How To Create An Organized Home For Adults With Adhd
Home organization and tackling clutter can feel intimidating for most people, particularly those with ADHD. Due to distractibility, decision-making and difficulty with categorizing, adult organizers with ADHD benefit from a targeted approach:
Tips For Living With Adult Adhd
Living with ADHD can be challenging at times. However, many adults are able to manage their ADHD symptoms effectively and lead productive, satisfying lives.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may not need help from a doctor right away. There are various personal adjustments you can make first to get a handle on your symptoms.
Get Plenty Of Amino Acids And Protein
Protein helps curb hyperactivity by stabilizing blood sugar levels. Our brain cells communicate through neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that relay information from one cell to the next. Neurotransmitters are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
If youve ever eaten a carb-heavy meal, you can attest to the sluggish thinking that often accompanies it. Thats because carbs increase tryptophan in the brain, inducing sleepiness. Protein, on the other hand, raises tyrosine, which manufacturers dopamine and norepinephrine, which promotes activity and alertness.
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Take Responsibility For Your Role
Once youve put yourself in your partners shoes, its time to accept responsibility for your role in the relationship. Progress starts once you become aware of your own contributions to the problems you have as a couple. This goes for the non-ADHD partner as well.
While the ADHD partners symptoms may trigger an issue, the symptoms alone arent to blame for the relationship problem. The way the non-ADHD partner responds to the bothersome symptom can either open the door for cooperation and compromise or provoke misunderstandings and hurt feelings. If youre the one with ADHD, youre also responsible for the way you react to your partners concerns. Your reaction can either make your significant other feel validated and heard or disregarded and ignored.
Additional Tips For Parents Of Children With Adhd
Parenting a child with ADHD can be overwhelming at times. But there are strategies you can try to help make your life and your childs life easier.
Keep in mind that every child with ADHD is unique. What works for one might not work for another. It may take time to find the right strategies that work for you, your child, and your family.
Here are some tips you can try.
- Ownership. Where appropriate, it can be useful to adapt some of the strategies outlined above and implement them with your child. For example, if its age appropriate, you might involve your child in setting goals, breaking down tasks into smaller parts, and building their ideal work environment. By giving your child ownership in the process, youll help build their confidence and make tasks seem more achievable.
- Rewards. Many children with ADHD have trouble with motivation and may want to give up when a task is demanding or confusing.
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How To Treat Adult Adhd Without Medication
Despite the brain-based nature of ADHD, it is possible to treat adult ADHD without medication. ADHD medication does have a purpose. Among other things, ADHD medication increases brain chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine, thus decreasing impulsivity and increasing concentration. Some people respond well to medication. Others either dont respond well or dont want to take medication.
Medication decisions should always be made with a doctor, of course, but treating adult ADHD without drugs is possible . The process starts by identifying goals and considering what symptoms you want to work on. From there, you get to take action to live and thrive medication-free.
The Connection Between Adhd And Meltdowns
The very nature of ADHD sets people up for exasperation. All day every day, ADHD causes people to be easily distracted. This makes it a gargantuan effort to concentrate and to maintain focus and attention. As a result, people miss important information, parts of a conversation, and more. This inattention leads to losing things and forgetfulness, which are made worse by disorganization.
Additionally, part of ADHD involves heightened emotions and increased sensitivity. People with ADHD feel emotions much more intensely than do people without ADHD, and people tend to feel powerless to manage them .
All of these challenges are exhausting, which makes regulating emotions more difficult. Stressors build on each other, things seemingly small to outsiders feel big and overwhelming to the person with ADHD. This pent-up frustration mounts until something, usually minor, causes rage and anger to erupt and the person to lash out in a powerful, frightening meltdown.
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Tips For Staying Focused And Productive At Work
ADHD can create special challenges at work. The things you may find toughestorganization, completion of tasks, sitting still, listening quietlyare the very things youre often asked to do all day long.
Juggling ADHD and a challenging job is no easy task, but by tailoring your workplace environment you can take advantage of your strong points while minimizing the negative impact of your ADHD symptoms.
Therapy For Adult Adhd Can Teach You Better Coping Skills
Treatment for ADHD can also mean seeking outside help. Professionals trained in ADHD can help you learn new skills to cope with symptoms and change habits that are causing problems.
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Some therapies focus on managing stress and anger or controlling impulsive behaviors, while others teach you how to handle time and money more effectively and improve your organizational skills.
