Adults ’Facing’ ADHD: ADHD Allies™ Offers Unique Online Community for Adults with ADHD on New Facebook® Page

Titusville, NJ .— Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition commonly thought of as only affecting children, for nearly 9 million adults in the United States, ADHD is very much a reality. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, adults with ADHD often struggle with getting organized, sticking to a job, remembering or keeping appointments and being productive.

Today, there’s a new Facebook® Page aimed at providing information and insight to adults with ADHD. It’s called ADHD Allies™, available at www.facebook.com/adhdallies and sponsored by McNeil Pediatrics™, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The establishment of ADHD Allies™ follows the 2008 McNeil Pediatrics™ launch of ADHD Moms™, one of the first online resources created for ADHD caregivers in the social media landscape which has attracted more than 8,000 members.

A team of diverse and lively ADHD experts will serve as community leaders for ADHD Allies™, including a healthcare professional, a patient advocate, bloggers and everyday adults with ADHD. Together, these individuals will share their insight, experiences and advice to help other adults with ADHD take on its real-life challenges and realities.

“ADHD challenges every aspect of a person’s life every day and we need communities — virtual or otherwise — where we can support one another,” said ADHD Allies™ community leader Evelyn Polk-Green, president of Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) and an adult with ADHD, from Chicago, Ill. “ADHD Allies™ will give adults with ADHD a chance to be their own advocate and educate themselves and others about the realities of living with ADHD.”

The ADHD Allies™ community leader team includes:

* Ari Tuckman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating adults and adolescents with ADHD, from West Chester, Pa.
* Uri Roer, an adult with ADHD, from New York City, N.Y.
* Terry Matlen, an adult with ADHD, psychotherapist and consultant specializing in adult ADHD and the founder of ADD Consults, Inc., from Birmingham, Mich.
* Evelyn Polk-Green, current president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) and an adult with ADHD, from Chicago, Ill.
* Tara McGillicuddy, an adult with ADHD who is also a senior certified ADHD coach and director of ADDClasses.com, from Plymouth, Mass.

Through interactive functions such as real-time polls, podcasts, vodcasts, feature articles and topical comment walls, fans of the ADHD Allies™ community will have access to community leaders, featured guest experts and other adults who are also experiencing the impact of ADHD. Each month, ADHD Allies™ will add a variety of insight and information on the myriad topics that can be associated with ADHD, including inheritability, parenting, finance management, workplace challenges and more.

“ADHD Allies™ provides adults with ADHD, and anyone else interested in the condition, with credible, reliable information and a place where they can connect with others just like them, who face the same challenges every day,” said Dr. Tuckman, author of Integrative Treatment for Adult ADHD: A Practical, Easy Guide for Clinicians. Dr. Tuckman, who has specialized in ADHD treatment for the past decade, highlights the effect ADHD can have on adults with this condition. “From relationships to workplace productivity to parenting, ADHD Allies™ addresses this condition’s wide-reaching impact.”

ADHD Allies™ reflects a need that McNeil Pediatrics™ found in its 2008 Harris Interactive survey of 1,000 adults with ADHD. Results from that survey found the condition significantly impacts adults’ ability to focus at work, as well as their responsibilities at home and in their relationships. More than a third of respondents also said their symptoms are not under control and that they often get depressed when they think about how hard it is to deal with ADHD. Unfortunately, many adults with ADHD are not diagnosed until later in life, but their diagnosis may often provide a sense of relief. ADHD Allies™ addresses these concerns by providing adults with ADHD the opportunity to hear from others who are experiencing similar challenges, and gain a sense of community support while accessing information as they cope with and manage ADHD.