Online ADHD Treatment: Find ADHD Recovery Today

If you have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, you may struggle with activities that require sustained attention, engage in impulsive behaviors, and/or be highly physically active to the point that it’s hard to sit still.

ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood when a child is observed to struggle in school and/or other areas of life. It is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into and throughout adulthood.

The symptoms associated with ADHD are frequently misunderstood. For example, if you are very hyperactive, you may have been judged as aggressive. If you are highly distractible, others may have witnessed you losing and forgetting things and labeled you as lazy, spacy, or unmotivated.

You may have been told that you were not performing up to your potential by teachers or parents who found you to be intelligent and creative and assumed you were simply unwilling to do what it takes. In addition, your impulsivity may at times have caused you to take impulsive actions that later caused you regret or even shame

For these reasons, you may have developed low self-esteem and/or depression in addition to your ADHD symptoms.

Fortunately, ADHD is a very treatable condition.

What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit disorder, or ADHD, is frequently noticed and possibly diagnosed in childhood.  Oftentimes, the child struggles with school and academic performances and/or has other issues surrounding activities that require sustained attention.  Additionally, there may be behavior issues that are connected to impulsivity and low frustration tolerance that cause difficulties in school, home or other aspects of the child’s life. According to the CDC, ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood but can last throughout a person’s adult life. With ADHD, you may struggle to pay attention, control impulsive behaviors, and/or be excessively active.

While the causes of ADHD are unknown, genetics plan an important role. In addition to genetics, some other risk factors scientists are studying include:

• Low birth weight
• Injuries to the brain
• Dangerous exposures to the environment (such as lead) during pregnancy or at a young age
• Alcohol or drug use during pregnancy
• Delivering prematurely

Research does not indicate that ADHD is caused by outside factors such as  too much sugar intake, watching too much television, social and environmental factors like poverty. However, some of these factors can make ADHD worse or more difficult to address.

Signs of ADHD?

Many children have trouble focusing and behaving at times. However, a child with ADHD sometimes does “outgrow” some of these behaviors. 

A person with ADHD might:

• Daydream excessively
• Talk excessively (hard to interrupt, hard to wait for others to talk) 
• Squirm or move more than usual
• Forget things or lose things often
• Make what appear to be careless mistakes
• Take unnecessary risks
• Have a hard time resisting temptations
• Struggle getting along with others
• Not share or take turns with other children (or in adults be inpatient) 
• Struggle to pay attention in school, or other areas that require sustained attention
• Have difficulty studying
• Interrupt other children
• Blurt out answers in class, or responses in dialogue 
• Struggle in quiet settings
• Have trouble staying on task

In the next section we will review the official DSM-5 diagnosis criteria for ADHD. 

DSM-5 ADHD Criteria

According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5), the following has been set to help diagnose ADHD (Taken from the shortened version provided by the CDC):

Inattention

Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:

1. Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
2. Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
3. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
4. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
5. Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
6. Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
7. Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
8. Is often easily distracted
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for the person’s developmental level.

• Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.
• Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.
• Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless).
• Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly.
• Is often “on the go” acting as if “driven by a motor”.
• Often talks excessively.
• Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed.
• Often has trouble waiting their turn.
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games)

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

• Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
• Several symptoms are present in two or more settings, (such as at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
• There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
• The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder). The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.

types of adhd

There are three main types of ADHD; by considering these types, it may help you or a loved one determine if it is present.

Predominantly Inattentive Presentation

With predominantly inattentive presentation, it will be hard for the affected person to finish a task they’ve been assigned. They will struggle with the attention to details, and will struggle with following instructions or guidelines set by their teacher or leader. A person will forget details very easily and will be easily distracted.

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation

With predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation, the affected person may talk quite a lot.  They will have a hard time staying still for a long time. Young persons with this presentation will be climbing, running, and jumping much more than normal. The affected personmay interrupt others often, take things from people, or speak at times that are less than effective. This person may have more accidents or injuries than normal.

Combined Presentation

The last type is combined presentation. In this type, a person will have the above two presentations equally. 

ADHD Levels of Care

Outside of the primary care setting, there are a few levels of care available to individuals with eating disorders. Let’s review binge eating disorder treatment options:

Outpatient

• Often where the treatment process begin
• Patient lives at home and attends hourly sessions at their providers’ offices
• Appropriate for patients who are medically stable, motivated, self-sufficient, and have adequate support and structure at home

Intensive Outpatient

• Typically occurs in a specialized setting (e.g., a clinic or hospital)
• Patients live at home and attend sessions three to five times a week that last approximately three hours each
• Program may include numerous types of therapy, including, but not limited to, individual, group, and counseling
• Appropriate for patients who are medically stable, self-sufficient, and have adequate support and structure at home, but may need some degree of external structure beyond self-control

Partial Hospitalization (Full-Day Outpatient Care)

• Occurs in a specialized setting and can be connected to a hospital program or a free-standing facility
• Patient requires a high level of supervision and monitoring
• Patient must be able to demonstrate some ability to retain the gains made in treatment without 24-hour monitoring
• Patient must not be a suicide risk or medically compromised to the point of requiring hospitalization
• Patient must have sufficient resources and motivation to attend program
• Patient’s home or living environment must be one that can be supportive of the recovery process
• Wide variety in quality of programming and hours of available treatment across programs, making it critical that patient’s needs and circumstances are appropriate for this level of care
• Care is typically 5– 12 hours per day, 4– 7 days per week.

