What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder. Fundamentally, ADHD is a disorder of executive function, which is the human brain’s ability to prioritize tasks and stimuli. It is primarily characterized by difficulty focusing (an inability to prioritize the thing one needs to focus on over other stimuli) and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity (an inability to prioritize long term gain over short-term gain). People with ADHD often struggle with regulating/suppressing their emotions as well.
ADHD is a common condition, affecting an estimated 5-9% of the population. In recent months awareness of this diagnosis and its impact on daily life has increased dramatically has led to an increase in diagnoses. ADHD always presents in childhood, but often does not create problems for people until adolescence of even adulthood.
Common Signs and Symptoms
People with ADHD often suffer from the following symptoms
- Difficulty sustaining focus: People with ADHD often have difficulty sustaining focus on a task. They may be able to focus for brief periods of time, but then struggle to maintain focus. As a result, tasks that require sustained attention often produce a lot of anxiety for people with ADHD, which in turn can lead to procrastination.
- Difficulty with organization: People with ADHD often struggle with organization. Sometimes this manifests itself in difficulty getting organized, but often times people with ADHD are able to get organized just fine, but then struggle to stay organized or maintain or stay with a system that they have developed.
- Difficulty completing tasks: People with ADHD often have a tendency to start multiple projects but struggle to finish them, and as a result often find themselves with too many things going on at once, which in turn leads to greater frustration.
- Getting distracted easily by unimportant stimuli: People with ADHD struggle to differentiate between what is important and what is not important, and as a result can get distracted very easily by things that don’t matter. This is different from anxiety, where people often assign greater importance to certain things because of their worry and are then distracted by those worries. People with ADHD tend to get distracted either by things going on around them or by mundane things such as what they need to get at the grocery store later.
- Forgetfulness in daily activities
- Frequently losing things or misplacing things that are necessary for daily activities
- Hyperactivity
- Fidgeting
- Excessive talking
- Difficulty waiting one’s turn, including speaking out of turn
- Running and climbing in inappropriate situations
Treatment Options for Children and Adults
Fortunately, ADHD is a highly treatable condition. Each individual requires a different treatment pattern to achieve the best results. Common ADHD therapies and services include:
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral treatment is often used to treat children and teenagers with ADHD. This type of therapy involves helping kids control their impulses and sometimes involves both the child and the parent. Behavioral therapy for ADHD may also target a set of skills called “executive functions.” These include planning, organization, and time management. This type of therapy helps children perform better in school and manage responsibilities.
Support for Family
Family therapy for ADHD can give parents the tools they need to help their children build important skills in the long term. Since parents spend every day with the child, they can ensure the child is implementing what they have learned in therapy. A behavior modification plan may be set to help the entire family work together towards helping a child with ADHD.
Interventions in the Classroom
Kids who are dealing with ADHD often need some accommodations in the classroom in order to achieve their potential. There is nothing wrong with working with an ADHD therapist to identify classroom interventions that could be helpful for your child. Common interventions include:
- Extra test/assignment time
- Directions read aloud
- Daily report cards
- Seating near the teacher/whiteboard
Ongoing Individual Therapy
Ongoing therapy is a form of mental health treatment that involves regular and ongoing sessions with a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychologist. Ongoing therapy is typically recommended for individuals who are dealing with chronic mental health conditions or who are working through significant life changes or challenges.
Ongoing therapy sessions are typically scheduled on a regular basis, such as weekly or biweekly, and can be conducted in-person, over the phone, or online. During each session, the therapist works collaboratively with the client to identify their goals and concerns, and to develop strategies and skills to manage their symptoms and improve their overall wellbeing.
Skills training and counseling for ADHD is an effective treatment method for adults. Therapy can be used to target organizational skills, change patterns in thinking and behavior, and build self-esteem. An ADHD therapist can implement a variety of treatments through individual therapy depending on your specific goals.
Medication Management
Medication management is a healthcare service that involves the appropriate prescribing, monitoring, and adjusting of medications for an individual’s medical condition. Medication management is typically provided by a healthcare professional, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist, who has expertise in medication use and management.
Medications are an extremely effective option for both children and adults. For preteens, adolescents, and adults, stimulants are the first line of treatment. For younger children, non-stimulant options are often used first and can be very effective.
Our Approach to Treating ADHD
At Chrysalis, we believe in a compassionate approach to ADHD therapy and psychiatric services. We work with each adult, child, and family to assess their specific needs and develop a treatment plan that works for them. We follow patients closely and work to find a treatment option that maximizes benefit while minimizing side effects. Call Chrysalis Psychiatry at 505-503-6300 to make an appointment for ADHD therapy in Albuquerque, or fill out our contact form, and a representative will reach out to you as soon as possible.