ADHD

The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7

You have most likely heard of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a condition characterized by a general lack of attention, impetuousness, and hyperactivity (though symptoms will vary from person to person and display a variety of intensity). The condition is most commonly diagnosed in children but can be found in adults, as well. No matter your age, Christian counseling for ADHD can help you learn how to control the symptoms of ADHD, but most importantly, it can direct you to Christ, who is the Great Physician.

How do I know if my child has ADHD?

It is not a simple thing to diagnose ADHD, and no standardized test currently exists for it. However, your physician will take into consideration a number of different factors, including your current health condition, various struggles you may be undergoing, and other elements of your personal history. By ruling out other conditions that can imitate ADHD, an accurate diagnosis can be reached.

Common standards for diagnosing ADHD include:

• A recurring pattern of at least six months of inattentive, hyperactive, and/or impulsive symptoms that negatively affect your social, academic, or occupational activities.
• Several symptoms experienced before age 12.
• Symptoms that are not better explained by another cause.

Today, ADHD is at near epidemic proportions, with nearly 6.4 million children (ages 4-17) having been diagnosed in the United States, alone. Though many children outgrow this disorder, around 60% diagnosed as children carry ADHD into adulthood, which means that around 5% of American adults have ADHD.

If you believe that your child may have ADHD, don’t be afraid to get help. Bellevue Christian Counseling can provide a safe place for you to share your fears. We will help you to think through any factors in your family life that may be triggering the symptoms, and we will help you with the treatment you or your child needs.

Living with an ADHD child can be difficult. Watching them struggle to focus on the simplest tasks, seeing their forgetfulness and their propensity for distraction can take a heavy toll on you. Though the symptoms of ADHD will vary (depending on the individual), they generally fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Inattentive kids might:

• Have a hard time paying attention to details.
• Appear not to listen when someone is speaking to them.
• Demonstrate difficulty following instructions.
• Get bored easily and struggle to complete tasks.
• Frequently misplace things like toys and homework.

Hyperactive kids might:

• Squirm while seated.
• Have difficulty staying seated.
• Run or climb when it’s not appropriate to do so.
• Have trouble playing quietly.
• Talk a lot.
• Have a quick temper.

Impulsive kids might:

• Act without thinking.
• Invade other people’s space or ask overly personal questions.
• Have difficulty waiting patiently.
• Overreact emotionally.
• Interrupt others often.
• Intrude on other children’s games.
• Guess at answers rather than solving problems.

If some of these symptoms describe your child, go ahead and schedule a preliminary assessment with one of our counselors. We want to provide your family with the tools to cope with ADHD so that your home runs more smoothly, and ultimately strengthen your family relationships.

Around one-third of adults with ADHD never experienced hyperactive or impulsive behaviors as children. In addition, there are a number of other conditions, such as certain medical and psychological disorders that can produce similar symptoms. Stress can also be a factor that leads to an onset of ADHD symptoms.

Prior to delivering a diagnosis of ADHD, a mental health professional should rule out:

• Learning disabilities.
• Major or stressful life events such as moving or the death of a loved one.
• Psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, and mood or behavior disorders.
• Medical conditions including thyroid disease, epilepsy, and sleep disorders.

If you are an adult being tested for ADHD, your physician should first consider the possibility of:

• Bipolar disorder
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Sensory processing disorders
• Sleep disorders

Inattention symptoms in adults include:

• Being easily distracted
• Being disorganized
• Struggling to focus
• Frequently making careless mistakes
• Having a hard time staying on topic
• Having difficulty following social rules
• Often forgetting daily activities
• Procrastinating

Adult symptoms of hyperactivity include:

• Frequently moving from one task to another
• Feeling restless
• Substances that often stimulate others (such as caffeine) may have a calming effect

Adult symptoms of impulsivity include:

• Impatience
• Talking out of turn, sometimes causing problems in social or work settings
• Blurting out answers before someone finishes asking a question
• Starting conversations at inappropriate times
• Impulsive buying
• Making quick decisions without thinking them through

It is tough to live with ADHD, as the symptoms can affect work, relationships, and social situations. Your life may seem to be characterized only by chaos, and you may think that you will never be worth anything. Christian counseling for ADHD challenges this kind of thinking by pointing out that you were made God’s image, and so have intrinsic worth.

