Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly associated with behavioral problems in children, but up to half of those ADHD affected children will continue to have the disorder throughout their adulthood. Adults may resist being labeled with a psychiatric condition, but failing to recognize and address the symptoms of ADHD can result in a lifetime of problems with serial unemployment, relationship instability and substance abuse.
For the adult who is willing to receive treatment, a number of options exist.
Medication
Though it may seem counterintuitive, stimulants are the medication most often used in the treatment of both childhood and adult ADHD. The mechanisms by which these medications enact their therapeutic effect is unclear in cases of ADHD, but the American Academy of Family Physicians states that their effectiveness has been confirmed. The stimulant drugs, Ritalin and Dexedrine improve the attention span and ability to concentrate, and reduce the tendency to act in impulsive ways.
Antidepressants may be successful in helping stabilize mood swings that occur with ADHD. Wellbutrin, Pamelor and Norpramin are antidepressants that may help ADHD patients to maintain more emotional stability.
Some patients may benefit from use of both stimulants and antidepressants combined.
Coaching
A technique called "coaching" is emerging as a popular treatment for adult ADHD. The National Resource Center on ADHD explains that coaches help adults with ADHD maintain a more organized existence, driven by reaching goals according to an established schedule. Coaches interview the client to help determine his goals, and together they establish a plan of action to help him develop time management strategies to more effectively succeed in the areas of life that have formerly proved difficult.
Coaching is still a very new form of ADHD therapy, and a system for establishing licensing and education requirements has not yet been established. The Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching offers credentialing to coaches who meet certain guidelines, and distributes information on training programs.
Counseling
Some adults with ADHD seek help from counselors who meet with them in private sessions, or as MayoClinic.org advises, in group settings. Often these psychotherapy sessions are structured around the concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a specific form of counseling that addresses destructive behavior and negative thought patterns. By studying the causes and consequences of ADHD behaviors, the counselor and client find new ways to react to the environmental and emotional triggers that typically cause difficulties in the client's personal, career and social life.
