Non-Medication Based Treatments for ADHD

People often associate ADHD treatment with medication management. People think about Ritalin, Adderall, those types of drugs. Don’t get me wrong, the use of medication can be highly effective in the treatment of ADHD. According to an article written by the Cleveland Clinic, a study showed that about 80% of children with ADHD reported fewer symptoms after finding the right dose of stimulant medication (Cleveland Clinic). However, medication is not the only form or treatment for ADHD. Did you know that ADHD can also be treated with non-medication based interventions as well?

What is ADHD?

Just to give a brief summary, ADHD is neurodevelopmental disorder that effects every area of a persons life. Symptoms can include distractibility, difficulty regulating emotions, trouble focusing, poor memory, interrupting others, and more. To learn a bit more about ADHD, check out our other article here.

Non-Medication Based Treatments

At PRGRS therapy we utilize a few primary, non-medication based methods for treating ADHD. We use DBT therapy (aka Dialectical Behavior Therapy), CBT therapy, ACT therapy, as well as executive function skill building. Below we will share a bit more about how and why we use these methods.

DBT Therapy

DBT therapy was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the late 70’s and was used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder. However, since then it has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of other issues, including ADHD.

There is quite a bit of overlap in the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder and ADHD so it makes sense that the skills and tools taught in DBT translate to ADHD issues. DBT has four core modules which include interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. People with ADHD benefit from building skills in each of these areas. For example, ADHD can make it difficult to regulate emotions, skills in both the emotion regulation and distress tolerance sections target this area of need.

ACT Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on core values and increasing ones psychological flexibility. In essence, ACT helps a person endure aversive circumstances in order to live in alignment with their core values. For example, someone might want drink alcohol after work, which causes them to miss their daughters basketball game the next day. ACT therapy would help someone explore the challenge of remaining sober so that they could be present for their family more often. Many people dealing with ADHD have difficulty with impulse control and find it hard to live in alignment with their core values. This is why ACT therapy also helps folks struggling with ADHD.

CBT Therapy

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a method of therapy that helps people identify maladaptive ways of thinking and replace them with more helpful thought patterns. For example, someone who failed a math test might think they are always a failure and their life is over. CBT may help them rethink that although they failed once, that does not mean they will fail next time. Although CBT therapy is not going to be tremendously helpful in building skills to improve executive functions, it can be effective in undoing some of the underlying shame, guilt, and low self worth that is created by living with ADHD.

Executive Function Skill Building

This is not a specific therapy per se, but rather a focus on teaching practical skills that improve executive functions. ADHD deeply impacts executive functioning (EF). EF is basically how we set and achieve goals. This can be a tremendous challenge for a person dealing with ADHD. For example, you may have a goal to buy bread at the store, but by the time you get there you forgot what you were buying, became distracted, and came home with a new computer instead. A person with ADHD may benefit from learning how to prioritize tasks, manage Google Calendar, and improving memory just to name a few. Building executive function skills is crucial for people living with ADHD.

Do you want to get help today…

If you are interested in pursuing non-medication based treatment for ADHD contact PRGRS Therapy today to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.