ADHD Kelowna & Specialized Counselling  

ADHD is now a more frequent diagnosis in children. As a result, there are now many management tools popping up on the internet.

Unfortunately, the two most effective management tools are not often mentioned in mainstream media. What we hear about most is “mindfulness” to manage ADHD.

While this is true, the top two most effective ways of managing ADHD include exercise and creating an itinerary for your day, week.

When it comes to medication, a qualified doctor with knowledge of ADHD must be consulted. 

But first, what is ADHD and how is it characterized?

According to the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders), characteristics of ADHD include a pattern of inattention and hyperactivity. This pattern persists for a least 6 months or longer and is characterized by not being developmentally appropriate for a child of their specific age group.

In addition, this disorder is broken down into two predominant types:

1.) inattentive and

2.) hyperactive/impulsive.

As well there is a combined type when a child displays both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms at the same time.

The acronym ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is no longer used, and the medical community now only uses ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder). 

It’s important to note that ADHD is not “caused” by bad parenting, watching too much tv or is due to a lazy or unmotivated child. Similar to other mental or physical illnesses, ADHD can be exacerbated by these factors but it is definitely not the cause.

ADHD symptoms are made worse by stress.

When under stress the signs and symptoms of ADHD rise significantly. 

In a paper written by, Nancy J. Hamilton and Randall L. Astramovich (both professors of counselling education in the USA), suggest that professional counselling can have a great impact on those with ADHD and their symptom management. These professors suggest that  areas that to be focused on during sessions often include conflict resolution, self-esteem and motivation and self-efficacy.

Emotional Regulation and Rejection Sensitivity

From my experience as a therapist specializing in supporting individuals diagnosed with ADHD, emotional regulation and rejection sensitivity is another important domain that often requires attention during ADHD sessions. 

Receiving an ADHD diagnosis is not a death sentence.

In fact, those individuals diagnosed with ADHD more often than not have higher IQ than neurotypical individuals. See my previous article about this exact fact. 

Check out one of our previous posts for information on ADHD and sensory overload. 

Feel free to reach out to Safe and Sound Therapeutics for more support for yourself or your child that has been diagnosed with ADHD.