Adults with ADHD often benefit from learning how to manage their symptoms using a variety of psychotherapies. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavior management techniques.
Medication for ADHD can help children, adolescents and adults feel more in control. Medicine may cause side effects, such as upset stomach or changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
Inpatient
Inpatient treatment facilities can offer a more permanent lifestyle and long-term care than outpatient or residential programs. A person will reside at the facility for their entire stay, ranging from 30 days to 6 months.
A quality ADHD treatment center like The Insight Clinic Adhd will perform a thorough physical and psychological evaluation to determine an individual’s appropriate level of care. They will then create a comprehensive treatment plan for their specific recovery needs.
Adults with co-occurring ADHD and substance use disorders should seek a dual-diagnosis treatment program to ensure their mental health needs are fully addressed in their recovery journey. Symptoms of ADHD like inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity may cause a person to turn to drugs or alcohol as an attempt to self-medicate.
Effective ADHD treatment will incorporate psychostimulant medication and research-backed behavioral therapies to help people learn to manage their symptoms healthily. This will reduce the urge to self-medicate with substance abuse, which can lead to relapse in many individuals.
Outpatient
The effectiveness of outpatient treatment depends on the individual. Some people require more intensive programs and individualized treatment to achieve successful outcomes.
The symptoms of ADHD include trouble paying attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Symptoms can be overwhelming and interfere with everyday life. They can lead to drug and alcohol abuse as a means of self-medication. In many cases, untreated ADHD and substance use disorders co-occur. This makes finding a treatment facility with a dual diagnosis program important.
The most common type of outpatient ADHD and substance abuse treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. Stimulant medications like methylphenidate and amphetamines may be used to treat ADHD, but these have the potential to be misused. Other non-stimulant psychiatric drugs like atomoxetine can be used to treat ADHD and have less potential for abuse.
Partial Hospitalization
If a patient cannot meet the demands of an IOP or residential program or is struggling with substance abuse and ADHD, a partial hospitalization treatment program may be right for them. These programs offer a few hours of therapy daily, several days a week. During these sessions, clients will learn how to manage their symptoms and practice behavioral techniques to help them succeed.
For many people with ADHD, drug or alcohol use can be a way of self-medicating their symptoms. This can lead to various serious legal, financial and professional problems. Using illicit substances can also be dangerous. These drugs often have severe side effects and are prone to addiction.
In adults, the mainstay of treatment for ADHD is stimulant pharmacotherapy. These drugs have a high potential for abuse, so it is important to assess patients carefully for the presence of substance misuse disorders when assessing for co-occurring SUD and ADHD.
Residential
Residential treatment aims to stabilize patients so they can develop a long-term, continuous treatment plan. It usually includes medication and behavior therapy (parent training and other types of behavior management for children six years and older, as well as individualized treatment for adults), with support from teachers and school personnel where appropriate.
Behavior therapy teaches patients to manage their symptoms by setting clear rules and monitoring behaviors. Reinforcement of positive behaviors can also help improve self-esteem. Some adults with ADHD benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, which allows them to identify and change negative thinking patterns or thought distortions.
Psychotherapy or counseling can teach people with ADHD new ways to handle emotions and improve relationships. For example, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, originally designed to treat harmful behaviors in borderline personality disorder, can help improve emotional regulation for adults with ADHD. Other psychotherapies include art therapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy and mindfulness. Some patients have reported improvements with neurofeedback, a non-medication treatment where they wear an electrode-lined cap while performing cognitive tasks that computers can read.
