Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatment

What is ADHD Treatment?

ADHD treatment involves the management of ones Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It aims to bring structure to your attention that drifts often or restlessness that makes it hard to stay on top of things. It doesn’t inherently change who you are but focuses on making your daily tasks manageable that are otherwise difficult with ADHD.

Living with ADHD can often lead to feelings of being misunderstood or inadequate. Every day and routine tasks seem difficult as you lose focus, struggle to stay organised, miss deadlines, etc. Over time, this can lead to stress, frustration, anxiety, and self-doubt. Seeking ADHD treatment helps you manage these challenges and rebuild your self-esteem.

Types of ADHD Treatments

ADHD treatment in children/adults is more of a personalised plan than a standard approach. Therapists study your symptoms, age, lifestyle needs, etc., to curate an ADHD management plan. ADHD is most commonly identified in school-aged children. According to the WHO, 5–8% children, mostly boys, are affected with ADHD, which lasts into adulthood. Hence, treatment for ADHD in children is more common, but symptoms recognised in adulthood are just as effectively treatable.

While the ADHD remedies remain the same, the approach differs based on age-specific needs. For example, an ADHD treatment plan combines behaviour therapy, medications, educational strategies and support. But this looks different in young children, adolescents, and adults.

When treatment is started early,. ADHD treatment shows promising results. A combination of behaviour therapy, educational support, and medications provides slow yet steady progress in the management of ADHD. For children, the effectiveness is heavily dependent on parent training and classroom strategies. For adults, response to CBT and lifestyle adjustments makes a significant difference.

Per a case study in the International Journal of Indian Psychology, a 9-year-old boy with ADHD was introduced to child-focused CBT alongside parental behavioural management training. Chief complaints in his case included hyperactivity, lack of attention, response delay, etc. Understanding the observation of such patterns over six months, CBT was given for 45 minutes, thrice a week. This was spread out in twelve sessions where strategies to help increase self-control and engage in problem-solving were introduced through modelling and role-playing. The child was also put on the medication and after completion of 12 sessions, there was a significant reduction in inattentiveness and hyperactivity.