My iPad has become my best friend - I take it everywhere I go (although I am a bit leery of the grocery store - afraid I might leave it in the cart). And since I was an "early adopter," there weren't millions of apps available when I received my iPad via FedEx back in May. That meant I could actually sort through the ones I'd like to try. "Taska" is one of my favorites - it's a To Do list and project management app that has a simple, beautiful interface that I actually USE. Based on "Getting Things ...

Should you stop taking your Adderall or Vyvanse or Dexadrine now that you've heard Dr. Tracy Ware's presentation about the potential dangers of amphetamines? Maybe yes. Maybe no. I just got off the phone with a woman (let's call her "Maggie") who recently started taking Vyvanse with great success. No side effects and improved attention, etc. After she listened to Tracy's presentation, she was unnerved by the possibility of brain damage with amphetamines so she switched medications (to a second tier ADHD drug). Maggie's been in a downward spiral ever since. Missed ...

Maybe it was my husband’s near-fatal heart condition three years ago. Maybe it was the cease-and-desist order for GardenSpirit (my dream come true retreat house) last year, which is forcing me to jump through extremely bureaucratic hoops (can you spell R-E-D T-A-P-E?). Maybe it was my parents moving into assisted living this week with virtually no notice. Maybe it was the failed project to redirect water away from my front yard that culminated in an ugly gash 4 feet wide and 200 feet long. Maybe was my dear Sheltie painfully hobbling toward an inevitable end. Maybe.   Or maybe, ...

Is it just me or is the world more moody these days? Oh yeah. It's me. I don't know what's going on with me and have been reluctant to share it with you since I try hard to stay upbeat. But darn it, I just can't seem to get it together right now. I forget things. I snap at people I love. I overreact. I suppose you could point to my Adderall "vacation" as the cause, but it was happening even before that. In fact, that was one of the reasons I actually TOOK a vacation from stimulants (helped along by new information ...

except on my throw rugs. I have never washed so many rugs in my life! It's been 15 years since I have raised a puppy. And it's been 30 years since I had a baby in my house. It's different. Maybe serendipitous that both happened about the same time. Lilly is such a happy little girl. Her smiles light up the world. The puppy (who we temporarily names Milli because she is so tiny like a millimeter or a millisecond) lights up other people's worlds. They adore how sweet she is when I ...

Well, it's time for an update, especially after Dr. Tracy Ware's presentation to the ADDiva Connection last night. My report first: Honestly, I didn't think I would be so lethargic without Adderall. I thought I was an AD BIG H D kind of gal. You know, the hyperactive type. Maybe I'm inattentive after all ! I swear I can't remember anything. I went to the bank on Friday to deposit some checks and drop off some info to my friendly "relationship banker." Got to the bank (a 20-minute one-way trip) and reached for the package and checks - nope. Left them in the ...

I read somewhere that all of us come up with million-dollar ideas every week, perhaps even every day (for ADDivas like us, it might be as often as hourly!). But we seldom ACT on those ideas, for a variety of reasons: lack of time, self doubt, fear of failure. When I have those ideas (quite often), I am sure I will remember them later but -- my ADD brain conveniently forgets them almost instantly. I usually have some growling hint that I had a brilliant idea but no memory as to the substance of the idea itself! So...I propose that we use ...

OK, it's been three weeks since my last Adderall and I am reporting on the effects (or lack of them). For the first few days, I found myself on autopilot, reaching for the pill case that contained my little blue "energy pills." But I steeled myself against taking them and let the ride wind down. I thought after a week, I'd evaluate my energy and focus, then decide whether to resume my meds...or not. Well, Tracy Ware, the psychiatrist who spoke at the Meetup group two days after I stopped taking Adderall, scared the beejeezus out of me - her warnings ...

Neurotoxicity? Permanent brain damage? Hmm. That's not what I wanted to hear about my Adderall prescription. But stimulant medication may be causing more problems than solving them, according to Dr. Tracy Ware, a board certified psychiatrist from Chapel Hill who was this month's guest speaker at the Adult ADHD Meetup group held at GardenSpirit. Research shows that even long term use of methylphenidate  (Ritalin and its ilk) is safe but taking amphetamines is a quite different story. Dr. Ware showed convincing evidence that amphetamines like Adderall, Dexadrine and Vyvanse induce an artificial "hyperfocus" by ...

It's Monday night and I'm still sniffing -- cried a lot after huge fight with the internet, my (forner) webinar service and an embarrassingly public admission of "I'm just not really that together after all." Darn it. Sometimes, when I least expect it, I fall apart. It's awful to let people see my soft underbelly (although frankly as I get older, it's been getting softer anyway!). But you know what I mean -- there's a part of me that wants to have all the right answers, lots of confidence and boundless energy. And then it gives out. Big time. Like tonight. When ...