May 14, 2014 at 12:27 pm

Super interesting article on how meditation is like exercise and training for the brain, and how it can be useful in treating ADHD and ADD.  Also, how Ritalin and the like are probably way overprescribed in our country.

“the incidence of A.D.H.D. among teenagers in Finland … were virtually identical to rates among teenagers in the United States. The real difference? Most adolescents with A.D.H.D. in the United States were taking medication; most in Finland were not.”

January 19, 2015 at 7:38 pm

Interesting! Using meditation and mindfulness to help with ADHD has always made sense to me and I think there is a lot of potential there. However, I thought of a friend who has ADHD, and he says that trying to meditate is like torture for him. I guess for him, mindfulness training might not be a viable treatment, but I still think it may be helpful for many who have the “disorder,” especially if the clinician teaching the patient has had good training in meditation and mindfulness. I have personally found that being outdoors (e.g. a hike in the woods) is especially good for those with ADHD.

Here’s an article on that topic that supports my own experience: http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/nature-therapy-and-adhd