Understanding ADHD (2)

Executive dysfunction is a commonly used phrase when we are talking about ADHD. But what exactly is it? When things are working well for us, we have the ability to regulate and organise ourselves, to plan our goals, to stick with things even if that’s difficult in the short term, and​ to keep sticking with things over an extended period of time to reach our goals. Sometimes these things don't work quite as well as we would like them to. Even if your ADHD is improving with medication, counselling can help to build the skills that don't automatically come with the pills. It's often been said that the 'skills aren't in the pills'! So perhaps developing skills could include learning to do one or more of the following:

• manage impulsive responses
• organise ourselves
• talk to ourselves more kindly
• retrain unhelpful automatic thoughts
• manage our emotions effectively
• recover quickly from extreme emotions
• look at things in different ways

What would be most helpful for you to talk to your counsellor about?

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