Friday, December 08, 2006

51. Received OptiMINDzation Volume 2

Received OptiMINDzation Volume 2 just in time to get Volume 3 soon too!

OMG it sounds exactly the same as the 1st one, a monotonous motercycle engine for a whole hour! Do you think I've been HAD?

The thing is, as a pragmatist, I need to have proof it'll really cure my ADHD and improve brain function. The first month, I relied on blind faith, then that didn't work, and I kept using the CD as I should, but when the second one was late, I didn't continue with the first one.

What if they're really the exact same recording - whether or not they work - I'm still being charged $30 EACH for them every month. That's like buying the same CD every month for a year, except you can't dance to this!

To cap it all, I've found unfavourable stuff about Stephen Pierce on a few forums lately. What if he really is a total con artist? Oh well, I'll still keep going for now. Gotta sleep...


.

50. Attention Defecit (Deficit) Video!

Found this funny video that represents ADD or ADHD. I think just like this guy, except I can't think or talk as fast as he does! So I'm just like that but slower.

So slow in fact that I had to watch the video twice to 'get' it, because I was watching the text on screen and couldn't hear what he was saying.

Right - here goes at my 1st attempt to embed a video from YouTube:

Take One: putting the embed code didn't work

Take Two: Stuff it! Go HERE to watch it!

Wow! Only just discovered Defecit and Deficit are both correct. Not sure if one's US and the other UK - it's 1:11am so I'll look another time, but there you go!


.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

49. Still no OptiMINDzation CD Vol 2...

Eager to improve my brain function, I was waiting patiently for my second OptiMINDzation CD. I should have received it two weeks ago, but have had to contact Stephen's company to let them know I still haven't received it.

They have sent a reply saying they'll send another one with upgraded delivery so I'll get it sooner. Oooh the suspense! I'm curious to know if it will sound exactly the same as the first CD, which is getting on my nerves now. And transferring it to my iPod seems to have added extra sounds. It's weird but you know when a microphone picks up sounds you don't want? (as if something hit the mike) - well, there are loads of those sounds on the ipod, but not on the original CD. It means I can't relax as much, but the iPod's the only way I can listen in bed, as my headphones won't reach my Hi Fi or PC.

I also have to wait til the last or penultimate CD to get the one that's supposed to cure ADHD. I could do with that one first!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

48. I told Paul O’Grady He’s Got ADHD!


I just sent an email to tell Paul I think he has ADHD! How cheeky am I?

He, like me, took ages to learn to drive, and now he says he cannot use an earpiece on live TV. That is what convinced me, because that entailes concentrating on two things at once, and requires a good working memory. Jerry Hall once had the same problem when they made her wear an earpiece, and she was trying to interview someone at the same time.

I said that it was just my humble opinion of course, and I also told him to get Toyah on the show to tell him how she was cured – she’ll sort him out!

I never realised it before, but that explains why Bert is always at the back of the audience telling Paul to hurry up, because they can’t let him know any other way! I think it’s nice that they make that provision for him – it proves how popular he is, but if he can’t use an earpiece, they can’t force him, can they?

But I wish I could see the outtakes of them trying!

www.channel4.com/paulogrady

Sunday, November 12, 2006

47. Still No Change with the CD

Well, my Volume 2 CD is going to arrive any day now, and I'm just keeping the faith here, because I can't honestly see an improved difference at all.

I was ill for a few days, and missed two days' listening to the CD, but seeing as the promo material said it should make a difference after only six days, I didn't think I'd ruin it by missing only two days.

I've listened to the CD twice a day for a minimum of 20 minutes, for nearly a month now - and nothing! In fact I'm even more tired than usual, and have a slight headache, but I've actually been sleeping ok the last week. Could be a mild bug, I suppose.

Stephen did mention a 'nice' headache from using the CDs. Is there such a thing? Any headache is bad news for me, because it stops me from working. I do hope the CDs are not making me sleepy, because then they would be doing the opposite of what I want!

Like I said; I'm keeping the faith.

46. Another Cure For Dyslexia

I've recently received an email from the Dore Centre promoting the work of Professor David Reynolds of Plymouth university. Read more here.

It looks like the infoirmation highlighted in the Tonight programme form 2002, so I don't think it's new information, but there are still many people who don't know about it. Anyway, don't be fooled by the very young looking professor - I've met him and that photo has got to be at least 10 years old!

Friday, October 27, 2006

45. Still As Daft As I Ever Was!

Well, it's been over a week now since I started using the OptiMINDzation CD Vol 1, and I've been listening for 20 mins in the morning, and 20-60 minutes every night. And I can honestly say I haven't noticed a difference in brain function. But then, maybe I'm not the best person to judge.

I've also been staying up late nearly every night, so probably not the best experimantal conditions. I did listen to the CD on my headphones whilst falling asleep.

On one part of the literature, Stephen Pierce wrote that you should try and concentrate on the pulsing sounds. No chance! That lasted about eight seconds. But he did say earlier that you should be totally relaxed, so those two would be a contradiction for me. I also have been reading and learning stuff, and am still slow as ever, but I ain't giving up yet.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

44. OptiMINDzation Volume 1

Ok, I received the CD yesterday, and listened to it last night and this morning. I, of course, read the literature first that came with it that included advice on the best supplements to take for optimum brain function. I was pleased to discover that I'm already taking five out of the seven supplements recommended. I was then reminded that I hadn't noticed a difference in brain function since I first started taking them them, about a year ago (!) But then I have terrible difficulty sleeping.

I won't take the other two supplements just yet, because if they work, how will I know if the results are due to the supplements, or the CDs?

On to the CD. I put my headphones on as Stephen recommends, and relaxed in my comfy office chair. Immediately the low frequency pulsing sounds started, and I thought the CD was making the CD ROM drive rattle, as I could also hear higher frequency sounds outside the headphones, but when I removed the headphones, I couldn't hear the rattle, so that was part of the recording too.

I became more and more relaxed, and I'm not sure if that was due to my assocociating continious noise with sleep (I have a dehumidifier on at night to drown out ambient noise, as I'm such a light sleeper). I became so relaxed that I had to get my exercise mat and lie down.

Then I found a blanket and after what I thought was half an hour, I sat up and looked at the screen. I was listening via Windows Media Player, and it said two minutes had passed. I'd played the whole hour long CD and it had started again! So I must've fallen asleep. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not in regards to improving brain function, but if it improves my sleep, I'll be happy. But then, improved sleep would definitely improve brain function anyway.

It's still too early to tell whether it worked, but the good news is: I didn't hate it!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

43. Brain Entraining

Stephen Pierce speaking at the World Internet Summit UK 2005 where he won Best Speaker Award.

The other day I received an email from Internet Marketer Tom Hua promoting Stephen Pierce's new product about brain entraining, from www.OptiMINDzation.com . It claimed to rid me of all my symptoms of ADHD by listening to audio CDs that have specially created sounds that scientifically stimulate the brain to work more efficiently.

There was a lot more to it than that, but hey - I have ADHD (!) - that was all I could understand!

There's a different CD every month and each costs $30 + $12 posatge to the UK, so it costs about £22 a month. The sales letter was compelling and seemed to be backed up by lots of scientific references, and it mentioned cerebellar function which I know a bit about. I decided to buy as I trust Stephen (I've photographed him speaking at two seminars) and because of the depth of evidence in the sales letter.

As always with the most reputable internet marketers I can cancel anytime, and get a full refund, so if they do turn out to be complete ballony, I've only lost the postage cost.

Considering I was saving up £2000 for a year's treatment on the Dore Programme, I had to consider this alternative first. And Stephen, if it works on me - it'll work on anyone! I promise I'll be your best testimonial, because I've had no end of learning problems, poor memory and bad communication all my life.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. My first CD should arrive from the US soon.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

42. Stephen Fry's Bi Polar TV Documentary

I watched with intrigue Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive his documentary on Bi Polarity recently on BBC2. I was diagnosed with possible cyclothymia, which is a rapid cycling form of Bi Polar, as I can have every emotion known to man in one day.

