ADHD... Diagnosis or Not? An Exploration with Dr. Luisa Sanz

Leon and Noel are twins and both have diagnoses of ADHD and ASD but there couldn’t be two more different people … and that, I’d say, is the magic of life!

I BELIEVE... in the bright inner diamond that we ALL have and makes us all PERFECT; do you?

The fascinating comorbid ADHD + ASD... what 50 years ago was deemed as impossible, today is a fact... here we explore what may also become a fact in another 50 years? The purpose of this article is to reflect on the presentation of comorbid ADHD and ASD which is very different to when these two conditions present separately, highlighting the challenges of diagnosing this FASCINATING COMORBIDITY whilst exploring its potential and strength, and learning on the way. I refer to this comorbidity as fascinating as, how symptoms and traits mix, has the potential of resulting on an amazingly successful combination or, on the other hand, leading to a much greater challenge in getting through life. Individuals with the amazing trait combination of this ADHD + ASD comorbidity are likely to have successful careers and never present in Mental Health (MH services whereas those with the more challenging trait combination are more likely to present in MH services due to the comorbidity itself or secondary presentations such as depression or anxiety.

Two men in their 50s receive an ADHD diagnosis which changes their lives: J’s email to myself within a week of starting medication: “I am a completely different person now Dr. The transformation is beyond comprehension. I’ve never looked forward to my life in the past, ever, and I’m 50 now.  Thank you so much!”

Change is the only thing that is permanent in life. Evolution is on-going continuous Change. Evolution starts with the Change in ONE being to then become two beings, then a few, and a few more to form a minority and ultimately, the majority and ALL.  ADH (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity) is slowly but surely becoming a more and more common Presentation. Therefore, should we still refer to it as a Disorder, ADHD? Perhaps, it is now time to talk about ADHP , a Presentation .

