Treatments For ADD - Drugs and Counselling
Treatment options for ADD include drugs and counselling. It is important to try both to determine which is more effective.
People with classic ADD are irritable, disorganized and often hyperactive. They suffer from low blood flow in their prefrontal cortex, basal Ganglia and thalamus. They also have low levels of dopamine. Treatment typically involves increasing dopamine levels.
Stimulants
Stimulants accelerate the body's systems. add treatments for adults are available in the form of prescription drugs like amphetamines, methylphenidates, as well as diet aids such as Didrex, Bontril, and Fastin. They can also be illegally used and often mixed with other substances, such as cocaine and methcathinone. They are available in the form of syrups, pills, liquids or patches that are applied to the skin.
They boost the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine within the brain's synapses. This improves concentration. They also reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and enhance working memory. They are the most frequently used drugs prescribed to adults with ADHD. They can cause side effects such as decreased appetite, sleep disturbances and an increase in heart rate or blood pressure. They may interact with certain medications and medical conditions. It is essential to talk with your doctor regarding any concerns.
Around 70 to 80 percent of people who are taking ADHD medications will experience reduced symptoms. Different people respond in a different way to the medication and the effects may not last for long.
Some people don't like stimulants or aren't able to tolerate their negative effects. If this is the case, doctors could prescribe non-stimulant drugs. These medications aren't as efficient as stimulants but they can help improve focus, attention and control impulses. Doctors typically prescribe these drugs together with stimulants to increase the effectiveness.
Nonstimulant medicines take longer to start working, and they don't act as fast. They don't increase dopamine levels and have a different impact on neurotransmitters. Examples include atomoxetine, clonidine and Guanfacine. The most frequent adverse effect of these drugs is drowsiness. However, drowsiness can be reduced by increasing the dosage or taking them at the time of bed. The drowsiness should subside within a few weeks of starting treatment.
Antidepressants
Most antidepressants affect chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. They are grouped according to how they affect these neurotransmitters, with each group having medications that work in slightly different ways. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), atypical antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Your health care provider might prescribe a medicine that belongs to one of these groups to ease anxiety or depression symptoms. These medicines may not provide immediate relief, since it can take weeks before you feel the full benefits. Your doctor and you will determine the best medication for you. They may add other medications or mix two antidepressants to improve your treatment. This is referred to as an augmentation. The most commonly used augmentation drugs are aripiprazole (Abilify), quetiapine (Seroquel) and lithium (Lithobid).
Antidepressants can cause a variety of adverse effects. It's important to talk to your doctor about the side effects because some could affect your daily activities. These side effects may be severe or mild depending on the kind of antidepressant you're taking. Inform your doctor if taking any other medications, such as herbal remedies or over-the-counter medications like St. John's Wort.
SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, and are known to have less adverse effects than other antidepressants. These include fluoxetine (Prozac), paraxetine (Paxil and Pexeva) as well as sertraline (Zoloft).
The SNRIs increase levels of serotonin as well as norepinephrine within the brain. This is the reason SNRIs are regarded as more efficient than SSRIs. They also have longer half-lifes than SSRIs and are less likely to interact with other medications. The SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta), and venlafaxine, (Effexor).
Atypical antidepressants are used to boost energy and make you feel more awake. They may be useful for people suffering from insomnia or very severe anxiety. They include bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) and mirtazapine (Remeron). These drugs can cause jitteriness, insomnia or drowsiness. However, they can be useful for many people with depression, ADHD and anxiety. They are also used for the treatment of bulimia as well as to aid in quitting smoking.
Cognitive therapy for behavioural problems
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a scientifically-based treatment for mental health disorders. It is based on the belief that thoughts, feelings and actions are interconnected and can be changed. CBT is a short-term, goal-oriented process which can help you develop new ways to deal with negative thoughts and stressors. It can be used to treat depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety.
The purpose of CBT is to change negative thoughts into positive feelings and behavior. The method is a mix of two treatments, cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. It's a type of psychotherapy that's usually short-term, and can be performed in a group or an individual setting. A therapist will guide you through various techniques, and you'll practice them in your daily routine. These techniques include: learning to recognize negative thoughts as well as practicing mindfulness meditation and keeping an account of your thoughts.
A therapist will also assist you in identifying the negative thoughts that lead to maladaptive behaviors and then teach you strategies for changing these beliefs. They'll also help you develop problem-solving techniques so that you are able to deal with challenges that arise in your everyday life. CBT therapists will encourage you to establish SMART goals to make it easier for you to monitor your progress.
While each kind of cognitive behavioral therapy takes a slightly different approach, they all focus on identifying the fundamental mental thoughts that contribute to emotional distress and changing them. The therapists use a variety of techniques, but most are built on the principles of operant and classical conditioning, which involve associating the effects of stimuli with the stimulus. In treatment you will be awarded for completing tasks. You will also be penalized for failing to complete them.
During your initial sessions with your therapist, you and the therapist will look for problematic behaviors and replace them with healthier ones. They might also assign homework to help you learn the abilities. Based on the degree of your illness it could take between 6 and 20 one-on-one sessions.
CBT can be used to treat a variety of ailments such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can also be effective for adults suffering from ADHD, which affects people as young as seven.
Counselling
Counselling is a kind of psychotherapy which uses planned, regular meetings with the therapist (counsellor) to discuss your concerns. These sessions can last up to 50 minutes and can be conducted face-to-face, in groups, or via the phone. Counselling can help people with a range of mental health issues, including depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Counselling can be used to talk about relationship, family and friendship issues, as well as workplace-related problems.
A counselor will listen attentively to your issues and provide an objective perspective. They can identify patterns of behavior and suggest ways to alter them. They will be able to teach you coping skills and strategies for managing depression, anxiety, or stress. They can help you cope with major life events, like divorce or the loss of a beloved. They can also teach you how to manage chronic illnesses and addictions.
Some counsellors charge fees for their services while others are covered by Medicare rebates, if you have mental health plans from your doctor.