I can now add Richard Dreyfuss as a famous person with 'ADD' in his own words on Fry's programme. Dreyfuss has Bi Polar too, and I have long suspected the two can either be connected, or confused with each other. It is reported in many places that Winston Churchill had symptoms of ADHD, and it states here that he was reported to have manic depression. I continue to search for evidence of this, but an awful lot of the people I meet with Bi Polar also have many ADHD symptoms, in my humble opinion.

41. Can Green Tea Improve Your Memory?

I've been getting lots of emails from Tesco Diets lately (I always have Tesco deliver my groceries after ordering online - it saves so much time).

But today they sent me one that was quite interesting. I'm all for improving my health in as natural a way as possible, so whenever I learn of the benefits of a certain food, I try to include it in my diet (my downfall is cornflakes and muesli which are actually full of sugar).

Tesco say:
"Researchers at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne have released a new study detailing how green and black tea can actually improve your memory. Dr. Ed Okello and his team have located compounds in the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which produces green, black and oolong teas, which block the activity of brain chemicals that are associated with memory decline."

Anyway, there are long words involved so I'll let you go and check out the Tesco link for yourself Here.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

40. Which came first; Depression or ADHD?

I found this report about depression that says:

The hippopotamus (!) (hippocampus) in our brains is smaller in people with depression (the part that deals with learning and memory) which would imply depression may come before ADHD, and I thought depression only came about in ADHD people because of the low self esteem and communication problems they have.

I suppose it could be both. Love the bias towards antidepressants in this piece, but how can something that makes you fat, also make you less depressed? - that's my logic anyway.

The disadvantage of a sufferer learning that their brain is different to everyone elses, in my opinion, is that they may be inclined to believe there is nothing they can do to help themselves. I have met so many people with depression who blame their illness for everything, instead of trying to improve their lives. I truly believe I have combatted depression myself without taking any drugs at all, and I plan to write a book about it.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

39. What is ADHD?

This is probably the best account I've found of my own ADHD, whilst I've been 'surfing the net':

Imagine living in a fast-moving kaleidoscope, where sounds, images, and thoughts are constantly shifting. Feeling easily bored, yet helpless to keep your mind on tasks you need to complete.

Distracted by unimportant sights and sounds, your mind drives you from one thought or activity to the next. Perhaps you are so wrapped up in a collage of thoughts and images that you don't notice when someone speaks to you.

For many people, this is what it's like to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. They may be unable to sit still, plan ahead, finish tasks, or be fully aware of what's going on around them.

To their family, classmates or coworkers, they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. Unexpectedly - on some days and in some situations - they seem fine, often leading others to think the person with ADHD can actually control these behaviors.

As a result, the disorder can affect the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem.

See the whole article here at:

http://www.nativeremedies.com/focus_for_adhd.shtml

technorati tags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Blogged with Flock

Saturday, July 08, 2006

38. More To Prove?

It is well documented that many people who have learning difficulties go on to be very successful. But is their success despite their difficulties? Or is it because of their ADHD?

Could it be that they feel they need to prove themselves more than most people? There’s no bigger incentive in my opinion, to prove people wrong after being told you’re useless at something. I pulled out all the stops to prove someone wrong because they had embarrassed me in front of my classmates.

My history teacher Mrs Harris, told me in front of thirty other kids, that I’d never pass History ‘O’ Level at sixteen, and that I’d be a loser all my life! So I studied hard, and I could just about remember all the information, as long as my memory was jogged by being given the titles of each section. So I had to cheat in my history exam, by having the names of battles of treaties on price stickers on the inside of my hand. I still only scraped through with a C though, because I couldn’t write fast enough. I’m still working on the second part of what she said!

Richard Branson is famously dyslexic, and yet was an entrepeneur at school, selling Christmas trees. Well it beats Geography! As stated in the ‘Tonight’ Programme about The Dore Programme 2002, a UK government report says 70% of all criminals were found to have learning difficulties, so it is possible that sufferers can go one way or the other; great success or complete failure. Well I’ve tried the failure part, and I’m a bit bored with that now. And anyway, I still need to prove Mrs Harris wrong!

Friday, June 23, 2006

37. Some High Achievers With ADHD or LDs

To Name But a Few:

Ansel Adams - Ann Bancroft (the explorer) - Alexander Graham Bell - Harry Andersen - Hans Christian Anderson - Beethoven - Harry Belafonte - Col. Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington - Terry Bradshaw - Richard Branson - George Burns - Andrew Carnegie - Dale Carnegie - Jim Carrey - Lewis Carroll - Prince Charles -
Cher - Agatha Christie - Winston Churchill - Bill Cosby - Tom Cruise -
Salvador Dali - Leonardo da Vinci - John Denver - Walt Disney - Kirk Douglas - Thomas Edison - Albert Einstein - Dwight D. Eisenhower - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Malcolm Forbes - Henry Ford - Benjamin Franklin - Robert Frost - Galileo - Danny Glover - Tracey Gold - Whoopi Goldberg - Georg Frideric Handel - Valerie Hardin - Mariette Hartley - Ernest Hemingway - Mariel Hemingway - Milton Hershey - Dustin Hoffman - Bruce Jenner - "Magic" Johnson - Samuel Johnson - Micheal Jordan - John F Kennedy - Robert F Kennedy - Jason Kidd - John Lennon - Carl Lewis - Meriwether Lewis (Lewis & Clark) - Abraham Lincoln - Frank Lloyd Wright - Greg Louganis - Steve McQueen - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Napoleon Bonaparte - Gamal Abdel-nasser - Sir Issac Newton - Nostradamus - Ozzy Osbourne - Louis Pasteur - General George Patton - Pablo Picasso - Edgar Allan Poe - Rachmaninov - John D. Rockefeller - Nelson Rockefeller - Anna Eleanor Roosevelt - Pete Rose - Babe Ruth - Nolan Ryan - Muhammed Anwar al Sadat - George C Scott - George Bernard Shaw - Will Smith - Tom Smothers - Socrates - Suzanne Somers - Steven Spielberg - Sylvester Stallone - Jackie Stewart - James Stewart - Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Nikola Tesla - Henry David Thoreau - Alberto Tomba -Vincent van Gogh - Russell Varian - Jules Verne - Werner von Braun - Lyndsay Wagner - Robin Williams - Woodrow Wilson - Henry Winkler -Virginia Woolf - Stevie Wonder - F. W. Woolworth - Orville Wright - Wilber Wright - William Wrigley Jr. - William Butler Yeats

sources:
http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=258

http://borntoexplore.org/famous.htm

http://www.oneaddplace.com/famous.htm

http://www.kpinst.org/famous.html

http://adhdtexas.com/famouspeople.htm

36. Dustin Hoffman

I keep trying to search for evidence of successful people with ADHD, and there are no shortage of websites, but being the pragmatic so-and-so that I am, I want proof!

Just a list of names is not enough for me, although if I had time I’d read the biographies of all the names listed to find my own evidence. When I was at uni we’d be in trouble if we didn’t reference the source of every fact we included in our essays – and quite right too, so that the reader could see for themselves that we haven’t just made stuff up. But the internet isn’t quite so strict, of course.

It is documented on several websites that Dustin Hoffman had learning difficulties. I love Dustin Hoffman and wanted to find evidence of this, so I asked on a popular message board if any of his fans knew if it were true, and what their source was. I had a range of replies, from people implying that ADHD people were retarded, to posts saying that the ‘facts’ must be true because people who put up webpages MUST do their research! HA!

It was soon clear that I was barking up the wrong tree. I shall obviously have to wait until my screenplay’s up for an academy award, so I can ask him myself.

In the meantime I’ll have to believe them at:

http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=258

35. Creative Writing

Another area where I’m improving is typing – although that’s speed, NOT accuracy! My typing has certainly got faster, but that’s just because I type so often. I’ve actually started my screenplay that I keep threatening to unleash on the world, but I only do one hour a day on it maximum. It’s all I can fit in. I have to stick to an hour even if most of that is thinking time – though I write ideas down all the time.

