Dr. Hallowell has started hosting Facebook Live sessions every other Thursday at 1pm, together with ADDItude magazine! He will answer questions from viewers in real-time, and each session will have a main focus topic. See Dr. Hallowell’s Facebook page for more details and to join.

If you work on a project every day for 40 years, pouring your heart and soul into it, your time and treasure, every drop of hope and optimism you can call up in the face of rank ignorance, prejudice and wrong-headedness, you sometimes lose track of how far you’ve come. … Continue reading How Far We’ve Come

Having a person through whose eyes you enjoy seeing the world, the part of the world that person chooses to show you, that’s a special person for you. And having a person who’s been able to do that reliably, consistently, with flair and spice for some 40 years, well, that’s … Continue reading

My favorite topic to give talks on is the magical power of connection—of all kinds—to bring to pass pretty much every good thing in life. So many high school students are under enormous pressure to get into the “right” school. I experienced it myself along with classmates that were all … Continue reading The Magical Power of Connection

ADHD 2.0, the latest book by Drs Ned Hallowell and John Ratey draws on the latest science to provide both parents and adults with ADHD a plan for minimizing the downside and maximizing the benefits of ADHD at any age. They offer a range of new strategies and lifestyle hacks for … Continue reading ADHD 2.0 Now in Paperback

This month for our meet our Staff, we are featuring Marcia. Marcia is a trained and licensed social worker who provides supportive counseling and coaching to parents whose children, teens, and young adults have ADHD and other emotional and behavioral challenges. Working collaboratively with other clinicians and specialists, both inside … Continue reading Meet Marcia Hochman

Tracy Otsuka is a dynamic, witty, and generous person, who I first met as a guest on her podcast “ADHD for Smart Ass Women”. It’s that last quality I’d like to highlight here. Over my 72 years I’ve been lucky enough to meet scores, if not hundreds of hugely talented, … Continue reading Meet Tracy Otsuka

Happy Thanksgiving to all my listeners, I have a fascinating guest on this week’s episode of Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different. I have a conversation with Kristin Seymour, a hugely talented ADHD expert as well as a nurse practitioner and cardiac specialist at the world famous Barnes Jewish Hospital … Continue reading Note from Ned

I think we’d all agree that life would be pretty bland and boring if there were no differences between people. And yet most of us recoil from differences, at least at first. A famous song says “You have to be carefully taught,” the message being that children are born tolerant … Continue reading Become our Higher Selves

Have you had yours yet? I got mine on Saturday, March 6 at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Covid Vaccine Clinic in Boston. 11:30 a.m. I’ve never had a shot before and remembered the date I got it. I do recall getting vaccinated for smallpox when I was 6 years … Continue reading A Shot in the Arm

I wonder if we can ever feel ok again after the trauma of the pandemic, let alone “normal,” whatever that murky word means. People often talk about “when life gets back to normal,” or “when things go back to the way they used to be”. After 500,000 deaths in the … Continue reading A New Normal

This month for our meet our staff, we are featuring Marcia. Marcia is a trained and licensed social worker who provides supportive counseling and coaching to parents whose children, teens, and young adults have ADHD and other emotional and behavioral challenges. Working collaboratively with other clinicians and specialists, both inside … Continue reading Meet Marcia Hochman

Most people have their secret cravings. But we who have ADHD specialize in one kind of craving. We crave carbs. It’s the pint, quart, or even gallon of Cherry Garcia or Mocha Nut Fudge ice cream in the middle of the night as a “snack”. It’s the jar of Skippy’s … Continue reading Ice Cream at Midnight

A new episode is released every Tuesday afternoon! You can listen via any of your favorite apps, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, Apple or simply click the LISTEN tab at the top of this website page.

  This month for our meet our staff, we are featuring Jen Zobel Bieber. Jen is a certified personal coach whose specialty is helping adults with ADHD achieve significant personal and professional goals. Jen has a keen ability to listen, synthesize, and help individuals move from contemplation into action. She … Continue reading Meet Jen

We’re excited to be only a few weeks away from the launch of ADHD 2.0: New Science and Strategies for Thriving with Distraction from Childhood through Adulthood, the new book by Drs. Ned Hallowell and John Ratey, which hits bookstores on January 12, 2021! You can pre-order a copy here. Ned Hallowell … Continue reading ADHD 2.0

Deliberately choosing to do something that is difficult does not on the face of it sound tempting. Sometimes we voluntarily subject ourselves to the difficult in order to improve ourselves by say, going on a diet or taking up a new language. But over the years I’ve found there’s a … Continue reading My Write Difficult!

It’s Thanksgiving once again. Before you say 2020 has been the pits, that there’s coal in all our stockings, and that the idea of giving thanks makes no more sense than going swimming in the Arctic, let me say hold on, think twice, and relax just a moment. Before you … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2020 Note from Ned

Virtual support groups for adults with ADHD are hosted by our expert coaches. Some of the hardest parts about living with ADHD can be the feeling of being alone, different or misunderstood.  Lisa Cornelio has worked for the New York City Hallowell Center as an executive function coach, academic tutor … Continue reading Adult ADHD Support Groups

This month for our Meet Our Staff feature, we are featuring Matt Buttigieg. Matt is an ANCC Board Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Matt offers psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adult patients at the Hallowell Center. Matt creates a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment for every client, and understands … Continue reading Meet Matt

I had a video appointment with a new patient this morning.  Video is how I “see” all my patients these days, except those who want to “see” me over the telephone so they don’t have to make themselves presentable, or what they imagine to be presentable.  Video consultation has changed … Continue reading Women with ADHD

I have a problem. Too few topics take up way too much space in my mind. The too few topics are: the upcoming election; the pandemic; the Post Office (Did I ever think the Post Office would occupy a big chunk of my mind? No.); and global warming. Not a … Continue reading What Fills Your Mind?

