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Shine a light – understanding ADHD
“I feel like a universe, stuffed within a shoebox” – this is how Bryn Travers describes what it’s like to have Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). On 31st October 2018 the video ‘Shine a light – understanding ADHD’ was released: it’s a short documentary about what ADHD is, both from a personal and from a clinical perspective.
The release of this video co-occurred with the last day of the international ADHD awareness month (October). This initiative of the international ADHD patient organisations aims to raise awareness about ADHD, as well as funding for more research to better understand ADHD. Many events were organised worldwide during October to inform people about ADHD. Knowing more about ADHD and spreading awareness will help people to better understand (people with) ADHD. This will reduce stigma and (self)blame.
The video is in English, with subtitles in English, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian and Swedish.
What is this video about?
Many children, adolescents and adults suffer from ADHD. ADHD is a complex disorder that affects people differently. Generally people experience problems in daily life, especially with respect to controlling attention, impulses and emotions. At the same time, people with ADHD enjoy their creativity and positive energy. Medication is effective for many people with ADHD, but not for all. A downside of the medication is that it needs to be taken every day, and it does not cure someone from the disorder. Other types of treatment should therefore also be offered and investigated. Knowing more about ADHD and spreading awareness will help people to understand what causes their behaviour. This will reduce stigma and (self)blame.
The makers of this mini-documentary have asked people with ADHD and their relatives what is like to have ADHD, what are the challenges and what are the things they like about ADHD. They have also asked clinicians and researchers working with ADHD to explain more about the origins of the disorder, what they have learnt from their experience working with patients, but also what are the main questions that research is trying to answer about ADHD.
Who is in the video?
The video features four of the most well-known researchers in the field of ADHD:
Dr. Eric Taylor is Emeritus Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s College London,
Dr. Philip Asherson is professor of Molecular Psychiatry at King’s College London,
Dr. Barbara Franke is professor of Molecular Psychiatry at Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, in The Netherlands, and
Dr. Corina Greven is psychologist and behavioural geneticist at Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen.
Next to these scientists and psychiatrists, we see three people with ADHD:
Bryn Travers, Evie Travers, and Aziz.
And we also see:
Andrea Bilbow, President of ‘ADHD Europe’ and mother of two children with ADHD,
Dr. Kai Syng Tan, researcher and artist at King’s College London, who also has an ADHD diagnosis.
In the video they talk about what ADHD is and what it is like to have ADHD, about the pro’s and con’s of ADHD medication and why other types of treatment should also be developed, about stigma and misconceptions and why education is so important, and about the positive aspects of ADHD.
About the collaborators of this video
This video was a created through collaboration between four EU-funded, international consortia of researchers that investigate ADHD and its origins. The idea came from two junior scientists, Laura Ghirardi and Dr. Nicoletta Adamo. They were supported in creating the video through the MiND Training program and by the other junior scientists from MiND.
More information about the researchers and consortia:
Aggressotype (origins of aggression in psychiatric disorders, such as ADHD):
CoCA (origins of comorbid disorders with ADHD in adolescents and adults):
Eat2BeNICE (how nutrition and lifestyle influence mental health in psychiatric disorders)
The video was recorded by 4QUARTER FILMS
Neurodiversity Arts Festival (art, cake & fun in Kingston)
This Friday and Saturday (14th/15th Sept) there’s a festival celebrating neurodiversity in the arts in Kingston upon Thames – Kingsgate Church (above the Kings Tun) 161A Clarence St, Kingston KT1 1QT (click for map).
It starts at 10 a.m. on both days but goes on until ‘late’. That’s probably why it is on a Friday and Saturday and not Sunday! However, until the watershed it is definitely child friendly. Over the two days there’ll be:
Fine art exhibition
Short film screenings
Poetry
Live music
Interactive Performance
Creative workshops
Market stalls
Vegetarian & Vegan Café
There may even be dancing. And, as well as all this, the cost of entry is… …nothing! yes, free, so you can visit more than once (or stay the whole time). If you’d like to contribute something, they are still looking for volunteer helpers on the day.