I was stuck without a pen the other day, so I rang myself up and left the idea as a message! – I often do that with songs I write, as I don’t carry a tape recorder around with me.

I have a friend who’s 80 later this year. When I told her I intend to beat Johnny Depp to an oscar she said “I wish you’d get on with it”. So I am.


Why not put an hour or two a week aside to do what it is you truly want to do? If you did the two hours together it’d just be like doing a nightschool class. You’d probably look forward to it all week.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

34. Improved Concentration

I think my concentration levels are actually improving (I’m drifting off much less – I think that’s because it’s finally sunk in just how much work I have to do). I only noticed this when I had to decipher the information on my phone bill. Are they ever straight forward? I went through it one line at a time, and it made sense! I felt so proud.

I’m not sure whether this is because of all the exercise I’m getting – at least 90 minutes’ walk a day – or because of all the reading I’ve done lately – (I’m reading over six hours a day, learning Internet Marketing and reading ebooks and hard books).

Or could it be because my attitude towards reading has changed?

Previously, I’d have looked at the phone bill, and thought “I can’t understand it” and phoned the phone company up for them to explain it. Ironic eh? Not really – the number has always been free. But not now: I’ve changed from BT to NTL and the customer service number is not free. Aha! The real reason for my new found concentration!

I’ve completely given up TV. I’d throw it out, but I need it for my exercise videos. I don’t think my friends believe me, but Jim Edwards is right to call it the ‘idiot box’ – and it’s such a massive thief of time.

Do yourself a favour – sell your telly! - Stick it on Ebay and teach the kids origami or something. Then write an ebook about it!


You know it makes sense.

Monday, May 29, 2006

33. Staying Focused

I’m very excited about finally making a start at Internet Marketing. It’s been hard work over the last month to concentrate and not drift off "up in the clouds in a dreamworld" - ('Living On My Own' - Freddie Mercury). The more difficult something is, the more I drift off, and I end up reading the same paragraph 16 times!

I’ve read more ebooks, articles, forums and goodness knows what else lately, I’ve been having to take a nap every afternoon because despite having 20/20 vision, all that reading gives me a headache. It’s either my ADHD brain hurting, or it’s psychological!

Actually, I have a theory about glasses. There was a feature on 'Richard and Judy' last year that talked about how people who wear glasses exercise the muscles in their eyes less than those who don’t, so their eyesight inevitibly gets worse.

I was prescribed reading glasses when I was eight years old, and had to wear these little pink framed NHS glasses whenever I read. But I never did – because whenever I wore them I would suffer immense dizziness after only a few minutes. Later I realised I could wear them if I kept my head, and the book, very still. By that I mean I was not allowed to move my head at all – not even an inch (that is nigh on impossible by the way!), or I would get severe dizziness exactly like travel sickness.

So the result was that I had to read without glasses, and thus force my eyes to focus. Did my eyes deteriorate? No – they improved! Actually, I’m not convinced the prescription was even correct. The optician could have presumed I needed glasses when I simply couldn’t be bothered to focus on the eye test!

Well I have to be bothered focusing now - 'I don't have no time for no monkey business...'

Friday, May 05, 2006

32. Get Anything You Want!

I've been thinking about what I can do to improve my life with the resources I already have, rather than dwell on the things I don't have. This is hugely due to 'The 5 Steps To Getting Anything You Want' by Internet Marketing legend Jim Edwards.

I was both an attendee and the official photographer for Jim's Ebook Workshop two weeks ago, and it was quality stuff. I received the '5 Steps' in the post the other day and I immediately put the audios onto iTunes and listened to them on my ipod whilst on a 4 mile walk.

He says if your life is not how you want it, you are already very good at the system needed for success, because we always focus on what we don't want - so we get more of it!

I've completed the workbook, but it's evident that you need to review it daily, or you lose track of what you want. You're not allowed to say things like 'I want more money' because that creates negative images of not having any money. We should visualise what 'more money' will bring us, like a nice house, holiday or car.

And you can't say 'I'm sick of being fat' because you'll only be able to visualise yourself as a fat person. You think to yourself "I'm slim, confident and full of energy!" - using the present tense is important too as it makes the image more real.

Jim gives examples of how it works for him, but to be honest, I know that when I've managed to think like that myself, I've been successful. I now realise everyone should have a system for probably everything they undertake, but most of us just wander aimlessly through life, expecting everything to just fall into place, and getting annoyed when things don't go our way.

Despite having been at college for a total of 10 years (aaagh!) I've a feeling the most important education of my life is the self taught stuff I'm doing now through books and courses by people who have actually done what they preach, themselves.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

31. Other Drug Free Programmes

I’ve been neglecting my blog, but as I’ve yet to learn how to drive traffic to it, I’m just sat here talking to myself anyway for now! I have been researching, but as I said earlier I do not want to promote sites that sell or advise people to take medication for their difficulties, and there are a lot more that do, than don’t!

I’ve yet to find out if this is a competitor of the Dore Programme, but at Gifted Dyslexic at
http://www.lesblind.is/aboutgifted/aboutgifted.cfm they appear to split each condition into segments, and charge £1,800 for a course of treatment for Dyslexia, then another £1,800 for the treatment of Dyscalculia, (the proper name for being rubbish at Maths!)

That’s convenient for them. I’m still on the lookout for a cheaper alternative, but only for now, as I cannot afford the Dore Programme yet.


Another Programme that was featured on GMTV recently is the
www.tinsleyhouseclinic.co.uk Dr Robin Pauc’s programme is a lot cheaper, but is it as effective? His site doesn’t boast the testimonials that the Dore Programme does, but they say they can treat adults too. I’ve been advised to buy the book ‘Is That My Child?’ which I’ve ordered from Amazon.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

30. Reading Age – Comprehension Age

At the Dore Presentation, Wynford Dore explained how children could score reasonably well with on their reading age but not so well on their comprehension age.

I asked Mr Dore if he could explain further as I couldn’t write my notes fast enough. He explained more about how the working memory affects the difference between the reading age and the comprehension age:

“It’s often noticed that children with a learning difficulty can score reasonably well with a reading age but far worse with their comprehension age. What we believe is happening is that many of the functions used during the process of reading have not been automatised.

Virtually everyone that goes through the Dore Programme is found to have serious problems with eye tracking, in other words they are unable to smoothly move their eyes across a line of words so that those words go into the brain in a smooth manner.

The fact that the eyes are jumping rather than moving smoothly suggests that that process has not been automatised and is, therefore, probably being controlled in working memory. The fuller working memory is with those things that have not been automatised and, therefore, should not really be there the less space is left for processing.

Thus for someone with a learning difficulty trying to read they may well be using up all their available working memory space just working out what that particular word means. They then move on to the next word and the process starts again.

The problem seems to be that after they have worked out what each individual word means they do not have the working memory capacity to retain that word and the subsequent ones in the sentence.

Thus the lack of working memory capacity will reduce the comprehension ability even though that person has been able to work out what each individual word means. It is, therefore, quite common and explainable that someone can have a good reading age but poor comprehension age.

And, of course, this makes all the difference between wanting to read for pleasure and not.” – Wynford Dore

www.dore.co.uk

Monday, April 10, 2006

29. Working Memory

I know my working memory is rubbish, because of the examples I gave in my Spelling post, and I cannot play the game ‘Answer the previous question’. If I was asked a series of questions and was required to not answer the first question until after the second question had been asked (and so on), I would fail after only one question – two if I’m lucky.

I also made a hopeless barmaid at college, because if someone wanted more than three drinks, I’d have to ask them again what the first one was.

Most people who don’t have learning disabilities can remember a substantial number of things at once, because they have automatised other tasks. However, people with learning disabilities haven’t automatised other tasks, such as reading, or hearing a sequence of numbers, so they are busy using up their working memory in order to simply process the information they are being given.

This means that there is very little available working memory left. I think of it as like using an overdraft! (something I can relate to!) I was wrong to say I have a ‘small working memory’ yesterday. I actually have the same working memory as most people, but it is being used to process information that should be automatised, so has a smaller available balance!

