ADHD
Understanding ADHD: Signs, Challenges and How We Help
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, motivation, impulse control and activity levels. While ADHD is often associated with distractibility or hyperactivity, it can affect many aspects of everyday life.
People with ADHD may struggle to get started on tasks, stay organised, manage time, maintain focus or regulate emotions. These difficulties are not simply a lack of motivation or effort, and understanding how ADHD affects you can be an important first step towards finding strategies that work.
How ADHD Can Show Up
ADHD looks different for everyone. Common difficulties can include:
- Becoming easily distracted or having difficulty sustaining attention
- Procrastinating or struggling to start and complete tasks
- Forgetting appointments, deadlines or everyday responsibilities
- Difficulty with organisation and time management
- Impulsivity or acting before considering the consequences
- Physical or internal restlessness
- Becoming overwhelmed by competing demands
- Difficulty managing frustration and strong emotions
Over time, these difficulties can also affect confidence and self-esteem, particularly when you have spent years wondering why things that seem straightforward for others require so much effort.
How Psychological Treatment Can Help
Psychological therapy can help you better understand how ADHD affects you and develop practical strategies for managing everyday challenges.
Depending on your individual needs, therapy may focus on:
- Planning and organisation to make everyday responsibilities more manageable
- Task initiation and procrastination strategies to make it easier to get started
- Time management and developing realistic routines
- Managing distraction and improving your ability to sustain attention
- Emotional regulation for managing frustration, overwhelm and strong emotions
- Addressing self-criticism and unhelpful beliefs that may have developed over time
Our goal is not to change who you are, but to help you understand your individual strengths and challenges and develop strategies that work for you.
Where appropriate, we can also work collaboratively with your GP or psychiatrist as part of your broader ADHD treatment.
Once you or your loved one are receiving appropriate medical and psychiatric support, psychological therapy can play a valuable role in recovery, understanding what happened, and building confidence moving forward.