Talk therapy. Adults with ADHD often struggle with issues stemming from longstanding patterns of underachievement, failure, academic difficulties, job turnover, and relationship conflict. Individual talk therapy can help you deal with this emotional baggage, including low self-esteem, the feelings of embarrassment and shame you may have experienced as a child and teenager, and resentment at the nagging and criticism you receive from people close to you.
Marriage and family therapy addresses the problems ADHD can create in your relationships and family life, such as conflicts over money problems, forgotten commitments, responsibilities in the home, and impulsive decisions. Therapy can help you and your loved ones explore these issues and focus on constructive ways of dealing with them and communicating with each other. Therapy can also improve your relationships by educating your partner and family members about ADHD.
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Managing Adhd Meltdowns While They Are Happening
It is ADHD that causes emotional meltdowns, and someone who has them isnt inherently bad or a terrible person. That doesnt mean that you have to endure your own meltdowns or that you have to accept tantrums directed at you .
Meltdowns involve out-of-control, intense emotions. Theyre a force that seems unstoppable. While they cant be stopped on a dime, you can manage these episodes even while theyre happening. Try these ADHD meltdown strategies:
- Reset your emotions by taking a break. You may not know whats rational to say or do, but you do know when youve lost control. Learn to remove yourself from the situation. Physically remove yourself, and do something unrelated to the situation or your anger. Engage in physical activity to release tensions and negative energy.
- Breathe deeply. Taking deliberate slow, deep breaths will positively impact your brain and help calm you down. Do this during your break and during the argument itself.
- Stick to facts. Often, all frustrations, thoughts, and events that happened come bursting forth during a meltdown. This fuels the fire and keeps you from getting at the real issue. With help from your partner, continually redirect the focus to the main issue. As you address it, youll feel better and the meltdown will cool off.
Maintain A State Of Mindfulness
Along with lowering stress, regular mindfulness meditation can help you better resist distractions, reduce impulsivity, increase attention, and give you greater control over your emotions. Due to the fact that hyperactive symptoms can make meditation difficult for some individuals with ADHD, beginning slowly might be beneficial. Begin with brief periods of meditation and gradually expand your time as you become more familiar with the processand more capable of maintaining focus. The trick is to then use these mindfulness practises to help you stay on track in your daily life. Experiment with free or low-cost smartphone applications or guided meditations available online.
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Work Together As A Team
Just because one partner has ADHD doesnt mean you cant have a balanced, mutually fulfilling relationship. The key is to learn to work together as a team. A healthy relationship involves give and take, with both individuals participating fully in the partnership and looking for ways to support each other.
Take some time on both sides to identify what youre good at and which tasks are most challenging for you. If your spouse is strong in an area in which youre weak, perhaps they can take over that responsibility, and vice versa. It should feel like an equal exchange. If youre both weak in a certain area, brainstorm how to get outside help. For example, if neither of you are good with money, you could hire a bookkeeper or research money management apps that make budgeting easier.
Divide tasks and stick to them. The non-ADHD partner may be more suited to handling the bills and doing the errands, while you manage the children and cooking.
Schedule weekly sit-downs. Meet once a week to address issues and assess progress youve made as a couple.
Evaluate the division of labor. Make a list of chores and responsibilities and rebalance the workload if either one of you is shouldering the bulk of the load.
Delegate, outsource, and automate. You and your partner dont have to do everything yourselves. If you have children, assign them chores. You might also consider hiring a cleaning service, signing up for grocery delivery, or setting up automatic bill payments.
Take An Extra Beat Before You Act
Many adults with ADHD struggle with impulsive speech and actions, according to the DSM-5. It’s worth noting people with ADHD are no less intelligent than their peers. Some adults with ADHD just tend to speak reactively and/or bluntly.
This is not easy, but try to teach yourself to take a minute to stop and think before you react. Work with a mental health provider to change this habit. It might help to write down your first reaction instead of sharing it.
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Coaches And Professional Organizers For Adult Adhd
In addition to physicians and therapists, there are a number of other professionals who can help you overcome the challenges of adult ADHD.
Behavioral coaching for adult ADHD is not a traditional form of therapy, but it can be a valuable part of ADHD treatment. In contrast to traditional therapists who help people work through emotional problems, coaches focus solely on practical solutions to problems in everyday life. Behavioral coaches teach you strategies for organizing your home and work environment, structuring your day, prioritizing tasks, and managing your money. ADHD coaches may come to your home or talk with you on the phone rather than meet with you in an office many coach-client relationships are long-distance.
