Self-care strategies for ADHD

Societal understanding of what it's like to live as a neurodiverse person has been evolving rapidly over the past few years. In the past, being anything other than neurotypical was typically thought of as near-universally negative. More recently, however, we understand that there are positives to neurodiverse thinking — one piece of research we covered in 2018, for example, looked at the creative advantages of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Even with these advantages, however, people with ADHD can face many more hurdles day-to-day than neurotypical people. While not everyone's ADHD will manifest in the same way, many people have trouble with things such as organising, planning, and memory. Even when relaxing, symptoms can manifest which affect everything from mood to sleep. Addressing difficulties spanning so many domains requires neurodiverse people to become experts in applying coping strategies that work for them.

A group of Linnaeus University researchers explore some of these strategies in their latest research paper. In their systematic review, they analysed papers published between 2000 and 2022, featuring participants who were professionally diagnosed with ADHD. All of the papers that were included were qualitative, and focused on insights from those with ADHD about interventions and strategies for managing daily life.

Through analysing the papers, three themes emerged: establishing ways of acting to help yourself, finding encouraging and helping relationships, and using external aids for managing daily life.

For the first theme, "establishing ways of acting to help yourself," participants largely stated that they found it necessary to learn about ADHD through friends, books, or the internet. Because healthcare professionals were sometimes seen as having a "lack of openness," some participants felt hesitant in approaching them for information on their condition. There was also a sense that "taking responsibility for one's own learning" helped participants gain self-awareness and a better understanding of how their minds worked. This was a double-edged-sword, however, as getting information online was seen as fairly hit and miss.

Several other practical coping strategies emerged under this theme, including staying active and developing a schedule to follow, removing oneself from distractions, and setting reminders or timelines to get things done. Participants described the need to adapt their day-to-day activities to function optimally.

The second theme, "finding encouraging and helping relationships," highlighted the impacts of types of support provided by others. Here, parents, friends, teachers and tutors with neurodiversity expertise were all recognised as helpful supporters. Though maintaining relationships was often said to be tricky, having someone to be "accountable to, and to whom they could turn when needing help" was considered helpful. Participating in the wider ADHD community was also crucial, helping people "generate strength and energy" in a situation which often felt lonely and hopeless.

Throughout the literature, patient evaluations of their relationship with healthcare professionals were mixed. Those with ADHD often saw these collaborations as either "functional", where active support was given, or non-helpful. Seeing professionals as non-helpful was noted to limit trust, and in some cases lead to those with ADHD taking medication in a way that was not prescribed. Despite this, one study identified that many patients who felt this distrust had the goal of repairing collaborative relationships with healthcare workers.

Finally, participants identified external aids that helped them in managing their lives: things like alarms, clocks, calendars, and planners. (Though, it is important to note that some people may find these less helpful than others.) Reminders from friends and family were also seen as useful.

Medication was highlighted as key for many, and was often seen as a way to improve concentration and maintain focus. However, a sizeable number of patients felt that medication was the only help they were offered, and that healthcare professionals "did not know of" any other interventions. While being offered medication was mostly seen as positive, some patients were concerned that they could become addicted.

This study illustrates the multitude of efforts beyond professional interventions that those with ADHD employ. This list of strategies won't be exhaustive - considering recent developments in the recognition of neurodiversity, and the advent of strong online neurodiversity communities, more contemporary and nuanced strategies are likely widespread. Similarly, not all strategies identified will work for every person with ADHD. Even so, this research offers a broad illustration of the state of scientific understanding of they ways neurodiverse people manage their ADHD.

Descriptions of participant interactions with the medical field are notable. The potential for lack of trust in healthcare professionals will also be of interest to clinicians, who will wish to build a well-rounded, practical knowledge what it takes to live with ADHD, so that their credibility in the area can be quickly established with their new patients, and trust can be built and maintained.

Read the paper in full: https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2023.2234477