ADHD in Adults: Treatment
Why does weak or incomplete DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria matter? ADHD is one of the most impairing outpatient disorders. If left undiagnosed and untreated (or improperly diagnosed and treated), ADHD can impact quality of life and pose significant health problems. ADHD, however, remains among the most treatable disorders in psychiatry.
The components of an optimal ADHD treatment program should include:
- Awareness: The patient should understand that ADHD is a broader problem with executive functioning, and it can be highly impairing without treatment. The patient should “own” their disorder and feel like a committed stakeholder in the treatment plan.
- Medication: Moderate to severe ADHD absolutely warrants medication; this is the most effective treatment available – bar none. Along with medication, clinicians should encourage patients to engage in preventive medical and dental care, given the known health risks, earlier mortality risk, and reduced life expectancy linked to ADHD.
- Behavior modification: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) targeting the executive function deficits, coaching, and mindfulness training are just some ways to change behaviors to reduce impairment from ADHD in adults.
- Accommodations: Changes to the workplace, home, and/or educational setting should hit at the weak points of performance and executive function. This means
- externalizing time by using analog clocks and timers
- offloading memory by putting information onto notes
- increasing self-motivation by seeking external accountability
I also recommend that adults learn about and choose
ADHD-friendly occupations. These professions typically allow for more physical movement, require fewer periods of sustained attention, are more flexible, provide for more immediate feedback and accountability, and play to the individual’s strengths.
ADHD in Adults: Next Steps
