The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Patients With ADHD

The origins and causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still something of a mystery to doctors. While they attribute the disorder to several different factors, such as genetics, the environment, and psychology, there is no clear indication of what exactly happens to cause the lack of focus, hyperactive energy, and impulsivity.

Traditional treatments of ADHD include medicine, counseling for ADHD, ADHD coaching, and life coaching services. But ADHD therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, has gained repute because it aims at helping patients change their behavioral patterns based on cognitive awareness.

One of the main issues that patients with ADHD suffer from is a lack of self-esteem. This can start early on, as children often feel that they cannot keep up with their peers in school. The restlessness and impulsivity these children feel also earn them a poor reputation among less understanding students and teachers. Subsequently, they being to develop a negative self-image, convincing themselves that they are “not good at school.”

The problem with this is that it only makes ADHD symptoms worse, which then cycles back into their sense of self-worth. This back and forth builds, and as an adult, a patient may have a hard time ridding him or herself of this perception.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD is designed to reach into thought patterns to identify ones that are self-negative. Therapists help patients understand the link between their negativity and the thoughts that run through their mind, hoping to bring awareness to the situation. Even though introspection can be difficult for some patients, it can help them realize how their own thoughts are causing much of their internal strife.

Then, therapists turn their attention to teaching coping mechanisms and skills that will deter patients’ from heading down the same thought path again. They give them ways to remember positive thinking, and to avoid situations that may trigger a negative or emotional response.

ADHD therapy in itself is not a cure for ADHD, but it has helped many patients reduce and manage their symptoms, making it a worthwhile investment for ADHD sufferers. More like this article.