Last week I wrote a post entitled, "Why Some People Don't Believe in ADHD" which generated a lot of discussion among our members on ADHD Central. One of the people I quoted in my article was Michael Laskoff, a blogger for the Huffington Post who happens to have a diagnosis of adult ADHD. When Michael dropped by to our site to contribute to our discussion I immediately sought the opportunity to interview him for further insights into how one manages adult ADHD. Michael has had his share of trials and tribulations due to his ADHD yet he has found ways to manage his disorder that he would like to share with you today. I hope you find this interview as enlightening and inspiring as I did.
Michael has graciously agreed to answer any questions you might have for him in the form of a comment.
Who is Michael Laskoff?
Michael B. Laskoff is the CEO of AbilTo, which uses a unique approach to create a better alternative for millions of people seeking to overcome commonplace behavioral disorders and life transitions.
Prior to his current work, he co-founded The Branded Asset Management Group, which helped large marketers leverage untapped profit potential in existing brands and worked in senior marketing and strategy roles at Bertlesmann, McKinsey & Co., CompUSA, as well as a number of early ecommerce businesses. His book, Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass dealt with managing job transition, which was also the subject of his BusinessWeek online column; he currently blogs for The Huffington Post.
Laskoff is a graduate of Harvard Business School and University of Chicago.
At what age were you diagnosed with ADHD? Who diagnosed you? Did you suspect that you had ADHD before your official diagnosis?
I was 39 years old when I was diagnosed with ADHD, and while I had always know that something wasn't quite right, I had never suspected that the cause was ADHD. As to how I got diagnosed, that was entirely by accident.
I couldn't sleep, and I assumed that the cause of my insomnia was anxiety. So I went to see my doctor and asked for anti-anxiety medication. He declined. Instead, he sent me to a psychologist, Stephen Josephson, who has a reputation for helping people with sleep issues.
After Steve had spent approximately five minutes with me - talking about sleep, he asked me what I was doing to treat my ADHD. He was certain that I had heard it; I, on the other hand, was stunned. I didn't know adults could have ADHD: I had never considered it in a personal context. But as Steve began to read the official diagnostic criteria to me, I knew with absolute certainty that he was on the money.
To make the diagnosis official, I went to the NYU Child Studies Center and met with Dr. Roy Boorady. Roy doesn't normally see adults, but I had learned that child psychologists are often the best trained and most knowledgeable when it comes to diagnosing and treating ADHD in adults. After administering a battery of questionnaires and taking a detailed history, Roy officially concluded that I have ADHD.