Just Wondering…If my understanding of physics is correct, which is a dubious assumption for sure, matter has no matter.  That is to say, materials that have mass, which comprise the category we call matter, are made of bits of energy that have no matter. They weigh nothing.  And yet they … Continue reading Just Wondering…

Perhaps you’re asking, why should I worry about feeding my ADHD Brain?  My reply would be, “How many times have you heard it said, ‘You are what you eat?’ “ We know that an unhealthy diet contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes. It’s ironic, however, … Continue reading Feeding Your ADHD Brain … Literally

Most people who discover they have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) whether they be children or adults, have suffered a great deal of pain. The emotional experience of ADHD is filled with embarrassment, humiliation, and self-castigation. By the time the diagnosis is made, many people with ADHD have lost confidence … Continue reading Promoting Hope in ADHD

ADHD Diagnosis: The Good, The Bad, and The Parents Role: If you are the parents of an ADHD child, you may worry, and rightfully so, that the diagnosis can make your child feel labeled or set apart from other kids. It is important that your child not feel defined by … Continue reading ADHD Diagnosis and The Parents Role

In today’s increasingly harried, “crazy busy” world, the ability to organize oneself is a critical survival tool, as there are so many more potentially distracting stimuli and demands on our time. For the person who has ADHD, that challenge is an even greater one. In his best-selling book on ADHD, … Continue reading Seven Critical Habits for ADHD Adults

Overview of How ADHD Affects Relationships:  In couples where one or both partners have ADHD, one of the biggest challenges  is developing mutual empathy and understanding. Without that, couples slip into the blame game.  They struggle and fight. The non-ADHD spouse comes to feel as if she is the parent, … Continue reading How ADHD Affects Relationships

After what you would have thought was an unthinkable, impossible, can’t-happen-here murder, George Floyd’s death hangs over us all posing, among many other questions, the most important one: what now? I came of age in the late ‘60’s and early 70’s, an era of protest and reform.  We marched against … Continue reading Hope’s Up

What often develops in families where one child has ADHD (or one adult for that matter) is what I call the Big Struggle. The child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) chronically fails: to meet obligations, do chores, stay up with schoolwork, keep to family schedules. get out of bed … Continue reading The Big Struggle – ADHD and Family Dynamics

In this Distraction episode on Race and Privilege, I discuss the attack and murder of George Floyd and racism. I also acknowledge I am a privileged white man. Certainly a part of the problem. Even though I like to think I’m not part of the problem, but part of the … Continue reading Race and Privilege

Many students with ADHD or other learning challenges struggle in the classroom. With the sudden shift to remote learning, ADHD students face the additional challenge of classroom instruction in the home environment. Distractions at home and the presence of parents, siblings, or guardians pose increased difficulties.  However, by tapping into … Continue reading ADHD Students and Remote Learning

During this time of physical distancing, loneliness and isolation, Dr. Hallowell addresses “How to Reconnect in a Disconnected World.”  Whether you’re learning how to work from home in a job that has always relied on face-to-face interactions, helping your children with their schoolwork with technology limitations, or trying to juggle … Continue reading How to Reconnect in a Disconnected World

Although I’m known for talking about the advantages of having ADHD, in my YouTube video on ADHD: Negative and Positive Traits, I acknowledge the flip side of the trait. As one of my patients recently said to me “ADHD Sucks.” Consequently, I understand why someone with ADHD could get mad … Continue reading ADHD: Negative and Positive Traits

Now that the novelty of living life in a pandemic has worn off,  we’re finding ourselves feeling more tired, sad and on-edge. Likewise, it may seem strange to be so exhausted after doing “nothing” all day, but it’s totally normal under these circumstances. In this Distraction podcast on: “The Side … Continue reading Tired? Sad? On Edge?

For those of us who have  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) anger is common and can be a big problem.  Now is a particularly tough time for people with ADHD. People with ADHD don’t like being told what to do. So having to “shelter-in-place” because of Covid-19 and feeling “fenced … Continue reading ADHD and ANGER

Greetings, COVID-19 Update – On behalf of all of us here at the Hallowell Center Boston MetroWest, located on Rt. 117 in Sudbury, I want you all to know we are open and fully operational during this pandemic. Of course, to do this, we’ve had to make some changes. We … Continue reading COVID-19 Update HALLOWELL Boston MetroWest

If you are feeling desperate, down, or full of pain right now, Dr. Hallowell shares in his podcast, some words of comfort with you through a “letter” he wrote a few years ago, after experiencing his own feelings of desperation. You can LISTEN HERE or you can read his letter … Continue reading If You Are Desperate…

At the Hallowell Centers, this damn virus is teaching us a whole new strategy for offering help, and it works like a charm. Thanks to online platforms, in the “Age of Quarantine” we are offering therapy.  We can “see” people remotely, and we’re discovering remote doesn’t feel remote at all. … Continue reading Therapy in the Age of Quarantine

Shelley MacLeod, LICSW is offering support for overwhelmed parents. Parents are experiencing a great deal of stress and emotions right now in this current crisis.  The truth is, many of us already felt overwhelmed before we even heard of Covid-19.  The amount of “hats” that parents are wearing right now … Continue reading Support for Overwhelmed Parents

The Force of Each Other So here we are, everyone’s stressed out, worried, preoccupied, and otherwise twitched and bewitched by what my friend Ken Duckworth calls “The Thing”. It’s all anyone talks about on TV or radio, and it’s pretty much the driver of most conversations elsewhere. The Thing. But … Continue reading The Force of Each Other