Residential Treatment Center

• Highly specialized programs that can be operated independent of hospital setting, but sometimes connected to a hospital setting
• Indicated when patient is not able to retain gains without 24-hour monitoring
• May be indicated when severity of symptoms necessitates constant monitoring in order to initiate and sustain symptom-free behavior and normalized eating
• May be indicated for patients whose activities of daily living are compromised by the disorder May be indicated for the development of a normalized, healthy lifestyle conducive to long-term health and well being
• May include specialized approaches that help the patient develop routines and activities of daily living that create patterns of behavior that are conducive to recovery
• Useful in situations with a high degree of psychiatric comorbidity that require intensified focus during treatment
• Sometimes indicated on the basis of a lack of supportive and safe environment where the patient can be expected be able to make meaningful, retainable progress
• May be appropriate when patient is overwhelmed with symptoms and unable to refrain from reverting to symptoms or other behaviors that compromise their well being when alone
• Appropriate for patients with either lower or higher levels of motivation, but generally patients must enter treatment voluntarily

Inpatient Hospitalization

• Generally used for a period of short-term stabilization proceeding initiation of treatment at lower levels of care
• Indicated in situation where patient is a suicide risk or gravely disabled by symptoms and unable to participate in residential or lower levels of care due to presenting symptoms, which may include depression, poor motivation, poor insight, and/ or other factors that limit ability to meaningfully participate in lower levels of care
• Appropriate in situations where hospital-based medical care is indicated (i.e., IV lines or other more invasive medical treatments are needed)

ADHD Treatment Options

There are several different treatment options. Each person is different, it can depend heavily on his/her family. Here are a few ADHD treatment options:

Behavioral Therapy

ADHD not only affects a patient, but also other individuals like the patient’s family and other children around. Behavioral therapy can help reduce the negative behaviors associated with ADHD, and it’s important that your patient start behavioral therapy as soon as diagnosed.

Behavioral therapy is used to strengthen good behaviors and to weaken problematic behaviors. 

Medication

Medications can help you manage their ADHD symptoms to help them control negative and distracting behaviors. The FDA approved several different types of medications including:

1. Stimulants - Stimulants are widely used to treat a person with ADHD - Approximately 70 to 80% of persons on stimulants have fewer ADHD symptoms when taking these.  Stimulants are still considered the “gold standard” for treatment.  There are many improvements in stimulant medication options, allowing for greater efficacy, fewer side effects and better outcomes. 
2. Nonstimulants: Nonstimulants are a newer form of ADHD treatment. They don’t typically work as fast as stimulants do, however their effects can last up to 24 hours

Tips for Managing ADHD

To manage ADHD, it’s important to create a routine that provides structure each day. Building routines can lead to more productive behavior and better feelings about how the person’s time is spent. Here are some tips for managing ADHD through a route:

• Manage distractions by turning off the tv, clearing work spaces, and limiting other noises if possible
• Simplify!  Make it easier to make decisions and reduce anxiety by building simplicity into the routine, for example, throw out unused clothing, de-cluttering personal space, and creating structure. 
• It is critical to break down more complex tasks into many smaller steps; 
• take mini breaks in between projects or tasks that require sustained attention (example, 15 minutes of studying followed by 5-7 minutes of break time, find out what works) 
• Encourage yourself and insist on others to provide encouragement vs criticism. Many times individuals with ADHD feel stressed about different situations, feel nervous that they may make a mistake..it is important to encourage the person impacted by ADHD and provide positive feedback. 
• Protect sleep and focus on self care..enjoyable, satiating meals, a routine for movement, and an opportunity to release energy. 
• Nature can be incredibly helpful to those impacted by ADD. 

Finding ADHD Recovery

If you think you or a loved one needs ADHD treatment, you’ve come to the right place. The first step to ADHD recovery is acknowledging you need help and then seeking help. 

Among all psychiatric conditions, ADHD is the most observable in brain scans, proven to be very tied to the brain’s neurological pathways. It could almost be viewed as a neurologic condition rather than a psychiatric one, and ADHD sufferers generally get extraordinary results from treatment.

Medication is highly effective for treating ADHD, and our team treats this disorder in a holistic way that combines medication with support and training about how to handle some of the more problematic ADHD symptoms.

You’ll find our treatment approach creates profound changes in your life, how you feel about yourself, and your sense of what’s possible for you.

Get Online ADHD Treatment

My name is Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, I am a consultant psychiatrist in Miami, Florida. I believe that compassion, when directed towards self and others, can lead to profound health and healing. If you need online ADHD treatment, I can help! I have created a unique treatment model in which you will have the  opportunity to work with providers who I specifically refer to based on your current experience, diagnosis and needs.  I build this team around you and will coordinate your care with the goal to find meaning in your experience, and free you of your symptoms so that you can feel more at peace, and have greater capacity to adapt to life circumstances, to challenge yourself, to be creative, to develop intimacy and to have a fulfilling lifestyle With more than 20 years of clinical experience and a vast network of clinical partners, I’ve developed a unique treatment approach that delves into the underlying issues that place a person at risk for mental health conditions.  Together we will create a protocol and treatment plan that is well coordinated, and that can guide you on your healing process, toward health and inner peace. Contact me today!