If you have been in the mental health space for any extended period, you would be aware and well-versed in the difficulties people with ADHD face every day. The core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can make it difficult for an individual to succeed in their academic and occupational lives as well as socially.
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Managing ADHD with Medication
In the past, ADHD treatment has been heavily dependent on medication management. Stimulant drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are commonly used first-line interventions. However, there are limitations to this approach. Find out what happens when ADHD and couples therapy collide here.
While pharmacological treatment forms a key part of ADHD management, medications alone do not address the fundamental cognitive and behavioral patterns that underlie ADHD. While they may temporarily help individuals improve their focus and attention span, they don’t teach them how to self-manage or regulate themselves long-term.
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What Exactly is CBT for ADHD?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a proven therapy modality that, when used to manage ADHD, can help the client enlist compensatory and coping skills to manage their primary symptoms effectively. For example:
Gaining the ability to give, follow, and shift attention:
CBT can help teach skills such as mind mapping and active listening, improving individuals' ability to focus, pay attention to important information, and succeed in maintaining task focus and completion.
Containing the ability to act without forethought:
Therapists can assist clients in developing impulse control using strategies like timed exposure, deferred responding, and management of triggers. Here we discuss the primary goals of motivational interviewing.
Improving organization and time management:
This could include effectively prioritizing tasks or chores, planning, and beginning activities only when sufficient time permits.
Emotions and persistent irritability:
Clients with ADHD may benefit from being introduced to CBT-based strategies for improved emotional regulation and effective and appropriate recognition of emotions.
Helping the therapist enhance motivation and self-efficacy:
CBT can instil self-belief and efficacy by allowing clients to participate actively in the treatment process, disrupting unhelpful thought patterns, and reinforcing abilities.
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Practical Considerations for Implementing CBT
There are a number of key strategies available to use within CBT when it comes to treating symptoms of ADHD. Some of these include:
Find some practical CBT questions to ask your clients here:
Relaxation strategies
Many individuals with ADHD may find themselves getting easily overwhelmed and getting stuck in negative thought spirals as a result. This can also result in physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, muscle tension and feeling like it is difficult to “wind down”. Learn about self soothing and self regulation using somatic experiencing exercises here.
Learning simple relaxation and breathing strategies can help the individual better manage feelings of overwhelm and dysregulation. In turn, this allows for more mental space and capacity to manage unhelpful thought patterns.
Challenging negative thoughts
As previously mentioned, individuals with ADHD may be prone to excessive worry and anxiety and may experience low self‐esteem. Utilizing techniques for identifying and challenging these unhelpful or negative thought patterns can help the individual in better managing their worry and improving their confidence. Discover how cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD can be an effective treatment method here.
Sharing and practicing coping skills
CBT for ADHD also involves equipping clients with the necessary skills and strategies to enhance their current executive dysfunction. This may include implementing problem solving, coping skills for emotional regulation, time management, and organization.
Find our complete range of coping skills worksheets here:
Our coping skills worksheets have been developed to assist therapists and counselors working with clients facing a range of mental health challenges. They include focused worksheets to assist in building coping skills to manage areas such as self-esteem, codependency, overthinking, people pleasing and emotional intelligence. 
