Gesundheit! Do Allergies Affect ADHD Treatment?

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – August 19, 2019

Yes, you could say I’m allergic to writing. I hate it. It’s always been hard, especially for a dyslexic like me. That’s why I focus so much on communicating auditory content via Attention Talk Radio and visual content via Attention Talk Video. As allergic as I am to writing, yet I am able to write from time to time with the right prescription. In order to write, I need mental clarity. Writing is hard but even harder when starting with a white sheet of paper.

Years ago, I did an interview with Dr. Charles Parker on ADHD and allergies. It was a spectacular and insightful interview. Because the topic was unique (and I like unique topics), I thought it would be helpful to bring awareness to things. Most of us won’t listen to a 45-minute podcast, so I had the challenge of putting it in print. I’m happy to report my article, “Do Allergies Affect ADHD Treatment,” was published in the August edition of CHADD’s Attention Magazine.

So how did I do it? Here’s how.

• Step one, listen to the interview again to refamiliarize myself with the content.
• Step two, dictate a stream of consciousness, not as if I am the expert but from the perspective of what I learned from interviewing Dr. Parker.
• Step three, ask Christina and Jan, the backbone of DIG Coaching, to smooth things out and fix the grammar.
• Step four, send my writing to the editorial director of Attention Magazine and booya!

It took a team, but I’m published. While others helped, it was my idea, my perspective, and my shared content with Dr. Parker.

What I hope you’ll take away from this blog is this. I didn’t try harder; I tried different. My mindset (how my mind is set up to think) was not fixated on doing it alone. Rather, I used my tools (that is, Dr. Parker, Christina, and Jan) to construct my thoughts. Too often I find people stuck on a picture of how they think things are supposed to work.

If you find yourself stuck, pause and notice how your mind is set up to problem-solve. If you set up your mind differently, you might find a way to become a published author (something I never dreamed of) or anything else you may think is too difficult. So now, I can say to my middle school English teacher, “How about that?”