I once shared reading a book with a classmate, and she was finishing each page long before I was. So I asked her to read aloud at the same speed she was reading in her head, as I thought she was skipping some of the lines. Her response was that she was reading all the words, but at a much faster rate than she could speak (because it was automatised). I thought she was lying! Even now when I read, I imagine saying each word aloud.

See further information on working memory at:

http://www.learnplus.com/guides/learning-sys-memo.html
http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/working-memory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory

Sunday, April 09, 2006

28. Confidence and Mood Swings

I have bought loads of books on building confidence, and for the first few days I’ve felt great - then I’ve tried in vain to put them into practice, because I’ve forgotten most of the content. But I think even if I’d remembered, I’d still only be ‘papering over the cracks’ because the root of the problem must be in the fact that I know I have limitations. I now know those limitations are in the cerebellum.

I even bought a book on Nasty People and how to deal with them, as I could never stand up to them effectively, and now I know all the psychology behind why they behave that way (as I did when I was a child), and yet I can’t put it into practice because my working memory is so small, I still can’t speak effectively -the number of times I lose my thread during a conversation.

I’d love to know for sure that when I opened my mouth, something intelligent would come out, and people wouldn’t frown and wonder what I was on about! That I could speak without semi-stuttering, and stay focussed without going off on a tangent, then I’d have so much more confidence. And I believe this would have a snowball effect, because there are so many situations that I avoid at the moment.

And for years I was an unruly child, then an anarchic teenager, then had major mood swings as an adult. I joined a Bi Polar group because I thought I was manic depressive. A psychiatrist even said I might be, but she didn’t force me to take medication, because I wasn’t considered a danger to myself or anyone else.

This is why I related to Toyah so much, because she seemed to have the same problems as me when she was very young. The thing I am most looking forward to when I finally get on the Dore programme is to eliminate the mood swings, as Toyah did. I will have such a fulfilling life, because I’ll be much nicer to know!
www.dore.co.uk

Friday, April 07, 2006

27. Ozzy Osbourne - Paranoid

Ozzy Osbourne said he had ADHD. Let’s just recap the words to ‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath:

"Finished with my woman

'Cause she couldn't help me with my mind
People think I'm insane
Because I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I'll lose my mind
If I don't find something to pacify

Can you help me, occupy my brain?
Oh yeah!

I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can't find
I can't see the things that make true Happiness,
I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal

And so as you hear these words
Telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could but it's too late"

It’s difficult to know if Ozzy was fully responsible for all the words, as the whole band are credited with all the song writing. But still, I bet Toyah could persuade Ozzy to attend the Dore Centre.

www.dore.co.uk

Thursday, April 06, 2006

26. Stories of Inspiration

Whilst waiting for your free DVD from the Dore Centre, have a look at these pdf files:

http://www.dorecenters.com/files/SundayMail_Aug05.pdf

http://www.dorecenters.com/files/Toyah.pdf

When reading the one about Toyah, I was reminded again of one of the cerebellum exercises that they give you to do on the Dore Programme; walking downstairs whilst blindfolded!

OK, I’m sure it must adhere to all health and safety regulations, and there must be more to it than that, but my initial reaction was, “Well, a cracked skull would probably sort out most cerebellum problems…!”

I can only just manage going forwards with my eyes open!

But hey, Toyah survived didn’t she?
www.dore.co.uk

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

25. Astronauts' Balance Disorders

I talked earlier about the balance machines at the Dore Centres, which were developed by NASA to monitor astronauts’ balance progress after returning to earth. Wynford Dore has kindly sent me additional information after speaking at the Dore Presentation in Cardiff on March 21st, about the astronauts’ temporary difficulties.

“I’ve been trying hard to find the old astronauts balance problems link - I haven’t seen them for two or three years and they seem to have been taken off the various websites. One of the references I can remember clearly was a French - Russian mission where they described in detail the co-ordination problems experienced by cosmonauts when they returned to earth. Some of them were writing backwards, some of them had orientation problems, a number of them had travel sickness problems for a while. When we first started doing our research one of our specialists went to America to discuss with the expert that had been working with NASA on the development of the equipment we subsequently obtained. NASA have constantly denied that astronauts have “dyslexic problems”. We know some of the symptoms they suffer temporarily are exactly the same as those that are suffered every day by some people.” – Wynford Dore

Astronaut David Wolf also said in National Geographic that upon his return to earth, balance problems caused him to run into doors.

There is more information on astronauts’ balance disorders at:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=11919

And general information on balance disorders at:
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/balance_disorders.asp

www.dore.co.uk

Monday, April 03, 2006

24. Clumsiness

I have always been clumsy and quite heavy handed, when opening and closing cupboard doors for example, and when I write I press quite hard.

The more tired I am, the worse I am, but I’m not too bad when I go out. I think I subconsciously know to be more careful!

I did some research on Clumsiness and was interested to find that several sources claim that hand/ eye co-ordination exercises help clumsiness. Tennis and Ping Pong are supposed to help quite a lot, and positive and calm imagery, as stated at:
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/16/42.cfm

It also states that rolling a stick on top of two other sticks, in the shape of an ‘H’ will improve Clumsiness. I wonder if this is because it stimulates the cerebellum? That sounds easy to do, and I always have old wrapping paper tubes lying around (I’m a hoarder!)

(Later) Woohoo! A co-ordination exercise I can do first time! I may have been cheating by using very long tubes with a considerable overlap to stop the top tube from falling off, but I found it easy and quite therapeutic. I made the rule that you can only hold the two parallel tubes and not let the horizontal one fall off the end or touch your hands. I think it’s rather similar to doing a hill start in a car, in relation to the pressure and speed that you allow the top tube to travel.


If I didn’t have more pressing things to do, I could do this all evening! Parents! Save money on expensive toys! Give your kid three tubes and tell them to make an ‘H’!

www.dore.co.uk

Sunday, April 02, 2006

23. Dogs With ADHD Part2

OK, I may have been joking yesterday when I said The Dore Centre plans to include dogs in their Training Centres (my contribution to April Fool’s Day – I’ll cross off ‘comedienne’ shall I, from my Miscellaneous List of Possible Careers?) but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility for dogs to have ADHD, is it? I mean, in theory, anything that possesses a brain could have it.

I did a bit of online research, and found that some sites that mention dogs with ADHD, dwell on the ‘Hyperactivity’ part of ADHD a bit too much (well I guess it’s difficult to test most dogs’ spelling) and I’m having trouble finding any sites at all on ADHD that don’t suggest medication, which I do NOT want to promote.

Talking of spelling, I was tempted yesterday to write that the Dore Centre has facilities for testing dogs’ memory, balance, co-ordination and spelling! But I thought that would make it a bit too obvious. Although I have no doubt that someone could teach a clever dog to spell certain words, with enough buttons, bells and whistles, if that person had a lot of time on their hands!

Maybe it’s not a ludicrous idea to test and try to treat dogs for ADHD. If a good drug free programme is devised, I doubt there’ll be a shortage of customers.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

22. Dogs With ADHD

Of course humans are not the only creatures who can have ADHD and other learning disabilities. Since 2001 dogs too have been tested for the condition. Some findings can be found here at:
http://www.ahherald.com/senior/2005/ss050428_adhd_dogs.htm

I had a chat with Wynford Dore at the Dore Presentation in Cardiff about his involvement with ADHD dogs at Crufts UK earlier this year. Go to:
www.bbc.co.uk/crufts

The Dore Centre at Kenilworth, Warwickshire already has facilities to test dogs on their memory, balance and co-ordination and a Canine Dore Programme is due to be available from September. Mr Dore hopes that by 2009 there will be as many Canine Dore Training Centres worldwide as there are for people.
www.dore.co.uk

Friday, March 31, 2006

21. Spelling and Memory

I’ve already been to the Dore Centre in Cardiff for an initial assessment, and two members of staff say I’m suitable for the programme, but I’m concerned they may say I’m not suitable when they assess me further because I’m good at spelling and I’m sure I could easily remember loads of animals in a minute. Actually let’s try that:

The girl on The Tonight Programme could think of 22 animals within a minute on her first attempt, and six months later she got 28 animals within a minute.

