Self-care strategies can play an important role in supporting ADHD treatment and managing symptoms. Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD points to habits such as good sleep hygiene, regular exercise, stress management, ADHD coaching, therapy, and a balanced diet. These can all help a person address ADHD symptoms and strengthen treatment approaches. We are coming to a better understanding of how these self-care strategies are beneficial.
ADHD presents challenges from both positive and negative traits. They provide benefits, resources, skills and strategies you can use to overcome those challenges.
Imagine being misunderstood for your whole life, only popular when you’re silly, totally disenfranchised with school, out of work, you find drinking to excess, or taking illegal drugs make you feel ‘normal’ and you find you can do “normal things.” You are now starting to figure out why so many people with ADHD are in prison.
ADHD negatively impacts numerous domains of health, wellness, and adverse medical conditions, and general life expectancy. These risks are likely to be reduced or mitigated by early and sustained interventions including medications and evidence-based psychosocial treatments.
ADHD goes along with other diagnoses over the life span. In childhood, oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder are e.g. frequently occurring with ADHD. In adulthood, mood and anxiety disorders, but also substance use disorders are found most often.
ADHD and sleep problems are intimately intertwined in 80% of children and adults with ADHD during lifetime. The sleep loss results in increased severity of ADHD symptoms, depression, obesity, and chronic diseases in the long term.
Adults with ADHD have unhealthy eating habits, leading to overweight/obesity, with the odds ratio increasing with age. They are also suffering more from eating disorders.
The biggest concerns for adolescents and young adults with ADHD during COVID-19 are social isolation, motivation problems, and difficulties engaging in online work or schooling. These risk factors create a perfect storm for the onset of depression, school dropout, or work underperformance.
Fact: ADHD is really a problem with the chemical dynamics of the brain and it’s not under voluntary control. by Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D. It’s easy to see why many people believe that ADHD is just an excuse for laziness. Everybody who has this disorder has a few activities or tasks where they have no … Read more
Fact: While some children may recover from their disorder by age 21 or 27, the full disorder or at least significant symptoms and impairments persist in 50-86% of cases. Russell A. Barkley, PhD In the 1970s, when I first came into my profession (clinical child neuropsychology), it had been commonplace to view ADHD, or its … Read more