"The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Treatments For ADD
Treatments For ADD - Drugs and Counselling
Treatment options for ADD include counselling and drugs. It is important to try both to determine which is more efficient.
People suffering from classic ADD are irritable, disorganized and often hyperactive. They lack blood flow to the prefrontal cortex as well as the basal Ganglia. They also have low levels of dopamine. Treatment usually involves increasing dopamine levels.
Stimulants
Stimulants boost the body's systems. They are legally available as prescription drugs, such as amphetamines (Adder-all and Dexedrine) and methylphenidates (Concerta and Ritalin) and diet aids such as Didrex, Bontril and Fastin and are also illegally used, often mixed with other substances, including cocaine and methcathinone (crack). They are available in the form of syrups, pills or liquids, or patches that are applied to the skin.
They enhance concentration by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain synapses. They also reduce impulsivity and hyperactivity, and improve working memory. They are the most commonly prescribed medication for adults suffering from ADHD. They can cause side effects such as decreased appetite, sleep disturbances and a rise in blood pressure or heart rate. They can interact with certain medicines and medical conditions. It is essential to talk with your doctor regarding any concerns.
Medicines can lessen ADHD symptoms in 70 percent to 80% of people who use them. Not everyone responds the same way to the medication and the effects may not last for long.
Certain people find that stimulants aren't working well or they don't like the adverse effects. In this instance doctors may prescribe nonstimulant drugs. These medications aren't as efficient as stimulants, but they do help improve attention, focus and control of impulses. Doctors typically prescribe these drugs alongside stimulants to increase the effectiveness.
Nonstimulant drugs take longer to get started and don't work as quickly. They don't raise dopamine levels and have a different effect on neurotransmitters. Examples include the atomoxetine (clonidine), guanfacine, and clonidine. The most frequent adverse effect of these drugs is drowsiness. However the drowsiness can be decreased by increasing the dosage or taking them prior to the time of sleep. The drowsiness will subside within a few weeks of beginning treatment.
Antidepressants
Most antidepressants change chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters. The drugs are classified based on how they act on neurotransmitters. Each group has slightly different medications. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), atypical antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Your physician may prescribe a medicine that belongs to one of these groups in order to ease anxiety or depression symptoms. These medications may not offer immediate relief, since it can take weeks before you feel the full benefits. Your doctor and you will decide which medication works best for you. They may combine two antidepressants or add other medications to enhance the effectiveness of your treatment. This is known as augmenting. The most common augmenting drugs are aripiprazole quetiapine and lithium.
Antidepressants can cause a variety of side effects. It's important to talk to your doctor about these side effects as some may interfere with your daily activities. These adverse effects can be mild or extreme and depend on the type of antidepressant you're taking. You should also tell your doctor about any other medicines or herbal remedies you're using, including herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications such as St. John's wort.
SSRIs have been found to have fewer adverse effects than other antidepressants. These include fluoxetine (Prozac), paraxetine (Paxil and Pexeva) and sertraline (Zoloft).
SNRIs increase levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. This is why they're considered to be more effective than SSRIs. They also have longer half-lifes than SSRIs and are less likely to interact with other drugs. SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor).
Atypical antidepressants are utilized to boost your energy levels and help you feel more alert. They could be helpful for people suffering from insomnia or extremely severe anxiety. They include bupropion (Wellbutrin Zyban, Wellbutrin) and mirtazapine (Remeron). These medications can cause jitteriness, sleepiness or drowsiness, but they can be beneficial for many people with depression, ADHD and anxiety. These medications are also used to treat bulimia, and to help smokers quit.
Cognitive therapy for behavioural problems
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a proven treatment for mental disorders. It is based upon the belief that thoughts and feelings are connected and can be altered. CBT is an approach that is short-term and goal-oriented that can help you learn new methods to manage anxiety and negative habits. It can be used to treat bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.
treat adult add of CBT is to change negative thoughts into positive feelings and behaviours. The method is a combination of two therapies which are cognitive therapy and behaviour therapy. It's a type of psychotherapy which is usually short-term, and it can be done in a group or individual setting. A therapist will teach you different methods, and you'll apply them in your daily life. These techniques include: understanding how to recognize negative automatic thoughts as well as practicing mindfulness meditation and keeping a journal.
A therapist can assist you in identifying negative thoughts that cause you to adopting maladaptive behavior, and show you how to change these beliefs. They'll also teach you problem solving techniques so that you are able to handle challenges that come up in your everyday life. CBT therapists will also guide you to establish SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) to help you track your progress.
While each kind of cognitive behavior therapy has an entirely different approach, they all focus on identifying the mental thoughts that contribute to emotional distress and then changing them. Therapists employ various methods but they all operate on the principle of operant and classic conditioning which involves relating stimuli to their effects. During the treatment the therapist will give you a reward for completing tasks and punish those who fail to complete them.
In the initial few sessions your therapist will work with you to identify problematic behaviors and replace them with healthy ones. They may also assign homework to help you learn the abilities. It is possible that you will require anywhere between six and twenty one-on-one sessions, depending on the degree and nature of your condition.
CBT is effective in treating a variety of conditions, including anxiety depression and post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). It also works for adults with ADHD, which affects people as young as seven.
Counselling
Counselling is a form of psychotherapy which uses regular, scheduled sessions with a therapist (counsellor) to discuss your problems. These sessions can last up to 50 minutes, and they can be conducted face-to-face, in groups, or via the phone. Counselling can assist people suffering from a range of mental health issues, including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. It can also be used to discuss relationships, friendships and family issues as well as work-related difficulties.
treat adult add will pay attention to your concerns and offer an objective perspective. They will be able to discern patterns of behavior and suggest ways you can change them. They will be able to teach you coping strategies and techniques for managing depression, anxiety, or stress. They can assist you in adjusting to major life changes such as divorce or loss of a loved one. They can also show you how to cope with addictions or a chronic illness.
Some counsellors charge fees for their services, while others are covered by Medicare rebates in the event that you have mental health plans from your doctor.