If you have recently been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, you’re probably trying to take everything in. You may still have a lot of questions that need answers. Questions such as:
- What are my options?
- How can I get back my past golden life?
- How and where to start for managing my ADHD?
Although there is no cure for ADHD yet, there are many ways to help manage this condition and improve your concentration and quality of life. To get to that point, you’ll need the help of a few professionals who are trained to help people with ADHD. Having a support system of experts is the best way to control your condition instead of it controlling you.
Find a Psychiatrist Specializing in ADD/ADHD
A psychiatrist specializes in diagnosing and treating people who have disorders that affect the mind. They can administer tests, perform evaluations, and prescribe medicine. If your regular doctor has suggested that you might benefit from medication for your ADHD, a psychiatrist, especially one specializing in adult ADD/ADHD is the person who can perform an assessment and help you make that decision.
While you are on medication, your psychiatrist will have regular meetings with you to monitor your condition. Your dosage can be changed as needed by your psychiatrist, or you can be prescribed a different medication if one is not helping or if you have side effects.
Enlist a Life Coach Specializing in ADD/ADHD
As helpful as having a psychiatrist will be if you are on medication, monitoring your prescription will be his or her main function in your care.
You would also benefit from learning new skills in time management, goal setting, and staying focused. Those tasks are best suited to a life coach. Life coaches that specialize in guiding people with ADHD understand the unique challenges that you face. They know coping methods that are specifically tailored to people with attention disorders.
Sessions with one of these coaches will help you to identify your biggest problem areas and create a system to work with them that is right for you. Your concentration will improve, along with your time management skills.
Hire a Psychologist Specializing in ADD/ADHD
Life coaches will be a valuable asset in dealing with specific problem areas, but that still leaves you with needing an outlet for your emotions. Dealing with the anger, depression, guilt, confusion, and low self-esteem that can come with adult ADHD is not something that you should try to do on your own. A psychologist is the perfect sounding board for you to express all these feelings to.
Psychologists are trained in helping people deal with emotional problems, including ones stemming from attention disorders. Weekly or bi-monthly sessions offer you a safe, confidential environment to discuss both the good and bad. You will learn emotional coping skills and how to let go of negative emotions while building positive ones.
ADHD changes your life. However, that does not mean you can’t learn how to manage it. A trusted support group of professionals will help you to deal with everything from making realistic goals to overcoming anger. The most important thing to remember is that with some time and assistance, you can learn to control your ADHD instead of it controlling you. You may check this article-Living with ADHD is easier by maintaining self management techniques