What is Attention
I will attempt to disseminate some valuable information on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD. Every moment you are choosing information that is meaningful to you and avoiding irrelevant material. Our information-processing capacity cannot make sense of the all the constant input from many sources all at once therefore the brain has to become selective. This is how we manage to keep from being overloaded and thus we remain capable of making decisions and reacting to situations.
When you are exposed to new information rapidly, even a small amount, your brain will be processing it and therefore you will miss some other incoming information. As such, these failures to retain all information, is an important part of effective cognitive processing and the function of attention.
If you are in a crowded room looking for your friend, your brain will not focus on and retain information about the other people and data surrounding you that do not resemble your friend. Your brain will retain fragments of what is around you if it interests you.
ADHD
Typically, adults with ADHD are unaware that they have this disorder—they often just feel that it’s impossible to get organized, to stick to a job, to keep an appointment. Often they find themselves behind schedule. The everyday tasks of getting up, getting dressed and ready for the day’s work, getting to work on time, and being productive on the job can be major challenges for the ADHD adult.
Adults will seek professional help for depression or anxiety and will find out that the root cause of some of their emotional problems is ADHD. They may have a history of school failures or problems at work. Often they have been involved in frequent automobile accidents. Individuals with ADHD may experience distractibility, impulsivity, restlessness.
Toronto Psychotherapist
To help in this struggle, both “psychoeducation” and individual psychotherapy can be helpful. Treatment can help the you learn how to organize life by using “props”—a large calendar posted where it will be seen in the morning, date books, lists, reminder notes, and have a special place for keys, bills, and the paperwork of everyday life. Tasks can be organized into sections, so that completion of each part can give a sense of accomplishment. Above all, ADHD adults should learn as much as they can about their disorder.
Learn how to better maintain healthy relationships and family obligations. Often individuals will have difficulties in romantic relationships. You may have also found that you have no time left for yourself and to do things that you enjoy. You may also have difficulty relaxing.
Toronto ADHD Psychotherapy
Medication
Psychotherapy can be a useful adjunct to medication and education. Therapy can help change a long-standing poor self-image by examining the experiences that produced it. Therapy can encourage the ADHD patient to adjust to changes brought into his life by treatment—the perceived loss of impulsivity and love of risk-taking, the new sensation of thinking before acting. As the patient begins to have small successes in his new ability to bring organization out of the complexities of his or her life, he or she can begin to appreciate the characteristics of ADHD that are positive—boundless energy, warmth, and enthusiasm.