ADHD Is Hard. Can a Coach Help?

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – June 19, 2023

Jeff Copper & Aha BobThe first written record of the concept of ADHD coaching was in the book, Driven to Distraction, by Dr. Ned Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey in 1994. Little did they know at that time, the entire coaching industry would grow into a new ADHD intervention. In the late 1990s, a handful of individuals became life coaches that had ADHD and began touting the concept. In 2004, we saw the official formation of the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) as a means for coaches to come together and share best practices and competencies. Continue reading “ADHD Is Hard. Can a Coach Help?”

ADHD Insight: Impact of Distractions on Executive Functioning

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – Published June 5, 2023

What is it like for someone with ADHD when their executive functioning brain is being taxed and becomes a distraction? It’s like starting the task all over again. If you have ADHD, it’s just like rebooting your laptop; you have to reboot your brain. That’s why I’m using a computer as a metaphor to understand what happens when you get distracted while engaged in an activity that requires your executive functioning brain. Continue reading “ADHD Insight: Impact of Distractions on Executive Functioning”

The Importance of Emotion in Understanding & Managing ADHD

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – Published May 29, 2023

Medical papers dating back to 1798 always included emotion in the conceptualization of ADHD. This continued up to the 1970 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2nd Ed. (DSM-II). Since then, emotional dysregulation has been excluded from the clinical conceptualization of the condition. Dr. Russell Barkley (https://russellbarkley.org), world-renowned authority on ADHD, argues that emotion needs to be returned to a central place in ADHD as it has been ignored far too long. Continue reading “The Importance of Emotion in Understanding & Managing ADHD”

ADHD Tips: Use Your Executive Functioning Brain to Override Impulse

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 15, 2023

Dr. Russell Barkley (https://www.russellbarkley.org) likes to think of the ADHD brain as a two-level system, that is, the automatic brain and the executive functioning brain. The use of the executive functioning brain is effortful because it takes great effort to step in and override the automatic brain. Continue reading “ADHD Tips: Use Your Executive Functioning Brain to Override Impulse”

Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD: A New Construct

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 8, 2023

What is Executive Function Deficit Disorder (EFDD)? What does self-regulation have to do with EFDD, and what does all this have to do with ADHD? For answers to these questions and more, I reached out to Dr. Russell Barkley, the world-renowned ADHD expert, affectionately called “ADHD Genius.” Continue reading “Executive Functioning in Adults with ADHD: A New Construct”

The Diagnostic Confusion around ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – April 10, 2023

Confusion around ADHD and Bipolar DisorderThere are many questions and much confusion around diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder, including questions like:

  • Is it possible to have both of them at the same time?
  • Are these conditions easy to distinguish?
  • What’s the difference between them?
  • What’s the best treatment?
  • Should they be treated individually?
  • How effective is the treatment?
  • Who can diagnose and treat these conditions?

Continue reading “The Diagnostic Confusion around ADHD and Bipolar Disorder”

ADHD: A Different Mindset to Selling Yourself

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 13, 2023

different mindsetWhen you’re observing someone else, it can be easy to make judgments and describe who they are and what they do. When you have to turn the tables on yourself, particularly if you have ADHD, it can be challenging. This is especially true if you are a creative type or a problem solver.

When emotions come into play, they can overwhelm you and make it difficult to articulate who you are and what you do. Continue reading “ADHD: A Different Mindset to Selling Yourself”