Mindfulness for ADHD: The Eight-Step Program

Mindfulness for ADHD: The Eight-Step Program

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ADHD is a brain disorder that affects attention span, impulse control, and activity level. ADHD affects millions of people worldwide. It’s estimated that one out of every ten school-aged children has some form of ADHD. In this article, learn more about its symptoms and treatment options.

Related: The 5 Stages of Grief

Table of Contents

Do you:

1.  Have trouble paying attention and staying on task?

2.  Suffer from disorganization, procrastination, or forgetfulness?

3.  Have difficulty with restlessness or trouble managing strong feelings such as anger and frustration?

4.  Struggle with self-doubt and difficulty following through?

5.  In a way that causes problems in your relationships or your work?

If so, you may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—like an estimated 8 million adults in this country. But what is it?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): What Is It?

ADHD is a condition characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. It often begins during childhood and persists into adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty focusing on tasks, being easily distracted, having trouble sitting still, and acting without thinking.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs when a child has an imbalance between two parts of the brain called the “frontal lobes.” These areas help regulate emotions, behavior, and memory. In children with ADHD, these frontal lobe functions aren’t fully developed. This leads to behavioral challenges such as impulsive actions, lack of focus, and distractibility.

ADHD is a neurobiological disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity.

If you have ADHD, problems with unruly attention, disorganization, restlessness, impulsivity and intense emotions can create a lot of difficulties in your life and can stop you from reaching your full potential in school, at work, and in relationships. These problems are not just an occasional nuisance or frustration—they are frequent occurrences that can give you a chronic sense of not being able to rely on yourself. Overall, ADHD leads to difficulties with self-control, or what professionals call self-regulation.

Here is an example

One minute you may be getting ready to leave home for a job interview, but an incoming e-mail grabs your attention. You then start reading all of your e-mails and lose track of time, only to realize that now you’re late for the appointment. You berate yourself for getting distracted and feel panicked about getting going.

Feeling frazzled, you rush out the door without your résumé! The whole day becomes highly stressful as you try to make it to the meeting, even though it’s already too late. This ADHD cycle can repeat itself over and over again, leading to chronic stress, self-doubt, and ever-increasing difficulty getting things done and reaching your goals.

Since ADHD interferes with the development of a person’s self-control, tools and techniques that improve self-regulation can be of great help. Mindfulness or mindful awareness—a type of mental training derived from meditation practices—is one such tool. This article invites you to explore mindfulness as a way to understand and manage the symptoms of adult ADHD.

The essence of mindfulness is intentionally bringing your attention to the present moment with openness and curiosity.

Symptoms of ADHD

  1. Children who have ADHD often struggle with hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.
  2. They may also have trouble organizing tasks, completing homework, and following directions.
  3. Other signs of ADHD include difficulty focusing, being easily distracted, and having trouble controlling impulses.
  4. Children who have ADHD often have trouble focusing on tasks at school or work.
  5. They also tend to move quickly from one task to another without completing them.
  6. These behaviors can cause problems at home, too. Parents of children with ADHD report that their kids are restless, impulsive, and easily distracted.

Causes of ADHD

There are several possible causes of ADHD, including genetics, environmental influences, and brain chemistry. In some cases, ADHD is caused by an underlying medical condition, such as thyroid disorders, epilepsy, or other neurological issues.

Treatment Options

If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD, talk with your doctor about treatment options. Medications used to treat ADHD include stimulants, antidepressants, and non-stimulant medications. Nonpharmacologic treatments include behavioral therapy and counseling.

Note: Please consult your doctor or a medical professional who specialized in ADHD before taking any medications.

In this article, we’ll discuss Physician-researcher Dr. Lidia Zylowska’s 8-step program for using mindfulness practice (attention and awareness training) to overcome the symptoms of ADHD.

The program includes practices such as sitting meditation, body awareness, thoughtful speaking and listening, development of self-acceptance, mindful self-coaching, cultivation of a balanced view of thoughts and emotions, and more. In this guide, Dr. Zylowska educates readers about ADHD, helping them to understand how their ADHD brain works and how they can use mindful awareness to work with their challenges. She also explains how the mindful approach can be combined with other treatments, including medications, to boost self-improvement.

