ADHD and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Welcome to the fourth episode of Thriving with ADHD.  We are talking about Cognitive behavioral therapy and ADHD.  ADHD is a condition that’s treated both with medication and non-medical types of treatments and cognitive behavioral therapy is definitely one of the powerful tools in management of the condition. We have a pleasure to discuss this topic with our amazing PA Maddison Henley.

Thank you for listening to Thriving with ADHD. This show is produced by Animo Sano Psychiatry. For more information about our clinic, please visit animosanopsychiatry.com.

Animo Sano Psychiatry has introduced new services for enhancement of our patients' mental health - ASP Concierge and Health & Wellness Program. Please visit our website to learn more.

Animo Sano Psychiatry is constantly looking for the talent in behavioral health. If you are a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or mental health therapist, we'd love to hear from you. Visit our Careers pages to learn more about the available positions. https://animosanopsychiatry.com/careers/ 

Transcript

     📍 Welcome to Thriving With adhd, a podcast we'll share every day practical tips to thrive in life as an adult with adhd.  This podcast is brought to you by Animo Sano Psychiatry, a behavioral health practice with a specialist ADHD clinic based in North Carolina. And this is your host Nada Pupovac.



Welcome to the fourth episode of Thriving with D H D Dear ADHD community, today we are talking about cognitive behavioral therapy and D H D. We have a pleasure to welcome back our amazing PA Madison Hanley. And before we start with the episode, I would like to mention that our fast growing team is hiring for multiple positions, including psychiatrist.

PAs, nurse practitioners and mental health therapists. If you or someone you know are a behavioral health professional and would like to join our innovative and passionate team, please visit animal sano psychiatry.com/careers and get in touch with our team. That's animo sano psychiatry.com/careers.

Thank you.

Welcome back Madison. I'm so happy to have you again on the podcast. , and today, uh, we are talking about very important thing, and that's cognitive behavioral therapy, uh, in a D H D treatment. Um, as our listen. Probably know, um, ADHD is a condition that's treated both with medication and non-medical types of treatment.

And cognitive behavioral therapy is definitely one of the powerful tools in the management of the condition. So, as there might be people who are not familiar with this, uh, modality and what it can do, could you just please explain to us, uh, what cognitive behavioral therapy. Yeah, sure. Um, and yeah, thanks for having me back.

Um, but no problem. So getting into it, uh, cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that, uh, we offer. Um, it focuses on kind of the connection between our thoughts and emotions and our behaviors. Um, it, it works to identify unhealthier negative thinking patterns and beliefs, and then replacing those with healthier.

more productive ones. Um, it also encourages patients to kind of monitor those behaviors in order to maybe recognize triggers, um, that are impacting their mental health. Mm-hmm. , um, Through C B T, the, the hope is that people can gain control over their thoughts and feelings and kind of lead a more happier life from there.

Mm-hmm. , uh, some of the common practices in C B T involve setting personal goals, developing in individualized plans for reaching those goals. Um, our therapists can help with challenging irrational thoughts and, and modifying unwanted behaviors. Mm-hmm.  also working.  patients to kind of practice cognitive tools like problem solving, self-control.

Mm-hmm. , uh, mindfulness techniques that all in turn help to reduce stress levels, um, and improve emotional regulation. Mm-hmm. , um, some of the other common C B T uh, strategies include, uh, learning different coping strategies, relaxation techniques, um, like I said, recogniz. Maybe triggering things, um, that lead to those maladaptive behaviors.

Mm-hmm.  and then practicing new thought patterns to try to replace those negative ones. Thank you. And, um, maybe we can, um, try to dig deeper and, um, , and maybe you can let us know. Uh, what are the benefits of a cognitive behavioral therapy in A D H D management? Uh, specifically? Yeah. So C B T can be really helpful for, um, people with a D H D mm-hmm.

Um, it can help to modify behaviors and, and reduce some of those symptoms like, uh, impulsiveness, distractability. , um, hyperactivity a lot of times trouble with organizing tasks or, or managing tasks. Um, also kind of developing strategies to, um, navigate through challenging situations, um, more effectively.

Mm-hmm.  and overcoming some of those, uh, stress-inducing emotions or, or, um, Habits that people get into. Mm-hmm. . Um, it can also encourage patients to take responsibility for some of their actions by kind of learning how to set clear goals for themselves. Mm-hmm.  and learning some of those tools through therapy like,  problem solving, um, self-control techniques, mindfulness techniques.

Um, individuals with A D H D can learn better ways of managing, uh, their behaviors. And ultimately, uh, the benefit would be kind of improved focus, improved organizational skills, uh, improvement in time management skills, um, and overall kind of an increased motivation level, um, and, and better emotional.

