We’ve talked about this a great deal in my couple’s groups, now we are learning that TV can impact all relationships.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Jan 23, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) — A Purdue University professor in West Lafayette, Ind., says chronic television watching can be harmful to the development of a relationship.

“Some forms of technology, such as cell phones or e-mail, can help relationships survive long distances or busy schedules,” said Glenn Sparks, professor of communication at the university and mass media effects expert. “But other uses, such as chronic television watching, can affect how people communicate in relationships or even keep people from making friends.

“There may be programs we like to watch together, and this is good, but there is a concern that a television that is always on interferes with how we communicate,” Sparks said.

The professor said a reduced amount of talking, listening and eye contact takes place in rooms with TVs on. Sparks suggested that friends and couples make plans to do other activities besides watch TV, such as taking a walk, planning a vacation or playing a game.

“Making a change can mean more than just turning the television off,” he said.

URL: www.upi.com

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

We need to take stress seriously. Latest UK research shows stress in pregnant women can even increase risk for mental and behavioral problems such as ADHD or reduced IQ in their unborn children. This research article estimates approximately 15% of neurodevelopmental problems may be caused solely by maternal stress. The mechanism seems to involve the stress hormone, cortisol. Increased stress causes increased cortisol levels, and cortisol crosses through the placenta to the baby impacting brain development. Stress caused by partner violence was found to be the most damaging. It is a reminder of how closely linked our physical and mental health really are. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6298909.stm

Now omega 3’s can prevent Alzheimer’s? We’ve known the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for cardiac, mood disorders, and ADHD. Exciting new evidence now shows DHA, one of the brain omega-3’s, can also prevent you from getting Alzheimer’s. There were approximately 900 patients enrolled in this study at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Results showed that the seniors (average age of 76) followed over a period of 9 years had a 47% lower risk of developing dementia if they had higher blood levels of DHA. More reason to eat fish and supplement your diet with omega-3’s!

The study results were published in the Nov 2006, Archives of Neurology.

Repeated ear infections - even some colds - can leave a fluid buildup that specialists long feared would dampen hearing and slow language and other learning. However, it now appears the hearing loss is too short-lived and mild to interfere with learning, at least in the vast majority of children.

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What a great name for a survey: pewsurvey! Many parents ask about the role of the internet with IM (Instant Messaging) and My Space so popular. In addition to issues around safety, parents also want to know how it impacts their child diagnosed with ADHD. Based on the results of a student’s neuropsychological profile and in particular their performance on divided attention tasks, we are able to help parents understand if this form of multitasking is problematic or not. (more…)

ADHD affects over 8 million adults, of which only approximately 2 million have been diagnosed. Warning signs of adult ADHD include difficulty focusing, procrastination, tuning out in conversations, difficulty completing tasks, restlessness, losing things, disorganization, impulsiveness, quick-tempered, daydreaming, and increased risk-taking behaviors. People with ADHD are generally above average intelligence and can excel with the right supports in place. Finding the right career fit can make all the difference. This news article and video demonstrates one ADHD woman’s success in leaving corporate America to become a children’s party planner. The professions least likely to attract adults with ADHD are bank and retail clerks, media professionals, law enforcement, and attorneys. http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=98123&SecID=2

ADHDers tend to be night owls. It’s the part of the day with fewest distractions: the phone stops ringing, the kitchen is closed, other family members are in bed, and your ADHD brain is still going. That is not to say ADHDers need less sleep. Instead ADHD folks often develop what’s called phase delayed sleep - going to bed too late and getting up too late. The lack of sleep then exacerbates the inattentive symptoms in a vicious cycle. Living on a 9 to 5 schedule can be very difficult for someone with ADHD.  What should you do? The answer is, whatever you can to sleep better! This might involve medication and non-medication approaches.

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Achieving balance is a struggle for everyone in today’s society, including people with ADHD. How am I supposed to find time to go to the gym, relax, or be creative when I can’t even get my laundry put away or bills filed? As we have been hearing for years, it is when we take the time to find balance in our lives that we are ultimately happier and more productive both at work and at home.

Take a moment to think about what makes you really happy…is it spending time alone reading, a hobby, cooking, gardening, or is it time shared with friends? Usually what prevents people from achieving balance in their life is the idea of not having enough time. The secret to a well balanced life for someone with ADHD is scheduling something you love, making it a routine, and doing it with someone else! For example, schedule a run with your neighbor every Tuesday morning from 6-7. Have that person pick you up and after a few weeks, a pattern will be established and soon the event will be a habit. Be sure to alert those you live with and encourage them to do the same.

Balance in life also means slowing down to listen to our bodies and increasing our awareness of ourselves and our environment. For example, we often do this the hard way, such as getting a physical injury like pulling our back out from pushing ourselves too hard or psychologically when we experience anxiety or even a sense of panic. By increasing our awareness to how we are doing/feeling more regularly, we lower our threshold of what feels normal to us.

General tips:

Create something in your life that requires nurturing and attending to. Consider an easy to care for pet or put up a bird feeder that you will need to check on from time to time. Plant a garden or have some beautiful plants in your home which require watering.

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http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-01-01-omega-3-usat_x.htm?csp=34

Omega 3’s are in the media spotlight again. This USA Today article features foods in 2007 that will be supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids including Tropicana OJ, eggs, butter substitutes, cereal, infant formula to aid in brain development, and even pet food lines. Apparently Fido needs fish oil too.

Omega 3 fatty acids are best known for their cardiovascular benefits. In more recent years the omega 3’s have also been shown to prevent depression and bipolar depressive episodes, and possibly improve cognitive development. The brain’s “user friendly” forms of omega 3’s are DHA and EPA. Fish oil is recommended over flax seed for brain benefits.