Dear Clients: We hope this post finds you healthy and finding ways to manage during this crazy time. Following is a status update for Hallowell Center NYC in April. The Hallowell Center NYC remains fully operational and ready to meet your needs to the best of our ability. Remote Sessions  … Continue reading Status Update Hallowell Center NYC

I have ADHD.  That means I have one hell of an imagination.  But is having a potent imagination a blessing or a curse?  Centuries ago Samuel Johnson, who had one hell of an imagination himself and also fit the profile of ADHD, wrote about “that hunger of imagination which preys … Continue reading The Imagination in ADHD

One of the bright and shining lights in the current dismal viral fog is the beam of human altruism. During a crisis, and certainly during this crisis, the cynic might expect people to rush toward every-man-woman-for-himself-herself. And sure enough, the toilet-paper hoarders, the face mask price-gougers, the medication squirrellers, the … Continue reading Altruism Lives

What is the secret ingredient to stoke your immune system during this stressful time, or DTST? (During This Stressful Time is a phrase we use so often now I think it deserves its own abbreviation, DTST.) One of the best steps you can take is to bolster your immune system. … Continue reading Secret Ingredient to Stoke Immune System

Dear Friends, That’s what we’re all doing now in the corona era, isn’t it?, figuring out a system. Trying to take care of ourselves while making sure our loved ones are taking care of themselves or being well taken care of, wherever they may be. Applying for a loan. Asking … Continue reading Figuring Out A System

Dear Clients, Our staff at The Hallowell Center SFO  are concerned, just as you likely are, about the possible spread of the Covid-19 virus. We continue to closely monitor the situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). We want to do all we can on our end to minimize and to slow … Continue reading HALLOWELL CENTER SFO COVID-19 UPDATES

Dear Clients, Our staff at The Hallowell Center Boston MetroWest  are concerned, just as you likely are, about the possible spread of the Covid-19 virus. We are closely monitoring the current situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). We want to do all we can on our end to minimize and to … Continue reading HALLOWELL Center Boston MetroWest COVID-19 UPDATES

March 18, 2020 Dear Clients, Yesterday, Ireland’s Prime Minster, Leo Varadkar, said, in his St. Patrick’s Day address, “Let us come together by staying apart.” Indeed. To that end, during this crisis, we at the Hallowell Center NYC will remain open to meet your needs, but all of the services will … Continue reading HALLOWELL Center NYC COVID-19 UPDATES

I want to take a moment in these uncertain times to tell you what we are doing in my centers in Sudbury, MA and in Manhattan to address the issues created by the threat of Covid-19, as well as what my wife, Sue, and I are doing at home. First … Continue reading Managing These Uncertain Times

Now that you’re working on your own time from home, DISTRACTION looms large and  that can spell TROUBLE. If you’re having difficulty staying focused and productive, then CoreCoaching is the antidote to keep the barrage of Corona Virus news and these uncertain times from infecting your productivity. How CoreCoaching Can … Continue reading Don’t let the Corona Virus Infect Your Productivity.

We are all concerned about safety with COVID-19, which is why the Hallowell Centers are closely monitoring the current situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19.) Since the health and safety of our clients and employees is of utmost importance to us, The Hallowell Centers will remain open to meet your needs, … Continue reading Safety with COVID-19

I left church today, bid my wife, Sue, farewell as she headed off to a brunch, while I headed to Whole Foods to buy flowers (we buy flowers for our hallway table every Sunday when we’re in town), and started walking to my car. It was a chilly but sunny … Continue reading Entering Sadness

Humorous though it may seem, disorganization can plague your soul and wreak havoc in your life. Disorganization is especially pronounced in people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) People with ADHD have trouble organizing things. They have trouble organizing time, their thoughts, and data. Adults with ADHD Adults with ADHD … Continue reading ADHD and Organizing Your Space

I’ve been treating ADHD in the elderly, let’s say people over 60 for decades, which is why this Wall Street Journal,  article on An Unexpected New Diagnosis in Older Adults: ADHD caught my attention. ADHD in the Elderly It’s a myth that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) only occurs in … Continue reading ADHD in the Elderly

Since the last time I wrote to you all in this space, three events have dominated the news: Trump’s impeachment and trial; Kobe Bryant’s sudden death, along with his daughter and seven others; and the coronavirus outbreak. One question that trio of events brings to my mind is: how do … Continue reading How Do We Do It?

Most people who don’t have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) don’t understand it. They often associate ADHD with what is wrong with a person.  And when you receive a diagnosis of ADHD, you may feel shame, fear and self-doubt. So changing your perspective on ADHD is the first step in … Continue reading Changing Your Perspective on ADHD

Over the years, Dr. Hallowell has invented tips for managing his ADHD.  He’s also collected various tips from people of all ages on how they manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to live happy and successful lives.  You may not find all of his 12 practical tips for managing adult … Continue reading Tips for Managing Adult ADHD

On a sunny, unseasonably balmy Saturday in January I found myself sitting in a back pew of an Episcopal church in Exeter, New Hampshire. I had made the hour-or-so drive from my home outside Boston to Exeter to attend the memorial service of a man who had died a few weeks … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell on Attending A Teachers Service

It’s not too soon to start making summer plans for the family. Long, school-free days can leave kids feeling restless and a bit unsettled. This is especially true for kids and teens with ADHD who, while grateful to escape the constraints of classroom schedules, benefit greatly from the predictability of … Continue reading Summer Camp for ADHD Brains

People often ask me, “What’s the key to getting the best outcome in working with ADHD?” There is no one key.  Watch out for simplistic solutions and the people who offer them. There is no one best remedy, there is no one best system, there is no one best medication … Continue reading ADHD The Key to the Best Outcome

Not only are we on the threshold of a New Year, but also a new decade. It’s an exciting time to look back at the last year and to welcoming in a new year. The first day of 2020 is normally a time of making resolutions.  I’m not a fan … Continue reading New Year’s Hopes, Not Resolutions!