This article is designed to help people with ADHD with the help of guided mindfulness exercises for successfully managing ADHD. By taking the practical steps in this article, you can strengthen the connections in your brain that support a more focused way of living. People with and even without ADHD can benefit from learning to develop mindful awareness in their lives.

This guide is tailored for those with attentional challenges, who will find it especially relevant and accessible to use. But why would it help to be “mindful” or to learn to have “mindful awareness”? Think of it this way: Our attention is the way energy flows through us.

Sometimes we can focus that energy, say, into listening to what someone is saying to us. But then a radio program catches our ear or a television screen catches our eye, and the words of our friend are far from the focus of our attention. Such distractions can make us lose our ability to remember what the other person was saying and they put stress on a relationship.

Not so good! If that person is a friend, a spouse, a teacher, or a boss, such distractions can lead to big and lasting problems. We can feel bad, and the other person can feel disrespected. It’s tough for everyone when attention is on the run. And for young people, being unable to focus attention can make it challenging to create a positive sense of who they are. It is hard to be told that you are not doing what you are supposed to do and be told this over and over and over and over and over and over again. Enough is enough!

But don’t worry, mindfulness can help you out you back in the driver’s seat by directing your attention where you want it to go.

How Mindful Meditation and Yoga Can Help Treat ADHD?

With mindfulness, you control your attention, directing it where you want it to go. In many ways, our daily lives are just the opposite. It is common for us to be distracted by many things, or to be lost in thought or preoccupied with other things.  The truth is, we live in an “ADD culture,” and even people without ADHD feel that way.

Since ADHD naturally causes you to jump from one thing to another, such distracting environments can magnify the pitfalls. Mindfulness (or mindful awareness) is the opposite of distraction, daydreaming, or being lost in thought. In mindfulness, we are aware of what we are doing as we do it. Tracking our experiences moment by moment allows us to see what, simply, and without judgments or expectations. Being mindful brings awareness, reflection, and choice-and is the opposite of being on autopilot.

Mindfulness is rooted in heartfulness, as it entails being kind and compassionate to oneself and others. Often, we criticize ourselves for how we feel or how we are, and that prevents us from learning from our experiences.

As a result of this judgmental or hypercritical perspective, we may feel stuck, ashamed, or hypersensitive.  Mindfulness helps us accept ourselves as we are right now and, paradoxically, through acceptance, leads to possibilities for growth and change.

Where we place our attention shapes our lives.

What is Mindfulness?

In contrast to automatic pilot, mindfulness (or mindful awareness) is a mental state of consistent and flexible attention to the present moment. Mindfulness also involves a non-judgmental attitude: a way of seeing what is happening around you or inside you with curiosity, openness, and acceptance. This kind of perception can lead to enhanced insight, choice, and thoughtful action.

In addition, mindfulness can also mean a personal characteristic: so-called trait or dispositional mindfulness.

The mindfulness trait is associated with five main facets:

1.   Being non-reactive.   Not automatically reacting to (that is, pushing away or hanging on to) your thoughts or feelings; instead, being able to see them calmly and with some distance.

2.   Observing with awareness.   Paying attention to or spontaneously noticing things such as sensations (for example, the wind on your face); qualities of things you see (colors and shapes); or observing how your thoughts, feelings, and actions interact with each other.

3.   Acting with awareness.   Paying full attention to what you’re doing; acknowledging what you’re doing as you’re doing it; not being absentminded or acting automatically.

4.   Describing with awareness.   Finding words to describe or label what you’re thinking, feeling, or experiencing.

5.   Being non-judgmental toward experience.   Not criticizing yourself for what you think or feel; being open to noticing what’s going on inside of you without negative judgment.

Mindfulness = Heartfulness

The practice of mindfulness, derived from meditation, is a way to strengthen your attention skills, develop self-awareness, and improve your emotional well-being. It is a type of mental training that can be done in many different ways, with or without formal meditation—great news for those of us who, like me, have trouble sitting still for a long time!

