ADD Children and Calm Stuff

Ok, I'm not exactly an ADD child but I once was.

My wife has `inner spaces' and a `happy place'.
I know people who meditate.
My grandmother, bless her, did tai chi.

I only have entrails inside.
Meditation ain't happening.
Tai chi actually pissed me off.

A therapist once tried to hypnotize me using visual imagery. It was a great comedy sketch.
She kept getting more relaxed. I kept hearing sounds outside the window.
By the time she was done, she was almost out. I laughed an evil laugh and almost bounced off the couch, agitated.


So how do the ADD meditate?
There's no question we could benefit from something like this

First of all I don't believe in ADD as an illness. people are born with different personalities, different mental capabilities and sensitivities. I personally believe that "ADD" is nothing more than a combination of brain training and diet (Chemicals in our food and water in which people with "ADD" are more sensitive to it) That being said There are different ways of meditating. How do you fall asleep at night? What do you think about as you are falling asleep? I have always thought of the what goes through your mind before you fall asleep as a form of meditation. I would try a more creative approach to meditation if traditional ways aren't working for you. Also one has to ask, perhaps you are expecting a meditative sate to be something its not, or expecting to achieve something out of meditation that takes years of practice to happen at once.

For me ADD, Falls under the same catagory as disslexia. Just because someone cant be measured as normal, in comparison as what these people deem to be normal. They have to give it a name.

I believe that everyone is great at something. You just have to find out what that thing is. Theres no such thing as normal. Trying to place everyone under the same umbrella is psychotic, if you ask me. Psychology is a theory. All theory's will display signs of being true and signs of being false. Take Quantume theory as an example.

Some believe that whether an atom exists before you measure it is pointless, as long as its there doing what you perdicted when called upon.

Psychology's no different. Enough with the lables. Just live your life the way you want. Feck what anybody else thinks.

[edit on 26-1-2010 by Algebra]

I am an adult ADD. I can not sit down and relax at anything. I can not even get through a movie most times as it bores me. My brain is wired in that I need to be doing something to stimulate it. I can not concentrate on two things at the same time and get very frustrated. I have never felt comfortable just sitting on my couch in my own living room. Have to be doing something.

Now, that aside, I still am able to meditate. I can do it pretty fast now days.
I imagine my toes as not being able to move. I work my way up to my ankles, and then all the way up to my head. After this I blank my mind. I concentrate on not concentrating. I start to see a white light and feel energy. Here is where I stay, it is very refreshing can calming. I do this on long car rides too, makes a boring two hour trip feel like ten minutes .

reply to post by amatrine


So what is your issue? That modern techniques seem to be failing you, or that you cant control these symtoms yourself. Maybe they dont need to be controlled. Maybe you just need to channel them in to something that would turn them in to a benefit rather than a hinderance.

Look for something that relly makes you happy. Within that, what ever it maybe. There will be a way to use your symptomatic unrestedness as a gift. A racing mind could solve a problem in double quick time. Look at it that way.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

No issue, just giving advice on how I meditate.

Maybe I can not sit and watch tv, but I keep myself occupied, and will never be accused of being lazy or a couch potato, lol I also agree that we are all wired different. It does get annoying that I never feel relaxed to just sit. My brain does not know how to be still, even when I sleep. Though, I do so enjoy the lucid dreams I do, and think that is part of how my brain is wired

Give some here but get some there

Ama

reply to post by amatrine


O.K so what your saying is that you dont see your ADD, as a problem. Your just letting people know that you can still meditate with this condition.

If ive misunderstood, my bad. Im a little tired at the minute and perhaps not reading things clearly. No offense intended anyway.

Hope you dont see your ADD as a hinderance anyway. Wish you could health in the future. lol

Im off to bed

Originally posted by calstorm
First of all I don't believe in ADD as an illness. people are born with different personalities,

I believe you're mostly correct.
My department at work (MIS) is almost totally ADD. It's an unofficial job qualification, I suspect.

Originally posted by Algebra

So what is your issue? That modern techniques seem to be failing you, or that you cant control these symtoms yourself. Maybe they dont need to be controlled. Maybe you just need to channel them in to something that would turn them in to a benefit rather than a hinderance.

Excellent questions and suggestion.
It would be nice to be able to hold onto a thought though...

I have ADD and have found the most success with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It took me over two months of practice, but finally trained myself to self calm(eliminating my anxiety attacks!) and begin meditating.

I began with simple ten rep based exercises in breathing. Simply breath in for ten seconds, out for ten, ten times. Daily, and when ever you feel a trigger event coming on (stressor). It begins to train you towards a calming mindset, because by the time you complete your deep breathing, you WILL be calmer.

Next, simply begin doing the DBing in a quiet place, and set aside ten to twenty minutes. Assume a comfy position, and close your eyes. In your mind begin at your toes and imagine warmth and relaxation. Focus on each ascending body part until you relax up to your head, then finish.


Eventually, you will be able to do this quickly, and begin to be able to use the block of time for personal meditation.

It really does take practice daily, but it can be done.

Good luck!!

If nothing else, I suggest the Deep Breathing.