Dr. Ajinkya, Department of Psychiatry at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (Mumbai, India) – said that everyone can experience problems such as reduced attention, difficulty concentrating or hyperactivity or even feeling restless and having difficulty sitting still, impulsiveness… at some point in their life.
However, for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), these difficulties often begin in childhood and the problem continues as they grow older, despite efforts to change or improve.
Therefore, developing strategies to control ADHD symptoms and change negative thinking about abilities and behaviors is important.
Dr. Ajinkya offers some solutions and strategies as follows:
Psychoeducation: During the initial phase of therapy, the patient is provided with detailed information about ADHD, including its manifestations and neurological basis.
It is important to understand that ADHD is not a personal defect but a neurodevelopmental disorder. Patients will be reassured and their symptoms will be controlled with appropriate tools and strategies.
Goal setting and ADHD management: Patients are taught to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Doctors will use the Pomodoro technique, in which patients work in short bursts with breaks in between, to help them stay focused and productive.
A specific daily plan will help them manage tasks better.
Create routines: Patients are encouraged to establish specific routines for daily challenges, such as putting keys in the same place to avoid confusion or loss.
Mindfulness training: Mindfulness exercises help improve concentration and encourage patients to become more aware of their thoughts.
Impulsivity control: Role-playing exercises help reduce the patient's tendency to interrupt conversations and act impulsively in social situations.
Cognitive management: Patients are taught to recognize their cognitive patterns, helping them to view the task as requiring perfect completion or total failure. Patients are taught to perceive partial progress as progress rather than failure.
Environmental changes: Patients are encouraged to make small changes to their work environment. For example, help them reduce distractions by setting up a quiet work space and using noise-cancelling headphones to minimize background noise.
These strategies make a significant difference, notes Dr. Ajinkya. But if the symptoms are severe, then therapy must be supplemented with medication.