People with ADHD can spend a lifetime dodging the necessity of organizing themselves. They avoid getting organized the way some people avoid going to the dentist: repeatedly postponing it as the problem gets worse and worse. The task of getting organized, one that bedevils us all, particularly vexes the ADHD … Continue reading 10 ADHD Tips To Start 2020 Off Right

Today I was reminded of “festivity” when I received in the snail mail a Christmas card from a family I hadn’t heard from in ages. I don’t believe they’d sent me Christmas cards in a while, but, with my ADHD, they may well have, only I didn’t manage to take … Continue reading Festivity

Dr. Hallowell’s ADHD Holiday Survival Guide. Although people with ADHD love the intensity and excitement of the holidays, I know from experience that for someone with ADHD, stress this time of year can quickly multiply and create the perfect storm. When the ADHD brain is on overload, things can become … Continue reading ADHD Holiday Survival Guide

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. Between my Junior and Senior year in college, I took a year off. I wanted to see what being on my own would be like. Likewise, I wanted some time to make a career decision between the two options that I was weighing. Should I … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving

In this episode of Distraction on ADHD & Dyslexia Non-Medication Treatment, I interview my friend, colleague and mentor Wynford Dore. He discusses his personal journey and why he created the Zing Performance program, the science behind it and what this means for you while I share details about my own … Continue reading ADHD & Dyslexia Non-Medication Treatment

In his ADDitude Magazine article on “How to Slow Down Your Racing ADHD Brain,” Dr. Hallowell says, “Telling someone with ADHD to slow down is like telling the sun not to shine and the tide not to rise. The love of speed is built into our DNA. If our bodies … Continue reading Your Racing ADHD Brain

Parenting Your ADHD Child: If you are the parents of an ADHD child, you may worry, and rightfully so, that the diagnosis can make your child feel labeled or set apart from other kids. It is important that your child not feel defined by ADHD. Having ADHD is like being … Continue reading Parenting Your ADHD Child

In this special guest post by Caroline Maguire, ACCG, PCC, M.Ed. (author of Why Will No One Play with Me?) shares her advice for parents on how: Your Child with ADHD Can Play Better and Live Better With Coaching: Learn How! As a parent, you hear your child with ADHD … Continue reading How Your ADHD Child Can Play and Live Better

Do the words Crazy Busy sum up your life? Are you increasingly wrestling with the issue of what to do about what’s happening and how to cope in a distracted, disconnected world?  Are you wondering how to take back control of your crazybusy life? Then listen to Dr. Hallowell’s mini … Continue reading Taking Back Control of Your CrazyBusy Life

Making meaningful connections at their best involve your whole soul. Of course, not every connection will draw upon all of you, but if you give yourself honestly in all your interactions, you’ll make meaningful connections and lead a connected life. If, each day, you resolve to make contact, if you … Continue reading Making Meaningful Connections

When I first started speaking in public, I was terrified to speak in front of people. I had a phobia of public speaking. However, I had messages I wanted to share with the general public. I wanted to share what I knew about ADHD and other psychological topics.  So what … Continue reading How To Face Your Fears

MYTH: The “right help” for ADHD begins and ends with medication. FACT:  While medication can often be useful in dealing with ADHD, it is neither necessary nor always effective.  The starting point in managing ADHD is education.  One needs to learn about what ADHD is–and what it isn’t–in order to change it from … Continue reading Busting ADHD Myth on Medication

Recently I had the great pleasure of attending a conference in Liverpool, England sponsored by the ADHD Foundation, Britain’s leading organization dedicated to neurodiversity, which of course includes ADHD and dyslexia, both of which I have myself. I was thrilled to see the enormous progress the Brits have made on … Continue reading Celebrating Neurodiversity, ADHD and Dyslexia

  Since October is ADHD Awareness Month, now is a good time to review some ADHD myths. We want you to have the FACTS. MYTH: Having ADHD, ADD means you are stupid. FACT:  People with ADHD vary in their intelligence (whatever that elusive word means!) as much as the general population does.  Many … Continue reading Myth – ADHD means you are Stupid

I have ADHD and I’m proud of it. My daughter and one of my sons have ADHD. I think that people with ADHD represent some of the most fascinating, fun, and fulfilling of all the people I meet. However, words such as structure, supervision, reminders, and persistence don’t even begin … Continue reading Reframing ADHD

Now that ADHD Awareness Month is here, I’d like to take this time to share how I feel about ADHD. I’d also like encourage you to learn more about ADHD and share what you learn with others. You see, I have ADHD myself and I treat hundreds of people who have … Continue reading My Turbo ADHD Brain

The month of October is ADHD Awareness Month. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of Driven to Distraction. How far we’ve come since 1994 in our nation’s collective awareness of ADHD. But how far we have yet to go! I think it’s deserved for us all to … Continue reading It’s ADHD Awareness Month

Swirling around, swept into the air like dry leaves before a great storm, we’re tossed about by forces we invented but no longer control. The wind rules, picking us up and taking us where it blows. Busy. Fast. Wired. Going who knows where. Welcome to our crazybusy world. Today I … Continue reading An Ode to Autumn

Exercising your ADHD brain keeps it young and fit, much as exercising your body keeps your body fit. Of course, you can overdo mental exercise,  just as  you can overdo physical exercise; this leads to exhaustion, either mental or physical. But as a general principle of mental hygiene, stretching your … Continue reading Exercising your ADHD Brain

Neuropsychological Testing: What Is It and Why Do It? People often talk about “testing” or “neuropsychological assessment.”  What is this assessment? Why do people have it done? Finally, what does it entail? Neuropsychological testing is usually recommended if you are looking for accommodations for school, standardized testing or work.  Likewise, … Continue reading What Is Neuropsychological Testing?

