Effective ADHD Treatment

When people talk about the symptoms of ADHD, they tend to focus on the DSM label: attention and hyperactivity. That focus gets in the way when it comes time to treat it. A medication-only approach to attention or hyperactivity can be underwhelming, and it can delay treatment that would help.

What gets overlooked most often is the social and emotional cost of ADHD. People with ADHD are readily identified by their peers and then singled out for the difference. It happens with teachers, with other parents, in nearly every setting they are in. Being identified raises the odds of being bullied, and impulsive behavior can bring consequences from school or within the family. It cuts the other way too: it is not unusual for the bully to have ADHD, where impulsive reactions that miss the subtle social cues of a room lead to consequences, or to attention that reinforces the behavior.

The same is true for adults. Ideas like laziness, or other such labels, become more and more ingrained as the way a person describes themselves. There is rarely a chance to look at life through a lens that does not overvalue sustained attention and undervalue creativity. Good treatment makes room for that lens.