Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Counseling
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, simply referred to as ADHD, is a brain disorder that can impact your ability to pay attention, sit still in one place, and even manage your behavior. ADHD can occur at any age, from children and teens to adults.
ADHD cannot be prevented or cured but, when you spot it early, you can create a good treatment plan with the help of an ADHD therapist so you can effectively manage your ADHD symptoms.
How can ADHD affect people of all ages (From children to adults)?
Media representation may make it seem like ADHD can only occur in young children; however, that is incorrect. With that being said, ADHD is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. Because of this, it is one of the most studied neurodevelopmental disorders in kids.
ADHD occurs in your childhood and teen years and can extend into adulthood. Generally speaking, males are most likely to have ADHD in comparison to females. Most people find out they have ADHD as children when they exhibit signs in school or at home that they are having a hard time paying attention to something or concentrating.
When you have ADHD, your brain, nerve networks, and neurotransmitters are different from the ‘standard’ brain. These distinctions may make it difficult for you to control your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
ADHD can make it hard for you to:
Manage your behavior
Pay attention
Stay organized
Concentrate
Follow directions
Sit still
Manage overactivity
Regulate your mood
If your ADHD is left untreated, it can lead to serious, long-term issues down the road.
What are the different types of ADHD?
Typically, ADHD can present itself in four different ways. Based on your symptoms, your ADHD counselor will know which one of these four ways your ADHD presents itself. As a disclaimer, our ADHD specialists at Anchor Therapy do not offer testing or a formal diagnosis of ADHD. If you are looking for this, our therapists for ADHD can provide you with a professional referral.
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation
Someone with this issue showcases only inattentive ADHD. Although the name changed in the 1990s by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), this type was typically referred to as Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD). If you have an inattentive presentation, you may have trouble focusing, remaining organized and on track, and less hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms.
2. Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
If this is how you present yourself, you may have issues surrounding both hyperactivity and impulsivity. Additionally, you may have some less evident issues in regards to sustaining your attention. If you are hyperactive, you may not be able to sit still, may fidget constantly, be extremely talkative, and generally have a lot of energy. If you are impulsive, you may act first and think later. You may also interrupt others. This is the least common type of ADHD and generally impacts younger children the most.
3. Combined Presentation
To have a combined presentation, it means that you are experiencing symptoms of both the inattentive presentation and the hyperactive-impulsive presentation. In other words, your symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity-impulsivity must present themselves equally. This is the most common form of ADHD. A 2019 study has estimated that 70 percent of all adult ADHD cases fall under this bracket.
4. Unspecified Presentation
In this unique case, symptoms can be so extreme that you may very obviously exhibit signs of dysfunction but you do not necessarily meet the criteria of an ADHD diagnosis in any of the three other forms of inattentive presentation, hyperactive-impulsive presentation, or combined presentation. If you present in this manner, your formal diagnosis would be “unspecified ADHD.”
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
You may be experiencing:
Being easily distracted
Having a hard time sitting still
Have trouble concentrating on tasks
Forgetting your tasks
Constantly interrupting people when they are talking
There are a wide range of symptoms associated with ADHD.
Based on the presence and absence of certain symptoms, our ADHD specialists will know whether or not you or your child are experiencing ADHD. The symptoms must interfere with your life in at least two areas of your life (e.g., work, school, home, etc.) and have occurred for at least the past six months.
Based on your signs and symptoms, your ADHD provider can let you know whether you are experiencing inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, combined, or unspecified ADHD. The different types of ADHD symptoms can be as follows…
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation
A person with this type of ADHD presentation must have at least six symptoms. The behaviors do not pose an issue from time-to-time. Instead, they are constantly getting in the way of completing daily activities whether at school or at home.
Inattentive ADHD Symptoms Include:
Being forgetful in daily activities
Getting easily distracted by external occurrences or stimuli
Difficulty paying attention to details or making reckless mistakes
Trouble remaining focused on activities and tasks
Daydreaming, getting distracted, or difficult listening well
Hard time finishing tasks or following directions
Hard time staying organized
Steering clear of or detesting tasks that require long-term mental effort
Losing things often
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
In order to display predominantly hyperactive-impulsiveness, you must exhibit at least six of the nine behaviors, and these behaviors must be a problem in daily life.
Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD Symptoms Include:
Trouble engaging in relaxing activities
Talking too much
Difficulty when you have to wait for your turn
Interrupting or intruding on other peoples’ games or discussions
Tapping hands or feet, fidgeting, or squirming regularly
Leaving your seat when you are expected to sit still
Climbing on things or running when it is not appropriate
Always seeming “on the go”
Blurting out answers before a question or statement is completed
Combined Presentation Symptoms
If you have a combined ADHD presentation, you experience behaviors from both the inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive subsets. To be considered a combined ADHD type, you must have 12 of the total behaviors (a minimum of six inattentive behaviors and six hyperactive/impulsive behaviors).
As a person gets older, ADHD symptoms can change and evolve over time.