Mm-hmm. . Um, and could you now, uh, maybe, uh, let us know about a few real life examples for a person with A D H D that, uh, cognitive behavioral therapy can help with? So we talked about the benefits in general, but for our listeners to maybe imagine. Some  real life example how, um, you know, cognitive behavior therapy, uh, can , uh, impact, , our thoughts, feelings, or, uh, behaviors.

Um, yeah. Yeah, that would be very thank. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Um, so, so with C B T, um, in relation to d h adhd mm-hmm. , so, um, there's a lot of, of kind of specific areas that it can really, um, hone in on, um, in relation to A D H D mm-hmm. , uh, one of the common things that we see with a lot of our patients with ADHD is that they have a lot of irrational beliefs about themselves.

Mm-hmm. , um, or even kind of the world around them. , um, or just kind of feeling like they're not good enough mm-hmm. Due to the executive dysfunction that they're facing. Mm-hmm. . Um, and so C B T can help with challenging those irrational thoughts and then, uh, kind of using cognitive restructuring to help patients not only identify their abilities, but also changing the way that they view themselves.

Um, especially in settings like work and school where their performance or. , their, their tasks are, are constantly being assessed by other people, whether that's like teachers or um, bosses, things like that. Mm-hmm. . Um, and so that's really important because, I mean, having constant unhealthy thoughts or, or negative thoughts about yourself can make it really difficult to work towards the goals that you have set out and, and to be productive in daily tasks.

Mm-hmm. , um, that also comes into play when, uh, with adhd. We see that sometimes patients feel. , every little thing has to be perfect or else it isn't good enough. Or maybe they feel that they can't do anything correctly when, when they aren't meeting those goals. Um, so C B T really helps to change those thought patterns so that, um, patients have an increased self esteemed and, and ultimately able to accomplish more things.

Um, . Another area is, is helping with modifying behaviors, um, such as becoming less impulsive, or at least identifying maybe the areas where impulsivity is, is problematic. Mm-hmm.  or, or maybe causing challenges like maybe spending too much money or, or unhealthy eating choices or, or so on and so forth. Uh, in relation to impulsivity.

Um, . Another area is managing distractions better. Mm-hmm. . So a lot of times we see that, uh, prioritization is a big problem area or a struggle that a lot of people face. Um, and kind of learning organizational techniques that are specific to what's gonna work for that patient. Mm-hmm. , um, is really helpful in maybe identifying, um, areas or, or times when procrastination is at, its.

um, and learning how to kind of work up that motivation or, or find the motivation during those times to get the tasks that you need to get done, done. Um, in addition to that, it can also help with kind of implementing strategies for just better time management in general. Mm-hmm. , um, which can really help with, with daily functioning, whether that's in the workplace or, or even at home with, with everything that you have to get done in your personal life as well.

Mm-hmm. . C B t also really encourages individuals to recognize triggers, um, and implement strategies that allow them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Um, in ways like setting really clear and precise goals and then identifying maybe rewards for once you meet those goals. Mm-hmm. . Um, and that can be really helpful for just seeing the progress that you're making and, um, helping the patient to better process.

Maybe new experiences that they're going through or, or coping with maybe goals that they didn't need or, or deadlines that they missed and, and kind of how to, uh, succeed through those things. Um, and even when you're not meeting your goals, just having that person to kind of talk that through with, um, is really helpful for a lot of people.

Um, Another, another area is problem solving. Um, so tools for problem solving and, and learning that self-control, um, that really helps with, uh, emotional regulation. So we see a lot of times that emotional dysregulation is very common in individuals with a D H D mm-hmm. , um, as well as just comorbid mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Um, and so C B T can help to manage. , uh, the stress that comes along with that in addition to A D H D. So, um, seeing that relation to their executive dysfunction and helping to motivate the patient to have healthy lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, uh, healthy sleep hygiene, like we talked about last time.

Yeah. Um, and if nothing else, The therapist can just spend that one-on-one time with the individual to help them, um, maybe just better understand ADHD in general and, and kind of educate them on, on the symptoms and.  maybe. Uh, I know a lot of my patients who, who are in therapy right now, they say that just being in that setting where they, um, kind of have that one-on-one time to talk through their symptoms and, and understands like, Hey, this is why I do things this way and mm-hmm , um, that's why this didn't work out for me is because, uh, maybe I was doing it wrong or I didn't have the proper tools in place.

Just having that time is really helpful and it, it really makes patients feel validated kind of in the symptoms that they are experiencing cause mm-hmm. , they know that, number one, they're not alone. And then, um, just knowing that that kind of, that is the reason why they're doing things the way that they are.