Wow! It was a lot harder than I thought. I got 25, but I think I said ‘Tiger’ twice. So I’m not that good at all!

I’m deliberately not going to practice that, or when I do get to go on the programme, my results won’t be accurate. Or maybe they can give me a list of something else to think of that makes me think on my feet.

Maybe I’m deluded about spelling as well. I remember I often got high scores at school, but there was no pressure. I’m only good at spelling if I write the word down. Most of the time if a word looks wrong to me, it is wrong. But then if a word looks wrong, wouldn’t that be using the creative part of the brain? And not the cerebellum? I can always cope with diagrams much better than text.

And I always have a real problem when I’ve mistyped something. I go back and because the word is unrecognisable, I don’t know which letters to change, and for some reason I have to close one eye to see it properly (though my sight’s fine).

I always type ‘form’ instead of ‘from’, which is ironic, because I hate forms! Every ‘from’ you see will have been amended from ‘form’!

I’ve watched these spelling contests, and the kids on there are so fast! I’d have to think for a second or two in between each letter. And they say the word at the beginning and at the end really fast – I definitely can’t do that. Whatever happens I’m hopeful that the Dore Programme can sort me out!
www.dore.co.uk

Thursday, March 30, 2006

20. My Biggest Ever Goof

The undercharging camera story (from yesterday’s post) gets worse: When I was a student, I was working in a camera store and it was the last Saturday before Christmas, so the shop was packed with impatient shoppers. To look at their faces petrified me because I hate keeping people waiting, and I couldn’t cope with the stress.

A lady said she wanted a camera for her husband for Christmas for about £100. So I showed her three and she opted for one for £119.00, the Canon Sureshot Telemax, that had its own little box, carrying case, strap, two batteries, two films and two little photo albums all included in a large kit box.

Our computers always added the .00 on the end of the price because all the products were rounded up to a pound. So I keyed the price into the credit card machine the same as I’d keyed into the computer; 119, but it only registered £1.19.

I went off for two weeks for the holidays, completely oblivious. When I came back I was told that the shop had contacted the bank, the bank had rung the customer and left a message on the answerphone. The husband then heard it, so he now knew what he was getting for Christmas.

An angry wife came back to pay the difference. Then Christmas day arrived. The husband, (probably) opens his wife’s present first, because he knows what it is, and wants to photograph the kids opening their presents. He knows he has everything in the kit box to start taking photos immediately.

So he removes the wrapping, opens the kit box, takes out the two little photo albums, the two films, the two batteries, the strap, the carrying case and …an empty box. On Christmas eve, the staff had done a stock-take and found a lonely little Canon Sureshot Telemax sitting on a shelf with no home. The shop gave her the camera and a £10 gift voucher, but she’d been under no obligation to pay the full amount even if the camera had been in its box.

So let’s recap: I charge £1.19 for all those goodies? Even without the camera, it’s still a bargain if you ask me. Who says I’m not talented? When I goof things up, I do a proper job.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

19. You Know You Have ADHD When…

  • You forget you take sugar in your own tea
  • You leave your shopping on the bus
  • You dump your fella and post your own (last) key through his letterbox, instead of his
  • You mix Jerry Adams up with Jerry Hall in your university interview – but still get in
  • You charge for postage after weighing your item on Ebay, before you’ve wrapped it up
  • You turn up a day early for a job interview
  • You have to pay the taxi fare in postage stamps
  • You don’t have any right angles on the bathroom cabinet you made in Woodwork
  • You turn your house upside down looking for the sunglasses that are on your head
  • You charge a customer £1.19 for a £119.00 camera
  • You look up a word in a dictionary, get distracted by other words, and forget the word
  • You become a photographer because most books on the subject are full of pictures
  • You omit two pints of vegetable stock from your home made vegetable soup
  • You have to sit on deck on the cross channel ferry, in the rain, watching the horizon
  • You have to buy a replica of your expensive camera because you lost the charger
  • You get 240 mph when working out the speed for the 4 minute mile
  • You’re caught tucking toilet rolls in the door of the fridge – I was being harrassed, OK?
  • You can’t find your time management book; ‘Getting Things Done’
  • You write down the patient’s name from a Hand X-ray; ‘RT Scaphoid’
  • You crash into an empty, parked police car and tell them it was a stupid place to park

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

18. Why Create This Blog?

I need to be self employed because of health reasons. I have a bad back, and lots of other pain, which I’m certain is TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome, an idea pioneered by John E Sarno MD, which I won’t try to explain here. See reviews for his book, 'The Mindbody Prescription' on Amazon, but ignore the one by the person who clearly hasn’t read the book).

Although I’m a photographer I want to work from home more so that I can control my working conditions more easily. I started off wanting to learn web design, after studying modules in Film and Graphic Design on my Photography course, and Web Design on a Post Graduate course.

I found that I knew what looked good, and what didn’t, but I was struggling with the technical aspects. So from web design, I got into internet marketing, though I still have a lot to learn, and I’m struggling with that too. One of the first and easiest steps is to publish a blog, on any subject you want. As I write this I have no comments from readers on any of my posts, but slowly I’m learning how to drive traffic to the site. And when I know what I’m doing I’ll have my own sites with their own domains on other subjects.

At the moment I’m really frustrated that it’s taking me so long to learn it all, but if I hadn’t spent so much time online in the past few months, I wouldn’t have discovered I had ADHD, and whatever other learning difficulties I have; I wouldn’t have found out about Sarno’s work, etc. So I think I’m lucky and very pleased to be on the right road at last.

At first, I thought ‘What will I write every day?’ (you have to post every day to be listed in the search engines, at least until you get lots of people linking to the site) And now you can’t shut me up! I’ve spent all morning writing the next five posts – (or is that the last five?!)

Oh, and for people in the UK, no I don’t stay up all night posting. The times displayed on the blog are EST in the US, so they’re 8 hours behind us.

Once I become interested in something, I become really interested in it! So the Dore Programme is what I want to promote, until I can go on it myself, then I can document my real progress, instead of just being a wannabe! I think it’s because it’s such a new and relatively unknown drug-free treatment, that has had astounding results and could literally change the lives of millions of people – that I feel I have to promote it!


www.dore.co.uk

Monday, March 27, 2006

17. My Song About Frustration

Having learning difficulties means that even the most mundane days can be stressful. I wrote a song about my personal frustrations in 1988 when I was going through a really bad depression. Of course I thought I was the only person in the world who felt like that.

I saw happy people around me and wondered how they could cope with a normal life, with so many demands made upon them. Family members, friends, colleagues, employers all telling you what to do. I got angry when I saw job vacancies that said, “Must be able to work under pressure”.

‘Why?’ I’d think, ‘Why should anyone have to put up with that kind of stress?’ Pressure doesn’t necessarily mean stress for everyone, but I couldn’t understand this. A normal day was immense pressure for me, as I got so many interactions wrong.

I’ve written lots of songs, since I was twelve, some of which I still like, but the tune to this one is particularly hideous, so you’re not missing much by just seeing the words:


Scream

Everybody
Seems so organized
How can they be
So easily satisfied?

They always say
The right things at the right time
Straight away
They always notice the signs

Where do they go
When they have their off-days?
And how do they know
How to behave?

Where do they find
Happiness? Don’t they have dreams?
And how can they smile
When they want to scream?

Sunday, March 26, 2006

16. The Dore Centre on TV

The Dore Centre (then known as the DDAT Centre) was featured on The Tonight Programme with Trevor McDonald in the UK in 2002.

If you’ve not yet got your free DVD, get it from
www.dore.co.uk and on there is a copy of The Tonight Programme.

The research was referred to as a ‘revolutionary breakthrough’ for dyslexia. And that’s all the researchers were trying to do at first. But as I said earlier they found that development of the cerebellar function helped with a lot more problems too. Almost everything we do involves balance or co-ordination.

The programme features Wynford Dore and his daughter Susie, who was a guinea-pig for the treatment. Initially participants are assessed to see what they can and can’t do. They are asked to spell and remember lists, among other things.

