A colleague of mine recently complained that she had been working with ADHD women for more than 25 years, yet she hears the same questions and concerns today that were on the table in the late 1990s.

I totally agree that we are all hearing the same questions and concerns from ADHD women.

But isn’t it logical that when you get a new diagnosis you have basic questions about how to explore it? A client of mine went to chemo training when her husband developed serious colon cancer. They had never needed that info before but started out as beginners with questions that had been asked 1000 times by previous patients and family members. Probably the chemo trainers were tired of hearing the same questions but it was anticipated and addressed.

The thing that I think is missing from all ADHD conversations is effective treatment. Meds treat the symptoms only; ditto for meditation, omega 3s, exercise, coaching, CBT, Pomodoro, NLP, neurofeedback, etc.

The majority of the women who completed my ADHD women 40+ survey said despite trying multiple treatments their ADHD was not under control. That is horrendous!

Even “new” meds are just regurgitations of the same two stimulants, able to be patented to give the pharma corporations a hefty profit.

I just think all brain-based disorders are difficult to treat. They are biologically based but unlike high blood pressure, they do not respond efficiently to medication treatment alone (although, granted, HBP does benefit from dietary alterations as well as meds).

If I could wave a magic wand I would make ADHD fade into a comfortable companion that could be pulled out as a creative force when needed and ignored when boring brain work was required. Certainly not the equivalent of an ADHD lobotomy but a softening of ADHD symptoms that did not require constant vigilance to thwart its emergence.

A long time ago the question was put to the ACO membership — if you could, would you get rid of your ADHD? The vote was exactly 50-50. Half wanted to keep it, half wanted it gone.

So let’s keep the good stuff, throttle the stuff that interferes with life and be done with the angst. Ha! Ain’t that the pie in the sky dream!