Living life in the fast lane with ADHD? Buckle up for a wild ride! From battling focus to conquering daily tasks, it’s all about finding those secret strategies to level up your game. Dive into this blog for a treasure trove of tips – whether you’re hunting for organization hacks, zen tricks, or turbo-charged productivity boosts. Let’s team up to unlock the power within and supercharge your ADHD journey!
Meet the Experts
We interviewed three experts that are diagnosed with ADHD themselves, and specialize in working with clients with ADHD:
- Davin Cobb: A licensed associate marriage and family therapist at an Ellie Buckhead location in Georgia.
- Christina Gonzalez: A licensed clinical social worker at Ellie Mental Health of Central Jersey.
- Joey Lisvardi: A physician assistant based in Minnesota, specializing in remote sessions.
Watch the Full Interview:
Read the full transcript of the interview here.
The Initial Steps for Therapists
When suspecting a client has ADHD, therapists often face the challenge of how to proceed. Miranda set the stage by asking, “What is our first step? You think you have ADHD—Now what?”
Christina recommends therapists do an initial inventory with clients: “I kind of like run it down with my clients of ‘What does that look like?’ and ‘How are you associating with it?’ Ok, you are having these symptoms, but is it isolated or is it kind of a constant thing?”
There’s not a simple internet “do I have ADHD quiz” you can take—but there is official testing that can give the diagnosis, tools, and suggestions. If they seem to be hitting a lot of the check boxes, you’ll want to recommend diagnostic confirmation testing.
Common Symptoms and ADHD Evaluation
Remember that ADHD looks different from person to person. Some common symptoms of ADHD include:
- Fidgeting and restlessness
- Being easily distracted
- Difficulty focusing
- Impatience or impulsivity
- Time management issues
- Forgetfulness and disorganization
The Role of Medication
Medication can be a helpful tool in dealing with the symptoms of ADHD, and there are a lot of different options! Joey discussed the importance of considering individual symptoms and comorbidities when prescribing: “For someone has a history of substance use problems, it’s important to prescribe something that’s not going to carry as much potential for being misused.”
Read our deep-dive blog post about ADHD medication here.
Joey highlights the importance of a collaborative approach, involving both therapists and prescribers: “I try and encourage patients to talk with a therapist to set themselves up for success with their environment or lifestyle.”
Tools for ADHD
The experts emphasized the importance of personalized strategies to manage ADHD. Davin shared her approach to creating a “toolbox of routines”: “I let them like create a story of their life, of what their experience is like, like through their lens. I often like to do that to understand what they’re actually experiencing.”
Christina highlighted the importance of parent education and self-regulation for kids: “Creating a toolbox for them of self-regulation…and for some, there is that stigma on medication. So a lot of parents don’t want to put the kids on medication.” She emphasized being able to teach tools and skills if they’re not ready for medications.
Here are some other ADHD tools that they recommended:
- Breaking down tasks into smaller actions: Here’s a “Focus Plan” worksheet we recommend!
- Calendar: Having an updated calendar to help with forgetfulness. Additionally, using a daily calendar that breaks down tasks by the hour (or at least in smaller increments) can be helpful for time blocking.
- Fidgets: If you’re feeling fidgety, have something to do keep your hands or body occupied can be helpful! Consider using an under-desk elliptical, kinetic sand to play with, taking physical notes, or having a coloring book on hand (here’s a funny ADHD-themed one).
- Body doubling: This is when you ask someone to work alongside with you… you’re not working together, but rather just working on different things in the same room. Having someone else that is focused can help you stay on task too.
- Set timers for how long you want to work on tasks for. For example, set a timer for ten minutes and get as many notes done as you can in that time (my personal favorite is to play “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)” and try to get as much done during that song as possible. There are several other apps for this too.
- Visual aids like lists, whiteboards, or dry erase markers on glass doors can serve as good reminders: “I am a big proponent of lists and being able to physically cross things off.” – Christina
ADHD Tools for Therapists
The interview concluded with valuable tips for therapists who themselves have ADHD. Davin acknowledged the ongoing adjustment required: “It’s a forever evolving thing…I have to create a system that works for me and the way my brain operates.”
Optimizing your environment is key. Joey found great success working from home and avoiding office distractions: “I do so much better from home. I am less likely to wander around the office and talk to everyone.” He emphasized the importance of setting up a conducive environment by having a designated workspace to minimize distractions and using an under-the-desk elliptical to manage his energy and stay focused.
Christina added her long-standing strategy of writing things down on a physical piece of paper: “If it’s on a virtual calendar, nine times out of 10, it’s not gonna be remembered, even though I get 12 notifications on my phone.” There are all sorts of paper calendars out there that can help you stay organized and on top of your everyday tasks.
You Can Thrive with ADHD
ADHD can be a challenging at times to manage, but with the right strategies and support, it is possible to thrive. Whether you are a therapist helping clients cope with ADHD or managing your own ADHD symptoms, we wish you luck!
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