Increasingly, mindfulness is being successfully used as a treatment for physical and mental problems such as chronic pain, stress, depression, anxiety, and addictions. Studies conducted at academic centers around the world over the past several years are showing that after an eight-week training in mindfulness, different groups of people, ranging from medical students to patients with depression to elementary school children, show improvements in mental health symptoms and a greater sense of wellbeing.

Studies in neuroscience, meanwhile, point to the ability of mental exercises such as mindfulness to enhance the brain circuits responsible for attention and emotion regulation.

The Two Key Aspects of Mindfulness

1. Attention to the present moment

2. An attitude of openness and curiosity

Note: You can start practicing mindfulness with ProKensho.com, or you can also choose to seek help from a Mindfulness professional who can help you step by step.

How Can Mindfulness Help?

Through mindfulness practice, you become more frequently aware of your attention and able to direct it at will. For example, in this guide’s eight-step program, you’ll do an exercise of focusing on the breath. While doing so, you notice when you’re focused on the breath, and when you’re distracted, and you practice redirecting your attention back to the breath. This strengthens the ability to concentrate.

Like other mind-body techniques, mindfulness practice can help your body relax—which counteracts the physiological effects of intense or chronic stress. Setting aside time for mindfulness, even for just a few minutes at a time (for instance, taking time to notice your breath many times during the day), can make a big difference in how much the daily stress affects you. The practice also leads to increased experience of positive emotions such as joy and well-being.

Mindfulness also promotes a positive shift in how we relate to all of our experiences. For example, during a stressful situation, mindfulness encourages curiosity and compassion instead of shame, despair, or frustration. How you see things, and how you relate to the circumstances of your life, makes a big difference in your stress level.

Mindfulness teaches how to manage negative emotions and communicate thoughtfully with others. Therefore, it tends to increase satisfaction in relationships, help with parenting, and refine one’s social skills.

Tips on Mindfulness Practice

Length

Informal mindfulness practice involves periodically remembering to bring your attention and curiosity to what is happening within you or around you. This practice can take a few seconds to several minutes and can be repeated many times throughout the day.

Posture and location

This form of mindfulness practice does not involve a special posture or location and does not feel like yet “another thing on the to-do list.” Rather, it is a new way of relating to what you normally would be doing throughout the day.

For example, you can bring enhanced attention to the actions of brushing your teeth, driving to work, talking to a friend, eating, or working out.

You can do it now: for instance, as you’re reading this, become aware of your shoulders and notice any sensations present there.

Difficulties

Informal practice is easy to do but it is hard to remember to do it. Thus reminders are often helpful to beginners (for example, setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to take a deep mindful breath every two hours). With practice, tuning to the present moment becomes more automatic and spontaneous. Another difficulty that may arise is that it can be hard to be mindful amid strong emotions. Step 6 discusses ways to overcome this obstacle.

Mindfulness = Perceiving or noticing

Labeling = Describing what’s noticed with a word or phrase

Mindfulness for ADHD: The Eight-Step Program

  1. Step 1.   Become More Present:   Attention and the Five Senses
  2. Step 2.   Focus the Wandering Mind:   Mindful Breathing
  3. Step 3.   Direct and Anchor Your Awareness:   Mindfulness of Sound, Breath, and Body
  4. Step 4.   Listen to Your Body:   Mindfulness of Body Sensations and Movement
  5. Step 5.   Observe Your Mind:   Mindfulness of Thoughts
  6. Step 6.   Manage Your Emotions:   Mindfulness of Feelings
  7. Step 7.   Communicate Skilfully:   Mindful Listening and Speaking
  8. Step 8.   Slow Down to Be More Effective:   Mindful Decisions and Actions

Other useful platforms for practicing mindfulness:

For those searching for mindfulness and online therapy platforms to try, below, we’ve put together a list of helpful apps and websites. While these services are not the definitive answer to solving mental health issues, they may help with alleviating stress and getting better sleep. From virtual therapy providers like BetterHelp and Talkspace to meditation apps such as Headspace and Calm, continue reading to learn more.