ADHD is typically treated with a blend of both medication and therapy, though there are some who can learn to overcome their symptoms with counseling alone, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Symptoms of ADHD can decrease as a person gets older, to the point where they might be able to decrease or even eliminate medication entirely and focus solely on treatment through counseling.

Your counselor may ask your permission to work with your doctor to come up with a plan for treatment that fits your individual needs. This may include a combination of medication and ADHD counseling methods.

Medications for ADHD

There are two main classes of ADHD medications:

stimulants and non-stimulants.

Stimulants: By far the most commonly prescribed medications for treating ADHD are stimulants. Adderall, Dexedrine, and Ritalin are a few of the most popular. You may well be concerned about reports of over-prescription, overuse, abuse, and addiction to these medications, so it is crucial to educate yourself about their risks, potential side-effects, and success rates so that you can decide if the situation warrants their use. You should find a doctor you can trust who specializes in ADHD diagnosis and treatment, in order to prevent misdiagnosis and misuse of ADHD medications.

Non-Stimulants: Adult ADHD is usually treated with non-stimulants such as Strattera, Catepres, and occasionally Effexor. Children who are treated with non-stimulants are often given Intuniv.

Counseling for ADHD

Treating ADHD with medication is not always enough to do the trick. Over the past twenty years, great strides have been made in treating ADHD through counseling methods such as parental counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and behavior modification therapy. Christian ADHD counseling provides:

Help for the parents of ADHD children

Knowing how to handle an ADHD child can be a real challenge for parents. You expect good behavior from your children and want them to succeed at school and be productive members of society. You also love many things about your child, such as their creativity, energy, and enthusiasm.

It is important to understand that ADHD is not brought on by bad parenting, but there are effective strategies that can help you when you are faced with behavior problems. Christian ADHD counseling can teach you how to help your child control the symptoms of ADHD without destroying their natural playfulness and imagination.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for ADHD

Both adults and children who suffer from ADHD can be helped by cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). By making use of these techniques, you can gain a better view of yourself the world around you, and the effects that your thoughts have on your feelings and behavior. CBT is helpful for both children and adults, teaching them to become more organized, focused, and self-controlled.

Behavior modification therapy

Behavior modification therapy(BMT) is the most common method of treating children and is usually very successful. Everyone (parents, child, and counselor) works together to change the ADHD child’s behavior by rewarding good behavior and discouraging bad behavior. By means of BMT, your child will learn skills to control their inattention and impulsiveness.

The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7

Whether you are a parent of an ADHD child or a victim of ADHD yourself, it is important to seek out someone you can trust.

Bellevue Christian Counseling offers the following:

• Trusted ADHD Treatment Options – Bellevue Christian Counseling offers many resources for treating ADHD. Whoever you are, whether parent or victim, we offer Christian ADHD counseling to help you learn to control your symptoms rather than letting them control you.
• Reliable ADHD Testing – The skilled professionals at Bellevue Christian Counseling make use of the latest technology and methods of psychological testing. It is important to find someone you trust to administer reliable testing that will produce accurate results, leading to the proper treatment.
• Faith First – Bellevue Christian Counseling provides more than mere science-based therapy. We provide an avenue to faith in Christ, the Great Physician. Christ can heal where traditional methods have failed. We offer people of faith a place to recover in the light of the grace, wisdom, and promises of Jesus.
• Christian Psychiatry – People come first. Though medication can be effective in treating ADHD, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We can help identify your particular needs and help you understand the options open to you while you walk the road of faith.

Since all people, including those with ADHD, are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of God, we at Bellevue Christian Counseling endeavor to nurture the unique qualities that make you who you are while offering tools to help you live a more productive and successful life of faith in Christ.

Whether you or your loved one needs counseling for ADHD, you will be in good hands at Bellevue Christian Counseling.

Find relief from the challenges of ADHD. Give us a call at 425-939-6856 to schedule your risk-free consultation.