Professional organizers for adult ADHD can be very helpful if you have difficulty organizing your belongings or your time. Organizers can help you reduce clutter, develop better organizational systems, and learn to manage your time efficiently. A professional organizer comes to your home or workplace, looks at how you have things organized , and then suggests changes. In addition to helping you to organize your paperwork and bill paying, a professional organizer has recommendations for memory and planning tools, filing systems, and more. A professional organizer also helps with time-management: your tasks, your to-do list, and your calendar.
How Does Adhd Affect Adults
Some adults who have ADHD dont know they have it. These adults may feel it is impossible to get organized, stick to a job, or remember to keep appointments. Daily tasks such as getting up in the morning, preparing to leave the house for work, arriving at work on time, and being productive on the job can be especially challenging for adults with undiagnosed ADHD. These adults may have a history of problems with school, work, and relationships. Adults with ADHD may seem restless and may try to do several things at the same timemost of them unsuccessfully. They sometimes prefer quick fixes rather than taking the steps needed to gain greater rewards.
A person may not be diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood because teachers or family did not recognize the condition at a younger age, they had a mild form of ADHD, or they managed fairly well until they experienced the demands of adulthood, especially at work. Sometimes, young adults with undiagnosed ADHD have academic problems in college because of the intense concentration needed for college courses.
It is never too late to seek a diagnosis and treatment for ADHD and any other mental health condition that may occur with it. Effective treatment can make day-to-day life easier for many adults and their families.
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Tips For Getting Organized And Controlling Clutter
The hallmark traits of ADHD are inattention and distractibilitymaking organization perhaps the biggest challenge adults with the disorder face. If you have ADHD, the prospect of getting organized, whether it be at work or home, may leave you feeling overwhelmed.
However, you can learn to break tasks down into smaller steps and follow a systematic approach to organization. By implementing various structures and routines, and taking advantage of tools such as daily planners and reminders, you can set yourself up to maintain organization and control clutter.
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- Stimulant medication, including methylphenidate hydrochloride, dextroamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, and mixed amphetamine salts , are recommended as first-line medication treatment for adults with ADHD. 57 Longer-acting stimulants are recommended by most consensus guidelines for adults with ADHD. 8,9
- Did it take you a while to find a medication that works for you? I’m feeling increasingly defeated. I began my diagnosis and medication journey for ADHD this April at 29 years old. I had been suspicious I could have it for a couple years . My best friend, who also has ADHD …
- Dr. Joel Young Discusses Medication and Adult ADHD Ann Arbor District Library, 2009 07 30. «Part of the problem is we call it ADHD, predominantly inattentive type, and the H does stand for hyperactivity. So it’s an absolute contradiction within the title.
- ensuring that medication is initiated only by healthcare professionals with training and expertise in diagnosing and managing ADHD. early review of medication to optimise its use . regular review to ensure that medication is continued only for as long as it is needed.
- ADHD is a developmental disorder with onset in childhood and characterised by a range of symptoms such as: Inability to concentrate. Hyperactivity. Impulsiveness. Emotional difficulties. People with ADHD often have complex needs and may also experience other mental health difficulties including mood and anxiety problems, addictions and psychosis.
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Specialized Therapy For Adult Adhd
Whereas medications treat ADHD from the inside out, specialized therapy for ADHD works from the outside in by helping clients learn skills and structure their environments to reduce the negative impact of ADHD on their lives.
In cognitive behavioral therapy, clients work with a therapist to understand the interaction between their thoughts, feelings and actions and learn skills to cope with problems and meet important goals. There are different styles of cognitive behavioral therapy based on the problem that the client wants to work on. These treatments are evidence-based, while still tailored to each individual client.
Over the past two decades, researchers have begun to develop and test cognitive behavioral therapies specifically for adults with ADHD.
These specialized therapies help clients integrate organization and time-management skills into their lives. They also typically help people incorporate strategies to increase and maintain motivation to complete tasks and combat procrastination.
Most cognitive behavioral therapies teach clients to become aware of the effects of their thought patterns on emotions and actions so that nonhelpful thoughts can have less influence. Whereas therapy for depression and anxiety tends to focus on overly negative thinking, ADHD therapy sometimes targets overly positive or overly optimistic thinking that can sometimes get clients in trouble.
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About the author: Alissa Zucker is a content writer working for Mcessay. She is interested in reading classic and psychological books which give her inspiration to write her own articles and short stories.
Photo by Tim Swaan on Unsplash
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