CAPSULE TDAH

My ADHD Toolbox -1. Medication and what else?

ADHD Toolbox -1

Author :

Dre Marie-Claude Garant

ADHD is a neurobiological condition. It’s inherited, present since birth, the same as your eye color. It runs in the family. Often, people with ADHD are more creative, innovative and tend to see the whole picture: “thinking outside the box” describes this ability well. This  may prove pretty useful to solve problems! ADHD is an opportunity to do things differently.


     ADHD is also a combination of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and executive dysfunctions, which leads to difficulties starting a task, staying on it and ending it, organizing, prioritizing, structuring, etc. The functional impact of ADHD often influences many aspects of daily life such as work, relationships with family, friends and loved ones. It may also lead to substance use, bad driving habits, physical and mental health issues, and so on.


     The College of Physicians of Quebec and other regulatory bodies recommend multiple tools for the management of ADHD, meaning the combination of pharmacological  and non-pharmacological or behavioral  approaches.

    

So, what are these behavioral approaches? Have they proven to help people with ADHD? Clinical studies reviews seem to show a favorable impact on the functioning level of people with ADHD and that’s the goal of the treatment!

The following articles in this ADHD Toolbox series will explain in greater detail just what behavioral approaches can do to help a person with ADHD.


To summarize, the best treatment for ADHD is a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological or behavioral approaches; the more tools you have in your toolbox, the better off you’ll be!


This is a brief English summary of the more in depth French article Mon coffre à outils TDAH 1. Médicaments et quoi d'autre?