Treatment of ADHD in Adults
Adults suffering from adhd are treated by medication, therapy, and family support. People can also participate in clinical trials to try new ways of treating ADHD.
Adults suffering from ADHD are most likely to benefit from stimulant medication. They require monitoring regularly. This includes regular clinical appointments as well as frequent reviews of side effects and symptoms.
Medicines
Many medications can be used to treat symptoms of ADHD among adults. These are called psychostimulants and they alter the levels of certain chemicals in your brain (neurotransmitters) that pass messages between nerve cells. Your doctor will recommend the right medication for you and will determine the most appropriate dosage and time to take it. It could take a while to find the right dosage and medication to control your symptoms.
The first medication that doctors prescribe to adults with ADHD is stimulants. These medications increase the amount of dopamine that is present in your brain and norepinephrine, which helps you to control your impulses and improve your focus. The medications are available in short-, mediumand long-acting forms. Short-acting stimulants last for up to 6 hours. Intermediate-acting medicines last for 8-10 hours. Long-acting drugs can last up to 16. Long-acting stimulants are less likely cause side effects than intermediate- or shorter-acting medicines. However, they can cause sleepiness and changes in appetite.
Nonstimulant medications, like Atomoxetine (Strattera) can be used to treat adult ADHD when stimulants aren't effective or cause unwanted side consequences. These medications do not alter your norepinephrine or dopamine, but they increase your brain's availability of norepinephrine. They also improve your ability to concentrate. treatment of add come in capsules and are taken twice or once every day.
Some adults with ADHD have co-occurring disorders such as anxiety or depression. These disorders are referred to as comorbidities and can influence how you respond to ADHD treatment. Before starting treatment for ADHD it is important to address any comorbidities. For instance, people who have an addiction history to drugs or disorder may be more likely to misuse psychostimulants. It is recommended to wait until someone has stopped using drugs before treating them with stimulants.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves talking and discussing topics that cause anxiety or are disturbing for a person. The therapist provides guidance on the basis of his or her education, experience, credentials and the philosophy of therapy. Psychotherapy may be short-term (a few weeks or months) dealing with immediate issues, or long-term (months or years) in which a patient is working to address more complicated and longstanding issues. The duration and frequency of therapy is decided by the therapist and patient together.
The use of psychotherapy and medications together is an extremely effective treatment option for adults suffering from ADHD. Behavioral therapy assists people in improving their abilities to organize their lives, manage their time and prioritizing. It can also teach methods for managing emotions such as anger and frustration. Treatment can ease symptoms, improve focus, and result in better work and academic performance.
Adults with ADHD are more likely to suffer from co-existing issues, especially mood disorders like anxiety and depression. It is essential that any co-existing conditions be treated prior to starting treatment for ADHD. Treatment of co-existing disorders may require different types and dosages of medication than that used to treat ADHD.
For instance, a patient who suffers from ADHD could also be suffering from hypertension. Selecting a medication that addresses the ADHD symptoms but doesn't destabilize the patient's tentatively controlled hypertension requires understanding how different medications affect people over time and an understanding of the interactions between different medications.
It is important to choose the right professional with whom you share a good relations, and who has experience in treating adults suffering from ADHD. It's also important to arrange your initial sessions in a time when you won't be distracted by family responsibilities or work obligations.
Counseling
Adults with ADHD often face many life challenges, including relationships and work issues. They may also experience anger, blame and frustration that have accumulated in their lives because of their symptoms. Several psychosocial treatments have been proven effective in helping their families and patients learn new skills, attitudes and ways of relating.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that assists people in changing their habits and thoughts. It involves goal-setting, skill training and practice, as well as methods to help improve self-esteem and organization. It may be done in group or individual sessions. Metacognitive therapy has been proven to significantly reduce symptoms among adults suffering from ADHD and improve their functioning (Stevenson et al., 2002).
In addition to psychotherapy, some individuals with ADHD require counseling to address specific life difficulties. These may include family conflict, impulsive or aggressive behavior, or difficulties managing failures and disappointments. Counseling can help develop techniques to deal with these situations and increase communication and problem-solving abilities. It can also help improve interpersonal relationships, especially in marriages or other long-term partnerships.
Family therapy and supportive groups therapy are two other types of psychotherapy that can be used to treat ADHD. These therapies can help families cope and learn skills to reduce conflict and improve communication when dealing with children who have ADHD. It can also assist parents to understand the disorder and develop parenting strategies that encourage positive outcomes for their children.
Adults suffering from ADHD must discuss their medication regularly with their physicians and also disclose any other medications, such as over-the prescription drugs. Certain medications can interact with certain medications or trigger adverse reactions that are made worse by other medicines.
Medication Monitoring
After a thorough evaluation and diagnosis is made it is important that the patient is monitored to ensure that they are receiving the benefits of medication and not experiencing side effects. It is recommended that patients be referred for a first clinical examination within 30 days of starting treatment and then every month thereafter. For psychostimulants (methylphenidate, amphetamines) this enables complete titration to an effective and well-tolerated dosage. This allows for a precise registration of the patient's response and helps to avoid keeping sensitive patients on doses that are not sufficient (slow metabolism) or forcing those who require higher doses to excessively high levels (rapid metabolizers).
For adults who are not responding well to stimulant medication or have intolerable side effects the use of non-stimulant drugs might be suggested. This usually involves the use atomoxetine or other methylphenidate-related alternatives.
Adults suffering from ADHD typically suffer from comorbid disorders like mood disorder or anxiety disorder, substance abuse issues or depression. They may also have medical conditions like hearing or vision problems or chronic sleep disorders. It is crucial to identify and evaluate such conditions in the initial assessment for ADHD because they can have a significant impact on functional impairment in adults.
ADHD can also be controlled through marital therapy. Couples often say that they feel overwhelmed by the caretaking responsibilities of their spouses with ADHD and may become resentful and angry as a result. Reduced resentment can be achieved by enhancing the patient's awareness of their condition, and assisting them understand that the symptoms are not the result of a lack in love or willfulness. Couples who undergo this type of therapy usually experience improved family functioning.
Behavioral Therapy
Psychotherapy for adults suffering from ADHD is usually advised. It should include a cognitive and behavioral component. Behavioral therapy assists patients in improving their organization skills, focus and manage impulsive behavior. It teaches patients to manage their home, work and social settings more effectively. Psychotherapy helps patients understand how their disorder affects various aspects of their lives and relationships. This can reduce the feelings of shame and low self-esteem that are often felt by adults with ADHD. They may be perceived by others as being lazy or less intelligent.
ADHD symptoms can be mirrored by various mental disorders. For instance, anxiety disorders occur at a high rate in adult ADHD patients, and depression is found at increased levels in people suffering from the disorder. The presence of any other psychiatric problems should be evaluated in order to determine if the patient's ADHD symptoms are linked to them.
A combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy is typically recommended for the treatment of ADHD in adults. It has been proven that when a combination of medication and psychotherapy is utilized the results are superior than either treatment alone. Future controlled medication studies will attempt to measure and assess improvements in functional performance, for example, improvement in school performance as well as in the workplace and interpersonal relations.