What you should know about ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment Getting an ADHD Diagnosis:  Make sure you consult with a well-trained specialist. The doctors who have the most training in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are child psychiatrists. If you are an adult, be aware that all child psychiatrists also are … Continue reading ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment – What You Should Know

The other day one of my patients was talking about her father, who died in 1981. “He started college in 1929, and we all know what happened that year. So college came to a sudden end for my father. He became incredibly tight with money from then on, to the … Continue reading The Pennies Are Everywhere!

Dr. Hallowell shares some thoughts on why we should try judging less, understanding more in our “Gotcha!” world in this week’s Distraction mini episode. He says, “It’s time to cut each other some slack,” as he likens our current social climate to a meat tenderizer. We are all flawed and … Continue reading Try Judging Less, Understanding More

San Francisco – The Hallowell Center of San Francisco, located in the downtown area, is seeking to expand. We are seeking part-time clinicians (Educational Therapists, Board certified psychiatrists, licensed psychologists, social workers, or nurse practitioners) to join our team. Candidates must have experience in working with: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; … Continue reading We’re Hiring: ADHD Professionals San Francisco

I’m excited to welcome you to Season 4 of Distraction. It’s great to be back and to have my wonderful wife Sue join me for our first episode. Her speciality is working with couples where one or both partners have ADHD. So if your partner has ADHD, you’ll want to … Continue reading Strategies for Minimizing ADHD’s Impact on Relationships

Tips for Getting Children with ADHD Ready for Back to School The weather will soon be turning cooler and those long, lazy days of lounging poolside or spending every waking moment with best friends while away at summer camp are quickly coming to an end. But with every end, comes … Continue reading Help Your ADHD Child Get Ready For School

Greetings from Wellfleet, on Cape Cod. It’s a Sunday, the weather is generously beautiful, and I’m here for a week with my wife, Sue, and various relatives and guests to teach the course I’ve been teaching for how many summers now, is it 15?, to finish up the new book … Continue reading Doing What You Love To Do!

ADHD Parent Tip: Try to change the family “reputation” of the person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) Reputations within families, like reputations within towns or organizations, keep a person in one set or mold. Recasting within the family the reputation of the person with ADHD can set up a … Continue reading ADHD & the Family “Reputation”

When he eventually became depressed — common for kids with ADHD — I made it my mission to ensure Nick’s teachers knew what interventions were working at home and what could help at school. Here’s what I’ve learned, and what I think every teacher should understand, too. Some classroom interventions … Continue reading 8 things I Wish Teachers knew about my ADHD child

Screens are sucking up so much of our time that people aren’t able to do what they really want, said Edward Hallowell, a psychiatrist who lives in Arlington and runs centers focusing on ADHD in Sudbury and around the country. This can put people in “survival mode,” making them impulsive, … Continue reading Burned out? Learn how to take back control!

A Celebration of life – recently my wife, Sue, and I, along with my niece, Molly, and her 11-year-old daughter, Josselyn, who dreams of becoming a star of stage and screen one day, went to see Hugh Jackman at Madison Square Garden. This is part of a five-month world tour … Continue reading A Celebration of Life

College and ADHD: If you or a student you know has ADHD, his or her ability to get work done, done well and on time could be compromised. Success in college is more about getting work done, done well and on time (“executive function skills and routines”) than IQ! Summer … Continue reading College and ADHD

How to Explain ADHD to a Child – If your child was just diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, it’s important to remember that ADHD isn’t a death sentence. In fact, it’s a condition that can bring incredible gifts.  Of course, you may worry that the diagnosis can make your child … Continue reading How to Explain ADHD to a Child

Over the past few years, Dr. William Dobson has helped multitudes of people of all ages who have ADHD by developing the concept of “rejection sensitive dysphoria,” or RSD.  The painful syndrome of feeling acute and profound dejection at even the slightest perceived insult or “dis” is common among those … Continue reading “Recognition Responsive Euphoria,” or RRE

Summer is just around the corner. As you start making summer plans for your child, have you considered an ADHD summer camp for the whole family? Dr. Hallowell’s ADHD Summer Adventures Family Camp is a camp for parents and their children ages 8 – 18; including siblings who do not have … Continue reading Family Summer Camp for ADHD

Dr. Hallowell says, “Fear and shame are the major learning disabilities.”  As a result, removing the stigma of ADHD and getting rid of shame and fear are key! Above all, kids, and this includes kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) Dyslexia or any learning challenge, need to feel emotionally … Continue reading Removing the Stigma of ADHD

Why do I say, “Your ADHD Brain is a Ferrari?”  My goal is to help people master the power of ADHD while avoiding its pitfalls. When the diagnosis of ADHD emphasizes what is wrong with a person, that person immediately starts to see himself in those negative terms. Shame, fear and … Continue reading Your ADHD Brain is a Ferrari

ADHD and Addiction – of the many masks that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) wears, substance abuse is one of the most difficult to see behind. This is due to the substance abuse itself causing such problems. When someone is alcoholic, abusing opiates, or vaping, we often become so preoccupied … Continue reading ADHD and Addiction

Dr. Hallowell’s Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal: Varsity Blues – What Do You Really Want for Your Children?  When I feel as much contempt as I felt for Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, et al., I stop and ask myself, “And how pure are you?”  This current trick of … Continue reading Varsity Blues – What Do You Really Want for Your Children?

Note from Ned on why “I’m such a simple man and why I love my dog. da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM A phrase came to me this morning while I was eating my grape nut cereal with blueberries and milk, not my usual breakfast but one I love nonetheless. “On what can … Continue reading I’m Such a Simple Man.  I Love My Dog.

