SMART WAYS TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS
“Art therapy gives ADHD children a nonverbal
way to manage symptoms.” —HEALING ART, PAGE 54
Treatment
54 TAKING CHARGE
57 MEDICAL Q & A
58 YOUR TURN
CHECKUP
“Did I Just
Tweet That?”
Strategies for short-circuiting
impulsive clicks online.
BY LARRY B. SILVER, M. D.
ONE OF MY GRANDDAUGHTERS graduated from college and is working in the Peace Corps. I
find that the best way to chat with her is
on Facebook. Recently, I compared an
awkward situation she found herself
in to something that she had experienced as a child. She quickly wrote
back, “Grandpa, don’t you realize that
what you write on my Facebook page
can be read by anyone who has identified himself or herself as my friend?” I
did not, and I could not reach into my
computer to delete what I had written
before three of her friends had “liked”
the comment, and probably many more
had read it.
If you are impulsive, you know that
uncomfortable feeling when you say or do
something you wish you had not. You can’t
pull the words back or undo the action. You
do damage control with your friends, family,
or someone at work by saying, “I’m sorry.
That is not what I meant to say,” or “On sec-
ond thought, maybe we could….”
ADHDers who are highly impulsive can
check such misunderstandings when talking
to a person face to face. The other person’s
body language and facial expression tell a
Search “Open Mouth, Insert Foot” on
ADDitudeMag.com for great ways to rein in impulsivity.
