Using Mindfulness Therapy to Reduce ADHD Overwhelm in Teens
The existing issues that teenagers experience in socialization, finding one’s personal identity, and the pressure of pursuing a career path are all exacerbated when someone experiences inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity; marked characteristics of ADHD symptoms.
It is difficult to find your passion and place in the world, especially in the age of media being our predominant reality now, rather than an escape from it. Inattention can negatively impact school work, paid work, and ability to follow through to completion with important tasks. Hyperactivity and impulsivity may negatively impact interpersonal relationships vital for learning to make connections as an adult.
Having to balance various due dates, social requirements, as well as academic or work related tasks can lead to paralysis and giving up due to intense overwhelming emotions produced from ADHD symptoms inhibiting one’s ability to begin or organize daily needs. If you are a teenager or have a teenager who appears to be unable to begin or follow through with most tasks, mindfulness therapy can be beneficial to learning how to manage ADHD overwhelm and shutdown.
Symptoms of ADHD
The requirements to meet a disorder level threshold to be diagnosed with ADHD include:
Inattention
Inability to recognize small details or making careless mistakes in tasks.
Difficulty sustaining attention for tasks or activities.
Appears consistently distracted or mentally unpresent when directly spoken to.
Inability to follow through on instructions or tasks.
Hesitation for tasks that require sustained mental effort.
Easily distracted by external stimuli, forgetful, and disorganized.
Hyperactivity / Impulsivity
Fidgeting frequently; cannot remain still & experiences discomfort in settings where remaining still for a long period is required.
Cannot wait to turn in conversation or life tasks and intrudes on others’ activities or conversations.
These behaviours must be interfering with the ability to maintain social, school, or work functioning in order to be understood as ADHD. However, even if the clinical threshold is not met, being on the lower end of the spectrum of any of these behaviours can still benefit greatly from mindfulness therapy.
Mindfulness Therapy & ADHD Overwhelm
Mindfulness therapy is a scientifically proven successful behaviour therapy that combines ancient Eastern traditions of meditation with focus on letting thoughts, feelings, and attitudes pass through freely in the present moment without judgment.
When someone with ADHD or ADHD-like characteristics experiences frustrations with ability to complete daily tasks that are relatively easy for most people, this can bring a sense of frustration, shame, guilt, and overwhelming negative emotions that cause an individual to shut down and give up.
Main skills taught by mindfulness therapy:
Being purposefully present with your thoughts and feelings without reacting immediately.
Viewing present experiences with an open, accepting, non-reactive, and curious attitude.
These skills, guided with the help of a trained mindfulness therapist, can aid in preventing ADHD overwhelm. In other words, mindfulness therapy teaches skills that avoid completely shutting down or giving up on tasks. Individuals with ADHD tend to score lower in the trait of mindfulness, which is related to behaviours and ability to successfully complete life activities.
Mindfulness therapy can help one become more aware of their behaviours, without judgment. This pause and reflection allows for the implementation of more positive behaviours, rather than impulsive reactions to negative thoughts.
You Are Capable of Following Through!
It is difficult to handle an intense surge of emotions in relation to frustration with automatic behavior. Rather than shutting down or giving up, mindfulness therapy can help. Take the first step to improving one’s personal capacity to follow through with tasks.
If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing, contact us to book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our mindfulness therapists today. We’re here to help you learn how to accept yourself while building healthier ways to cope and move forward.