We are so pleased to announce that Dr. Luisa Sanz has just launched her guided wellbeing journal: My Journal, MYLife . This will support you in achieving the changes you set off to make in your life whilst, effortlessly, you’ll also be changing your outlook towards a more positive one ultimately leading to a more fulfilling, happier life. This journal was written and developed by Dr. Luisa Sanz. You'll find space for reflection, introspection, learning, and growth. This is a springboard to becoming a better version of yourself through proving your inner strength and so achieving a deeper self-understanding and a greater sense of purpose. While tools like this can be extremely valuable, and we know you will benefit greatly from this journal, we wanted to explore goal setting further to help you understand the intention behind the journal and help you succeed in the goals you set out for yourself. Here is an interview with Dr. Sanz about goals. We hope you enjoy it! If you’re ready to make positive changes in your life, get your journal now! What is a Goal? A goal is anything that we aim for or want to change. When we’re setting goals and imagining those changes, one would expect that they will improve our quality of life or be beneficial somehow. So, most goals are positive in nature, either in the short term, long term, or both. Sometimes reaching one’s goals seems very difficult, and in the short term it can appear to make life harder or more of a struggle, but in the longer term, they provide a real benefit. If you are not satisfied with some aspects of your life, then you need to reflect on why you aren’t satisfied and if it would be worth putting in the effort to make a change and improve that aspect of life. If the answer is yes, then you set out to change and the goal comes from that place. What are some benefits of setting sustainable, achievable goals? Good question! Instead, I would phrase it as setting achievable goals that are then sustainable. First, you have to be able to achieve the goal that you’ve set, then you need to be able to sustain it through time. The benefit of this type of achievable and sustainable goal is, in the greatest sense, a better quality of life. You’ve likely set a goal that is going to help improve your lifestyle, when you meet this goal and elevate your lifestyle, your self-esteem will boost because you’re achieving what you’ve set out to achieve and that would also improve your confidence levels. In our journal, we have the “Cuadruple S” or “SSSS.” It stands for Sensible, Sustainable, and Safe goals to Succeed. In setting goals that meet the “SSSS,” we are more likely to benefit from those goals in the long term. Do you believe there is a direct link between goals and happiness? The straight answer would be absolutely yes. But, for deeper exploration, I’d add that people tend to misunderstand what happiness is and assume that feeling happy is being happy, but there’s an essential difference between the two. Feeling happy can be achieved by anything that temporarily brings us joy whereas being happy is a state of being, a long-term way of living; this is much harder to achieve. It is achievable, certainly, but it tends to require a longer journey. That said, goals can be used to provide both the feeling and the state of being happy. Perhaps it makes you feel temporarily happy at first, but if it’s sustained over time, it may lead you to a happier state of being. Happiness is achievable for all of us, but some of us are born with a more positive outlook which makes our journey much easier; whereas some others have a more negative predisposition and so need to make a greater effort in achieving goals to ultimately achieve the greatest goal of happiness. What are some tactics that one may use to inspire real lasting change in their lives? The greatest tactic is your mindset. You’ve got to believe in yourself, you’ve got to believe in the fact that you have a right to be happy and to achieve the goals you are setting out to. Along with the journal comes some “rules” to help you set and achieve your goals, but also to help you believe. One of the first rules is love, you must begin with love for yourself. Another rule is honesty. You’ve got to be honest with yourself as to why you are setting a specific goal and what you aim to achieve. When it comes to goals, we tend to default to excuses and outward-facing blame if we struggle to achieve what we’ve set out to. But, if you’re honest with yourself, internal reasons for struggling to achieve goals will come to the surface. Perhaps you aren’t prioritizing yourself, perhaps you’re not ready for the change. There are three rules when entering this journal and they are absolutely crucial: you have to love yourself, you have to be honest with yourself, and you have to enter with positivity. The last one begins with a positive mindset. This is not to say that you need to be so positive that you simply can’t allow mistakes, on the contrary, it is to say that despite mistakes you still stay positive as mistakes aren’t really such, instead they’re experiences to learn from… and that’s the positive outlook we’re talking about! You've got to ask yourself: “Is this goal important enough?” And “is it worth the effort that I need to put in?” These two questions can be answered by looking at the “why and the “who” of the goal: “Why do I want this change?” and “who am I doing it for?” This is where you need to exercise total honesty. If you can’t answer the “why,” it’s not important enough, therefore it will be harder to succeed. And if the answer to the “who” doesn’t include yourself, the change may happen but it’s not likely to last long as changing for others is never the right reason and so requires too much effort. Next, you need to ask if the goal is realistic and if it is sustainable. You need to be able to achieve your goal, but you also need to be able to sustain the change to improve your life and your happiness in the long term. Unsustainable goals can diminish long-term benefit rather than elevate it. So, ask yourself about why you’re doing it, who you’re doing it for, and if it’s realistic and sustainable. If you’ve got answers to all four questions, you will certainly achieve your goal. What are some unhealthy or toxic assumptions or beliefs about goals? In my opinion, the most toxic belief about goals is the need to change becoming an expectation from society. If you ever think that you need to fit in with society's expectations and this leads your change, then you won't succeed in your long-term goals, you may achieve them, but you won't sustain them. Goals like these that are set to meet others’ needs and expectations are not authentic to yourself. You've got to set a goal that you believe in, not because others want you to change in that way or expect that change in you, but because you believe in those goals. Another aspect of changing in response to social expectations leading to unsuccessful goals is comparison. When we compare ourselves to others and make changes in this way, those changes are not genuine and won’t last. Another worrisome side of goal setting is shame and fear of failing. This is why we must enter with love, honesty, and positivity. It’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to readjust. When we set goals for ourselves and give ourselves room for error, we’re so much more likely to succeed and, so much more likely to just get started in the first place. How is your journal different from what else is out there? What sets this journal apart is the intention behind it. This journal is different from anything that’s out there because it’s got both short-term intention and long-term purpose. It’s aiming to help people in the here and now, but it also has the long-term purpose of transformation. This journal aims to switch your mindset towards a more positive outlook in life. In changing one’s outlook, making changes, achieving goals and sustaining them becomes a much easier task. The beauty of this journal is that from the beginning of day one, it provides you with loads of tools to help you succeed, both within the journal and in your day-to-day life. It helps you rationalize your goals and lay a foundation for success. There are other things like lists of reasons to change and inspirational quotes. We provide a ton of those and also give you space to add your own. You’ll find the “Be Better Box,” daily pages and weekly reflections, and so much more. This journal is made for everyone and developed with clinical, factual background information on positive mindsetting, goal setting/succeeding and factors contributing to happiness.

In this article, Dr. Luisa Sanz interviews the mother of a patient named Miles. Miles has both autism and ADHD and in this interview, Dr. Sanz explores Lucy and Miles' story.

We are pleased to share a video series on ADHD by Dr. Luisa Sanz, child and adolescent psychiatrist. The purpose of Mind Yr Life is to share information and start conversations to dismantle stigma surrounding mental health and promote an attitude of acceptance, compassion, love, and respect.