Your Brain & ADD with Dr. Daniel and Tana Amen

May 16, 2019

Dr. Daniel Amen is one of America’s leading psychiatrists and brain health experts. He’s the founder of Amen Clinics and BrainMD, a double board-certified psychiatrist and Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a neuroscientist and has helped millions of people change their lives through clinics, best-selling books, products, and public television programs. Dr. Amen is the author or coauthor of 70 professional articles as well as a ten-time New York Times bestselling author, including of the New York Times mega-bestseller Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.

Tana Amen is Executive Vice President of Amen Clinics, New York Times best-selling author of The Omni Diet, health and fitness expert, cancer survivor, nationally renowned speaker, and media guest.

"You wouldn’t judge someone for getting glasses, they just need to fix it."

TANA AMEN

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DEFINING ADD/ADHD

A neurodevelopmental disorder where over time you have a short attention span, are distracted, disorganized, procrastinate and have issues with impulse control
Don’t have to have all symptoms and there are different types of ADD
ADD doesn’t look the same for everybody
Distractibility means they hear, see, feel too much and the world comes at them faster
Disorganization for space and time
Tend to be messy or organize by a pile system
Impulsivity

Caveats:

Short attention span but not for everything—for regular everyday things like homework, paperwork, and chores
Can pay attention to things that have their own dopamine (things that are new, novel, highly stimulating, interesting or frightening)

CAREERS & ADD

Prevalence of ADD in different careers: higher prevalence in more stimulating careers e.g. trauma nursing, entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs might hire a COO who is a little OCD, surround themselves with people who organize them
Ideally, pick a field that keeps you stimulated
Myth: if you have ADD you’re not intelligent

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADD

Classic ADD: short attention span, distractibility, impulsive
Girls: inattentive ADD, short attention span and distracted, but don’t have hyperactivity and impulsivity, struggle to live up to their potential

HOW TO WORK OUT IF YOU HAVE ADD

Book mentioned: Healing ADD
Amen Clinics ADD Test

SEEKING HELP

Seek out medical help: medication and natural ways to treat it
Exercise is a natural treatment
EPA fish oil is good for ADD and Depression
Higher protein and lower carbohydrate suits some types but not others
Ring of fire: the whole brain works too hard, and stimulating it with medication can make it worse
ADD can mean low activity in the prefrontal cortex (decision making)
Different types of ADD require different treatment
People with ADD might engage in negative thoughts, fighting, conflict-seeking to seek dopamine and stimulation

HEALING YOUR BRAIN

You wouldn’t judge someone for getting glasses, they just need to fix it
Healthy person: when they concentrate their brain activates, a person with ADD: when they concentrate their brain deactivates, meaning the harder they try the worse it gets
Medicine, supplement and lifestyle interventions help them to focus
Things that will make it worse: not sleeping, alcohol, sugar, too much processed food
Gluten can turn off your cerebellum: decrease activity there which is connected to your frontal lobes and ability to focus
Coordination exercises like juggling help your brain overall and help focus
Martial arts: complex bilateral moves requires focus and repetition and is helpful
Study: more grey matter in the brains of people practicing martial arts

WHAT TO DO FIRST

First know what type of ADD you have: Amen Clinics ADD Test
Seek out a clinic to check the diagnosis: Amen Clinics
Assess your sleep environment: make sure it’s dark
Elimination diet: eliminate gluten, dairy, corn, sweeteners

Don’t forget to take a screenshot of this episode, tag us both on social media (@DocAmen, @TanaAmen & @jimkwik) and share your greatest “aha!” moment from this episode with us!