I've been reading "Healing ADD" by Daniel Amen and my ADHD husband and I found through answering the questionnaire in the book, that he has the strong signs of having Limbic ADD. This type has elements of depression in it, and suits my H to a T.
Among Dr. Amen's suggestions for treatment are the supplements SAM-e, and neurofeedback. I haven't found a lot of helpful studies on the efficacy of these and wondered if any of you have experience with either one?
Right now he's being treated with Adderall, Lexapro and Wellbutrin. He is not having much improvement with these. Although he goes to ADHD counseling, he lacks the motivation to follow through with a lot of the counselor's suggestions. I am hoping one or the other of these new ideas could help with that?
Meds are tricky
Submitted by ShelleyNW on
Hello. I took SamE but I'm the non. I'd say it helped but not nearly as much as an ssri inhibitor. Has he tried an anti-psychotic like zyprexa or abilify? Dh was on zyprexa and I loved it, he seemed so rational. Alas, he was not as enamored. Could also be a dosage issue. Depression is really hard because it can keep you from doing things that will help you. Reminders for doing what he's supposed to, identifying daily Gratitudes, identifying the goal and why he wants to attain it. Coaching may be more effective than counseling. Somehow attaching the accountability. He needs to want to be the changed person. Trick is how he internalizes that goal. I wish I knew how. Good luck.
gotta have the want to
Submitted by carathrace on
Thanks, Shelley. I hear you! He needs to want to be the changed person. I can't give that to him. The other day I said, "I want more than anything for you to be...care free", and he said, "Oh, I've never been that in my whole life." I honestly don't know if it's the depression, the almost total lack of self-esteem, and the anxiety they create that are preventing him from having hope and motivation? or if he's capable of motivating himself and just chooses not to? Knowing what an honest man he is, I don't think it's a choice for him. I keep reading and listening for ideas, ways out, coping strategies, and I suggest them or ask him to read this or that chapter. He is always willing and thanks me, says I'm not nagging or parenting him. But he doesn't follow through. The psychiatrist, the only one in our area, sees him for 10 minutes every 3 months, is very nice but I guess he figures that since H isn't trying to kill himself anymore, we should stick with the meds we have. I will have him ask about those anti-psychotics you mentioned though. The coach we have is great, gives great ideas, tries to work with him on mindfulness and changing his negative internal talk....but H doesn't follow through and practice the stuff.
ADHD ab d Neurofeedback
Submitted by eegbiofeedbk on
There is a great deal of evidence of the efficacy of NFB for the symtoms of ADD. It is too long a list to detail all of the studies but there have been at least two meta analyses showing that NFB has signficant power in altering symptoms. There have been double blind studies as well. There have been negative double blind studies but they have not been conducted by competent NFB therapists or they did not follow proper clinical design or procedure. A review of the efficacy of NFB can be found at www.isnr.org and on my website www.brainhealingcenter.com. How you choose the therapist and the type of training chosen is going to be important to the outcome since the field is minimally regulated.
Gerald Gluck, Ph.D., LMFT
Senior Fellow, BCN