The main forms of managing and treating ADHD is through behavioral strategies and medication. For some people, one or the other may be enough. However, studies have shown that the way to manage ADHD that has been shown to have the strongest and enduring effect is through both medication and behavioral strategies. Why, if I’m taking medication, do I need behavioral strategies?
Medication is not a “magic pill,” it works to help with the physical aspects of ADHD, such as feeling less fidgety, hyper, and “more balanced.” People who take medication also sometimes describe the “foggy” or “veiled” feelings that they have when they attempt to focus to be less strong.
While medication can be extremely helpful in that regard, a person with ADHD has also spent many years acting in a certain way with the ADHD, essentially developing bad work habits, and habits are not affected by the use of medication. This is where behavioral strategies come into play. Behavioral strategies target the bad work habits and concentrate on developing more productive habits that take into account a person’s strengths and weaknesses, including the difficulties with attention and concentration that arise from the ADHD.
Then why, with behavioral strategies, is medication helpful?
As I said before, medication helps with the physical aspects of ADHD, which may interfere and make it more difficult to develop better habits. And while medication allows the individual the ability to better focus on developing the behavioral strategies, it also helps with the “foggy” or “veiled” feelings that behavioral strategies cannot effect.
Such strategies may include various forms of organizational skills, time management, money management, social skills, and so forth. Many of these strategies may seem simplistic in nature, but are often very difficult in the execution and follow through. Some of these strategies will be discussed in greater and more complete detail in other blogs.
Behavior can also vary across situations. People with ADHD often do better
in unfamiliar surroundings or with new tasks, when there is still a feeling of novelty
in one-to-one situations
earlier in the day when there is less fatigue.