They are strapped onto a balance machine, that was developed by NASA, to test their balance disorder. (I know I’ll fall when I get on there!)

We are shown some of the balance and co-ordination exercises that need to be repeated for ten minutes, twice a day. They include throwing and catching beanbags and walking in a circle around a chair, and we are told about how eye tracking is important, as people with dyslexia don’t read easily from left to right; their eyes wander all over the place.

The cameras followed three sufferers of dyslexia over a six month period, and watched them benefit from the programme. I was interested to learn that the (then) ‘Last Government Report’ found that 1 in 5 school children, and 70% of all offenders have a learning difficulty. Wow - That’s an awful lot!

Professor David Reynolds (then of Exeter University) is former Head of the Government’s Numeracy Taskforce.

He studied the effects of 50 dyslexic children and over six months their reading performances improved three times as much as 50 average children. Their writing and spelling also improved.

The programme concluded with the founder, Wynford Dore expressing his next ambition;
“We should not consider denying this type of help from every child and every adult that would benefit from it.”

And two of the children whose spelling, reading and writing improved imensely, express their astonishment at finding the repetition of what seemed to be ‘fun’ exercises, was responsible for their improvement in academic areas.

For years, children have been pumped full of drugs that at the least have stripped them of any personality. This still goes on today, and it is due to total ignorance.

I often wonder what my life would have been like if my family knew I had ADHD and dyspraxia. I guess I have to remain thankful that things happened as they did, as I too could have been one of those poor zombified creatures.

At the presentation last week in Cardiff I met several people who had come to know about the Dore Centre after watching The Tonight Programme. I may be mistaken, but there is a good chance I saw it too. More and more things are falling into place. If I did see it at the time, I would have simply thought that it was a great idea for people with dyslexia – not me!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

15. All the Posts on this Blog

BTW, to view all the posts from one month, on one page, click on the Month in 'Archives', then read from the bottom up!

For some reason, they're not all listed on the right hand side.

14. Daydreaming

I have always been a daydreamer. When I was five years old my school sent a letter to my Mum to say they would no longer have me at school dinners, because I’d still be sat chewing my food, at the end of the second sitting, when I’d gone in with the children on the first sitting. So I had to go home for lunch.

I got quicker at eating my food, but never stopped daydreaming. I used to hate myself because of it, but one of my ambitions is to write a successful screenplay, and I’ve discovered that all writers need to daydream, or how else would they think of things to write? I’m in the process of trying to allocate periods to be creative, but as yet have been unsuccessful in stopping myself from ‘drifting off’ at inappropriate times, such as when getting ready to go out – hence why I am always late.

Whilst online researching, I’ve found that learning a second language later on in life is widely believed to keep Alzheimer's at bay. Part of this research says that when you are daydreaming, your brain is in its most relaxed state, and doesn’t have enough stimulation, ie; the failure to tax the brain can be the culprit of deterioration; the old ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’ theory.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=362218&in_page_id=1774 Keep learning to keep your brain young.

So I need to listen up! OK, so I reckon I’m still allowed to daydream as long as it’s not time wasted. For example, whenever I have an idea for a film plot or dialogue, I write it down in my infamous ‘Screenplay’ book. One day, I hope I’ll put them all together and actually write a complete screenplay. But for now they are separate little bite sized chunks of waffle filling three A5 lined notebooks.

Since adulthood I always believed my daydreaming was as a result of the mental abuse I had every day from my mother. I thought it was my way of escaping the psychological trauma of my constant battles with her, and my futile efforts to get her to love me. But could it have been due to ADHD? If concentration is so difficult, then it would make sense that I felt I needed to ‘switch off’.

Or was it because I was always creative? After all, Robert Frost and Frank Lloyd Wright both got into trouble at school for daydreaming. See http://borntoexplore.org/cramond.htm

Stop Daydreaming! - pick up your free DVD at:
www.dore.co.uk

Friday, March 24, 2006

13. Childhood Problems Part2

When I was a child, whenever someone asked me a question, I would often say ‘Pardon?’ and they would repeat the question. This was an automatic strategy I’d come up with to not only think of an answer, but to give myself time to process what I’d been asked.

My mother knew I wasn’t deaf, but she didn’t realise why I did it. She either assumed it was just a bad habit I’d formed to annoy her, or she realised I was stalling her, but was too impatient to put up with it. She would often shout ‘Repeat what I just said!’ which I always could, parrot-fashion, but still not necessarily having registered what it meant. Then she’d tell me off for pretending to be deaf, and ask me why I did it, but I didn’t know why. This happened an awful lot and the constant reprimanding had a very negative effect on my self esteem.

I was once in trouble with a deputy head teacher for producing sloppy work, and I tried to explain to her that I was slower than the other children because my brain worked differently to theirs. She threw her head back and laughed, saying ‘Nice Try!’ or something similar, because she knew I was intelligent, and couldn’t believe I was slow.

At the time I was flattered that she thought I was intelligent, but very frustrated that she didn’t believe me. She threw my Maths book down on my desk (my worst subject) and said ‘Paula, I wouldn’t have you in my class’. Her conclusion was that I was lazy, and I even started to doubt my own beliefs, and believe that she was right.


Although I remember this incident in detail, similar misunderstandings would happen on a daily basis. I guess I often said and did things that contradicted my intelligence. So people would believe I was deliberately being difficult. I was labelled as a naughty child. So then what happened? Of course I had to live up to my reputation.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

12. Childhood Problems

Though I tried often, I could never do handstands or cartwheels (and still can’t). This along with not being able to ride a bike as quickly as other kids, I’m told is a form of dyspraxia.

I never thought I was dyslexic, as I was always good at spelling and grammar, but have always been incredibly slow. And ask me to fill a form in, and it will take me a long time to read and understand it. Also, I’m hopeless at reading out allowed, and jump ahead of myself reading words the wrong way round. So this is a problem dyslexics have. Often I will read words from the line above or below the line I’m reading and end up making up a sentence of my own! I once knocked on the wrong door because I was looking for 45 Salisbury Rd, and the sign at the end of the street said;

Salisbury Road
leading to
Park Road

For some bizarre reason I read it from the bottom up - as ‘Park Road leading to Salisbury Road’ - and they were four-inch high letters! So I also walked a lot further than I needed to – story of my life!

I never mastered Maths especially Algebra, because they were sums within sums, and I kept forgetting why we started the main sum in the first place. I failed Maths O level at 16, but took it up at nightschool at 23, but only turned up for three lessons. I then took it up when I wanted to teach at 32, and again gave up after a few weeks.

Even now I often read the first few pages of a book then give up. Sometimes I force myself to read a chapter a day, and I’m not allowed to change books until I’ve got to the end. But a chapter a day can mean you spend a whole month reading a book. I’m way too slow at everything.


If you think my writing in this blog seems ok, I do it in Word first, and have to rewrite it at least five times. And thank heavens the software lets you edit afterwards.

11. Dore Presentation Part2

(I wrote this on Wednesday, but Blogger's server was poorly so I couldn't post)
Can you believe it? Only a day later and the notes I made last night make very little sense. I couldn’t write fast enough and now I can’t seem to remember most of it. I wish I could have recorded the presentation. I’ll try and remember as I go along!

Founder and chairman, Wynford Dore started off by asking members of the audience what the biggest problem they or their children had with learning difficulties. Answers came back such as Low Self Esteem, Frustration, Depression and Mood Swings, followed by clumsiness, poor short-term memory and concentration.

All these were found to be much more devastating than not being able to read or write properly. And yet that is all Mr Dore wanted to do initially. His daughter had attempted suicide and he needed to find a solution to her reading difficulties soon.

But he never thought that the exercises his research team produced would also help in so many other areas. We heard from a young boy, Josh and his Mum, Louise, about how the Dore programme not only improved his school work, but had improved his confidence and co-ordination so much that he was now the third highest in the UK in his age group at Taekwondoo.