More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2133236196912836/ and http://www.adhdkingston.org.uk/events.html and http://www.adhdkingston.org.uk/assets/shout-out-to-fastminds-arts-festival.pdf
Go along and have fun – and perhaps someone could send a report about afterwards to us here at AADD Towers so we can feature it in the blog.
Too far away to get to it? The organisers (contacts in the links above) would be delighted to tell you how they did it to inspire people to create their own local festival of the Neurodiverse.
ADHD Services Mapping Survey
Please help us with a very important study from the University of Exeter. The project is about children and young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in transition between children’s services and adult services.
One piece of the project, however, is a mapping survey designed to find out which adult ADHD services are out there for young people with ADHD aged 18 and over to transition into from children’s services. This means that this survey can be answered by any person of any age who has knowledge of ADHD services, whether they have ADHD themselves or not and whether they are a parent/carer or not.
If you click on this link you will be guided to a page where you can tell the researchers about adult ADHD services in your area – or equally important the lack of adult services. The online questionnaire asks no more than 8 questions and should take less than 5 minutes to complete.
The survey is anonymous and your response will contribute to the creation of a map detailing adult ADHD services currently available in the UK. If you want more information about the project, the research team have a website where you can find more information here
Thank you very much for helping us with this very important project.
Please note the survey is closing on Saturday, 31st December so please feel free to share this with anyone who may not yet have had a chance to complete the survey.
Bristol Adult ADHD Support Group Meeting
The Bristol Adult ADHD Support Group Meeting has an important visitor, Ian Popperwell, coming to the next support group meeting on Friday, 9th December.
Ian is a commissioning manager from the Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group (Bristol CCG) and he is the lead manager responsible for commissioning (i.e. buying) the services provided by the ADHD NHS Clinic at the Petherton Resource Centre in Hengrove, Bristol.
Ian is interested in talking with group members about their experiences of the current ADHD service (assessment/diagnosis and medication) as well as also hearing from them about other kinds of support and interventions that they feel would also meet their needs. This is a very good opportunity for the voices of people with ADHD in Bristol to be heard.
More information about the support group meetings can be found here.
The CATCh-uS ADHD Survey is now live
Please help us with a very important study from the University of Exeter. The project is about children and young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in transition between children’s services and adult services.
One piece of the project, however, is a mapping survey designed to find out which adult ADHD services are out there for young people with ADHD aged 18 and over to transition into from children’s services. This means that this survey can be answered by any person of any age who has knowledge of ADHD services, whether they have ADHD themselves or not and whether they are a parent/carer or not.
If you click on this link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CATCh-uS_SU you will be guided to a page where you can tell the researchers about adult ADHD services in your area or equally important the lack of adult services.
The online questionnaire asks no more than 8 questions and should take less than 5 minutes to complete.
The survey is anonymous and your response will contribute to the creation of a map detailing adult ADHD services currently available in the UK.
If you want more information about the project, the research team have a website where you can find more information: http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/catchus/mapping/
Thank you very much for helping us with this very important project.
Important Update to Wiltshire NHS ADHD Service
February 25, 2016
The NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group has now put an expanded explanation on their website as follows:
The contract for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) services in Wiltshire is held by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust (AWP). The current contract will come to an end at the end of March. We have negotiated a temporary ADHD contract with AWP to cover the period from 1 March 2016 until 31 August 2016. This extension will ensure that a large proportion of the current services can continue until we are able to review the whole contract, and a permanent two year contract can be agreed. The new contract will be in place by 1 September 2016. If we achieve this earlier you will, of course, be advised accordingly.
Until this time AWP will continue to provide an ongoing service for:
•Existing patients who have already been assessed and diagnosed
•Existing patients who require ongoing follow up and prescribing
•Patients already being cared for under the shared care process
•Urgent and/or prioritised new referrals as approved by the CCG Exceptions Panel
However, AWP will not be accepting new referrals unless identified as above.
