When it comes to counseling and ADHD, anything is better than nothing.
Some courses of treatment will most likely be more helpful than
others, but talking about one's problems will help ease the feelings
of being alone that ADDers tend to have. All therapy will work better
if the individual is on medication and has been educated about their
disorder.
ADHD Therapy
When it comes to treatment, the first outlet you want to seek is a
psychiatrist or psychologist trained in diagnosing attention deficit
disorder. Get a clear diagnosis for your child or for yourself. Know
what you are dealing with and go from there. After a diagnosis has
been made, the doctor will prescribe medication and most likely
counseling as well. Some doctors will be more knowledgeable than
others about the disorder, and it will be to your benefit to find
someone that is. Do some of your own research just to see what is out there for resources in your area.
Psychotherapy is often necessary for individuals with ADD for various
reasons. Some people do not have many issues after they are diagnosed,
get some kind of medication as well as education about their disorder.
Others have been living for years with the disorder without even
knowing it. This will cause a lot of problems for the individual,
and their path will be much more complex. Self-esteem will most likely be low in these individuals after years of not achieving what
they know they can. Relationships have been affected by the
previously unknown disorder, and the individual has to rework their
entire life. It is not a simple process, and can be quite painful.
It is necessary in counseling to learn how to structure goals and
plans, but reconstructing self concept is just as important.
The balance of these two intermingling goals can be difficult for
the therapist to employ.
The complexity of ADD and the psychological problems that can come
with it make it essential that the therapist is very familiar in
dealing with ADD. It will be of no help to the client if their
therapist knows less than they do about their disorder. This will
only reinforce their low self esteem and deep feelings of being misunderstood.
Group therapy can also be very helpful to individuals with ADD.
ADDers thrive off group support and really like the feeling of
being understood and belonging. It would be ideal to find a
group
for people with ADHD, but if none exists there are other similar
groups that will help. There are national organizations that deal solely with ADD such as CHADD, and there are local chapters across
the country. All you need to do is hop online and see which group
is near you.
Ulla Saastamoinen is an Online Business Entrepreneur and has recently created an eBook "How to live with ADHD" at: http://www.101-healthy-recipes.com/ADHD/
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