And excelling in sport as well as in the classroom is quite typical in many children on the Dore Programme. Josh wasn’t an isolated case. This appears to have been a fortunate ‘side effect’ of people who had the drug free treatment!

Mr Dore also described how the working memory in a person with learning difficilties is so much more diminished than in a normal person. And how affected people are often thought of as lazy, when the opposite is true, because they have to work so much harder just to retain simple information.

He said the bigger the library, the busier the librarian. The more creative you are, the more unorganised information in the brain, the busier the cerebellum, that processes the information.

Later the cost issue came up. Around £2,000 for a years treatment, or £90 per month for two years on installments. He expressed his frustration at his campaigning for free treatment for all school children falling on deaf ears within the government. Everyone he speaks to says ‘we need proof’, but they want to look at this proof on a piece of paper in less than 10 seconds; they’re not prepared to take time visiting the centre or speaking to parents, headmasters and professors who have seen first hand how amazing the results are.

When someone questioned the cost, Wynford Dore said that and if anyone feels that the treatment hasn’t worked, there is a full money back guarantee. No-one has ever needed it though.

Professor David Reynolds told us that he was very cynical to begin with and wanted to see results, whether or not the programme worked. He was not only pleased with the positive results, but very impressed to discover that the results were permanent, and that the children who were furthest behind to begin with, caught up the most. In fact they were performing better than their age peers who had never had learning difficulties.

Aha, there you go – I obviously took in more than I thought - I’ll probably think of more things tomorrow!

All the speakers had plenty of time for everyone with questions at the end, and Trevor Davies, the headmaster from Solihull, was very helpful in tracking down Dr Roy Rutherford to answer my questions.

So the conclusion for me personally was; I need to do the programme as soon as possible! But it’s a Catch 22 situation; I’m trying to make a living with Online Marketing so I can pay for the programme, but I need to do the programme so that I can easily learn Online Marketing!

Thanks to the two mums from Rhwbina, Jane and Kim who kindly gave me a lift home!
www.dore.co.uk

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

10. Dore Presentation




Wynford Dore (white shirt) speaking with Presentation attendees

Tonight I went along to the presentaion for adults in Cardiff. My main objectives for the evening were to find out if vertigo could be cured by the Dore Programme, hear the founder, Wynford Dore speak and hear former Dore attendee, rugby star Kenny Logan speak.

The bad news is that no, the Dore Centre cannot cure vertigo - And Kenny wasn’t there. I was also informed by two of the speakers that my cerebellum exercises would need to be more structured in order to work properly. (I needed to be told!)

However, I was very pleased with the information I got. I asked my question about vertigo, and was directed to Dr Roy Rutherford who is based at the main DDAT (UK) Centre in Warwickshire, who said vertigo symptoms may be reduced by the Dore Programme but not cured completely. He also said that vertigo was not a symptom of ADHD, as it is a condition on its own. I was confusing vertigo with ‘balance disorder’ in my earlier post (now amended to Travel Sickness), and they are different. I may just have a balance disorder, which could be treated, so that's good news.

Headmaster, Trevor Davies kicked off the evening by telling us how pupils at his school benefitted from the Dore Programme. Then Wynford Dore, the founder, went into more depth of what his researchers had found.

Professor David Reynolds, Professor of Education at the University of Plymouth also spoke, and all three speakers answered many questions at the end.

Wynford Dore was very helpful, and he didn’t mind me taking his photo. I had several questions asking him to elaborate on certain points from the presentaion and he said he would send me further information.

I’ll type my notes up tomorrow and report some of what was covered during the presentation, and learn how to add a photo!

Thursday, March 16, 2006

9. The Difference Between ADD and ADHD

When I visited the Dore Centre, I was told that they are the same. I had naively thought that ADD applied to adults, and ADHD to children!

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and I thought, “There’s no way I’m hyperactive” (because I felt so TIRED all the time!)

When I answered the questions my Dore Centre assessor gave me, he said I had ADHD. So I said I didn’t think I was hyperactive, but we’re not talking about bodies here, are we? We’re talking about minds. The fact that I’d ticked ‘Yes’ to the questions ‘Are you easily distracted?’, ‘Do you talk over people?’ and ‘Are you impatient?’ meant that the hyperactivity bit applies to me too.

I often used to talk over people, but was shouted at for doing it when I was at university, so I’m much more aware now. The reason I did it is clear to me now when I sometimes nearly do it!

It’s because the other person is either speaking slowly and I get impatient and try to finish off their sentences, or it’s because I believe the other person isn’t listening, or hasn’t understood what I’ve said, and I feel that they need me to get them back on the right track. In this case, I’m a lot more polite than I used to be, and wait for an opportune moment to tactfully steer them back, rather than just interrupting. I also listen a lot more now. But I also do still slip up sometimes too!

A much better distinction between ADD and ADHD is available at:http://adhd.com/family/resources/fastfacts/difference.jsp?reqNavId=3.3.3

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

8. Travel Sickness is a Symptom

The staff at the Dore Centre say that Travel Sickness is a classic symptom of ADHD and Dyspraxia. Because the cerebellar function is under developed and the messages within the brain take longer, co-ordination and balance are heavily affected.

Travel Sickness, like Vertigo, is an imbalance in the ears that causes dizziness – NOT fear of heights (Thank you for that misconception Mr Hitchcock!) But you wouldn’t want to be up a tall ladder when you’re feeling dizzy now, would you?

The effects of the balance disorder for me are quite devasting when the condition is in full swing. I cannot be in a room with floors that are unlevel. In fact I’ve become a human spirit level, and can tell straight away.

I become so dizzy that the only cure is to lie down and go to sleep – wherever I am! In fact I once had to refloor a whole house with hand made wedges underneath the false floor, because the original floor was not level.


It turned out that one room was only one inch lower than the opposite end, and most people couldn't tell, but I was made exrtremely ill if I had to spend more than an hour in there. So it took me six weeks to do the whole house, because I could only manage two hours at a time, with a sleep in between!

The more common symptom is travel sickness, so I cannot read whilst in transit, as I have to keep my eyes on the road ahead, or on the horizon if it’s a boat. I once had to have two weeks off work due to severe travel sickness because I’d stayed in the lounge below deck on the cross channel ferry from Belgium to England; a one hour journey.

I learned that the Dore Centre can improve cerebellar function, enabling me to think quicker, and in a more logical way! I don’t know if they can rid me of my balance disorder. That would be fantastic though.

On the Tonight programme featured on the free DVD from
www.Dore.co.uk they state that one of the balance machines people use at the Dore Centre ‘holds the clue to how the balance disorder might be treated’ and within six weeks most participants’ learning difficulties show improvement. I’m not quite sure whether that means my travel sickness can be eliminated completely, but I’m going to a Dore Centre presentation meeting next week, so I’ll ask them.

Monday, March 13, 2006

7. My Humble Cerebellum Exercises Part4

Back to juggling. I decided to start at such a basic level, a two year old could probably manage it! I threw a ball up only about six inches with my right hand. Nine times out of ten, I could manage that, but I did it in front of my bed, as I was sick of the 10% of times when I’d have to keep picking the blasted things off the floor.

The percentage was much, much higher with my left hand! In fact again, I was abysmal. And yet, I did improve! Slowly. Because I have ADHD my attention spans are poor at best, so I wanted to jump start things a bit. I did a search for 'How To Juggle' and found several sites with clear instructions. I was now bored with just throwing a ball up six inches, so I tried to juggle two balls. Hopeless, of course. BUT get this: after I’d been hopeless for ten minutes at juggling, I went back to humble throwing – and voila! The balls were actually going where I wanted them to! ??? Go figure!

Like I said before, it seems that when you go away and come back, the improvements are more noticeable. I wonder if the staff at the Dore Centre are familiar with this concept? I have also noticed that I throw in a much more relaxed way, whereas before my arms were working way too hard!



