If you know someone suffering from adult attention deficit disorder, then you are well aware of how much this disease affects one's professional and personal life. Although some medications such as Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Concerta have been effective in managing ADHD, doctors have been cautious in prescribing them due to their ability to radically alter the body's chemical balance.
Along with medication, physicians have begun to suggest that their patients try making some environmental changes, which can help in maintaining concentration and focus. Although conventional medication developed specifically to treat ADHD has been proven to be effective, they do come with some undesired side effects, such as sleep apnea, headaches, nausea, and a lack of appetite.
Strattera is a medication that is known to have none of these side effects and can be prescribed by your physician. However, if none of the available medications seems to be effective, it may be worth it to try cognitive behavioral therapy. Rather than combating the disease through drugs, therapy strives to treat ADHD patients by having them concentrate on their thought patterns and be conscious of their self-image, which can assist in facing the challenges that the disorder brings to them in everyday life.
It is important to note that therapy is designed to complement medication, and is far more effective when the two regimens are taken together. Cognitive behavior therapy works by understanding what attention deficit disorder is. When a patient knows how and why they become distracted throughout the day, it helps them identify and remind them of the hardships they face in keeping focus.
The treatments will also shed light on how ADHD influences personal and work lives. In conjunction with sessions to manage family and marriage, therapy is designed to make life much more normal. Attention deficit is defined by one's inability to prevent distractions.
The first step in controlling this state is to actually get rid of items within a patient's immediate area that may cause distractions. For example, your work area should be devoid of anything that does not have to do with work, such as television, magazines, or books.
Using a pair of noise-canceling headphones may be effective in keeping out distracting sounds. Patients with ADHD are known to act on impulse; they will say whatever comes to mind without taking a moment to think about it. One way to combat this is to practice taking a few moments between when something comes to mind, and actually saying it.
Finally, rigorous physical activity may help alleviate the built-up stress and strain a patient may have. By taking dance lessons, working out in the gym, or taking aerobics, ADHD sufferers may be able to calm themselves and fight the disorder.