Please note the PALS team at the CCG advise that they have requested this information is updated to confirm that it relates to the adult service as this is not clear.
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February 23, 2016
The Bristol Adult ADHD Support Group has received the following update regarding the Wiltshire NHS ADHD service:
Wiltshire CCG are now pleased to advise that an extension of their contract with AWP has been agreed with effect from 1st March. This is designed to give both the CCG and AWP breathing space to agree a more permanent 2 year contract and negotiations for this are already underway.
During the period of the extended Wiltshire contract, all existing patients will be seen as they would have expected and no longer need to refer back to their GPs.
For the time being however, no new patients will be seen until current capacity issues have been resolved and these patients may wish to consult their GP again in the meantime. It is important to note that these arrangements apply ONLY to Wiltshire patients.
Therefore there will now be NO change if you live in Wiltshire and ARE already receiving treatment from the Wiltshire NHS ADHD service.
For the time being things are more difficult for adults living in Wiltshire who want to be assessed for ADHD. If you are in this situation, I suggest you go to your GP and politely but as clearly as possible state your reasons for wanting an assessment (written evidence is always helpful).
If you get turned down which seems likely at the moment, either ring or email the NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0300 123 2103 (live 9am – 5pm; answer phone outside of office hours) or WCCG.complaintsandpals@nhs.net and politely tell them you want to make a formal complaint. More information here
If you still cannot get an assessment, then ask your MP to write a letter on your behalf. Here’s a link to the Wiltshire MP’s
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February 13, 2016
From 1 April 2016, the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) service delivered in Wiltshire by AWP will be decommissioned. AWP have informed patients affected by this decision, and the Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have informed all their GPs.
Please note that this change affects the Wiltshire ADHD service only. It does NOT affect the Wiltshire Autism Diagnostic Service (WADS), the rest of AWP’s ADHD service, or any other service provided by AWP.
AWP has provided an ADHD service for adults living in Wiltshire, on behalf of Wiltshire CCG, since 2014. Over the last year, Wiltshire CCG and AWP have been reviewing the current ADHD service. AWP proposed a number of new clinical service models that complied with NICE guidelines, however at this time a decision has been taken not to extend the contract beyond 31 March.
Anyone who has concerns about how this change will affect them can speak to the Wiltshire PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) . Contact details for Wiltshire PALS is available from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
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As a reminder to those who make commissioning decisions under the Equality Act 2010, the definition of a disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on someone’s ability to do normal daily activities.
The public sector equality duty (section 149 of the Equality Act) applies to public bodies and those carrying out public functions. It supports good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities. It also helps them to deliver policies and services which are efficient and effective, accessible to all, and which meet different people’s needs.
The equality duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:
eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Act;
advance equality of opportunity between people who are covered under the equality act and people who are not;
foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Having due regard means consciously thinking about the three aims of the equality duty as part of the process of decision making, including the provision of a robust health and safety management system.
Key Challenges and Practical Solutions – a Clinician focused conference on Adult ADHD
The UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) will host its 5th Congress on Fri 22nd and Sat 23rd April 2016. This 2 day conference is entitled ‘Key Challenges and Practical Solutions – a Clinician focused conference on Adult ADHD’
There is growing recognition of the role of ADHD in adult mental health and the availability of effective clinical and psychosocial interventions. The conference will build on this growing expertise by providing a European perspective that highlights the full range of functional, cognitive and mental health impairments, the impact that ADHD has on adolescent and adult mental health and the contribution to adolescent and adult psychopathology. This meeting will address important clinical questions relating to the management of ADHD in adults and will be relevant to clinicians interested in the mental health of people from the adolescent years through to early, middle and later adult life.
This meeting aims to raise the level of awareness, knowledge and expertise among health care professionals about people with ADHD as they grow older; and to provide a better understanding of the persistence of the disorder and the development of comorbid mental health problems. The program will be delivered by prominent opinion leaders, clinical experts and internationally recognised investigators and is designed to cover key topics relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD during the critical period from adolescence to adulthood. The selection of speakers is particular important so that the audience can hear directly from the most experienced professionals working in this rapidly developing area of clinical psychiatry.