Although I'm learning slowly, if I were to keep up my efforts for ten minutes twice a day for a whole year, as on the Dore Programme, I'm certain that I would see a big difference.
www.Dore.co.uk

Sunday, March 12, 2006

6. My Humble Cerebellum Exercises Part3

Again, despite improving at my own exercises, it seemed to be happening very slowly. I got bored and needed a new exercise. I still kept up with the fingers, but wanted a new exercise as well. So I thought again of the lady who peeled carrots with her feet, and decided to move toes that I formerly couldn’t. This was where I really got excited that I wasn’t beyond help!

I could already move the big toe on my right foot about 9mm away from the second toe, no problem at all. But I could not move the big toe on my left foot at all. I tried for ten minutes at a time every hour one Saturday. All day I willed it to move; nothing.

As soon as I got up the next day, I did it! It moved about 5mm! And it was really weird. It didn’t move at the same time that I willed it to. It moved about a second afterwards, and it moved in a slow, mechanical way – to the right and back, as if it were being operated by remote control!

The other thing I noticed, I could not FEEL it move. It was like I was watching it on film – what’s all that about?!! Even now, there’s little feeling, and it’s not as instantaneous as my right one, but a lot better. I guess I should now try making each toe dance like my fingers can!

Strangely, I’d find that I seemed to show much bigger signs of improvement at the beginning of a new session, than after continuously working hard at it. I maybe improved a small amount within a ten minute session, yet an hour later, the first exercise I attempted was a huge leap in comparison! Maybe when the pressure is off, you do better. I guess that comes down again, to being more relaxed.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

5. My Humble Cerebellum Exercises Part2

As I was so abysmal at juggling, or even throwing a ball ten inches high, I decided to try a totally different task; to move my fingers individually whilst laying my hands palms down on the arms of my chair. Only one finger could move at any one time. I managed only the first, second and last finger on my right hand, and first and last finger on the left.

If I hadn’t seen a documentary on TV once about a mother with no arms feeding her baby and peeling carrots with her feet (on separate occasions of course!) I’d never have believed it was possible to train digits to do something they’re not used to! But remembering that woman spurred me on.

I became really competitive, and whenever I had a spare moment, I’d be trying to move my weakest fingers. Amazingly, after only two hours of trying to move the third finger on my right hand, I did it! All of one whole millimetre!

Within a day I could move all my fingers independently of each other, and the next day I tried moving my third and weakest fingers on both hands so that they moved from side to side, touching the middle and last fingers alternately.

This was really hard to do, but as I could see marginal imrovement each time, it was enough encouragement to continue. I had to consciously keep telling myslef to relax my shoulders, or not to tense up my whole arms! it seemed easier, the more I relaxed.

For your free DVD go to
www.Dore.co.uk
Again, I don’t earn any money if you do - I guess I should be an affiliate…!

Friday, March 10, 2006

4. My Humble Cerebellum Exercises Part1

I wanted to try and emulate the exercises given to attendees of the Dore Programme, but not having done the programme myself, I had to guess what they were! I knew the exercises improved balance and hand / eye co-ordination, through repetition. They also had to be something that the subject was not used to, in order for the cerebellum to be in its full ‘learning mode’.

So I thought juggling would be the perfect trick to learn. I used two promotional foam balls to begin with, and I was the most hopeless anyone could imagine. So I went down to one, and I was still hopeless with my right (writing) hand, and worse with my left.

I was just throwing the ball up to eye level ten times with each hand, and it was like someone else was controlling my hands; the balls were going off to the side every time! I was astounded by how awful I was at it! Demoralised I gave up, but only temporarily.

Go to
www.Dore.co.uk and see how it should be done!

By the way, I’m not an affiliate or anything. I’m just a very giving person!

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

3. The Dore Centre

How can I do the Dore Centre justice?

Wynford Dore the founder spent millions on research after he realised his own daughter was so depressed with her dyslexia, that she wanted to end her life. He was obviously willing to pay whatever price necessary to make her happy.

He found experts from across the globe to come up with a series of exercises that a sufferer of ADD, ADHD, dyslexia or Dyspraxia could do for ten minutes twice a day to improve cerebellar function (the part of the brain we need for co-ordination and balance and when learning new tasks).

I think I would have been sceptical if they hadn’t been able to provide a testimonial from Toyah Willcox. They had lots of testimonials, but I’ve been a huge fan of Toyah since the early 80s when she was the most colourful punk star in the UK charts.

And I’ve followed her career and TV appearances over the years. In my opinion, she has a great sense of humour, and is very intelligent, which makes me trust her judgement. So when she said on the free DVD that it changed her life, I just had to make an appointment. Toyah couldn’t read a book all in one go without feeling tired before she did the Dore programme. Now she reads with ease, and states that her life has improved 99%.

So why am I harping on about the Dore Centre so much? Why don’t I just join and go through the 12 month programme? Well, it’s a small matter of cost. The programme is not cheap, but then if something improves your life so much, then it’s worth every penny, right?

I have every intention of going on the Dore programme, when I can afford it. But for now I am doing my own co-ordination exercises, and whether I am doing them right, or whether the Dore Centre staff would laugh at the idea, I have noticed a significant improvement in only 48 hours. THAT is what convinces me that this cerebellum lark is no hooey!

Next time, I’ll describe my humble co-ordination exercises. In the meantime, go to their site and get your free DVD! There might be a Dore Centre near you.
www.dore.co.uk

Monday, March 06, 2006

2. Symptoms

I found out I had ADD when a friend of mine introduced me to a teacher of children with learning difficulties. She knew I had ADD before she told me! She was very diplomatic in that she didn't tell me; she gave me several resources to look at and to ensure I would do, she said she'd ask me what I thought the following week.

Of course I didn't know the significance at all. I just wanted to endear myself to her by becoming interested in a subject she taught! She gave me several books to read and several websites.

I did what was easiest and looked at the websites, then studied the list of symptoms on each. One site claimed that if you had 10 out of 12 symptoms, you almost certainly had ADD or ADHD.

I had all 12. And I had all symptoms on ALL the websites. Here are some:

Disturbed sleep
Inability to concentrate
Impulsive
forgetfulness
poor academic performance
difficulty completing tasks
being easily distracted
anti-social behaviour
mood swings
lack of organizational skills
tendencies to have allergies
interrupts others
impatience
indecisiveness
fidgets
loses things


"ATTENTION DEFECIT DISORDER ROBS MANY YOUNGSTERS OF THEIR CHILDHOOD. UNDIAGNOSED IT CAN LEAD TO A LIFE OF CRIME". Amanda Doherty, Sunday Mirror. February 13, 2000.
(she must have it - she can't spell deficit!)

But my favourite of all:


Being Late all the time - Hooray! "It's not my fault!" (in my best Applemac voice) Wish I could tell all my former teachers and employers that one!

I'm told there is no definitive diagnosis, as other things can cause the same symptoms; head injuries for one. And I wouldn't at all be surprised to learn that I was dropped on my head as a baby! Seriously. I had malnutrition when I was eight months old.

"Anyway, only thick, backwards people have Attention Deficit Disorder, right?" I thought (my ignorance knew no bounds). Maybe the list of high achievers at
http://www.adhdrelief.com/famous.html will put that myth to sleep.

Winston Churchill?
Dustin Hoffman?
JFK?
Robin Williams?
Cher?
Albert Einstein?

I suddenly felt I was in good company!



Sunday, March 05, 2006

1. Introduction

Hi there,

I'm Paula and at the age of 38, I find out I have almost certainly had Attention Deficit Disorder all my life.

I also have had all the symptoms of Dyspraxia too, such as terrible hand / eye co-ordination skills; It took me 11 years to learn to drive, and I had stabilisers on my bike until I was seven. Now I know why!

It went undetected for so long because I have always been good at spelling and grammar (although you be the judge!) so I was certain I couldn't possibly have dyslexia, but I'm a slow reader and there is such a thing as Number Dyslexia, which is difficulty with Maths. I am hopeless at Maths.

I have attended the Dore Centre www.dore.co.uk and have been assessed by their friendly and helpful staff, and they too are convinced I am a good candidate for their effective programme.

I'll report more about that soon, but I just want to tell you, that there is help for both children and adults, without resorting to mind numbing drugs. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, when I found out I wasn't stupid. And you will too!