Aura

Source: Aura Health

Mindfulnessexercises.com 

Source: Goodful

Mindful.org

Source: TEDx Talks

Mayo Clinic

Source: Mayo Clinic

Headspace

Source: Headspace

Tinybudhha

Source: Psych Hub

Calm App

Source: Calm

BetterHelp

Source: BetterHelp

Smiling Mind

Source: Smiling Mind

Talkspace

Source: Talkspace

Common Self-Regulation Strategies That Help with ADHD

  1. Ignoring, suppressing, or pushing down an uncomfortable thought or feeling
  2. Facing the unpleasant feeling
  3. Self-talk for guidance or motivation
  4. Using reminders or alarms
  5. Inhibiting a response
  6. Removing the distraction
  7. Getting away physically from a situation
  8. Eating to feel better

Promising new tools for treating ADHD include:

  1. Computer-based programs to improve cognition (for example, working memory)
  2. Diverse programs used in educational therapy
  3. Neurofeedback training (also called brainwave biofeedback)
  4. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and other psychotherapies
  5. Coaching Mind-body exercises (such as yoga or meditation)
  6. Physical exercise Exposure to nature (“green therapy”)
  7. Nutrition and supplements (such as fish oil)

5 Mental Health Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD

Parenting children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be challenging. But there are ways to help them cope with their condition.

When your child has ADHD, it’s important to understand what causes the symptoms so you can treat them effectively. Read on to learn more about the causes of ADHD.

5 Mental Health Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD

ADHD affects an estimated 5% of school-aged children in the United States. It causes problems with focus, concentration, and behavior that can affect learning and social interactions. Parents often struggle to understand how to best support their children with this condition.

Don’t Expect Perfection.

If you’re a parent of a child with ADHD, you probably feel frustrated when your child does something wrong. But try not to expect perfection from your child. Instead, accept what he or she has done well and praise him or her for those things. This will help your child learn to become more self-reliant.

Be Patient.

You might also find yourself feeling angry at your child because he or she is acting out. Try to keep calm and think before reacting. Remember that your child needs your love and support as much as you need him or her.

Accept That You Can’t Control Everything.

It’s normal to feel frustrated when your child acts out. However, try not to blame yourself for what happens. Instead, focus on how you can make things better for both of you.

Learn About Medication Options.

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, talk to his doctor about medication options. There are several different medications available, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Talk to your doctor about any side effects before taking any medication.

Know When to Seek Professional Help.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when raising a child with ADHD. You might find yourself wondering whether you’re doing enough to help your child succeed at school, at home, and in social situations. If you notice changes in your child’s behavior or academic performance, seek professional help.

Mental Health FAQs

Quotes for sad / Sadness quotes / Sadness quotes about life

  1. A million words would not bring you back, I know because I tried, neither would a million tears, I know because I cried.
  2. Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.
  3. Breathing is hard. When you cry so much, it makes you realize that breathing is hard.
  4. You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
  5. Tears come from the heart and not from the brain.

Gaslight Lighting

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abuser attempts to sow self-doubt and confusion in the victim’s mind. Typically, gaslighters are seeking to gain power and control over the other person, by distorting reality and forcing them to question their judgment and intuition.

Signs of gaslighting

  1. insist you said or did things you know you didn’t do.
  2. deny or scoff at your recollection of events.
  3. call you “too sensitive” or “crazy” when you express your needs or concerns.
  4. express doubts to others about your feelings, behavior, and state of mind.
  5. twisting or retelling events to shift blame to you.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is characterized by obsessive thoughts and behaviors. It affects about 2% of people worldwide. People who have OCPD often feel like they don’t fit in anywhere. They may be afraid to leave their house because they worry about what other people think of them.

5 Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive compulsion is an anxiety disorder that causes excessive worry or concern over certain topics. Find out what these obsessions are:

You have trouble controlling your thoughts.

People who suffer from OCPD often feel compelled to perform rituals or actions to reduce anxiety. These compulsions can take up a lot of time and energy, causing stress and frustration.

