ADHD: Treatment and Therapy
June 12, 2023
7 min read
You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Now what?
Written by Camilla Eidelshtein
The thought of managing ADHD is overwhelming. You might start googling self-help gurus and psychiatrists or searching up ADHD drugs. Where do you even start?
A combination of medical and psychological treatment can often address the main concerns. Understanding the options will empower you to make the right choice for your mental health and professional growth.
Medications for ADHD
There are two broad categories of medications for ADHD: stimulants and non-stimulants. Let’s take a brief look at each.
Stimulants
The most widely used form of ADHD medications are stimulants amphetamine and methylphenidate (brand names Adderall and Ritalin respectively.) They’re called stimulants because they literally excite the brain cells. In ADHD, parts of the brain are hyperactive. The brain cells that turn them off aren’t working well so the stimulants turbocharge the cells to turn down the hyperactive part of the brain.
Methylphenidate and amphetamines are the first line of treatment. They are effective in 70 to 80 percent of children, teens, and adults with moderate to severe ADHD. However, they do come with some side effects:
Decrease in appetite
Heart palpitations
Stomach discomfort
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping
(Note that you shouldn't take Ritalin to help you study for a test last minute.)
Non-stimulants
When stimulants aren't working or the side effects are too much to bear, other medications are prescribed. These include:
Atomoxetine (brand Strattera). Used to treat poor concentration/inattentiveness and impulsivity.
Guanfacine (brand Intuniv). Often used in conjunction with stimulant medications, Guanfacine is used to minimize hyperactivity and impulsivity in addition to helping with emotional regulation.
Clonidine (brand Kapvay). Used to control restlessness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, in addition to improving concentration.
Similar to stimulants, side effects may include:
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Stomach pain
Therapy & Coaching
In addition to medication, there are many treatments that involve learning new strategies and skills to overcome challenging ADHD symptoms. Here are three approaches you might want to incorporate into your treatment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps people with ADHD get unstuck from negative, self-critical thought patterns. These thought patterns negatively impact concentration, motivation, and productivity. Some common types of negative thoughts include:
“I never do anything right.”
“This can’t be good if it’s not perfect.”
“I just can’t do it so I won’t even try.”
“They can do it, why can’t I?”
CBT equips you to challenge these thoughts and irrational beliefs that get in the way of meeting your goals. Through “cognitive restructuring” or “reframing” (i.e. identifying, challenging, and altering one’s negative thoughts), you can manage the effects of stress, reduce emotional difficulties, and change your unhelpful thoughts into one’s that help you fulfill your potential.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
ADHD and anxiety are often a package deal with about half of all adults with ADHD also being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. DBT can help those who experience difficulty with emotional regulation (i.e. reacting in an emotionally appropriate and proportionate manner in stressful situations) and challenges in interpersonal relationships.
In contrast to CBT, DBT’s approach integrates the social/relational and emotional aspects of ADHD. With what is called the “wise mind” in DBT jargon, clients will learn to balance the logical and emotional sides of the brain in everyday decision making and in interpreting emotional context.
DBT emphasizes the importance of distress tolerance and comforting oneself using healthy regulation strategies when overwhelming emotions arise. The integration of mindfulness strategies and interpersonal effectiveness skills (i.e. active listening, conflict resolution, assertiveness, etc.) into DBT can help you to respond calmly in the present and productively communicate your needs.
Coaching
In recent years, coaching has emerged as an up and coming intervention that can be combined with other ADHD treatments, such as medication or therapy.
This specialized form of coaching offers support and guidance to individuals with ADHD, helping them improve their executive functioning skills, such as time management, organization, and goal-setting. Additionally, coaching can help individuals build self-confidence and develop practical strategies for daily living.
However, it is important to note that without official regulation in the profession, individuals seeking an ADHD coach should do their due diligence and research potential coaches carefully before committing to one.
Assistive Technologies
Assistive technologies in the form of software programs, devices, and apps have helped those with ADHD to become better learners, work more effectively, and improve quality of life.
Take a look at these five assistive technologies that might help you be more productive at school or in the workplace:
Time timer. Time Timer is a 60-minute, visual, no-tick timer that helps you to stay on task by boosting your sense of urgency.
List apps. List apps helps you to determine what tasks are most important and when they need to get done through assigning due dates, making lists, and setting reminders. You can also work collaboratively with classmates or co-workers by sharing tasks, lists, and projects on any device.
LiveScribe 3 Smartpen. LiveScribe records everything you hear, write, or speak whether you are in class or in a meeting. It also organizes notes, converts handwriting to text, and syncs audio to handwriting.
Ayoa. Ayoa possesses multi-view flexibility in the form of Kanban-style boards and canvas tools that help you to visually organize assignments and projects while tracking your progress. Ayoa also helps you to brainstorm your most important ideas in a clear format using its mind-mapping feature and personal planner.
Ghotit Real Writer and Reader. Ghotit can be used as a stand-alone text editor or integrated into other applications such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Office. Some features of Ghotit include spelling and grammar checks, text-to-speech software, word prediction, and style/clarity corrections.
Takeaways
With our use of assistive technologies, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and other skills-based training, our therapists at Resolvve will help you to get your disruptive ADHD symptoms under control. To find a therapist right for you, or to book an appointment, click here.
If you are interested in exploring additional ADHD support and resources, many can be found online through CHADD (Children and Adults with A.D.D.), CADACC (The Centre for ADHD Awareness), and ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association.)
**Please note, this is article is not therapy or a replacement for it. Engaging with it does not constitute a therapeutic relationship of any kind with the writer. Please seek professional help if needed.**
