Secrets to Thriving with ADHD

Do you or someone close to you struggle in day-to-day life with ADHD?

Good news!  One of my specialties is helping adults, teens, and kids to THRIVE--not just survive--with ADHD.  I have two grown sons who were diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school, long before I was a therapist.  I learned many tips from their mental health care providers, doctors, teachers, and therapists.  I also learned and continue to learn and create effective techniques as a therapist, to help YOU and the people you love to live great lives with ADHD.

Here are a few secrets to thriving with ADHD.  These secrets took me YEARS to learn!  I would be so happy if you shared these with as many families impacted by ADHD as you can so that they can thrive too!

1.  Reduce your household inventory.  A big challenge for many people living with ADHD is the disorganization and clutter in their homes and lives.   The best way to address this is to drastically reduce the amount of stuff in their homes and lives.  This means a huge and massive decluttering.

2.  Plan ahead.  Oh how long it took me to learn this secret to help my kids and clients and how effect it can be!  The act of planning reduces impulsive actions, and many of the relationship and work problems that impact people with ADHD are caused by their impulsivity.  Planning greatly reduces this!

3.  Work on getting enough sleep.  Sleep is so vital for healthy functioning and good relationships.  Check out this post for some tips on getting a good night's sleep.

4.  Exercise daily.  Exercise improves mood, releases endorphins, and helps reduce stress (and living with ADHD can be stressful!).  Find exercise that you enjoy and indulge in this form of self-care daily.  ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PRIMARY DOCTOR FIRST BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM.

5.  Get out into nature as often as possible.  Nature has so many benefits, including helping to calm an overactive mind.  When I say "nature," I mean quiet, uncrowded green space (or snowy space, or beach and water space).  Indulge as often as you can and reap the benefits that nature freely offers us.

6.  Focus on and build your strengths.  So may people immediately focus on the negative aspects of ADHD:  the distractability, the forgetfulness, the interrupting behaviors, and trouble with memory and impulse control.  When my oldest son entered basic training in the US Army, I was discussing my concerns over his ADHD and how he would fare as a front-line infantryman, and my colleague, a well-respected marriage and family therapist, energetically exclaimed that being an infantryman in the Army was a perfect job for my ADHD son:  he has the capacity to multi-task in life and death situations.  I am relieved to tell you that my son successfully completed deployment to a war zone, faced and survived battle, and earned several medals as a result of his exemplary service to our country.  ADHD can be a strength indeed!

7.  Talk therapy (also called counseling or psychotherapy).  While ADHD has benefits, it also has drawbacks.  ADHD is a lifelong condition that has the capacity to negatively impact many areas of a person's life.  Having an understanding and knowledgeable mental health professional with whom to talk can greatly improve relationships, functioning at school and work, and help a person to learn even more ways to thrive with ADHD.  If you live in Idaho and feel that counseling can help you learn to live with ADHD (or learn to live with SOMEONE ELSE who has ADHD!), please email me (teresahealdconsulting"at"gmail.com) to inquire about scheduling a counseling session and begin to discover even more ways to thrive with ADHD!