Adults with ADHD face unique challenges in their everyday lives. While there are many ways to manage symptoms of ADHD, a multipronged approach creates a comprehensive support system to better help individuals with all aspects of their lives. Adults who attend regular therapy and take medications receive more resources they can use to manage their symptoms. Discover the ways therapy can benefit adults with ADHD with this brief rundown.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults With ADHD
When many people think of ADHD, they imagine little kids struggling to sit still in the classroom. But adults live with ADHD, too, and they face challenges that call for different treatments and strategies. Struggles to stay organized, manage time, and find motivation for daily tasks make professional and personal life difficult for adults with ADHD.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that seeks to change thought and behavioral patterns. Therapy can help individuals overcome negative patterns, improve confidence and motivation, and stay in control of their lives.
Reframe Negative Thought Processes
CBT focuses on current thoughts and behaviors. By reframing thoughts that lead to poor self-esteem or motivation, individuals can start to overcome those negative behaviors. Therapy focuses less on strategies to improve time management or organization and more on changing the negative thoughts behind these challenges. By addressing the root of the issue, individuals can build confidence, overcome self-esteem issues, and create a more solid foundation to manage their ADHD symptoms.
Improve Stress Management
Adult life comes with a lot of demands. Even routine demands can become an immense source of stress for individuals who struggle with organization and time management. Another goal of CBT is to improve stress management skills. Learning how to identify sources of stress and cope with stressful obligations can ease the burden of ADHD symptoms. CBT seeks to build stress management skills—such as practicing self-care or reframing self-defeating thoughts—for adults with ADHD to deploy whenever they need to.
Address Co-Existing Disorders
Adults with ADHD are more likely to have other mood or behavioral disorders, such as anxiety or depression. Individuals can work with their therapists to incorporate treatments for these co-existing disorders. While such treatments don’t focus on ADHD and its symptoms, CBT can ease the stress, negative thoughts, or other symptoms that come with co-existing disorders. Treating these additional symptoms makes it easier to manage ADHD.
There are several ways therapy can benefit adults with ADHD, and everyone’s experience will come with different challenges and benefits. Working with a therapist and your primary care doctor can help you come up with a treatment plan to best manage symptoms of ADHD and lead a positive and fulfilling life.
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