William Dodson: recent publications

December 15, 2023Teens aged 18 to 19 are more likely than any other age group to stop taking prescribed medication for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published in The Lancet.1 The study, which sought to determine the rate of ADHD treatment discontinuation across the lifespan, found that 61% of young adults (ages 18 to 24) discontinued treatment within a year of beginning it, almost double the rate of discontinuation in kids under 12.The retrospective, observational study analyzed population-based databases from Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the United States, to track patterns of medication initiation, persistence, and discontinuation in the five years after starting treatment. Included in the study were 1,229,972 individuals (60% males, 40% females), aged four and older.The study revealed that one year after beginning treatment, medication was discontinued by:The age at which medication was most commonly discontinued was between 18 and 19 years old.The reasons teens, adults, and children stop taking medication are plentiful and varied.

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The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is the enduring authority for healthcare providers who diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Its origins date back to the 1800s1 and, though it continues to serve an important role for patients and clinicians, the DSM is not without significant problems.

By Ellen Littman, Ph.D.“Generally, non-ADHD brains can self-regulate with relative confidence, and exercise an adequate amount of control over their behavior. ADHD brains do not adapt as easily; they have their own rules of engagement. They are motivated by their search for optimal stimulation, rather than by what others label as important.

by William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA“Most people, clinicians included, have only a vague understanding of what ADHD means. They assume it equates to hyperactivity and poor focus, mostly in children. But when we step back and ask, What does everyone with ADHD have in common, that people without ADHD don’t experience? a different set of symptoms take shape.

September 28, 2023Then: ADHD is a behavioral disorder.Now: “ADHD is a cognitive disorder, a developmental impairment of executive functions.” — Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D.Then: ADHD is hyperactivity and impulsivity.Now: ADHD is emotional dysregulation and executive dysfunction. — Russell Barkley, Ph.D.Then: ADHD is deficient attention.Now: “The hallmark of the ADHD nervous system is not attention deficit, but inconsistent attention.” — William Dodson, M.D.Then: Adult women can’t have ADHD.Now: ADHD is a highly impairing and potentially dangerous condition for girls and women.

The list of gender gaps is sufficiently long and distressing. Disparities in pay, employment, and housework are well-documented — but did you know that women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression?According to the CDC, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects 11% of women as opposed to 6% of men.

A: The term refers to using a stimulant and a non-stimulant to reduce ADHD symptoms. There were no lectures in medical school on this therapy and no studies of it when… | Keep reading on ADDitude »A: Clinicians should titrate while evaluating a patient’s environmental and familial conditions, screen for primary sleep disorders, and… | Keep reading on ADDitude »A: If a stimulant is causing excessive irritability, restlessness, or seriousness throughout the day, a dose reduction… | Keep reading on MDedge »A: ADHD medication initiation and adherence are increased when patients have a strong working alliance with their clinician and trust the health care system… | Keep reading on ADDitude »A: As clinicians, we must acknowledge how difficult it is take medications every day.

ADHD medications do not place patients of any age, including middle-aged and older adults, at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a new meta-analysis of 19 observational studies that included 3.9 million participants. William Dodson, M.D., heralded the groundbreaking finding as a “turning point,” particularly for older adults who have been unable to treat their ADHD with medication due to fears of cardiovascular side effects.People with dyslexia have strengths in experimentation, innovation, and searching for the unknown, all of which play a crucial role in how humans adapt and survive, according to a new study.

Not available June 29? Don’t worry. Register here and we’ll send the replay link to watch at your convenience.Emotional dysregulation is a core facet of ADHD.

RSD is one of the most disruptive manifestations of emotional dysregulation — a common but often misunderstood symptom of ADHD, particularly in adults. RSD is a brain-based phenomenon that is likely an innate feature of ADHD. Though the experience of RSD can be painful and even traumatic, it is not thought to be caused by trauma.Just about every person with ADHD experiences rejection sensitivity, says psychiatrist William Dodson, M.D. He says that what triggers this pain is the perception, real or imagined, of being:[Self-Test: Do I Have RSD?]According to Dr.

William Dodson, MD, is the original creator of the interest, challenge, novelty, urgency (ICNU) framework. Read more about Dodson’s insights here,

ADHD medication for the first time or when a clinician recommends a new drug or dosage:Here, ADHD specialist William Dodson, M.D., answers 14 of the most common questions about ADHD medication from caregivers and from adults with ADD.Stimulant ADHD medications are among the most effective treatments in all of medicine. They literally “stimulate” the brain to produce more norepinephrine and dopamine — the key neurotransmitters deficient in patients with ADHD.The FDA has approved 29 stimulant medications for treating ADHD in the U.S.

ADHD is an inaccurate — and potentially corrosive — name. The term “deficit disorder” places ADHD in the realm of pathology, or disease. Individuals with ADHD do not have a disease, nor do they have a deficit of attention; in fact, what they have is an abundance of attention. The challenge is controlling it.