1. Try Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy helps ADD patients set practical goals and provides guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Therapists develop rewards and consequences for positive and negative actions and help people with ADD use the reward/consequence system to enforce behavioral norms. The overall goal is to affect behavior positively by rewarding desirable actions (like completing work on time) in order to eradicate inappropriate actions (like procrastinating or losing important paperwork.)
If you're easily distracted or find it difficult to stay organized, behavioral therapists can also provide you with focus techniques and organizational ideas. You may also decide to implement these behavioral counseling sessions in conjunction with other treatments, like skills training or pharmacological intervention.
2. Obtain Social Skills Training
People with ADD tend to be introverted and withdrawn and may even be described as lethargic and sluggish. Training in social skills, whether it's provided by a therapist or in a group setting, is designed to help ADD sufferers deal with peers, colleagues and authority figures in a healthy relational way. A social skills therapist models appropriate behavior and coaches her patient to read and display proper tone of voice and body language, develop interpersonal skills and cope with frustrating situations. In a group training setting, adults and children who struggle with ADD learn to interact in a non-threatening environment alongside others who share their struggles.
3. Implement Memory and Organizational Strategies
People with ADD complain most frequently about their inability to focus and organize their tasks. If you struggle to pay attention in meetings or classes, find yourself distracted by outside stimuli or can't keep track of personal items like car keys and paperwork, it may be helpful to implement memory and organizational techniques that you can use at home, at work or at school.
Come up with a filing system that keeps your desktop free from clutter that might distract you. Make this a habit by straightening your work area at the beginning and end of every day. Start each day by making a list of tasks, and breaking each task down into manageable steps. Refuse to move on to the next step until you've completed the existing one. Rewrite meeting or lecture notes to help commit them to memory, and actively highlight information that you're reading to help you remain alert and attentive. Carry a PDA or day planner with you at all times, making note of important appointments and tasks to be completed. Utilizing memory, concentration and organizational techniques like these can help you habitualize the skills you need to manage your time and avoid frustration.
4. Investigate Drug Therapies
Some people with ADD get optimal relief when they combine therapeutic medication with therapy and skills training. Psychostimulants are the most commonly recommended drug class for attention deficit disorders. They work to increase focus, encourage concentration and improve productivity. If a stimulant does not provide you with symptom relief, your physician may consider an antidepressant. Typically used to treat the mood disorders that coexist with ADD, some patients also report an increased ability to concentrate when they take these drugs. If you're thinking about trying a drug treatment for your ADD, talk with your health practitioner about available medications, side effects and dosing options.
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