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Research and studies are clear: ADHD medications combined with behavioral therapy make the most potent therapies for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in kids, specifically those who also present with aggressive behavior. These findings were reported by the National Institute of Mental Health and are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, the effectiveness of therapy for ADHD does not decrease as the patient progresses in age. Many kids and adults utilize ADHD therapy to teach social, academic, and behavioral skills to help deal with ADHD symptoms throughout the individual’s life.
Talk with your mental health provider so that he can help you identify what kind of ADHD therapy is most suitable for you or your loved one. You can use the list of therapies below to learn more about the best therapies for ADHD.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Adults
CBT is basically brain training for adults with ADHD. It is a goal-oriented and brief type of psychotherapy that strives to alter adverse thought patterns and rewire how the patient feels about himself and his ADHD symptoms.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not manage the primary symptoms of ADHD, which are impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Instead, it helps in reducing the individual’s longstanding impairments, like time management and procrastination. There is no proof that CBT can substitute for medication therapy in terms of treating ADHD. However, studies do suggest that it aids adults diagnosed with ADHD compared to others types of therapy. Studies done in 2010 revealed that a combination of CBT and medication therapy was more powerful at regulating symptoms of ADHD compared to medication therapy alone.
ADHD Coaching
An ADHD coach is experienced in helping kids, teenagers, and adults who have ADHD take control and organize their lives. More importantly, this type of coach can efficiently help individuals attain intellectual and emotional development, effective learning techniques, robust social skills, considerate financial planning, and exciting business and career exploration. An experienced and certified ADHD coach can accurately support his ADHD clients in strengthening skills such as:
- Determination and follow-through
- Task, space, and time management
- Positive communication and healthy relationships
- A more organized and structured life
- Attaining a positive and balanced lifestyle
- Making wise and conscious decisions
Source: lamountaincoaching.com
Neurofeedback Or Braining Training
Neurofeedback utilizes exercises and drills for the brain to help increase alertness and decrease impulsivity in adults and kids with ADHD. Training the brain to release brainwave patterns connected to concentration is the primary objective of neurofeedback. This helps restrict or inhibit impulsivity, acting out, and distractibility, among other ADHD symptoms.
Some researchers contend that large studies have not thoroughly scrutinized this form of therapy. Though some individuals claim improvement in focus, it apparently has very little impact on other issues related to ADHD. Other patients, on the other hand, have reported large-scale improvements using neurofeedback therapy.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is utilized to assist kids with ADHD learn, offer comfort, connect, increase self-confidence, and alleviate anxiety. Play is a secondary means for therapists to modify the behaviors, thoughts, and perceptions of children. Child psychologists agree that play therapy is a therapeutic instrument likened to giving sweet candy to a kid rather than a sour one. Playing with children is important for them to feel safe, attached, and connected.
Art Therapy
Art therapy encourages kids and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD as well as other neuropsychological conditions to express themselves more easily through art-making and graphic images than spoken or written words. This type of therapy can be particularly effective for busy and active kids with ADHD because it prevents their hands from moving and leads to acute emotional and mental focus, which is not always attained in other forms of therapy.
Kids with ADHD utilize art therapy because painting, sculpting, drawing, and other processes help tackle emotional issues, deal with behavior, improve self-awareness, decrease stress, and improve interpersonal skills. Art therapy builds children’s problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and mental flexibility as they talk about what they have made to their parents, siblings, or friends. Art also encourages positive social interactions, such as complimenting, making suggestions, or sharing art materials.
Equine Therapy
Equine-assisted therapy is an experiential form of ADHD therapy where clients are managed with the interaction of horses. At the same time, a certified mental health provider supervises the session instead of sitting down and talking about their issues. One model of equine-assisted therapy, the Natural LIfemanship, is a trauma-informed method grounded on the principles of neuroscience and the importance of healthy and positive connections. Clients are assisted in learning to control their body energies and identify non-verbal hints to connect with a horse. The animal gives immediate responses to the client’s behavior that other humans cannot do.
Equine-assisted therapy is increasingly becoming a popularly used method, as numerous studies and families have witnessed the effectiveness of this human-horse interaction.