ADHD Treatment in Victoria BC
“I used to suffer from ADHD. Now I just have it.”
– Rick Green
Do you have trouble with managing your time, tasks, and schedule effectively? Do you loose track of time, and end up showing up late to functions (leaving a wake of frustrated friends and family members in the process)? Do you forget about things that need to be done until the last minute, or have you ever been labelled as a procrastinator? Do you find that sometimes it’s easy for your mind to wander away from the task at hand, or sometimes it’s hard for you to switch gears when you really do need to move on to something new? If this is resonating, or you are reading this page, chances are you are considering whether or not you might have ADHD. Maybe you already have a diagnosis, or maybe you are waiting to get one.
Regardless of where you are at in your ADHD journey, we can start to equip you with the tools to better manage your home, workplace, and relationships more effectively right away.
When working with clients with ADHD we start by focusing on 4 main areas:
1. Time managements strategies
2. Motivation
3. Healthy routines
4. Reframing negative self-talk
Time Management
It’s hard to live in world that is constantly demanding of your time and attention. When your brain is overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to focus, it’s easy for you to get carried away doing something that might not truly be the most important thing to prioritize in that moment. We’ve all done it… we get immersed in a project we enjoy like gardening or watching Netflix, and we lose track of time. This causes a domino effect where we might not start getting ready to leave the house on time, then we are stressed about running late, and forget to bring the important things needed for that event or meeting (Omg where are my keys)?! Effective time management involves setting up systems using physical lists, reminders, and alarms to keep you on track. It involves externalizing your schedules and to-dos so that your brain doesn’t have to keep track of those on top of all the other things you already have to do. On top of all of this, it also involves actually using the schedules and lists once set up (the hard part).
I always say: “If it’s not in my calendar, it doesn’t exist!”
Motivation
If you are a human, chances are you are motivated to do things that you like and find rewarding. The challenge is that sometimes you may need to hold yourself accountable to do things that are not as enjoyable now that might be rewarding later. The ADHD brain has a harder time bringing those future rewards into the present, so it’s important to find ways to set smaller interim goals with built in rewards, and/or to motivate yourself by making activities more enjoyable. Sometimes this means saying things like “I’m not going to watch TV until I have done my laundry” or maybe it’s “I’ll make laundry more enjoyable by putting on fun music”. There are many different approaches to building in motivation that can be helpful for the ADHD brain.
Healthy routines
Speaking of systems... healthy routines are at the core of stress management, burnout prevention and emotional regulation. I know this is not new information, but as an example, running late for work in the morning can often be traced back to staying up late the night before, or not setting oneself up for success by preparing lunch or putting out the things needed for that day. For this reason, basics like sleep hygiene, nutrition, and physical activity levels are essential for stress management and have a domino effect when it comes to managing the symptoms of ADHD.
Reframing negative self-talk
The labels and interpersonal conflict that can accumulate as a result of ADHD symptoms can often contribute to challenges with self esteem and self talk. Often times you might have had the best intentions, but were unable to convert those intentions into actions. Managing ADHD symptoms through effective systems can naturally start to relieve some of these stressors. Working with a counsellor can also help to address the beliefs you hold about yourself, and to highlight some of your strengths in addition to acknowledging limitations, so that you can let go of that little voice inside your head that says mean things like “lazy, procrastinator, inattentive.”
Your ADHD doesn’t have to rule you. You can take charge of your life by working with your brain instead of continuing this internal battle with yourself.