ADHD Therapy

Is ADHD making it difficult to get by day to day?

• Are you noticing that you make careless mistakes?

• Do you have difficulty sustaining attention and listening during work or school?

• Do you have trouble finishing work or assignments and/or keeping your day organized?

• Are you avoiding boring or less desirable activities at a cost?

• Do you lose things and often fortgetful about commitments you’ve made?

ADHD affects us in many ways and can pose serious difficulties for managing our time and commitments. Individuals with ADHD typically struggle more at work and school, causing cycles of avoidance and negative emotional states. You may notice it is hard to start and finish tasks or you often miss important information in emails and texts. These difficulties with attention and focus may be accompanied with a sense of restlessness and the constant need to fidget - sometimes an everlasting state of anxiousness to “get going”.

ADHD can also affect emotional wellbeing, such as causing irritability and difficulties controlling emotions like anger. You may notice you’re forgetful to eat, drink and even sleep - the basics for overall good mental health!

The Impact of ADHD on Relationships

Many people with ADHD complain of strained relationships, including the ability to make, keep and manage friendships or romantic partners. Sometimes, ADHD makes it difficult for people to have patience, practice relaxation, and they may act as if they’re always “on the go”, which can be unsettling for those around them.

A common feature of ADHD is a condition called ‘rejection sensitive dysphoria’ (RSD)- which is a strong sensitivity to being rejected by others (experts believe this is linked to ADHD because of the differences in brain structure). There is extreme emotional pain when people with RSD perceive themselves as a failure or when others seemingly reject them. RSD can make it very difficult to hear poor feedback from a boss, have a disagreement with a partner, or manage social media and texts. A strong sense of anxiety, low self-esteem, anger and sadness usually accompanies any sort of perceived rejection.

Perhaps people have always told you that you’re just “too sensitive” or just to “get over it”. People with ADHD often complain that they feel like they don’t fit in and that managing a social life poses real difficulties. You may feel a sense of disconnect and invalidation from others, and the truth is, you’re not alone.

“Therapy for ADHD helps you learn to manage your symptoms and feel as successful as you are.”

What does ADHD Therapy look like?

When people think of ADHD, they often think of medications as first line of treatment. Indeed, medications and psychiatry may be part of your treatment plan, but therapy can also be an integral part of your treatment. A trained ADHD therapist will help you enhance your oganizational skills, plan for and mitigate ADHD triggers, and teach skills for working through distractions. Typically, therapists use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, elements of Mindfulness, psychoeducation, and may suggest lifestyle changes that support your unique symptoms.

Although ADHD is a complicated branch of neurodiversity and partly chemical in nature, therapy for ADHD can also address the emotional difficulties that can arise with the condition, including strained relationships, guilt/shame, mood and anxiety. Therapists may use emotion regulation strategies and interpersonal effectiveness tools to help you in this regard.

ADHD therapy at Brookhaven

Our therapists have significant experience treating and embracing the unique differences of neurodiverse communities, including those with ADHD. We are firm believers that your ADHD is a superpower that simple hasn’t been tapped into properly. You just haven’t learned how to use it to your advantage yet! If you require medication management or assessment, we can help you navigate this with our psychiatry and psychological partners.