ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is an often overlooked condition that can lead to anxiety or depression over time. ADHD is not just a childhood condition—it affects the day-to-day life of many adults. ADHD is also not just about struggling to focus– the symptoms of ADHD can show up in all areas of life and center around a struggle to regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
While ADHD can make it challenging to function at work, in your personal life, and in your relationships, therapy offers effective ways to manage symptoms and live a more fulfilling life. On this page, we’ll dive into common symptoms of adult ADHD, explore how transformative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be for ADHD, and highlight a few strategies you might learn in therapy.
It is crucial to note that there are powerful and beneficial aspects to having ADHD. Therapy can help identify and harness these benefits and shift the way someone with ADHD is viewing and applying themselves.
What Are Symptoms of Adult ADHD?
ADHD can look quite different in adulthood compared to childhood. While hyperactivity tends to lessen over time, other symptoms become more prominent in adults. Here’s a snapshot of what ADHD in adulthood might look like:
- Difficult regulating attention: trouble with staying focused or over-focusing on a task and a difficulty with adjusting attention when needed
- Difficulty staying organized: Struggling to manage time, tasks, or schedules (hello, missed appointments).
- Procrastination and distractibility: It’s easy to get sidetracked, whether by a YouTube video or that cluttered desk you suddenly *need* to tidy.
- Poor follow-through: Starting new tasks is easy; finishing them is another story.
- Forgetfulness: Forgetting deadlines, details, or even what you came into the room for.
- Restlessness: Feeling antsy or struggling to sit still, even in situations where calm is expected.
- Impulsive behaviors: Making snap decisions or interrupting others in conversations without meaning to.
- Relationship struggles: trouble with tolerating emotions that show up in relationships; getting in trouble for not listening; communication challenged; lack of follow-through on commitments
- Low self-esteem, depression, anxiety
If these patterns sound familiar, it’s possible you’re managing symptoms of adult ADHD. But the good news is that therapy, especially CBT, offers tools to help.
Therapy for with Adults with ADHD (with or without medication)
Therapy can provide help for ADHD whether the individual is using a medication for ADHD or not. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. For adults with ADHD, it’s particularly effective in addressing the ways symptoms interfere with daily life. CBT provides structure and strategies to help you improve your ability to regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, manage distractions and obstacles, set realistic goals, and improve follow-through.
ADHD can feel overwhelming, and CBT breaks things down into smaller, actionable steps. It’s not about trying to “fix” ADHD and more about learning to work with your brain. The goal is to build new habits that align with how you think and process the world—so you’re working with your mind, not against it.
Importantly, CBT also addresses the negative views about one’s self or their abilities that often result from living a life with ADHD.
Strategies and Skills You Might Learn in ADHD Therapy
In therapy for ADHD, you’ll learn practical strategies tailored to your specific needs and challenges. Some of the most helpful techniques include:
- Time management tools: Strategies like task prioritization, using planners, and setting reminders to keep you on track.
- Behavioral activation: Breaking down big, daunting tasks into smaller, manageable steps to reduce procrastination.
- Cognitive restructuring: Identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts (like “I’ll never get this right”) that can spiral into self-doubt.
- Mindfulness techniques: Practicing staying present to combat the tendency to jump from one thought to the next.
- Impulse control strategies: Developing techniques to pause and reflect before acting or speaking impulsively.
- Self-compassion: Learning to be present with your feelings and respond to yourself with an open and kind stance.
Therapy focuses on building new habits through practice and repetition. Along the way, you’ll gain insight into how your brain works and develop systems that make sense for you.
How Therapy Can Improve Your Life
Therapy doesn’t just help with managing the symptoms of ADHD—it can have a positive ripple effect across many areas of life. As you begin to develop strategies and see progress, you’ll feel more in control and capable of handling everyday challenges. Here are some areas where therapy for ADHD can make a difference:
- Work and productivity: Better time management and organization help you meet deadlines and stay on top of responsibilities.
- Relationships: Learning to manage impulsivity and improve communication leads to more satisfying connections with others.
- Emotional well-being: CBT helps reduce stress, anxiety, and frustration associated with ADHD struggles.
- Sense of self-worth: Gaining control over symptoms can boost your confidence and help you feel more capable in both personal and professional settings.
Therapy gives you the tools to live a life where ADHD no longer feels like an insurmountable obstacle but rather a manageable part of your experience.
If you have ADHD, it can be incredibly helpful to find a therapist with expertise in ADHD. This is true whether you are coming into therapy specifically to work on ADHD-related challenges, or if you are coming into therapy to work on any other mental health issue, like depression and anxiety, and also happen to have ADHD. Contact our office to be connected with one of our CBT specialists with expertise in ADHD.