ADHD diagnoses is on the rise in the U.S. Why has it gone from 6.1% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2016?  Is that a good thing or bad thing? In Distraction, S3 Mini 23, Dr. Hallowell shares his thoughts on why more U.S. kids aged 4 to 17 are being … Continue reading ADHD Diagnoses on the rise!

When I was in medical school at Tulane, down in New Orleans, back in the mid-1970’s, I learned how to make red beans and rice. You may not think that sounds like much of a much, but it remains the dish more people ask me to remake than any other. … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell’s Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Happy New Year 2019. Thank you! Thank you for being a part of my community.  We work hard to bring you useful and entertaining material, but it would all be for naught if you didn’t take the time to read it. So, again, thank you, thank you, thank you. What’s … Continue reading Happy New Year 2019!!!

Give the Gift of Love – as December 25th approaches, I can’t help but reflect on warm memories from holidays long gone, and encourage you to reach out to those around you regardless of whether or not they celebrate Christmas. It’s a time when everyone can give love! Listen to … Continue reading Give the Gift of Love!

Was it my two front teeth? What do you want this time of year?  This time of the year makes me think of the song, “All I Want for Christmas…”  Do you still have your two front teeth?  I am lucky enough, at the  age of 69, still to have … Continue reading All I Want for Christmas. . .

Do you have difficulty learning?  Learn how to “Uncover Your Learning Style,” with Dr. Hallowell and Jessica McCabe. In this episode, they  discuss what helped them learn.  Dr. Hallowell  used flashcards to get him through medical school. Jessica learns better when she walks around while she’s reading. Do you know how … Continue reading ADHD? How to Uncover Your Own Learning Style.

Fear of Feedback by Rebecca Shafir, M.A.CCC Personal Development and Executive Functioning coach at the Hallowell Center MetroWest Q: We have a very sensitive engineer who is key to our startup. My partner and I have to be very careful how we phrase anything regarding his work. I’m not even … Continue reading Fear of Feedback

Crazy Busy? 3 Steps to Take Back Control Technological innovation has changed our world more profoundly than anything since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press.  This change has brought both spectacular progress and devilishly complex problems.  New patterns of behavior are now epidemic a person checks their iPhone, email and … Continue reading Crazy Busy? 3 Steps To Take Back Control

The time is coming to give thanks.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I’m a holiday-lover, so there’s a lot of competition, but Thanksgiving always ranks near the top for me. Let me give you a bullet-point list what I’m thankful for.  In no way is this complete.  I’m … Continue reading Give Thanks

It was my pleasure to welcome Kristin Seymour back to Distraction to discuss ADHD and Productivity. Kristin knows firsthand how tough it is to have be productive when you have ADHD. Not only does she have ADHD, but Kristin is the mom of two ADHD teens, and she’s also an … Continue reading ADHD and Productivity

Reflecting on the recent news events in the United States, reminds me why connections are critical. Which is why I encourage you to make it a point to rediscover the goodness in people. It is time to get to know each other again, especially people who disagree with us. Since … Continue reading Connections are CRITICAL

KUOW interviewed Dr. Hallowell and Lesley Todaro, Hallowell Todaro Center, about erasing the stigma around the word “crazy,” the relationship between ADHD and creativity, and talking to kids about ADHD. “Most people who have exceptional talent have one or another of the conditions we diagnosis, whether it’s anxiety disorder, ADHD, … Continue reading Erasing Stigma of ADHD, Dyslexia, Depression, etc.

Dr. Hallowell shares his thoughts on the current state of ADHD / ADD, Treatment and Advances, etc. in S3 Mini 6: The Future of ADHD is VAST (SM). This 5 minute episode will have you thinking about ADHD in a whole new way! VAST (SM) stands for Variable Attention Stimulus Trait Dr. … Continue reading The Future of ADHD is VAST (SM)

ADHD and college can be a perilous journey far beyond what most people imagine. Even, if you don’t have ADHD, it is difficult enough to make the transition from home to a college or university.  Consequently, if you do not prepare in advance, the chances are good that you will … Continue reading ADHD and College

Why you should hold onto your dreams no mater how unrealistic. Someone asked me in a lecture I was giving the other day how she should tell her 10-year-old son that his dream of playing in the NBA is unrealistic.  I asked her why she felt she needed to tell … Continue reading Hold Onto Your Dreams

ADHD and Time Management – What is in your time bank account? Time Management We are all too familiar with this the term. If you are suffering with time management just recently or if it has been an issue for years, I am going to ask you to look at … Continue reading ADHD and Time Management

Giulia Rhodes, The Guardian recently interviewed Dr. Hallowell for her her article, Mental Illness Swam In My Genes…. She asked him why he wanted to become a psychiatrist. Dr. Hallowell replied:  “I wanted to become a psychiatrist because I wanted to understand my people in particular and crazy people in … Continue reading Mental Illness Swam In My Genes…

In this DISTRACTION Podcast S3 Ep 2, we’re doing one of my favorite things — answering YOUR questions. In our Q&A episode, you’ll learn: * how to manage ADHD meds; * ways to get past childhood trauma; and * what you can do to become an ADHD coach; and more. … Continue reading Managing ADHD Meds and more…

Are you too busy? Stretched to the breaking point? In a state of constant frenzy? You’re not alone. In our 24/7, technology-driven world, it’s easy to lose control. Learn How To be Cool, Calm and Collected Take a break now to  “Listen Back” and learn how to be be cool, … Continue reading How to be Cool, Calm and Collected!

