ADHD in Adults

 
 

ADHD in adults

Yes! ADHD affects adults. It is NOT exclusively a “disorder of childhood.” (I will also argue with the term “disorder” at some point too, gah, so much to unpack)

So many adults make it to adulthood without a proper diagnosis or proper treatment that they have to work out, on their own or without expert help, the best ways to “adult.” Also, not surprising that “adulting” is a term, as the world has changed so much that what used to be everyday, common tasks are now overwhelming, intimidating and can wreak havoc on our emotional well-being.

Adults need therapy treatment from an experience mental health professional who can consider the various layers of your unique history in order to effect positive and meaningful change.

Facts and figures

  • 4.4% of Adults have ADHD

    • Of those with ADHD, half have some form of an anxiety disorder

  • About 50% of people with a personality disorder, also have ADHD

  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD), which affects about 40 million people 12 and over, has a longstanding connection to ADHD. Up to 50% of people with SUD’s are also diagnosed with ADHD

  • About 9% of adults have both a SUD and Mental Health Disorder

I know those figures seem all over the place… I still think it’s important you see them.

The real purpose of showing you these facts and figures is to drive home the point that what you might be experiencing isn’t this straight forward, simple, follow-the-manual thing. Your experience is complex to you. Having a therapist who understands the interplay of your symptoms and life experiences is incredibly important to effective therapy treatment.

REjection Sensitive dysphoria and therapy

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria in adults with ADHD can be the most distressing part of living with a neurodivergent brain. While RSD is not officially recognized in diagnostic manuals, RSD is regularly accepted and discussed amongst the neurodivergent community. The impact of RSD is often lower self-esteem and lower confidence in your ability to handle new situations or recurring uncomfortable situations (e.g. asking a store clerk for help, waiting in line, being asked to reschedule a coffee date, etc.)

Both therapy and medication can be helpful in reducing the negative impacts of RSD, with both treatments having the goal of improving emotional regulation.

In therapy, we get to know the parts that trigger the intense feelings and resulting behaviors. With more compassion, less judgement, more patience, less criticism, we’ll find a respectful, kind way to relate to these parts and help them experience the peace and rest they’ve needed.

medication treatment

One of the most effective treatments for ADHD is medication. There is no question that the correct diagnosis and pairing with medication is life-changing for adults with ADHD. I regularly work with psychiatrists in coordinating care. I see wonderful results and benefits to clients having their mental health people work together.

Therapy for ADHD

Many people coming to therapy for ADHD are not so simply helped as the numbers for effective medication treatment might suggest. With the prevalence of anxiety, depression and substance use disorders in America and the co-morbidities with ADHD, having a more holistic approach to your treatment isn’t just wanted, its completely necessary if you want to see long-term, useful changes.

I use a combination of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Mindfulness strategies and Meditation to develop a a unique treatment plan just for you.

Behavioral strategies work, too. What can be really discouraging with behavioral strategies is that an ADHD brain will try some new approach (a new sleep routine, morning routine, working out, planners, calendars, apps, hair style, et cetera) for a week or two, then lose track/lose interest/lose motivation and not want to continue, even if they saw some benefit. Now what? Does that mean it was a garbage approach? Is there something wrong with you that new routines don’t stick? To both questions, probably not. ADHD brains need a little extra support and razzle-dazzle in order for a new routine or process to stick around.

What happens when we get stuck, or feel hopeless? With ACT, we approach mental processes with psychological flexibility. This means that we want to have an ace up our sleeve when the thought of “I didn’t do it perfectly, so I should just give up,” or “this was failed because of xyz,” comes up. Spoiler alert… psychological flexibility is proven to help with anxiety, depression, trauma and other conditions… so, yeah… combining treatments is a no-brainer in my book.

We’ll take a look at what actually motivates you, interests you and will be beneficial to you, AND apply the practices that will help get you on the course YOU choose.

sources

  1. https://www.additudemag.com/statistics-of-adhd/#footnote7

  2. https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-generals-report.pdf