ADHD is a condition that affects children and adults. It’s a complex disorder that requires help from professionals. Several types of counselling and medication are available. Some people may also find that changes at home or in school can reduce symptoms.
One study of psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD showed positive results in a randomized trial. This was the most methodologically rigorous test of a psychosocial treatment to date.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
ADHD therapy north Vancouver (CBT) is a psychological treatment that helps people cope with their struggles. It’s effective for adults with ADHD and can help them improve their quality of life. It’s also used in conjunction with psychiatric medications. You can find a CBT therapist by asking your health care provider or asking friends and family for recommendations. You can also look for a therapist online. Many therapists’ websites include a list of conditions and problems that they treat.
Unlike other talking therapies, such as counselling, CBT deals with the individual’s current issues and doesn’t focus much on their past experiences. It’s more structured and focuses on changing unhelpful or unhealthy thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
People with ADHD often experience setbacks in their relationships, work and personal lives. These setbacks can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Often, they develop self-critical and pessimistic internal dialogs and bring these beliefs into the future, causing them to expect the same negative outcomes.
Mindfulness training
Mindfulness training, or meditation techniques, can help individuals focus on the present moment and notice their emotions. These practices can also reduce the feeling of impulsivity and improve listening skills. These techniques can be beneficial for both adults and children with ADHD. Studies show that mindfulness training can improve attention and self-control in people with ADHD.
However, some people may find meditation difficult because they struggle to concentrate for long periods of time. To address this problem, a physician can recommend starting with shorter meditation sessions and gradually increasing them over time. It is also helpful to have an accountability partner for your meditation practice.
While mindfulness is a good tool for adults with ADHD, it may not be appropriate for children. Psychiatrists can use different types of mindfulness training to treat ADHD, including mindful-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). This combination uses both cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to teach patients to control their internal state.
Parenting skills training
When a child is diagnosed with ADHD, he or she may struggle to sit still for long periods of time. They may also fidget or act before thinking. They might also make poor decisions that impact their lives in negative ways. These issues are not always easy to diagnose. In many cases, only a thorough evaluation can determine whether the child has ADHD.
During therapy, parents will be taught new strategies for controlling the child’s behaviour and encouraged to practice them at home. Typically, therapists will use role-play and modeling as a method of instruction. In addition, both contemporary Hanf-Model programs (HNC and PCIT) require that parents adhere to the consequence protocol during treatment (i.e., a parent must use an average of two effective commands and rewards per minute; or 10 behavior descriptions, reflective statements, and labeled praises in five minutes) in order to progress. This is important because it increases the probability that the skill will be used at home, increasing the effectiveness of the intervention.
Medication management
Most people who have ADHD use controlled medications, which can be effective in alleviating core symptoms. The medication can also reduce the risk of substance abuse and enhance social skills.
Behavioral therapies are also helpful. They can help to break the link between core ADHD symptoms and continued failure and underachievement. They can be used to treat comorbid psychiatric and emotional problems as well, including depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Psychotherapy programs for adult ADHD typically emphasize cognitive-behavioral approaches, and many are based on dialectic behavior therapy. These techniques include learning to recognize and regulate emotions, improving interpersonal communication skills, and developing mindfulness.
Several studies have tested the efficacy of therapist-delivered and self-directed psychosocial interventions for adults with ADHD. A recent study by Virta and colleagues tested a group intervention described as cognitive-behaviorally oriented group rehabilitation. Twenty-nine adults participated in weekly group sessions that addressed motivation and initiation, listening, organization, attention and emotion regulation, anger management and impulsivity, memory, and self-esteem. Each session included psychoeducation, skill review and development, and homework assignments.