Many adults in the United States are diagnosed with or affected by the mental health condition attention-deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD). There are some ways that this condition typically makes life challenging.
But, with the right approach, you can mitigate these negative impacts. After finding the right treatment plan for you, you may even find your ADHD to be an asset in your life.
At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, we’re here to provide informed, nonjudgmental support to our new and existing patients. If you’re living with adult ADHD, talk to Dr. Ronald P. Winfield and our team of providers about the positive and negative ways you notice your condition impacting you.
From our location in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, we offer treatment modalities for ADHD including medication management and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Could you benefit from CBT treatment for your adult ADHD? Here are five ways this approach can improve your mental health.
Each of us lives with unique brain chemistry and mental health, influencing our behavior and impacting our happiness. CBT and talk therapy give you a chance to take control of your mental health, choices, and habits. CBT uses concrete goals and methods, so you know where you stand throughout your treatment.
When you take control, you feel empowered. And, with yourself in the driver’s seat of your own life, you can ensure that your choices, actions, and direction are positive for you.
Some forms of therapy are all about unpacking the past. CBT focuses more on the present, helping you to look inward and better understand your inner patterns, assumptions, and thought/behavior structures.
Chaos, disruption, or unhappiness in your present life might arise from ways that you’re thinking or acting now, rather than traumas in your past life or childhood. CBT brings that to the fore.
Some thought patterns tend to trap adults with ADHD, making it impossible to move forward with plans, goals, or intentions. These include all-or-nothing thinking and perfectionism, catastrophizing about worst-case scenarios, and over-personalization and self-blame.
Adults with ADHD also sometimes struggle to connect negative or positive events with the behaviors that resulted in a given outcome. CBT helps you learn more about these traps, as well as how to get yourself free when you notice yourself falling into them. Thought logs, discussed with your provider, give you a window into your own mind.
After considering your thought patterns, CBT asks you to consider how your thoughts interact with your behaviors. If you want to make changes to your behaviors, this type of treatment offers guidelines and structures that can help.
Adults with ADHD often benefit from developing behavioral skills to manage their condition. For example, CBT can help you put together a plan to address frustrating ADHD symptoms like executive dysfunction. Planning, organizing, and breaking down tasks into smaller pieces help you feel better about yourself, contributing in turn to more positive behaviors.
Life with adult ADHD isn’t always easy, and your treatment may need to stay flexible in order to fully address your symptoms. The good news is, studies show that CBT treatment can benefit you regardless of whether you also use medication management to treat your ADHD.
For the support you need to live your best life while dealing with the distractions of adult ADHD, contact Dr. Winfield and the team at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates today. Schedule your first appointment online or over the phone now.
