ADHD
ADHD is one of the most common and misunderstood psychological concerns. Many people with ADHD, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, engage in short-term coping strategies, which ultimately lead to long-term problems. At MSPWC, we approach working with ADHD through a model that combines the neuropsychology of ADHD with cognitive and behavioural interventions that help clients to shift their ADHD patterns.
What is ADHD?
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is one of the most common and misunderstood psychological concerns. Most people believe ADHD to be represented by outward hyperactivity.
However, many people with ADHD struggle with maintaining attention and focus, switching from task to task, approaching tasks, finishing projects, planning projects, and more. Moreover, living with ADHD can also have a significant impact on our self-esteem and our relationships with friends, family, and intimate partners.
For this reason, many people, particularly women, who did not have the ‘typical’ ADHD symptoms may have gone undiagnosed as children.
However, many people with ADHD struggle with maintaining attention and focus, switching from task to task, approaching tasks, finishing projects, planning projects, and more. Moreover, living with ADHD can also have a significant impact on our self-esteem and our relationships with friends, family, and intimate partners.
For this reason, many people, particularly women, who did not have the ‘typical’ ADHD symptoms may have gone undiagnosed as children.
How does ADHD impact an individual?
The part of the brain affected by ADHD is the prefrontal cortex – or our decision-making centre. The neurotransmitter most affiliated with ADHD is dopamine. Most people with ADHD start with lower levels of dopamine, which affects the functioning of our decision-making centre.
However, we, as people, are hardwired to survive. As such, many of us with ADHD have developed short-term coping, such as procrastination, which harms us in the long term. Thus, many people with ADHD have impairments in sleep, nutrition, activity, play, self-compassion, self-regulation, and more.
However, we, as people, are hardwired to survive. As such, many of us with ADHD have developed short-term coping, such as procrastination, which harms us in the long term. Thus, many people with ADHD have impairments in sleep, nutrition, activity, play, self-compassion, self-regulation, and more.
Common signs and symptoms of ADHD:
- Over-reliance on anxiety-producing behaviours like procrastination to get stuff done
- Having a hard time finishing up the last details of a project after the complex parts are done
- Having trouble doing house chores (e.g. Laundry) regularly
- Having extremely negative self-talk before the deadlines of projects
- Poor sleep patterns or waking up feeling un-refreshed
- Chronic tiredness
- Poor eating patterns (e.g. low consumption of food during the day with high consumption of food in the evening)
- Experiencing a pattern of days of productivity followed by a decline in motivation and energy, resulting in a period of low mood.
What treatments are available for managing ADHD?
At MSPWC, we approach working with ADHD through the Adrenaline Addiction Model. This model combines the neuropsychology of ADHD with cognitive and behavioural interventions that help clients to shift their ADHD patterns.
Alongside this model, we use modalities like CBT, EMDR, and more to address the years of negative thought patterns and experiences individuals can have due to ADHD. Contact us for more information about this approach!
Alongside this model, we use modalities like CBT, EMDR, and more to address the years of negative thought patterns and experiences individuals can have due to ADHD. Contact us for more information about this approach!