More information can be found on UKAAN’s website
ADHD in Adults: a conference for people with experience of ADHD in adulthood
The Maudsley adult ADHD service is hosting their first national conference for adults with lived experienced of ADHD on Friday, 22 January 2016 from 09:00 to 16:00 (GMT) at the ORTUS learning and event centre – 82-96 Grove Lane London, London SE5 8SN .
This conference has been developed in a collaboration between mental health professionals and service user experts with a grant from the Maudsley Charity. The aim of this important event is to raise awareness of ADHD in adults and provide an opportunity to come together to share experience and learning.
Session highlights:
Research and clinical updates
Positive experiences of ADHD
What support is available for adults with ADHD?
ADHD in the workplace
How is ADHD portrayed in the media?
Mindfulness and ADHD
There is a £5 cover charge which will be refunded if registrant attends conference. Registration includes access to the full conference, refreshments and lunch.
Here is a link to more Information
Here is a link to the Agenda
Here is a link to Booking Information
ADHD & Victoria Derbyshire Programme
AADD-UK has received an email from Sarah Bell, BBC News Impact Producer, asking us to pass on her thank you to everyone for getting in touch; she had an incredible response.
Here are two clips from the programme:
And here is an online article from the BBC
BBC2 Victoria Derbyshire Programme & adult ADHD
AADD-UK has received an email from Sarah Bell who is a producer for the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC2 and the News Channel.
She is hoping to make a film about adult ADHD, based on a study by King’s College London which identifies significant differences in brain activity between children whose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues into adolescence and adulthood, and those who later grow out of the disorder. They would like to make a short film about someone who has the condition and how it affects their life, perhaps spending a day with them. They would then hope to follow it up with a studio discussion. Sarah has assured us that this will be sensitively and responsibly handled by the BBC. This sounds like a good and positive opportunity for our voices to be heard.
Ideally they would like to start filming next week.
If anyone is interested, or would like more information please contact Sarah directly at sarah.bell@bbc.co.uk.
Here’s a link to information about the new study that has got the BBC interested in adults with ADHD
New Central London Meeting
By popular demand, the central London group is trying out two meetings a month. The old schedule of the first Tuesday will carry on but there will now be a meeting on the Third Thursday of the month. Same time, 7 – 9 pm, same place, Costa Coffee Argyl St by Oxford Circus but on the Third Thursday of each month.
The first of the new meetings will be on Thursday the 16th of April 2015 (this coming Thusday, at time of writing).
More details: click here.
Come along! The more the merrier!
Adult ADHD Support Groups UK Survey
Background and context
This survey came as a result of the researcher’s collaboration with AADD-UK and his regular attendance to 4 support groups which generated questions in relation to the development of adult ADHD support groups; how many groups are there in the UK, what is their membership and what do they do? The numbers of groups making contact with AADD-UK and its website has been growing in the last five years; they are very diverse in their organization, in what they provide and so are the local contexts in which they evolve. But they all have in common that they provide a much needed space for information, help and support for individuals who are or have yet to be diagnosed with ADHD as well as for their relatives and partners.
The aim of this survey was to provide an updated picture of the state of adult ADHD support groups in the UK; we hope this would in turn help individuals, families and professionals in accessing updated information on the AADD-UK website for better local signposting.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
1. Significant increase in numbers of support groups, starting from 2009, peaking in 2011 and an increase of membership.
It is worth noting a rapid increase in numbers of groups since 2009, but it is unclear if this trend will continue. Some groups have also folded in the last 2 years, mainly for reason of lack of funding and so the present economical context may make it difficult for some groups to develop or sustain their activities. An increase in membership has also been observed in the three groups the researcher has had contact with since 2009; the average attendance then was of 11 members per meeting, it is now in 2013 an average of 19 members per meeting with a gender mix of 52% male, 48% female.
