Books by Douglas Cootey

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Somewhat Liked Posts

I Could Get Where I Was Going if Only My Mind Weren't in the Way

I've been wondering how to tackle today's column since I'm experiencing what I call the "slow tick". Whereas most people think of flailing arms and jerking necks when the word "tic" comes to mind, slow ticks are like being played in slow motion. There is an odd disconnect in my mind as I am aware of what to say in realtime but my mouth has a hard time keeping up. Walking becomes fun as well. Brain: Shift to the right. Let's avoid that wall. Me: Wha? Brain: Shift! Shift! Me: The wall? Boof! It's not quite unlike wading through jello. I can see where I need to go but the world is all woogily and I'm unable to get through it with any manner of celerity. But get there I do. I refuse help whenever possible. I'll be darned and knitted if I'm going to let this stupid disability get in my way. Don't be fooled by my bravado. The disability gets in the way all the time. Like this morning as my sweet four year old tried to help me ...
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AD/HD: Speaking without Thinking

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I would like to thank Blogger for selecting my column as a Blog of Note . I am thrilled to find so many like minded individuals making the comments section an intellectual treat. Curse you! I haven't been able to get anything done for a whole week. One of the comments from last week's column was a terse reprimand by a woman (I assume) who urged me to not think so much and do instead. Ignoring the fact that her short comment judged my life by only the words of a humorous column I write each week, she also showed a lack of understanding of the AD/HD mind. Not think so much? If there is any one defining aspect of AD/HD it is the lack of contemplative thought before action is taken. We are masters of the instantaneous impulse. Take today's subject matter for an example. There you are, grieving family members around you, the organ plays in the background, and you've got this really funny joke to tell. Happen to you? No, me neither, but I do know a guy who appa...
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Depression: Ten Ways to Fight It Off, Part 2

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Update 2016: This article was featured in my book "Saying NO to Suicide" Part 1 | Part 2 Last week I covered the first steps I found necessary to fight off depression. A good night's sleep, a balanced meal, and lots of exercise you ask? Well, I might try those someday, but mostly my steps involved developing self-awareness and a proactive attitude, or in other words, know when you are depressed and decide to do something about it. I found once I put myself in the proper frame of mind I could pull myself out of the funk. Sometimes, willpower alone was enough, but often I needed a bag of tricks to rely on. Continuing my list of ten ways to fight off the black beastie, here are the six steps I use to distract myself away from depression, and who better to guide you than a Master of Distraction? After all, getting distracted was what got me in trouble in last week's example. I'm a natural. 5) Ignore it Believe it or not, once you develop the ability to see your...
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