Adult ADHD Treatment

ADHD treatment is just as important for adults as it is for children. Read about the available treatment options.

When Randy Johnson, a 54-year-old mother of two from Murray, Kentucky, was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), her first instinct was pure relief.

"I was so glad there was a name, an explanation for why my brain works the way it does," she says.

But Johnson's relief was quickly replaced by frustration as she searched for a psychiatrist or adult ADHD specialist who could treat her.

Johnson ended up working with her primary-care physician, who prescribed ADHD medication. She still struggles at times to manage her condition, but she says just getting a diagnosis helped her tremendously.

"Now I can educate myself and help myself," she says. "I read a lot of books on it and try to stay organized, but it's still a daily struggle."

ADHD Education

Johnson's instinct to learn about her condition is natural, says Dr. Ari Tuckman, a clinical psychologist in West Chester, Pennsylvania. "The more you know, the better position you are in to choose the right strategies," Dr. Tuckman says. "Also, knowing that the trouble you have had is based in a neurological condition, rather than bad character or laziness, has a tremendous effect on how you see yourself."

To get more information about ADHD, Tuckman recommends turning to an advocacy organization like the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) or Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD).

ADHD Medication

Getting the right medication and the right dosage can be a struggle for adults with ADHD. "Many adults are prescribed stimulants at child dosage levels and then see only partial benefits," Tuckman says.

At the right levels, however, the medications used for children are just as effective for adults. "They help quiet the chatter in the brain," he says.

An adult's best bet at being properly medicated is to find a psychiatrist or neurologist who understands ADHD and other common co-conditions like depression and anxiety. Such specialists can also help manage adult ADHD symptoms with behavioral therapy.

ADHD Coaching

After adults with ADHD begin to understand their condition and are taking medication, then they can begin to think about behavior modification and learning new life skills.

"The most important step for an adult with ADHD is to understand exactly why he or she struggles," says Kirk Martin, executive director of Celebrate!ADHD, an organization that coaches schools, families, and companies on ways to productively address the social and behavioral differences in those with ADD and ADHD.

In his coaching, Tuckman works with ADHD adults on issues like staying organized, getting a handle on time management, prioritizing, and completing tasks.

When you look for an ADHD coach, try the ADDA and CHADD directories, Tuckman says, and meet with a few specialists before choosing one. While ADHD coaches can be a huge help to people who struggle with these basic skills, not everyone is qualified, he says.

A few things Tuckman suggests you ask potential ADHD coaches:

• How long have you been coaching?
• What kind of training have you had in dealing with ADHD?
• How many ADHD clients have you treated?
• What's your professional background?

If the coach is uncomfortable with the questions or doesn't give answers that seem to check out, it's best to move on.

ADHD Therapy

People who are first diagnosed with ADHD as an adult often have emotional issues that have to be confronted before they can really come full circle and make lifelong improvements, Tuckman says. "Therapy helps people see themselves in a different light, once they understand it was ADHD that has caused these problems over the course of their lives," he says.

For those who have tried again and again to make changes but have failed because of undiagnosed ADHD, it can be tough to get them to think differently about their own abilities. But therapy can help overcome these self-doubt issues. "A diagnosis of ADHD gives people reason to believe that the outcome will actually be different this time," Tuckman says.