Managing the Racing Mind by Rebecca Shafir, M.A.CCC Personal Development and Executive Functioning coach at the Hallowell Center MetroWest Emotional regulation is a core executive function. Regular meditation and a good sleep regimen, among other methods, foster the emotional competency needed for successful decision-making and execution of tasks. A common … Continue reading Managing the Racing Mind

I just completed teaching my course about ADHD on Cape Cod at the Cape Cod Institute hence the title “Summer Reflections.”  If you’ve never taken the course, you ought to consider it.  It’s a lot of fun.  You get a week in Eastham, or whichever nearby town you choose–more on … Continue reading Summer Reflections

Matt Forte, Build NYC interviewed Dr. Hallowell  today to get the story behind his Memoir,  Because I Come From A Crazy Family The Making of A Psychiatrist.  In his interview with Matt, Dr. Hallowell shares his personal stories about why he loved his Mom, his dad’s mental illness, why he wrote … Continue reading Get The Story Behind Dr. Hallowell’s Memoir

Is Your Procrastination Style Working For You by Rebecca Shafir, M.A.CCC Personal Development and Executive Functioning coach at the Hallowell Center MetroWest I bet you thought I was going to curse procrastination in this blog. Au contraire!  Not all procrastination is bad. As a matter of fact, putting off a … Continue reading Is Your Procrastination Style Working For You?

In this Distraction Podcast, you’ll get ADHD and Marriage Advice from the Hallowells. Since Distraction is taking a mini break before we start Season 3, they’re re-airing a few of our favorite episodes. So if you missed my podcast with my wife Sue on ADHD, you can listen to it … Continue reading ADHD and Marriage Advice from the Hallowells

There’s a new refrain I’m hearing more and more everywhere I go.  It used to be, “I’m so upset, I don’t know what to do.”  But that’s just not sustainable.  You can only be so upset you don’t know what to do for so long. Then you need to figure … Continue reading The New Refrain

Why Stigma Takes Lives – Often the worst part of a mental illness is not the illness itself but the societal shunning that results from it. Mental illness hits 20% of Americans every year, but because of shame and stigma, many never seek the help they need. It’s important to … Continue reading Stigma Takes Lives!

When you’re worried, stressed or having a “Not Very Okay At All” day, Dr. Hallowell recommends you “Never Worry Alone.” On those days when you’re not feeling quite right, remember his advice and find your “Piglet” (read passage below) to share how you’re feeling. “Piglet?” said Pooh. “Yes Pooh?” said … Continue reading What To Do When You’re Having A “Not Very Okay” Day

Dr. Hallowell’s Memoir Today marks the release of my memoir, Because I Come from a Crazy Family: The Making of a Psychiatrist.  It’s unlike any book I’ve written before, this one only tells stories, true stories from my childhood and my early training in psychiatry.  I introduce you to the … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell’s Memoir

This YouTube video is about stimulants and ADHD, more specifically the general stigma that steers people away from trying them as part of treatment for ADHD.  Used properly under medical supervision, stimulant medications are safe and effective, but most people are terrified of them and do not want to even … Continue reading Stimulants and ADHD

The Surgeon General named loneliness as the #1 medical problem in the country.  We live in a world characterized by what I call “the modern paradox”: miraculously connected electronically, we are growing disconnected interpersonally. This social isolation is as dangerous a risk factor for early death as cigarette-smoking, high blood pressure, … Continue reading Harnessing the Power of Vitamin Connect

What is ADHD CollegeCORE Coaching and how can CollegeCORE Coaching help you? CollegeCORE Coaching with Rebecca Shafir M.A.CCC – Speech/Language Pathologist and Executive Function coach is available by phone, Skype, or in person.  CollegeCore Coaching helps high school upperclassmen and college students conquer the most common problems associated with ADHD or Executive … Continue reading ADHD CollegeCORE Coaching

In this video, I discuss managing anxiety and toxic worry. Although anxiety and worry are common symptoms in life, excessive worry is not.  Worry is like blood pressure: you need a certain level to live, but too high a level can hurt you. When worry becomes toxic, it ceases to … Continue reading Managing Anxiety and Toxic Worry

Are you stuck in a rut at work? How many times  have you found yourself sitting in a meeting, yawning, pinching yourself or grinding your teeth? Or how many days have you gone to the coffee machine multiple times, begging the caffeine to create some energy and get you out … Continue reading Stuck in a Rut at Work?

In this follow-up video, I discuss adult ADHD, diagnosis & next steps. If you’re an adult who thinks you may have ADHD, it’s important to see a professional to get diagnosed. Adults who have ADHD but do not know it are at much higher risk than the general population for … Continue reading Adult ADHD, Diagnosis & Next Steps

In this VIDEO, on Adult ADHD & High Achievers, I explore why it’s not uncommon for high achieving adults who have ADHD, who may or may not know it, not to get help. A lot of people think that if you’re doing well in life, like Bubba Watson, or other … Continue reading Adult ADHD & High Achievers

Dr. Hallowell explains in this VIDEO how to reclaim your focus at work with ADHD. He discusses the “salience network” and the default mode network (DMN), which he calls the “Demon of ADHD.” He clarifies how these distractors take you away from the task at hand leading to distraction, negativity and … Continue reading ADHD and Focus at Work

Are you having difficulty curbing your cell phone addiction? One of the biggest drains on time and mental energy in modern life is what I call “screen sucking.” Screen sucking in when you are mindlessly sending and receiving emails, texting, surfing the net or checking your cell phone or any … Continue reading Curbing Your Cell Phone Addiction

We all know that time is precious. Yet, even though sages through the ages have cautioned us to Seize the Day, we don’t. Time… rolls unnoticed. We spend it. Or we waste it. And we even kill it. Time is a finite resource, but we behave as if it were … Continue reading Time is Precious

