I’ve got ADHD, Do I Even Need Therapy?

If you’re struggling with ADHD, you might be unsure about whether therapy can help you, and if it is worth the time and effort. However, finding a psychologist for ADHD could be lifechanging. 

How Therapists Can Help

Attending therapy for your ADHD is a great way to develop:

• Behavioural strategies – learning to break down tasks to be manageable and learn time management skills
• Stress management techniques
• Communication skills – being able to express your needs clearly
• A better understanding about ADHD and how it effects your daily life

ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression

ADHD frequently coincides with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. In fact, studies show that 80% of people with diagnosed ADHD will have at least one other mental health condition in their lifetime. Going to therapy for ADHD may reveal another mental health condition you were struggling with but were unaware of. Fortunately, many treatments for ADHD, anxiety and depression overlap, and Melbourne psychologists are well equipped to support you in managing them together.   

More often than not, ADHD can worsen the symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is for a few reasons:

• Those diagnosed with ADHD are often scrutinised for the outward symptoms of the disorder – hyper-activeness, time blindness, lack of concentration – leading them to have lower self-esteem.
• Overlapping symptoms such as inconsistent appetite, lack of enjoyment in activities once enjoyed, sleeping too much or too little, physical agitation or restlessness, low self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating. Overlapping symptoms between disorders can make them harder to tackle, since it can often make taking the steps much harder.

Effective Therapy

There are many different types of therapy used to treat people with ADHD, so if cognitive behaviour therapy isn’t for you, there’s still a way to get help. By employment treatment like music or art therapy, mindfulness, narrative therapy, successive approximation, or psychoeducation with trained psychologists Melbourne ADHD sufferers may find effective ways to help address the impact of ADHD symptoms on a person’s life. 

Therapy is an effective tool for anyone with or without a mental health disorder, allowing people to better cope with their day to day lives. It helps you to become a more functional person and understand the way your mind works. This is especially true for people with ADHD, since being neurodivergent impacts the way your brain works compared to the majority of people. Knowing how and why you work the way you do through therapy will allow you to get on top of your life and feel more in control.