You feel compelled to check things repeatedly.

If you find yourself checking something repeatedly, even though you know there’s nothing wrong, then you might be suffering from an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). This condition is characterized by repeated thoughts and behaviors that cause distress or interfere with daily life.

You find yourself thinking about something obsessively.

It means you find yourself thinking about something repeatedly, even when you know there is nothing wrong. People who suffer from OCPD often feel compelled to check things repeatedly, such as door locks, appliances, or even their body parts. They also tend to repeat tasks, such as counting steps or touching objects in a particular order.

You have difficulty stopping negative thoughts.

If you struggle with OCD, you might notice that you think obsessively about certain topics. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and frustration. You might also find yourself repeating actions or rituals, such as checking locks or washing hands repeatedly.

You have problems sleeping because of worries.

It’s normal to feel anxious when you wake up at night. However, if you spend too much time worrying about things, you might develop obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). OCPD is characterized by persistent thoughts and behaviors related to perfectionism, orderliness, and control. People who suffer from OCPD often have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. They might also have difficulty relaxing and enjoying downtime.

Quotes of addiction

  1. “I have no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” ― Edgar Allan Poe
  2. “We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” ― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday
  3. “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” ― Carl Gustav Jung
  4. “Reality is just a crutch for people who can’t handle drugs.” ― Robin Williams
  5. “The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” ― Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Difference between sociopath and psychopath

Sociopath v. Psychopath: What’s the Difference? Read here.

Counseling mental health / Counselling mental health

What Is a Mental Health Counselor? Plus, Where You Can Find One, Read here.

Father and son / Father and a son / Father and sons / Fathers and son

  1. “It’s more beautiful than I imagined. Everything is more colorful, more exciting. Music, you know, sounds better. [My son’s] just a beautiful little boy.”
  2. “A father must give his sons a fine chance.”
  3. “With sons and fathers, there’s an inexplicable connection and imprint that your father leaves on you.”
  4. “My strong determination for justice comes from the very strong, dynamic personality of my father … I have rarely ever met a person more fearless and courageous than my father.”
  5. “Until you have a son of your own, you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son.”

Free therapy

BEST FREE ONLINE THERAPY IN 2022, Read here.

Depression tattoos/ Depressing tattoos

TOP 25 BEST DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY TATTOO IDEAS, Check them out today, here.

Quotes about depression in life / Depressed quotes about life / Quotes about anxiety and depression

  1. “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not, and often we call a man cold when he is only sad.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  2. “You’re like a grey sky. You’re beautiful, even though you don’t want to be.” ― Jasmine Warga, My Heart, and Other Black Holes

Physical symptoms from anxiety

Physical symptoms of GAD

  1. dizziness.
  2. tiredness.
  3. a noticeably strong, fast, or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
  4. muscle aches and tension.
  5. trembling or shaking.
  6. dry mouth.
  7. excessive sweating.
  8. shortness of breath.

Depressed poetry / Poem depression

DEPRESSION POEMS TO GET YOU THROUGH TOUGH TIMES (& UNDERSTAND THOSE STRUGGLING!), Read here.

Source: Button Poetry

Online ADHD test / Online test ADHD

Answer the quiz questions below to see if you have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Take your test, here.

Quotes about self-confidence

1. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

2. “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” ­­-­ Maya Angelou

3. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. And, because no one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Laozi

4. “With realization of one’s potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” – The Dalai Lama

5. “If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” – Cicero

6. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

7. “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty are revealed only if there is light from within.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

8. “We gain strength and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we stop to look fear in the face … we must do that which we think we cannot.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

9. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” ­- Marie Curie

10. “You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.” – Lou Holtz

11. “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less-than-perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful.” ­- Mark Victor Hansen

12. “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.” ­- George Washington

13. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

14. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain

15. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ­­- Bernard Baruch

16. “It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.” ­­-Lillian Hellman

17. “Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” ­- Paul Tournier

18. “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” -Paulo Coelho

Anxiety in relationship

Insecure attachment styles can contribute to relationship anxiety in various ways: Avoidant attachment could lead to anxiety about the level of commitment you’re making or deepening intimacy. Anxious attachment, on the other hand, can sometimes result in fears about your partner leaving you unexpectedly.