2. 9 groups out of 23 , just under 40% , receive funding
There are more groups receiving funding than ever before, and the more recent groups seem very good at that. More data is required to understand how funding is accessed, if groups are set up as charities, social enterprise and how sustainable the funding is.
3. Three quarters of the groups are run by adults who describe themselves as having ADHD.
Despite the difficulties that ADHD can produce the large majority of groups are run by facilitators that identify themselves as having ADHD, and some do this in partnership with people who do not have ADHD. Out of the 14 new groups that have formed since 2009, 13 of them have been formed by adults identifying themselves as having ADHD. More research would help in understanding what their experiences bring in the running of a support group.
4. Wide range of activities, including 6 groups providing structured courses.
The groups are adapting to the local context and the needs of their members with ADHD and provide more and more services that are not provided anywhere else. But the main activity the groups have in common is the support and help they give to each other through the sharing of their experience of living with ADHD.
We believe these findings show a vibrant and growing community of support groups for adult with ADHD that are resourceful and determined to provide a safe place to share experience and information.. This survey highlights some of the common points between groups but the diversity between groups is also worth noting, each group is unique in its history and style and respond to particular local circumstances. The full survey is available in our library here.
Claude Jousselin and the AADD-UK team.
ADHD: separating facts from fiction
As part of the Science in Health Public Lecture Series, Professor Anita Thapar of Cardiff University will consider myths and misunderstandings around ADHD, and she will focus on what has been learnt from science, and how this might help clinical and educational practice.
The lecture which is free and open to the public will take place at Cardiff University Main Building. It will take place on Thursday, 16th January at 19.00. Booking is not needed. More information is available from Cardiff University here.
UKAAN Announces Publication of ‘Handbook of ADHD in Adults’
UKAAN is pleased to announce the publication of the
‘Handbook of ADHD in Adults’
Written by the UK Adult ADHD Network
The Handbook is now available to order from Spinger Healthcare and from Amazon, on 30th September. Please see links below.
http://www.springer.com/medicine/psychiatry/book/978-1-908517-50-0
If you have any problems obtaining a copy, please let me know.
Kind Regards
Sue Curtis
Administrator, UKAAN, www.UKAAN.org
New Malden Group Starts (Surrey/London)
We know little more than this…
“New Malden Adult ADHD Support Group starts Thursday 3rd October 10-12.30pm @ New Malden Baptist Church,1a Westbury Road,New Malden,Surrey,KT3 5BE.
Come along for a coffee and an informal chat and meet like minded people.”
…but if you are on Facebook you can enquire further here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/adultadduk/512065042209837/?notif_t=group_activity
Ethics article in the BMJ
The link below leads to an interesting article on ethics in the British Medical Journal. The gist of it is that doctors have a duty to act professionally towards their patients, even if they dislike or have negative moral feelings towards their patients. It is good that the BMJ should mention this, but the article starts from the point of view that the doctor has actually met the patient (which is completely understandable). Here at AADD UK we have lost count of the number complaints we have had about doctors and other medical staff acting unprofessionally even without ever having met the patient.
By unprofessional we mean, of course, completely ignoring the evidence, text books, guidelines etc and judging anyone that mentions adult ADHD to be not worthy of their (the doctors’) time. We recently had word of a person who had been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in another country in Europe. She moved to the UK (we won’t mention which health authority in south-west London in particular!) and asked her GP to refer her for continued treatment of her ADHD. The GP was very helpful and wrote a referral letter right away. All she received from the specialist was a letter claiming that they do not treat adult ADHD in that area. Since we have met several people in that catchment area we at AADD UK know for a fact that they do treat adults with ADHD (quite apart from the NICE guidelines and so on).
BBC Foster Harassment of People with ADHD
A presenter on the BBC’s flagship “Today Programme” has just blithely dismissed ADHD as being the fault of teachers that can’t keep discipline.
