EP #1157: ADHD Self-Care for Older Adults: Still Distracted After All These Years

Send us Fan MailLisa is joined by Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, who talks about her latest book, STILL DISTRACTED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: Help and Support for Older Adults with ADHD.Dr. Nadeau is the founder and clinical director of the largest private ADHD specialty clinic in the US. She has practiced psychology in the Washington, DC area since the early 1970’s and is the author or co-author of many books on ADHD including the bestselling ADD-friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, Understanding Girls with ADHD, and Understanding Women with ADHD. She received the CHADD Hall of Fame Award in 1999 for her groundbreaking work on girls and women.STILL DISTRACTED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS explains:·       Possible signs and effects of adult ADHD: ADHD in adults is severely under-diagnosed, and the name ‘attention deficit disorder’ can be misleading: most think ADHD’s main issue is causing difficulty in ‘paying attention.’ To the contrary, ADHD can also impact almost every aspect of your life.·       Extra challenges of retirement for people with ADHD: According to the National Council on Aging, at least one-third of boomers over age sixty-five live near or below the poverty line. Impulsivity and money-management struggles are a hallmark of adult ADHD, so those with ADHD are often less financially prepared for retirement.  ·       How the life of a US adult has changed significantly in the last generation.  There are many cognitive demands placed on seniors – new methods of social connection, hundreds of new emails to sort through, etc. – and ADHD can make these changes even more difficult to navigate. ·       ADHD, marriage, and compromise: ADHD can bring challenges to a relationship, and a better understanding of the disorder can lead to healthier relationships between equal partners. ·        How living with ADHD in later years is hugely influenced by multiple factors: co-occurring issues, such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and learning disorders combined with a heightened level of stress, the presence or lack of support from others, and the number of people we are responsible for can all complicate and intensify the effects of ADHD.·       …and much more.