Treatments For ADD - Drugs and Counselling
Treatment options for ADD include drugs and counselling. Both are essential to test to determine which is more effective.
People with classic ADD tend to be inattentional and disorganized, as well as hyperactive. They have low blood flow in their prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. They also have low dopamine levels. Treatment usually involves increasing the levels of dopamine.
Stimulants
Stimulants stimulate the body's systems. They are available as prescription drugs such as amphetamines, methylphenidates, and diet aids such as Didrex, Bontril, and Fastin. They can also be illegally used and are often mixed with other substances such as cocaine and methcathinone. They are available in the form of syrups, pills, liquids or patches that are applied to the skin.
They improve concentration by increasing the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain synapses. They also reduce impulsivity and hyperactivity and help improve working memory. They are among the most commonly used medication prescribed to people suffering from ADHD. They can cause side-effects like a decrease in appetite or trouble sleeping, as well as an increase in heart rate or bloodpressure. They may interact with certain medications and medical conditions. It's important to talk with your physician about any concerns.
Around 70 to 80% people who use ADHD medication will experience reduced symptoms. Different people respond in a different way to the medication and the effects may not last long.
Certain people find that stimulants don't work well or they aren't able to handle the negative effects. If this is the case, doctors might prescribe non-stimulant medications. They aren't as effective as stimulants, but they can aid in improving attention, focus and control of impulses. Doctors often prescribe these drugs alongside stimulants to increase the effectiveness.
Nonstimulant drugs take longer to get started and don't work as fast. They don't increase dopamine levels, and they have a different effect on neurotransmitters. Examples include atomoxetine and the guanfacine. The most frequent side effect of these medications is the feeling of drowsiness. The drowsiness is reduced by increasing the dosage or taking the medication at bedtime. The drowsiness should subside within a few weeks after starting treatment.
Antidepressants
Most antidepressants affect the chemical substances in the brain known as neurotransmitters. They are grouped according to the way they affect these neurotransmitters, with each class having a variety of medications that act in slightly different ways. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), atypical antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Your physician may prescribe a medicine that belongs to one of these groups in order to ease anxiety or depression symptoms. These medications may not provide immediate relief. It may take several weeks before you feel the full benefit. Your doctor and you will decide which medication works best for you. They can also add other medications or mix two antidepressants to enhance your treatment. This is known as augmentation. The most commonly used augmentation drugs are Aripiprazole (Abilify), quetiapine (Seroquel) and lithium (Lithobid).
Antidepressants can have different adverse effects. It is important to speak with your doctor about the side effects since some of them could interfere with your daily activities. These side effects could be mild or severe, depending on the type antidepressant that you are taking. You should also inform your doctor about any other medications or herbal remedies you're taking, including herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications like St. adhd symptoms and treatment I Am Psychiatry .
SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants and are believed to have fewer side-effects than other types of antidepressants. These include fluoxetine (Prozac), paraxetine (Paxil and Pexeva) as well as sertraline (Zoloft).
SNRIs increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. This is why they're considered to be more effective than SSRIs. They also have longer half-lifes than SSRIs and are less likely to interact with other medications. SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor).
Atypical antidepressants can be used to boost your energy levels and help you feel more awake. They may be useful for people suffering from anxiety or insomnia that is very severe. Bupropion (Wellbutrin and Zyban) as well as mirtazapine are among the most common. These drugs can cause jitteriness or insomnia however they can be beneficial for those suffering from depression, ADHD, and anxiety. They can also be used to treat bulimia and as a smoking cessation aid.
Cognitive therapy for behavioural problems
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a proven treatment for mental disorders. It is based on the belief that thoughts and feelings are connected and can be altered. CBT is a measurable, short-term procedure that can teach you new ways to cope with stressors and bad habits. It can also be used to treat depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
The purpose of CBT is to change negative thoughts into positive feelings and behaviors. The method is the combination of two therapies: cognitive therapy and behaviour therapy. This kind of psychotherapy is usually short-term and can be done in a group or in a private setting. You will be taught various techniques by a therapist and then you'll apply them in your daily life. These techniques include: learning to recognize negative automatic thoughts and meditative practices; and keeping an account of your thoughts.
A therapist can also help you identify negative thoughts that can lead you to engage in maladaptive behavior and teach you how to change your beliefs. They'll also teach you problem solving techniques so that you are able to deal with challenges that arise in your day-to-day life. CBT therapists will encourage you to set SMART goals in order to aid you to track your progress.
While each kind of cognitive behavior therapy has a slightly different approach however, they all concentrate on identifying the mental thoughts that contribute to emotional distress and transforming them. The therapists use different techniques but they all operate on the principles of operant and classical conditioning, which involves associating stimuli to their effects. During the treatment, the person who is treating you will give you a reward for completing tasks and will punish you for failing to complete them.
In your first few sessions with your therapist, you and the therapist will be able to identify the problematic behavior and replace them by healthy ones. They may also assign homework to help you learn the abilities. Based on the nature of your condition you could require between 6 and 20 one-on-one sessions.
CBT can be used to treat a variety of ailments such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It also works in treating adult ADHD which is prevalent in children as young as seven.
Counseling
Counselling is a kind of psychotherapy that uses regular, scheduled meetings with a therapist in order to discuss your concerns. The typical session lasts about 50 minutes. They can be face to face in groups, or via the phone. Counselling can aid people suffering from various mental health issues like schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. Counselling can be used to discuss relationship, family and friendship issues, as well as work-related issues.
A counselor will listen attentively to your issues and provide an objective viewpoint. They will be able to discern patterns of behavior and suggest ways to modify them. They can also teach you strategies and coping strategies to manage stress, anxiety, or depression. They can help you adjust to major life changes such as divorce or loss of loved ones. They can teach you how to deal with addictions and chronic illnesses.
Some counsellors charge fees for their services, while others are covered by Medicare rebates, if you have mental health plans from your doctor.