We would like to point out to the BBC that this was not presented with any evidence whatever and is quite simply ‘journalism’ of a very poor standard. There is a huge amount of scientific evidence for ADHD, a lot mentioned on this blog in previous posts. But, worse than just poor journalism, the effect that such comments on a supposedly serious programme have is to foster an opinion that there is no such thing as ADHD and thus will lead to the harassment and bullying of people that suffer it. For shame ‘Today’.
We await a response.
ADHD and Obesity – a Surprising Result
A very long running study, 33 years and still going, has been looking at various aspects of how ADHD affects people across life. A new paper in Pediatrics (out now on-line and in the June paper edition) has found that children with ADHD in childhood are twice as likely to be obese as the non ADHD population in later life, even if the ADHD appears to be in remission.
It is a very solid study since it has been going for so long so can be sure of accurate records (some studies rely on people’s memories which is okay as far as it goes, but aren’t nearly as reliable as having contemporary records). One point to note is that, even in a very long running study, because two things correlate, here ADHD and obesity, cause and effect is not necessarily proven. Cause has to precede effect, so obesity in middle age can’t have caused childhood ADHD, but the ADHD may not have caused the obesity, there may be a common cause. This is discussed in a very digestible form for the non-scientist in this article in the Scientific American.
However, whatever the cause, it is yet another burden for those afflicted. Obesity, in common with ADHD is a problem that is often regarded by the general public and even members of the medical profession as a moral failing in the sufferer rather than a medical problem to be treated.
To people with a long-standing knowledge of ADHD the study isn’t entirely surprising. One might think that people with ADHD in remission wouldn’t suffer the side effects, but ADHD used to be considered as ‘just’ hyperactivity and people simply slow down as they get older. The human dynamo nature of hyperactive children may drop off, but there is no reason to suppose the other aspects just go away on their own. Study after study has shown that people with ADHD fare worse in all sorts of measures compared to the general population.
Something to watch out for in discussions of the paper is that the study was only done on boys, so when a headline says that ADHD is linked to obesity in men, it is pretty likely that it is linked to obesity in women too, just that the study only followed boys. 33 years ago ADHD and its various forms was barely recognised in girls (and even in boys it was fairly new and was considered to be mainly hyperactivity).
Europe regulators not yet on board with adult ADHD due to concerns regarding diagnosis methods
There is a very interesting article in yesterday’s Financial Times that points out that despite scientific evidence that ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood and despite evidence that there is a high burden of cost associated with under treatment of ADHD, some European regions are still cautious about approving medications that treat ADHD symptoms. A spokesperson from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) explained that they recognise adult ADHD as a condition, but the spokesperson also said that the reason “no product has so far been approved for adult ADHD is because submitted data were insufficient to establish a positive risk-benefit balance, not because of a lack of recognition of the indication.” The full article is available from the Financial Times here.
Given that our own Guidelines here in the UK were published 5 years ago (actually to be precise 4 years and 8 months ago), I feel that it is shameful that we are not further along than this!
An interesting look at how methylphenidate works
A very interesting paper in The Harvard Review of Psychiatry looks at the effect methylphenidate has on the brain. This is a link to the original article (the abstract is free).
There is a more layman friendly description in ScienceDaily. (And before anyone writes in, yes, we are aware that the word ‘normalises’ is spelled differently on either side of the Atlantic.)
Methylphenidate ‘Normalizes’ Activation in Key Brain Areas in Kids With ADHD, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130509123329.htm
As if we didn’t need more bad news…
“ADHD Persists in Adulthood, Ups Mental Illness, Suicide Risk”
Coping strategies and non-drug therapy resource “FAST MINDS”
Here is an interesting approach to non-drug therapy for adult ADHD. There is an associated book which we’ll review if/when we get a review copy (the list price is over £17 so unless you are very flush we wouldn’t recommend buying without the recommendation of someone who has read it or having had a good look at it yourself).
http://adhdfastminds.tumblr.com/
Here is the book (but read the blog first – it is free!)
