Most patients successfully treated for ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder tell me the primary benefit of treatment is how it affects their financial status. Successful treatment has two effects:
1) Patients lose less money
2) Patients make more money.
Treated patients are much more attentive to costs. They pay bills on time avoiding interest. They balance the checkbook more often and more effectively. They create a budget. They are less impulsive in all aspects of their life, especially impulsive purchasing. They think before purchase. Credit card balances diminish.
Patients treated successfully are better focused at work, they complete tasks on time and more completely, and they organize better. This gains them raises and praises. Other employees are less likely to avoid ADD employees and more likely to cooperate. This also gains raises and praises from the boss.
ADD patients successfully treated are on time. They multitask better, handling many things at once. This reduces stress. One of the most surprising results of successful treatment is the reduction in stress and panic attacks. They find little or no need for stress reducing aids like alcohol, marijuana, benzodiazepines, or other sedative or sleep aids (saving money). This is paradoxical and not logical to medical providers as some ADD patients are treated with stimulants, which according to the textbooks, could or should make anxiety worse.
Many ADD patients successfully treated are able to discontinue anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications since one of the main contributors to their depression and anxiety was failure. Nothing helps depression like success! I have several patients who have decreased their cost of medication, reduced medical visits and medical testing by controlling their ADD. Many patients start exercising and paying attention to their diet. Regular exercise requires planning, execution—keeping track of progress. Successful dieting requires planning, tasking and execution, cooperating with others, exercising, and less impulsivity. I find obese patients who are “food addicts” and Binge Eat often respond to anorectic medication or “diet pills” which are stimulants with very similar chemistry to stimulants used to treat ADD. My diabetic patients, in particular, adhere to their diet much better with these medications allowing control of blood sugar and, often, discontinuance of expensive diabetic medication or insulin. In addition, they “get their brains back” since an elevated glucose or sugar blood level impairs brain function.
If you think you or a loved one fits the above description, go to www.addclinics.com and fill out the Master Questionnaire with a self-score system. Completing the questionnaire may reveal why you seem to never have enough MONEY!