Some signs and symptoms of ADHD symptoms in adults can include:
Difficulty controlling anger
Impulsiveness
Often being late
Often forgetting things
Low self-esteem
Anxiety (Take our Anxiety Quiz)
Work issues
Difficulty staying organized
Often bored
Procrastination
Depression (Take our Depression Quiz)
Mood swings
Easily frustrated
Difficulty concentrating when reading
What causes ADHD?
ADHD researchers are not sure of what exactly causes ADHD, but there are several factors that may contribute to a diagnosis.
Here are some possible causing factors of ADHD:
Genes - ADHD typically runs in families
Brain chemicals - Certain chemicals in your brain may be unbalanced, resulting in ADHD
Brain changes - The area of the brain that controls attention may be less active in people with ADHD
Some research has shown that ADHD is a result of a structural difference in the brain. People with ADHD have less gray matter volume in their brain.
Gray matter in the brain can help with:
Self-control
Speech
Decision-making
Muscle control
Another study has shown that dopamine plays a role in ADHD. Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that helps move signals between your nerves. Dopamine plays a big role in triggering emotional responses and movements.
ADHD is not caused by:
A stressful home life
Too much sugar
Too much television
Poor schools
Food allergies
Contrary to popular belief, ADHD cannot really be prevented due to the role that genetics plays in diagnosis. Be that as it may, there are certain risk factors that you may be able to avoid. For example, if you are expecting a child, avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs can prevent the occurrence of ADHD.
Are there any complications that can occur if I let my ADHD go untreated?
Yes. Just like any other mental health disorder, serious and long-term complications can ensure when your condition goes untreated by an ADHD therapist.
Some long-term complications of ADHD can encompass:
Sleep issues
Eating disorders
Risky, impulsive behaviors
Academic underachievement
Job instability
Trouble with relationships or other connections
Frequent injuries or accidents
Poor self-esteem
add treatment: Can attention deficit hyperactivity disorder therapies help me?
Absolutely! Therapy is one of the first treatment options that ADHD specialists recommend to clients. The goal of ADHD treatment at Anchor Therapy is to improve your symptoms so you can function more effectively at school, work, and/or home.
In behavioral therapy for ADHD, you will engage in specific activities like social skills training or executive functioning training. By doing so, you will learn or fortify positive behaviors while removing unwanted or troubling behaviors. Executive functioning training will help you with self-monitoring while polishing your organizational skills.
Our ADHD therapists also offer talk therapy or traditional psychotherapy. In this form of mental health counseling for ADHD, you can discuss how ADHD impacts your life as well as ways to manage your condition.
The following are benefits of working with an ADHD therapist:
Specialized understanding
Skill development
Coping mechanisms
Skill development
Emotional support
Family and relationship support
Goal setting and planning
Building self-esteem
At Anchor Therapy, our ADHD therapists offer sessions in-person at our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. We also offer virtual counseling sessions to all New Jersey residents, including Bergen County, Jersey City, and Montclair. Virtual ADHD therapy services are also offered to residents of Florida and New York.
Are there any benefits to having ADHD?
Yes, there are certain advantages to having ADHD. People who seek professional help in the form of ADHD counseling go on to lead happy and fulfilling lives.
People with ADHD have abilities and skills that people with a ‘standard’ brain do not possess.
Your unique abilities may include:
Creativity
Conversational skills
Hyperfocus
Spontaneity
A lot of energy
Nonlinear problem-solving
Resiliency
It may be helpful to shift your focus and think of ADHD as your superpower!
What can I expect my life to look like if I have ADHD?
While ADHD cannot be cured, seeking the help of an ADHD therapist can make living with the condition manageable and even allow you to thrive.
When you do not receive adequate ADHD counseling, you may experience:
Additional mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression, etc.)
Difficulty managing daily activities
Academic or job-related problems (e.g., frequent job changes, school issues)
Just because you have ADHD, it does not mean that you are destined to have life-long issues. You will not simply outgrow ADHD from childhood and teenhood to adulthood, but you can learn to manage your symptoms effectively. In fact, some adults will learn how to manage their symptoms so effectively that they no longer meet the diagnosis for ADHD.
Many people successfully learn how to manage their symptoms so it does not affect their life and ability to function on a daily basis.
In addition to behavioral therapy for ADHD, you can make positive lifestyle adjustments which can make it easier for you to deal with your symptoms.
Healthy behaviors can include:
Exercising or moving your body on a consistent basis
Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night
Eating a well-balanced diet (e.g., fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains)
Limiting your screen time
All in all, ADHD is a common mental health disorder that affects people of all ages. Although it can impact your behavior and condition, traditional talk therapy or behavioral counseling for ADHD can help. Behavioral treatments and support from family members and friends can be positive in your ADHD treatment plan. If you are concerned that you may have ADHD, do not hesitate to reach out to our ADHD therapists at Anchor Therapy today. Your mental health is important and our ADHD providers can help you figure out what treatment plan is right for you. You deserve to feel like your best self today and every day, and our ADHD clinicians are determined to get you there.
I’m ready to start adhd therapy. What are the next steps?
WORKING WITH anchor therapy IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help. We will match you with an experienced licensed ADHD therapist on our team.
Know that you are taking the first step towards a more fulfilling life!
