How To Find an ADHD Therapist Near Me
Anyone who suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), knows how debilitating and challenging it can be. Whether you’ve been living with your symptoms for your entire life, or just starting to recognize them in adulthood, ADHD can hold such power over your life. It’s natural when suffering with ADHD to feel defeated, out of control, depressed and alone. It can feel like you’re fighting the battle of your life just to function or keep up with every-day life. But the most important thing to know is that you are not alone and there is support available to you. If you are facing ADHD and feel ready to accept the help of outside support, an ADHD therapist may be perfect for you.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychological condition that creates challenges in a person’s ability to focus, accomplish tasks, manage time and control impulsivity. ADHD has several negative impacts on an individual’s ability to function in a learning setting, career and often in relationships. People typically begin to show symptoms and receive a diagnosis of ADHD in childhood, but the majority of those continue to face symptoms into adolescence and adulthood. It is also becoming increasingly common for adults to be diagnosed with ADHD later in life, although it is more difficult to diagnose than in childhood.
So, how do you know if you have ADHD?
If you have yet to receive a diagnosis for ADHD, there are many ways to go about doing so. If you are already in the care of a therapist, you may receive a referral from them to seek an evaluation or assessment by a psychiatric specialist or other health care provider. There are many symptoms that are indicative of ADHD; someone with ADHD can have some, many or all of these symptoms.
The most common symptoms to look out for are:
Disorganization or poor planning
Hyperactive behavior
Uncontrollable impulsivity
Reckless decision making
Lack of follow-through
Inability to focus on many things at once
Short attention span
Irritable or short-tempered
Poor time management
Low productivity
Lack of motivation even for things that matter
Anxiety
Depression
Low Self-esteem
Rejection sensitivity
Restlessness
Mood swings
If you have experienced one or many of the above symptoms, it may be time for you to be evaluated by a specialist.
While many of these symptoms are consistent in both adults, adolescents and children, there are also ways that ADHD presents differently in children.
SOME OF THE MOST CLASSIC SYMPTOMS IN CHILDHOOD ADHD ARE:
Easily distracted, especially when they aren’t engaged in something they find interesting
Lack of organization
Struggling to pay attention and follow directions
Forgetfulness
Losing track of belongings
Struggle to sit still
Inability to focus for long periods of time
Excessive fidgeting and movement
Constantly running and climbing on surroundings
Talking constantly and uncontrollably
If you are concerned that your child is showing signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, you can get them evaluated and diagnosed by a health care provider or mental health specialist.
ADHD Therapy
Once you have been evaluated and diagnosed for ADHD, the next step is to seek the proper support to help treat and manage your condition. There are many options for treatment of ADHD and the approach varies greatly from person to person. The way you choose to go about working through your ADHD is an entirely individual process and completely dependent on what feels and works best for you.
While some people turn first to medication treatment, there is a large percentage that opt to seek the help and support of psychotherapy – and it is known to be incredibly effective and helpful. There are many therapeutic practices that work in treating those with ADHD – you can find out more about them here.
The most commonly used psychotherapeutic methods used by ADHD counselors are:
Behavior Therapy (most commonly used for children)
When you seek the help of a therapist or counselor to treat and manage your ADHD, you can further discuss these methods with them. Most, if not all, ADHD therapists are specifically trained in these areas and will be able to collaborate with you to choose the best course of therapy for your specific sets of needs and challenges. Each individual faces ADHD in a unique way, considering their external and internal contributing factors, so your therapist will be best able to choose a course of action to treat your individual needs.
Benefits of an ADHD Therapist
Suffering with ADHD can make life extremely challenging. It can create struggles and difficulty in your day-to-day life that you would otherwise not be facing. ADHD makes small and manageable tasks feel overwhelming and insurmountable. Facing life through the lenses of ADHD and all of the difficulties it presents is extremely trying and isolating. Enlisting a mental health therapist to support you through your journey with ADHD is an extremely helpful choice and one of the most beneficial you can make for yourself. But why is that?
HELPS YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONDITION
One of the first and most significant things that a therapist will offer you, is to help you to better understand what is actually going on. An ADHD diagnosis can be overwhelming and uncertain, in addition to your already challenging and confusing symptoms. Your therapist will work to break down your diagnosis, explain why you are experiencing what you are and also help you to pinpoint your main concerns and the issues that got you to where you are today. Your therapist will be extremely educated and trained in treating ADHD but will be able to rationalize and explain the more “technical” parts of your condition in ways that make sense to you.
OFFERS TOOLS TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS AND ESTABLISH HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS
Using the talk-therapy methods of DBT and CBT, your therapist helps you to identify and recognize your thoughts and behaviors, targeting the negative and unhelpful ones, and then work to help adjust and reconceptualize them. In CBT, you also learn and practice new, healthy and applicable coping mechanisms that can serve as an alternative method of coping to the rather unhealthy ones that have been contributing to the problem.
In your therapy sessions, your ADHD therapist will help you adjust your behavior and how you respond to things going on around you. They will help you to find ways to more successfully focus without distractions, manage your time more effectively and also cope in a healthier way with things that irritate you. Your therapist will not only work with you to lessen the severity of your symptoms, but to eliminate them completely.
WORKS WITH YOU TO SET GOALS FOR YOUR LIFE AND TREATMENT
In ADHD therapy, your therapist will work with you to establish a treatment plan. Within this structure, they will help you to set and achieve SMART goals that will encourage and guide you to success. SMART goals are those that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound. Those goals will offer you something to work toward and also a way to measure and document your growth and achievement in therapy.
PROVIDES SAFETY AND SUPPORT
Amongst the infinite amount of tools and knowledge that your therapist can offer you, arguably the most important thing of all is their warmth, safety and support. Struggling with any mental health condition or learning disability of any kind is challenging and inherently isolating. It is natural and easy to feel alone in your struggle. A therapist will give you a safe space to exist just as you are and feel supported and heard. The companionship, validation and security of a therapist in the times of hardship with ADHD goes an incredibly long way and is an invaluable resource.
SERVES AS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO MEDICATION TREATMENT
While medication treatment is common for ADHD, it isn’t always preferred. There are many reasons why a person would prefer to avoid medication treatment or want to exhaust other support options first. Medication for ADHD, albeit helpful, comes with its own set of drawbacks. For this reason, and many others, ADHD therapy can be a great first choice and appealing alternative to medication treatment. It is proven to be extremely successful in its ability to aid in ADHD treatment, but comes without the potential for side effects and other negative attributes.
Our Team
At Insight Northwest we have an incredible team of experienced providers, who are here and ready to support you through your journey with ADHD. Regardless of where you are at in your journey with ADHD, whether you have yet to be evaluated or you have been facing your diagnosis for years, we want to meet you where you are and walk by your side. It’s most important to us to help you without judgment and in a way that feels the most comfortable to you. Treating a mental health condition of any kind should be treated as a collaborative effort, and we want you to be a part of each decision and step of your therapy experience, so that you feel informed, respected and valued as an individual.
If you are ready to seek help for your ADHD treatment, contact us today for more information.