ADHD (Otherwise known as ADD)

“I have ADHD” is a term often used in our cultural dialect. It is often inappropriately applied to mean “poorly focused.” Having distractibility or poor focus does not mean that you automatically have ADHD ( otherwise referred to as ADD). There are a range of other symptoms that come with ADD and can begin to be relieved with appropriate medication. The condition itself brings about traits that are positive and negative, like all mental health conditions. Often I refer my clients for more specific testing regarding learning disabilities, learning styles, and thorough psychological evaluation. This outside information, coupled with data I have gathered during our evaluation, is likely to produce a working diagnosis and an identifiable set of symptoms that I can treat.

The goal of treatment is not to make people who have it think like everyone else. The goal is to accentuate the gifts ADD has given people: thinking outside of the box, excelling when in a competitive environment, the raw focus they often feel when a deadline is approaching. The benefits of receiving treatment are usually not immediate. Often, after several months clients will return for follow up feeling excited about having realizations about how their life has been structured and organized. I work closely with therapists in Portland who can provide the cognitive tools to minimize negative symptoms of ADD.