Dr. Hallowell shares his thoughts in this VIDEO on how this well meaning documentary meant to alert you to the dangers of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD misses the mark. It doesn’t include any perspective on what medications can do when they’re prescribed and used properly. While one should … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell on ‘Take Your Pills’ Netflix Documentary

The Brain Equivalent of Global Warming The Real Danger of Digital Addiction by Dr. Hallowell / Psychology Today Nobody’s proven that digital addiction rots your brain.  Nobody’s proven that gaming 18 hours a day is bad for you; that texting 14 hours a day harms you in any way; that spending 16 … Continue reading The Real Danger of Digital Addiction

If you’ve ever loved and lost a pet, you know how difficult it is to say goodbye. Recently our beloved dog Ziggy Marley passed away. He brought our family so much love and happiness.  Sharing my message HERE of coping and hope in memory of Ziggy. Ziggy playing soccer in his … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell on Losing a Beloved Pet

Note from Ned – “Crazy” does not Equate Dangerous –  March 13, 2018 The first person I ever saw actually crazy, as opposed to crazy in the slang meaning of that word, was my own father.  I was a sophomore at Harvard at the time, visiting my dad at the … Continue reading “Crazy” does not Equate Dangerous

Changing the stigma and shame of mental illness is important to me. You see, mental illness affected my family. My dad left home when I was 4 years old. I didn’t really know why. Nobody told me what was going on. The fact is that he was in and out … Continue reading Changing the Stigma and Shame of Mental Illness

Can You Handle the Truth? Accounting for Phone Time by Rebecca Shafir, M.A.CCC Personal Development and Executive Functioning coach at the Hallowell Center MetroWest Where does the time go? Why can’t I get more done each day? I want to finish my business plan, but other stuff gets in the … Continue reading Accounting For Phone Time

In the world of ADHD, there are only two times: there is NOW, and then there is NOT NOW. In ADHD, time collapses, making life feel as if everything is happening at once. It’s now or never…or maybe later. This creates panic. One loses perspective and the ability to select … Continue reading ADHD and Time

How Alpha-Stim Reduces Anxiety by Rebecca Shafir, M.A.CCC Personal Development and Executive Functioning coach at the Hallowell Center MetroWest Perhaps the most common concern my entrepreneur clients report is anxiety and its cousin, insomnia. Founders have every reason to be anxious. In fact, if they are perfectly at ease with … Continue reading How Alpha-Stim Reduces Anxiety

I almost never thought about beating the odds. Although without realizing it,  I was actually beating them  every day. But when I looked back at my childhood and wrote about it in my Memoir “Because I Come From A Crazy Family The Making of A Psychiatrist”, and when I looked … Continue reading Beating the Odds

Signs and How to Help Children with Anxiety – Anxiety –or what I call “toxic worry”–is rampant among children these days.  Ask any school teacher and she or he will tell you that kids are worrying far more than they did just a decade ago.  Not necessarily rising to the … Continue reading Children and Anxiety

Tips on Managing Toxic Worry  – While a healthy level of worry can help us perform efficiently at work, anticipate dangers, and learn from past errors, excessive worry can make an otherwise sane person seem crazy, devoid of sound judgment, peace of mind and happiness. So how do you curb … Continue reading Managing Toxic Worry

If you’re struggling with anxiety, it may be hard to recall the last time  you weren’t feeling tense, worried, or on edge. Don’t let anxiety hold you back.  Anxiety can cause sudden panic attacks, may interfere with your personal or professional responsibilities, and is often tied to depression and insomnia. … Continue reading Don’t Let Anxiety Hold You Back!

Dr. Hallowell Addresses False Accusation: I’m saddened to see false postings stating that I have connections to drug companies and Big Pharma.  I do not, and it is slanderous to claim that I do.  I’ve worked for my entire career to help people of all ages who have Attention Deficit … Continue reading Dr. Hallowell Addresses False Accusations

ADHD – NO CREATIVE, PRODUCTIVE OUTLET: All of us do better when we are creatively and productively engaged in some activity. It doesn’t have to be overtly creative, like writing a poem or painting a portrait. Almost any activity can become a productive outlet that you feel good about. Cooking … Continue reading ADHD – No Creative, Productive Outlet

ADHD and ISOLATION: Isolation is often the by-product of shame, pessimism, and negativity. It intensifies the shame and negativity, and can lead to depression, toxic anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and generally poor performance in all aspects of life. Staying connected with others is the most important life line any … Continue reading ADHD and Isolation

Yesterday, you learned how to handle SHAME.  Today, I’m tackling how to handle Pessimism and Negativity associated with ADHD. Pessimism and negative thinking create a roadblock that conscious intent can actually dislodge like a battering ram if properly aimed. Likewise, pessimism and negativity—which may be boulder-sized due to years of … Continue reading ADHD and Pessimism and Negativity

Today’s blog post will focus on  ADHD and SHAME (the “S” of S.P.I.N”)  Tomorrow’s blog will focus on P – Pessimism and Negativity. SHAME:  The older you get, the more shame you are apt to feel if your ADHD is undiagnosed.  Perhaps, you feel ashamed of what a mess your … Continue reading ADHD and SHAME

HOW TO AVOID THE S.P.I.N. CYCLE OF ADHD: I often compare the ADHD mind to Niagara Falls, both wonders of gargantuan movement and energy.  The trick to making use of the energy in Niagara Falls, and to doing well in life with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) is building a … Continue reading ADHD and S.P.I.N. Cycle

The greatest learning disorder of all is fear. Getting rid of shame and fear are key!!  Kids, and this includes kids with ADHD, Dyslexia or any Learning Disorder, need to feel emotionally safe in the classroom and at home.  My own childhood experience with difficulty reading shows how a supportive … Continue reading ADHD – Changing the Shame and Fear