Article by: James Wiley, MD ~ FocusMD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not rare in childhood and it is more common in children with ADHD. Few parents come to Focus-MD clinics concerned that their child has OCD. They are more worried about social skills issues and disruptive behavior at school and meltdowns and tantrums at home. Often a teacher or some other professional will have suggested that the child has ADHD, ODD-Oppositional Defiant Disorder or ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder (no longer diagnosed). These observations are a great place to start. When we listen to the voices of people who know the child well and then take the time to look carefully at the presenting symptoms, we are more likely to get the diagnosis right. Remember that sometimes OCD occurs with ADHD and sometimes OCD diagnosis alone best explains… Read More »

YES and NO. While there is no single test for ADHD, the QbTest provides objective information for the FocusMD physician to support their ADHD diagnosis for their clients. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently cleared the neuropsychological test QbTest developed by the Swedish company Qbtech to aid in assessing individuals with the functional disorder, ADHD. QbTest is a computer‐based test, which provides your FocusMD physician with objective and validated decision-making support when diagnosing and treating ADHD in children, adolescents and adults. QbTest is a widely used and well documented objective tool that measures your or your child’s activity level and ability to concentrate and suppress impulsive behavior. ADHD is a complex disease in which no tool can provide all the answers. However, QbTest will together with other clinical information give the FocusMD physician a foundation to set a diagnosis… Read More »

If you have ADHD or live with someone who does, you know that clutter is a hard habit to break. Individuals with ADHD like to make piles, which more often than not get out of control. Clutter is stressful and that why we’re here to help you cut through the clutter. Here’s your mission, starting today, use these 10 tips to declutter your home. 1. Sort the clutter Chances are you probably have stacks of old magazines, piles of papers, unwanted clothes and other miscellaneous items laying around that need to be sorted through. Start today by breaking your clutter up into categories such as keep, trash, recycle, give to a friend, store, sell, etc. Rome was not built in a day. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Getting organized takes time. 2. Organize Now that you have sorted through your clutter, organize… Read More »

It’s that time of year again, the most dreaded part of the semester for most college students, midterms. If you have ADHD, midterms can be even more stressful because lets face it, procrastination always finds its way into your study sessions. Before you start calculating how well you have to do on your exams, let us help take the stress out of midterms. Here are 5 helpful tips to help you study smarter and be successful on your exams. Get plenty of sleep We have all pulled an all-nighter expecting to become an overnight expert in the subject; however, the truth is those last minute cram sessions are not good for your health or grades. When you don’t get the rest you need, you are unable to concentrate, stay productive or retain information. While all-nighters are an ode to college… Read More »

As you get ready for Valentine's Day, take sometime to love yourself and your ADHD. What do we mean? If you’re like most adults who were not diagnosed with ADHD until now, you’ve probably grown up with some really damaging messages like,  "you’re lazy, you’re too stubborn or you can’t do anything right.” Throw all those negative thoughts out the window. We want to encourage you to embrace your ADHD and love yourself this Valentine's Day. There are many great qualities that come along with ADHD. Here are three qualities you may have overlooked about yourself: 1. Creativity: Creativity is just one perk of ADHD. Don’t just take our word for it, some of the worlds most creative thinkers had ADHD. Take for example Painter Pablo Picasso, Inventor Thomas Edison or Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, all honed their ADHD and created… Read More »