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Empowering ADHDers and their Families to Live Life to the Fullest

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Empowering ADHDers and their Families to Live Life to the Fullest

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ADHD in Adults, Families, Other Treatment Options

Therapy and Activities for ADHD Management

ADHD in Adults, Families, Other Treatment Options
July 16, 2021

Unlocking ADHD writer Tricia Lim introduces therapy and other activities as options to manage ADHD symptoms.

Behaviour Therapy

Source: Slidesgo

As a child, did you ever receive rewards for good behaviour or have your play time curtailed when you misbehaved? If so, you’re already somewhat familiar with how behaviour therapy works.

Behaviour therapy essentially entails a structured manner of rewarding desired behaviour and delivering consequences for undesirable behaviour. It aims to increase preferred behaviour and eliminate unconstructive ones.

Citing its effectiveness in improving children’s behaviour, self-control and self-esteem, the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends beginning with behaviour therapy before embarking on medication for children below six.

Most psychology clinics will have psychologists trained to carry out behaviour therapy with your child. Hospitals with Psychological Medicine divisions, such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, would also likely be able to provide behaviour therapy. Parents may also receive training and carry out behaviour therapy on their own.

While these do not substitute proper training from professional psychologists, here are some tips from ADDitude magazine to get you started:

  • Start with just one to two behaviours you want to encourage or eliminate
  • Set clear and realistic expectations and communicate them to your child
  • Be consistent in rewarding and meting out consequences
  • Focus more on the positives and be patient

Occupational Therapy 

Sometimes, it isn’t specific behaviours that need to be addressed. Rather, getting through everyday tasks may pose some difficulty — here’s where occupational therapy may help.

Hospitals such as SGH and private psychology practices commonly offer occupational therapy.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Source: Slidesgo

CBT seeks to change the negative thought processes behind unhelpful behaviour in order to correct said behaviour.

For example, being frequently put down in the past may have built a mindset of being incapable, causing one to be reluctant to face challenges. In CBT, clients and therapists work together to correct this mindset and enable clients to take on challenging tasks.

Several studies have shown the efficacy of CBT in treating ADHD. One such study reported that 63% of all participants saw improvement in management of ADHD symptoms after nine weeks of individual CBT sessions.

A separate neuroimaging study showed similar positive changes in the brain that were often seen after medication use. Participants also saw reduced severity of ADHD symptoms and improvement in executive functioning.

CBT is widely offered by both hospitals with psychological services as well as private psychology clinics.

Exercise 

Source: Slidesgo

Along with raising the level of endorphins (which help improve your mood), exercise also increases dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin levels, which all play a role in focus and attention.

To even better reap these benefits, try activities that require very technical movements, e.g., martial arts, ballet, rock climbing and skateboarding. Achieving the balance, timing and coordination involved in getting those complex movements right activates regions of the brain that facilitate intense focus and concentration.

Research suggests that 50 minutes of aerobic exercise two to three times a week improves attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, executive function and social functioning. A single 60-minute session of Yoga each week similarly improves anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and oppositional and social problems.

Nature

Source: Slidesgo

“Spend more time in nature” may seem like an overused piece of advice, but there is some truth to it.

A study showed that inattention is less severe when one’s environment is “greener”, lending support to the idea that time in nature may indeed benefit attentional functioning. So take some time off this weekend and explore one of the many green trails around Singapore!

Conclusion

Ultimately, many view medication as their mainstay for treatment, which has proven effective. However, a myriad of other options are often able to achieve complementary management of ADHD symptoms. Given that options such as exercise and time in nature are largely free (and fun), why not try anyway?

If you liked this article and found it helpful, please share it with others.

Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear it— Please submit your story here.

If you are looking for community support, join our ADHD support group or Discord chat!

If you like this article and find it helpful, do consider donating to support us in our mission to empower ADHDers and their families to live life to the fullest.

*DISCLAIMER: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Should you suspect that you have ADHD, consider seeking the advice of a trained healthcare professional with any questions you may have about your condition.

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  1. Anger Management for ADHD Kids
  2. Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for ADHD
  3. Fun Activities for Kids and Teens with ADHD

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is logo-2-1.png
AMKFSC Community Services has a Psychological Services Unit (PSU) which has a team of clinical and counselling psychologists for children/youth and their parents. Core services include psychoeducational assessments (5 to 16 years old) for ADHD and other learning disabilities. They also offer group and individual psychotherapy. They only provide services to residents in their constituency.

Fees are $70 per one hour session. Psychoeducational testing ranges between $750 to $1,120 depending on the tests required.

Email: psureferral@amkfsc.org.sg.

Moonlake is the Founder of Unlocking ADHD. A community builder and multi-hyphenate, she runs to fat burn so that she can enjoy food with family and friends. She is still working on strengthening the brakes for her ADHD wiring…

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