Um, and, and that it's not something that's wrong with them or so on and so forth. Um, and then just having kind of that neutral third party to, to talk to as well, um, I think is really helpful. A really valuable tool to have, uh, for patients with h adhd, but also with, with any mental health disorder as well.

Yeah. It, it sounds very powerful and, uh, you got it. And I'd say we really encourage our PA patients to, um, um, Try a comprehensive and, uh, well-rounded approach. Uh, uh, so not just medication, but everything else that can help to improve, uh, the situation, to manage condition and really, uh, have more fulfilling life.

Really, that's all what this is about. Um, so if, uh, anyone wants to start, uh, with, uh, cognitive behavioral therapy, what's the best way to go about it? Yeah, so, um, The best way to go about, about finding, um, somebody who does cognitive behavioral therapy is mm-hmm.  is finding a qualified specialist or, or therapist that, um, maybe specializes even in the treatment of adhd, if that is something mm-hmm.

mm-hmm. , um, that, that you're wanting something more specific towards, but also, . Um, obviously C B T is very helpful in other mental health disorders as well. Absolutely. Um, we have therapists here that, that specialize in our clinic with mm-hmm. , uh, adhd, obviously. Mm-hmm. , but, but also well equipped for other areas, but mm-hmm.

um, if, if patients aren't, um, local, uh, one of the resources that I give to patients is Psychology Today is, is a really good online resource where you can, uh, like type in your zip code and, and. Therapists that are local, but also kind of filtering out by um, what they specialize in, maybe what insurance they take, if they offer in-person or virtual visits.

So it's a really helpful resource. And then you can also, um, read kind of a little bit about each therapist and find one that's a really good personality fit for you. Cuz I think it's really important. Oh yeah. Uh, for patients to have a therapist that they're comfortable with. . Um, and, and I tell patients that too, if, if you meet with a therapist and it doesn't seem like a good fit, it's not gonna hurt their feelings cuz you guys are both gonna get the best, um, improvement and it's gonna be the best benefit for you if you're comfortable with them.

So, um, sometimes it, it takes, uh, like a little bit of. Um, looking around, but, uh, finding, finding that good fit, uh, personality-wise is important to you. Um, and then once you have found someone that, that works well with you, you guys can kind of work together to set personal goals and, and develop an individualized plan for maybe the schedule that you're gonna meet on and things like that.

So it's really, um, individualized. But there's a lot of resources out there online that help kind of search for therapists, uh, locally. Thank you so much for sharing that. I think this is very, um, important and, uh, valuable for our listeners and hopefully, uh, it'll help them and find the right match for them.

So thank you. Yeah, thank you again. Um, and, uh, just like all other episodes, the way we would like to finish, uh, this one is, uh, if there is one most important thing that our listeners could remember from this episode, what that would be. Yeah. So, . Um, I think that CB T is a really valuable tool, um mm-hmm.

especially for patients with a d h adhd. A adhd mm-hmm. . Um, and while CB T doesn't replace the value of medication management, I do think that it, it does help to add strategies and changes to areas that medication can't. Mm-hmm. . Um, so for example, while while medications might help someone to focus, it's still.

Choosing what you're focusing on. Um, correct. So, so therapy comes into play by helping you better prioritize, uh, your tasks and your to-do list and kind of close that gap, um, to help further provide kind of symptom management. Um, ultimately there's gonna be areas that patients still struggle with regardless of medication.

And this is really where the value of therapy comes into play. And, To help further provide symptom relief. Uh, I think patients really do, uh, truly see the best result with that combination of therapy and medication. . Um, and I think the beauty of C B T is that it can be so personalized and, and individualized to someone's individual needs.

And just having that, that person there, um, and those tools in your toolbox, uh, to help you during both your highs and your lows, uh, you think is really important. Something that anyone would benefit from, uh, whether or not you have adhd. Um, so yeah, I, I, I think C B T is very important and. It's worth a try.

thank you so much. Uh, I enjoyed this conversation and we learned a lot today. Um, and I'd say we encourage people to, um, just, uh, do the best for themselves and try to get help. And, uh, this is definitely one of the very, uh, powerful tools that can help, uh, in this process. Thank you so much, uh, and hopefully we'll, uh, see you again.

Yeah. Thank you

   📍 Thank you for listening to Thriving with adhd. This show is produced by Animo Sano Psychiatry. Please follow, rate or share our podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or any other streaming app of your choice. Music is by Daddy's Music music from Pixabay. For more information about Animo Sano Psychiatry, please visit animosanopsychiatry.com