The Cambridge Science Festival features ADHD
We’ll let the organisers of the Cambridge Science Festival speak for themselves:
Re: Cambridge Science Festival promotion
I am writing in the hope of promoting the 2013 Cambridge Science Festival on your website’s event page.
The Festival takes place 11 – 24 March 2013, and bookings for events are now open.
Please see below for information on our talk that may be of particular interest to you:
5.30pm – 7pm, 14 March
Focusing on ADHD
Babbage Lecture Theatre, New Museums Site,
CB2 3QH
Supported by The Wellcome Trust and the
British Association of Psychopharmacology
Poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsivity
are common in people with ADHD. These
symptoms may be distressing and cause difficulties
in daily life, but what causes them? How can they
best be treated? This Brain Awareness Week
discussion panel includes Professor Barbara Sahakian,
Dr Ulrich Müller and Dr Sam Chamberlain.
Event: 27, Map: 4, Talk, Ages 14+, Pre book*To book please visit our website www.cam.ac.uk/sciencefestival, or call 01223 766766.
With over two hundred events for all ages, the Festival aims to give everyone the opportunity to discover, question and take part in scientific activity at the University of Cambridge and partner organisations. Over the two week period, guests will be able to explore research that is leading the world at events that discuss science and its place in our lives – covering subjects from astronomy to zoology, with hands-on experiments and talks from leading researchers and celebrities.
Highlights this year include: Professor John Gurdon, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine; science comedian Robin Ince; author Simon Mayo; and up-and-coming BBC Science presenter Helen Czerski. We’re also delighted to welcome Benedict Cumberbatch as our Guest Director, whose note on the festival and its importance can be found in the programme and on our website.
Our family open days are on 16, 17 and 23 March, and there are hundreds of activities running throughout the entire Festival fortnight. With so much going on, there really is something for everyone and we hope you really enjoy it: we invite you to challenge your mind, try something new and join us on a journey of discovery and excitement.
Isle of Wight group now running
Here are some details of a group that has just started on the Isle of Wight:
http://iowadultadhd.org
Meetings on the third thursday of each month in Newport.
Please check website, email or call for further info;
Ian@iowadultadhd.org
Tel Ian Chadwick;
07837589478
London Meeting the First of January 2013
The regular central London meeting meets on the first Tuesday of the month. This means that the next one will be on January the First 2013. We still plan to hold the meeting, same time, same place, so please feel free to come along. More details here.
Tracking ADHD into adulthood
New(ish) article on WebMD:
“Dec. 10 2012 — Teens diagnosed with ADHD are likely to have an array of issues as adults, including problems with physical and mental health, work, and finances, according to new research.”
ADHD treatment ‘may reduce crime’
A very interesting piece of research the ADHD skeptics should be aware of (although we would like to point out that the vast majority of people with ADHD are not and have never been involved in crime!): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20414822
Wellcome Trust: “Children with ADHD find medication frees them to choose between right and wrong”
A very interesting study from the Wellcome Trust counteracts some of the negative things the anti-ADHD brigade comes out with. Excerpt below, click link for full article:
Children with ADHD find medication frees them to choose between right and wrong
15 October 2012
Children living with ADHD tend to feel they benefit from medication to treat the condition and do not think the medication turns them into ‘robots’, according to a report published today. In fact, they report that medication helps them to control their behaviour and make better decisions. The study, which gives a voice to the children themselves, provides valuable insights into their experiences and the stigma they face.
The ADHD VOICES – Voices on Identity, Childhood, Ethics and Stimulants – study has worked with 151 families in the UK and the USA to examine ethical and societal issues surrounding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly the use of treatments such as methylphenidate (Ritalin). The project has been led by biomedical ethicist Dr Ilina Singh from King’s College London and was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Full article here.
ADHD from eating fish?
This study, from a reputable source, suggests one factor in causing ADHD may be mercury poisoning in the womb, which can be caused by eating too much of certain types of fish.
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