By Mohab Hanna, MD Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Founder, MedPsych Behavioral Health
What comes to mind when you think about treatment for ADHD? Most people assume that ADHD medications are the only options when it comes to addressing ADHD. I think most people make this assumption for good reasons. The overwhelming majority of children, teenagers and adults address their ADHD symptoms by taking medication.
As a psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of ADHD, I see many people who come in with that assumption. As a matter of fact, I know many people who will not go for an evaluation whether for them or their children because they won’t consider ADHD medications. Our practice, MedPsych Behavioral Health, is unique because we understand and appreciate the concern many of our patients have about psychiatric medications in general.
As a psychiatrist who does specialize in prescribing, I think that there should be a healthy level of concern about psychiatric medications especially in children and teenagers; this of course includes ADHD medications regardless of class of medications. So even the non-stimulant medications should be prescribed with caution. I am not against ADHD mediations being considered, but I always encourage a cautious and conservative approach. The younger the patient, the more conservative and cautious we should be in prescribing due to the inherent risks and negative side effects of ADHD medications in young children. So, what else can one do to address ADHD.
ADHD medications can be helpful for many kids and adults, but they don’t help with learning the necessary skills to function optimally with ADHD. In MedPsych (Northern New Jersey- Bergen County, NJ), we aim to advocate for a holistic approach in addressing any psychiatric condition including ADHD. Our hope is to tailor an individualized approach to each patient. Many of our patients benefit greatly from ADHD medications where they experience an improvement in focus, attention and less forgetfulness. However, for many kids, teenagers and adults they still struggle with a variety of things like disorganization, time management, and difficulties with planning ahead.
It is very clear to us as specialists and experts in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD that for tons of people ADHD medications are not sufficient. This is where ADHD coaching comes into play. It provides the necessary tools to complement the use of medications or at times might be all someone needs to address their core ADHD struggles. With our desire to be more holistic- to treat the whole person- in addressing all areas of concerns with ADHD we have seen ADHD coaching enable many of our patients whether students or adults to function more optimally and successfully both in an educational setting, work environment or in their personal every day life.
Learning time management skills is helpful for any student or adult. It is a unique struggle for those with ADHD and at the same time it is an essential life skill that impacts every facet of life beyond school and the educational environment. Developing time management skills is just one component of ADHD coaching with great benefit. We know that disorganization creates an overabundance of stress and anxiety leading possibly to depression for many people with ADHD. Learning those essential organizational skills helps any person to have much better control over their lives leading to lower stress and anxiety and overall better functioning in everyday life. Time management and organizational skills are essential life skills for every person and are just two examples of what ADHD coaching can provide for someone who struggles with ADHD.
If you are interested in our ADHD coaching services at MedPsych, please reach out to our practice at [email protected] for more information or a free consultation.
