As you spend more time discussing goals and challenges with your Talkspace therapist, you may have questions or are interested in learning more about specific mental health topics and conditions. The Talkspace Bookshelf offers up-to-date mental health information directly from our behavioral health team to provide a better understanding of condition origins, diagnoses, various forms a condition may take, and different treatment options. Feel free to use this resource as a starting point to open up a dialogue and pose questions for your Talkspace therapist.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is more commonly called, is a mental condition in which an individual may experience symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and/or behavior that often manifests as hyperactivity and impulsivity. Those living with ADHD may find it difficult to manage their behaviors and may even experience negative consequences as a result. While most people consider ADHD to be an illness that primarily affects children, it should be noted that approximately 2.5% of the adult population lives with this condition as well (as opposed to 5% prevalence in children). However, the consensus in the psychiatric community is that ADHD always begins in childhood, and thus symptoms are most often experienced before 12 years of age.
Stigma
There is a lot of stigma surrounding ADHD, especially among adults living with the condition. As ADHD is often considered a condition which primarily affects children, adults living with undiagnosed ADHD often have difficulty getting the professional support they need in order to effectively manage their condition.
In some instances, adults living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may find themselves in trouble at school or work, sometimes resulting in negative work performance, probationary periods, other disciplinary actions, and even potentially termination. As such, untreated ADHD in adults can cause a great amount of problems with one’s livelihood, family, and relationships.
Stigma around having ADHD as a child has diminished over the past few decades as researchers and educators have gained better understandings of the inner workings of the condition. However, as with most mental illnesses, there is still a great amount of stigma attached to ADHD. Therefore, children with ADHD may experience bullying, teasing, and lack of access to appropriate resources.
Criteria & Symptoms
Those living with ADHD often experience a mix of difficulty focusing, or inattention/distraction, and behavioral impulsivity. These two categories make up the symptoms that characterize ADHD.
Inattention
With regards to inattention, those living with ADHD typically experience the following symptoms for at least a period of six months:
- Difficulty maintaining attention to tasks at school or work (and play activities for children)
- Appears to not be listening or following directions when being spoken to directly
- May often make careless mistakes at school or work
- May often be forgetful of daily or routine tasks. For children this may include things like chores. For adolescents and adults this may manifest in difficulty remembering to take care of personal responsibilities such as paying bills, keeping scheduled appointments, etc.
- Is generally often forgetful and may routinely lose things such as wallet, keys, tools, pencils, glasses, homework, etc.
- Fails to meet expected deadlines and/or generally has difficulty managing and organizing tasks, especially ones that must be done sequentially
- Poor time management
- Often does not follow instructions on homework or assigned work tasks
- Is easily and often distracted by external stimuli (for kids); for adolescents and adults, they may be distracted by unrelated internal thoughts
- May dislike, be apprehensive, or even avoid completing tasks or activities that require ongoing mental effort (such as writing papers, completing lengthy forms, etc.)
Impulsive Behavior
Additionally, those living with ADHD typically experience symptoms of impulsive behavior or hyperactivity for at least six months. As is the case with inattention, these symptoms must be inappropriate for the expected developmental level.
- May often, and suddenly, leave their seat in situations where it is expected of them to remain seated (e.g. Classrooms, office, etc.)
- May talk excessively
- Has difficulty waiting their turn as in waiting in line
- May be experienced by other as being restless or always “on the go”
- Often taps, squirms, or otherwise fidgets
- Has difficulty partaking in leisurely games or activities
- For children, they may often climb or run in situations where it is inappropriate to do so
- Provides answers to questions before the question has ended (blurts out) and may interrupt people in conversation
These behaviors obviously may make excelling at school or work quite difficult for someone who lives with ADHD. In most cases, these challenges are not limited to just one area. For example, a child with ADHD may experience difficulty staying on task at both school and at home. For adults, they may experience a combination of these symptoms in educational settings, work, or home.
Related conditions
ADHD may be hard to initially diagnose due to its closeness to other behavioral disorders that have similar, yet nuanced representations. If you feel that you, or a loved one, may be living with ADHD or a related condition, speaking with an experienced psychiatrist for an evaluation may be warranted and very helpful in deciding the best course of treatment. Potential related conditions include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and other anxiety or mood disorders among others.
Treatment
Medication
Medication for ADHD is by far the most common treatment for ADHD in the United States. There are a variety of medications that have been proven to help alleviate ADHD symptoms, improve attention, and limit hyperactivity. Medication can be a powerful tool in helping children or adults function better in work, school, or social environments.
Stimulants are a category of medications with proven success in treating ADHD symptoms, making the condition much more manageable on a day-to-day basis. Medications such as Adderall (and Adderall XR), Ritalin, and Concerta have all demonstrated effectiveness in treating ADHD. Medications such as Strattera and Vyvanse have also been known to effectively manage symptoms.
Some individuals living with ADHD might also benefit from antidepressant medications such as venlafaxine (brand name Effexor) and bupropion (brand names Wellbutrin, Zyban). It is recommended that you consult with a psychiatrist to determine the treatment that will best meet your needs.
Psychotherapy
In addition to medication, talk therapy (or psychotherapy) can be an effective treatment for ADHD. Behavior therapy is the most recommended type of treatment for ADHD. For children, a therapist will guide a child to develop new behaviors that replace those which cause disruptions at school and other environments. The therapist and child may also work together to better enable the child to appropriately communicate thoughts and feelings to peers and adults such as teachers and caregivers. In addition to behavior therapy, a therapist will likely work with the parents or guardians to help them reinforce positive behaviors through behavioral conditioning with the child. Often, a therapist, parents, and teachers may coordinate care to ensure that recommended behaviors are followed through appropriately in all settings.
For adults living with ADHD, behavioral therapy will help minimize distractions that may interfere with a person’s ability to succeed at work or school. Your therapist will help you identify new behavioral strategies that will set you up for success in the areas most affected by ADHD. A therapist may also encourage you to further develop assertiveness skills to more effectively communicate with peers, family, romantic partners, and work colleagues.
Therapeutic Note
Remember your therapist is here to help you figure out the best way to address your concerns. Therapy works best when it is a collaboration between you and your therapist. It is important to be open, honest, and an active participant in this process. Talk to your therapist about your goals for therapy so that together you can come up with the best plan to achieve your goals.
Questions You Might Have For Your Talkspace Therapist
- I think that my partner might have ADHD. How can I help them?
- Can I be cured from ADHD?
- How might ADHD look different in children versus adults?
- I think I have ADHD and I am seeing similarities in my child. Can it be an inherited condition?
- I am worried about taking stimulant medications, can therapy alone help me to manage my ADHD better?
Sources
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Neurodevelopmental Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). (2017, May 31). Retrieved June 13, 2017
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2017