ADHD types

Three major types of ADHD include the following:

  1. ADHD, combined type. This, the most common type of ADHD, is characterized by impulsive and hyperactive behaviors as well as inattention and distractibility.
  2. ADHD, impulsive/hyperactive type.
  3. ADHD, inattentive and distractible type.

Facility for mental health

Mental health facilities, Read here.

Deepest quotes about depression

  1. “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. It is easier to say, ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.”
  2. “I am bent, but not broken. I am scarred, but not disfigured. And, I am sad, but not hopeless. I am tired, but not powerless. I am angry, but not bitter. Also, I may be a little depressed, but I am not giving up.”
  3. “If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.”
  4. “I have depression. But I prefer to say “I battle” depression instead of “I suffer” with it. Because depression hits, but I hit back. Battle on.”
  5. “You look happy, but you don’t feel happy. That’s what depression does to you.”

Bipolar disorder medications

You’ll typically need mood-stabilizing medication to control manic or hypomanic episodes. Examples of mood stabilizers include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others), and lamotrigine (Lamictal). Antipsychotics.

Note: Never take any medications until it’s prescribed by a medical professional.

Medications may include:

  1. Mood stabilizers. You’ll typically need mood-stabilizing medication to control manic or hypomanic episodes. Examples of mood stabilizers include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others), and lamotrigine (Lamictal).
  2. Antipsychotics. If symptoms of depression or mania persist despite treatment with other medications, adding an antipsychotic drug such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole (Abilify), ziprasidone (Geodon), lurasidone (Latuda) or asenapine (Saphris) may help. Your doctor may prescribe some of these medications alone or along with a mood stabilizer.
  3. Antidepressants. Your doctor may add an antidepressant to help manage depression. Because an antidepressant can sometimes trigger a manic episode, it’s usually prescribed along with a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic.
  4. Antidepressant-antipsychotic. The medication Symbyax combines the antidepressant fluoxetine and the antipsychotic olanzapine. It works as a depression treatment and a mood stabilizer.
  5. Anti-anxiety medications. Benzodiazepines may help with anxiety and improve sleep but are usually used on a short-term basis.

Mental health clinic near me

Best Online Therapy Services, Read here.

Humanistic therapist

Humanistic therapy adopts a holistic approach that focuses on free will, human potential, and self-discovery. It aims to help you develop a strong and healthy sense of self, explore your feelings, find meaning, and focus on your strengths.

Is mindfulness good for ADHD?

It also raises your brain’s level of dopamine, which is in short supply in ADHD brains. Research shows that mindfulness meditation can be very helpful in relieving ADHD symptoms.

Can ADHD make it hard to meditate?

If you or your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the possibility of meditating may seem challenging. That said, studies indicate that people with ADHD can meditate successfully and that meditation may have benefits for some of the behaviors associated with ADHD.

Which is better calm or headspace?

Headspace may be a better choice for beginners and people looking for an app that offers plenty of quick meditations for folks who are short on time. Although it costs more, Calm may be a better fit for those with some meditation experience or advanced meditators, as it has less structure. 

How do I practice mindfulness with ADHD?

  1. Dedicate a specific time of day to meditation.
  2. Find a comfortable position.
  3. Wear relaxed clothing.
  4. Turn off your phone.
  5. Remember that quiet is relative.
  6. Pay attention to your breathing.
  7. Let your mind wander.

How do you calm an ADHD mind?

How to Relax Your ADHD Mind?

  1. Take action — any action.
  2. Try to be more intentional with your thoughts.
  3. Dismiss the thoughts that do not serve you.
  4. Notice your triggers.
  5. Commit to what makes you feel best.
  6. Resisting isn’t always the answer.
  7. Relax the body.
  8. Attend to your restlessness.


Also Read: The Power of Confidence


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