5 Tips to Help Adults Manage Their ADHD
Dr. William Beecroft, M.D.
| 4 min read
Dr. William Beecroft, MD, DLFAPA, is the Medical Director Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Behavioral Health and Behavioral Health strategy and planning. Dr. Beecroft received his M.D. from Michigan State University. He is board certified in general psychiatry with added qualifications in geriatrics and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. He will serve as the Michigan Psychiatric Society President in 2025.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that negatively impacts a person’s daily life by making them forgetful and distracted, causing them to miss important deadlines at work and school and bringing distress to family life and relationships.
Living a “normal” day to day life with ADHD is possible if you work on effectively coping with symptoms and make lifestyle adjustments. It’s also possible to make things more difficult for yourself by failing to make certain adjustments. Here are five important tips if you are a person struggling with attention difficulties. as shared by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Dr. William T. Beecroft, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. These techniques and tips can also help with impulse control difficulty.
1. Avoid accepting prescription medication without an ADHD screening
If you think you might have undiagnosed ADHD, schedule an ADHD screening with your primary care provider. Also known as an ADHD assessment, ADHD screenings are evaluations in which providers identify ADHD symptoms, rule out the presence of potential alternative causes for your symptoms and identify comorbidity.
Medication is a helpful treatment option for ADHD when combined with therapy and lifestyle changes. But you should never accept a prescription from a doctor without first being assessed and diagnosed. Prescription stimulants carry dangerous side effects such as loss of appetite, insomnia, weight loss, increased blood pressure and heart rate and more. Additionally, being honest about symptoms during your evaluation is critical, as being prescribed the wrong medication can lead to adverse effects. For example, if a person with anxiety is wrongfully prescribed stimulant-based ADHD medication, it’s possible for those meds to make your anxiety worse.
2. Do not self-medicate with alcohol and drugs
ADHD is associated with an increased risk of substance use initiation as well as the development of a substance use disorder. According to WebMD, ADHD is five to 10 times more common among adult with alcohol use disorder than it is in people without the condition. Among adults being treated for alcohol and substance abuse, the rate of ADHD is about 25%.
Not everyone with ADHD will develop an alcohol or substance use problem, but trying to ease the distress that comes with the condition by self-medicating with substances like alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs can worsen ADHD symptoms. Be honest with your primary care provider (PCP) if you are self-medicating while on ADHD meds, as you may need to adjust your dose or switch to another medication.
3. Avoid spending excessive time staring at screens
Recent studies have found a connection between increased screen time and worsened ADHD symptoms. Individuals with ADHD are often drawn to video games and screen time because they provide immediate gratification and activates the brain’s reward system. But prolonged screen time can contribute to increased impulsivity and distractibility, in both adults and children living with ADHD.
Internet addiction can also lead to more severe ADHD symptoms, according to WebMD. There is also a correlation between too much screen time and sleep disruption. Try to limit screen time to 2-to-3 hours per day and shut off all devices at least an hour before bed.
4. Prioritize adequate sleep
Feeling tired can make ADHD symptoms worse, which can then make it harder to sleep the next night. This cycle can lead to sleep deprivation. People with ADHD are more likely to develop sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing.
Try to get into a nightly routine every night of the week. This should include cutting out sugar, caffeine and alcohol intake 3-to-4 hours before bed, avoiding screen time before bed, and creating a cool, dark sleeping environment. If you regularly struggle to fall asleep, talk to your PCP. Changing your medication or adjusting your dose may be an option.
5. Avoid eating excess amounts of sugar in a day
Some studies have found a positive correlation between increased sugar consumption and worsened ADHD symptoms, but more research needs to be conducted Regardless of sugar’s effects as a stimulant on a person living with ADHD, positive eating habits and a diet that contains healthy nutrients is beneficial for brain health, helping to improve thinking, attention, and concentration. Conversely, a poor diet chockful of unhealthy fats, simple carbs and sugars can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 recommends that people over the age of 2 limit added sugar intake to less than 10% of their total daily calories. That means a 2,500-calorie diet should include no more than 250 calories from added sugars.
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