs.

[@Daneiladams555]

this is so helpful

[@MrNext50]

You guys are awesome, crack me up!

[@inlimbo8]

The "race car brain with bicycle brakes" rings true. I once had a job that gave me carte blanche with no feedback, and I became so overwhelmed after a few years that I had to quit. I told my boss it was like hooking up a jet engine to a fishing boat. I didn't know that I might have ADHD at the time, but hoo boy, does all of this sound too familiar.

[@menarussell]

The microphones really need t9 be adjusted or use a pop filter and/or a foam or furry cover. I'm looking forward to listening to this.

[@LoveLife-gv8jg]

Subbing to Additude now. Thank you

[@user-jj6im6bp6k]

Had very bad ear infections under 5, adadoids out,ears drained

[@Charlie_Duz]

Do you think an ADDitude spinoff magazine that just focuses on adult ADHD would be viable? Something more UK based would be helpful.

[@user-jj6im6bp6k]

Ordered it, read almost all of it, found t helpful but in Uk

[@smileyginger1]

is there additional source data on the cerebellar connection/auditory/dyscoordination? as someone who has spent their life tripping over air, banging into door frames and table corners and generally being a klutz, I'd love to learn more about this. I'm doing PT right now for a knee surgery but I'm actually finding my ADHD symptoms are worse even though I'm doing a lot of balancing work.

[@zamboniclean]

Headphones have been keeping me away from the demon for years. Btw, Is positive rumination a thing?

[@joshm1636]

8:10 to skip the intro

[@user-bd4bo4tb8u]

Boredom is our krypronite. This cannot be emphasized enough. When I’m bored or understimulated, my brain feel like it’s dying. I’m currently living in a small town on eight acres. 90 minutes from Austin where we lived. My brain feels like it’s slowly dying. My body hurts. It’s scenic and pretty here, but there is nothing here that draws me out of this house. I’m making myself take a walk, but seeing grazing cows for miles is not the same a seeing businesses and other people out and about doing things. On a different note, I just listened to a podcast by Dobson. He says medication is the only solution to ADD. I don’t think any amount of Adderal would make me interested in this place. It’s helping me get some chores done, but why do laundry or shower when there is nowhere to go? Since driving is boring to me, the 90 minute trip to Austin is not appealing.

[@abj136]

Find a challenge! Something to grab your mind and focus your thoughts. Something difficult and meaningful. Something you can also think about while you walk so you don’t have to think about those lame cows while on your trek.

[@lynnrose3054]

The first thing that came to my mind is to get to know the cows! Give them names. Cows have great personalities and love music and affection. They can be wonderful companions and neighbors. Talk or sing to them. No internet? Bible? Good luck!

[@pradeepganipineni6106]

This is a very useful video. Thank you for this amazing content. I am suffering from adhd+ocd+chronic mild tics I only have atomoxetine available. What's your opinion on my treatments

[@ednanramicic429]

Dear Doctor Halowell and Ratey, I have just purchased you book ADHD 2.0. , Can you please advise, i have 7 year old boy and i need to find his strong sides. How do i doo that.

[@jhlfsc]

Lemme get this straight.... It's a congenital disease, but the solution, not in conjunction with, but INSTEAD of medication is to "stop giving it your attention"! Who knew ADHD was just a matter of will power?🤷 I didn't realize how promiscuous I've been all these years allowing my DMN to "seduce me" like that.🤢 I'm also colorblind, so I'm going to start right away on changing my way of thinking to cure that problem as well!👍

[@robinadams2046]

I keep hearing and research I have done says to stay away from red dyes, sugar, gluten and dairy if you have ADHD. Is this true??

[@abj136]

If so, you should find it obvious. Try a week without them and see what happens.

[@LeonardoMelloC]

What's the title of this new book they mentioned at 5:20? "The power of human connection?" I'm quite interested to read!

[@janepayson6725]

How do I get diagnosed

[@christopheralexander3384]

It's fine for someone with ADHD and a PhD (would love to know how that combination is possible) to tell everyone with ADHD that they are gifted with a "race car brain". Good for him

[@willkit1]

It's going to cost $3.000 to get my daughter diagnosed in Australia Is it so expensive in The US. ?

[@cristianaraujo9293]

Bruh my mom used to cry to me about "why can't you be like normal kids?" 🙃

[@beingindian9184]

Please host Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev for his perspective on attention.

[@abdulkaderhjjaj3846]

You sure know how to present a video to people with ADHD 😅

[@jbug884]

Start at 15.30 or get bored! 😂

[@didyouthinkaboutthis]

Since you know so much about ADHD, and you want to help people with ADHD, why not make ADHD-friendly videos? I know, crazy idea.

[@joannabusinessaccount7293]

Exactly. The intro took more than 10 min with promotions, introductions, small talks, etc. Also, there is such a focus on ADHD because there is a sale-able product: pharmaceutical products. I would urge everyone to take these talks and the ideas with a grain of salt. Listen TK it and see how these ideas fit you.

[@user-jj6im6bp6k]

I was a dancer, runner,Iamquite deaf

[@aishanusoul]

Sounds like we are emotional in deficit & searching desperately for a positive reward.

[@hanskraut2018]

Adhd traits: creativity, enthusiasm, interesst, looking for the new are suposidly adhd traits. Russel Barkley would heavily disagree with you. I in my experience would heavily disagree with you. Of course when u never have them u somethimes will get sucket into things because ur starved of things that motivate you.

[@pawsomekat2003]

I disagree with the "adhd is a superpower" mindset as well. I'm sure there are people who can learn to control their adhd with therapy and coaching. But there are also people who's life's are a mess, not only the attention part, but also the rejection sensitivity part that very often can't be controlled by therapy. It's a spectrum, some are on the far and some on the near end. Stop putting all adhd sufferers in the same box. It's really annoying, especially since it's already so hard for adults to get a diagnosis and treatment.

[@hanskraut2018]

​@@pawsomekat2003 I relly agree with all points. (Exept the therapy helps so much, i dont think that is proven and people always say "how can you prove it when its hard to make a placebo and test it blind?) Not my problem. If you cant test something then its not testable.) Anyway I reeeeelly agree with ur severity spectrum all being put in 1 box absolutely. And the getting diagnosis and especially good treatment is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelly hard haha. That is a insane understatement. U only get euphemistic people wanting you to just forget everything or do some magical thing so you shut up. Instead of relly exact med tiltration and super long trial. That even furters the stereotypes about medication not working. Of course it does not. U think u can just pop a pill and it magically fits into your brain chemistly? Thats like saying glasses dont work because you put 2 pieces of Glass before your eyes, without insanely precise adjustment and tryal and error to get the perfect match for your eyesight to be fixed again. The other person will feel bad and pump into a pole and then say it does not work. Sadly glasses are super simple and medications are more complex so people dont get it.

[@aishanusoul]

Lack of focus control disorder. Hahah

[@Saa42808]

I hate to be negative but if we compare today’s society with a junkyard then these two are jewels in it. As I write sometimes A jewel is a jewel no matter it found In a garbage can or in a crown BTW I think I I have ADHD

[@jacgilmour6962]

What a load of BS that rumination is a choice of attention….it is so awful that they make you to feel guilty for not controlling something that you have little control over. I will ruminate over good things and it just as adversely affects me. Med’s are the only thing that have helped.

[@BohoBirdLover]

I can relate about the "demon" center of the brain. I have been ruminating why Ned looks like an old, fat version of Ted Kennedy for as much as he preaches about diet and exercise.