ADHD: symptoms, causes and treatments

If you suspect you or a loved one might have ADHD, it’s important to understand the signs and seek the right support.

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that can affect both children and adults. The condition is typically characterised by difficulties in concentrating, problems with speech and actions (known as hyperactivity), and impulsive behaviour.

ADHD treatment options

ADHD isn’t a condition you need a cure for, but YMM offers specialist child, adolescent, and adult Online services to help you understand yourself better, and manage any symptoms that could be affecting your life.

At YMM, you can get an ADHD assessment with a specialist in our network. If you fit the criteria for diagnosis, we can then outline additional support that helps you thrive.

Treatment plans for ADHD will often include medication, group therapy, family therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They can also include certain medications for other co-occurring conditions, depending on individual experiences and age. Children with ADHD may have slightly different treatment plans compared to adults.

Family support for children with ADHD

At YMM, we understand that parenting a child with ADHD can present unique challenges. As children grow and develop, their behaviours will change, and sometimes, these changes can be difficult to manage alone. 

Our online family support groups are designed to help parents of children (aged 5 to 14) who have ADHD. The groups offer support and advice, and teach communication skills to better understand and help your child.

Our family support groups consist of six sessions, each with a different topic to cover. The sessions are remote, meaning you can join from the comfort of your own home and around your childcare commitments, from anywhere in the UK. The sessions include:

  • Session 1: What is ADHD and how does this impact me and my child?
  • Session 2: Communication strategies and managing challenging behaviours
  • Session 3: Developing distress tolerance strategies for your child
  • Session 4: Establishing effective routines
  • Session 5: Supporting your child with procrastination and completing tasks
  • Session 6: 1:1 session with your therapist to troubleshoot and further tailor your new skills to your child

Those wishing to attend will be invited to a one-off free assessment with a qualified therapist, prior to joining the programme, to help us understand you and your child’s needs.
Download the full coaching for parents of children with ADHD brochure here.

What causes ADHD?

While the exact cause of ADHD isn’t yet fully understood, there are a number of factors that are believed to contribute to someone developing the disorder. These include:

Genetics

Studies have shown that family genetics may have a role to play in the development of ADHD, with patterns of the disorder sometimes found across generations. However, the complexity of the condition isn’t believed to be related to a specific genetic fault.

Brain structure

If your child has ADHD, it may be due to their brains operating differently to children without the condition, with research suggesting that it may take an average of 2 to 3 years longer for the brain to mature in children with the disorder than in children without ADHD.  

Birth and pregnancy complications

Circumstances around your child’s birth may also have an impact, with low birthweight and premature birth suggested as being factors of ADHD development. Substance abuse during pregnancy may also increase the chances of your child developing the condition. 

Steps to take for an adult who's showing the signs of ADHD

We understand that ADHD can have real consequences for people living with the disorder. Therefore, it’s important to know that when symptoms are managed well, they have much less of an impact on daily life.

If you think that you or someone you care about has ADHD, and the symptoms are disrupting everyday life, an initial assessment with a specialist is recommended. YMM has numerous practitioners who are able to make ADHD diagnoses and offer treatment.

The specialist will carry out a full clinical assessment to determine whether ADHD is the correct diagnosis. They’ll also look for other problems such as anxiety and depression.

As part of the assessment, they’ll typically ask if symptoms have been apparent since childhood, as it’s thought that ADHD can’t develop in adulthood for the first time. Discussing this with parents and other family members, while also looking at old school reports, can help a person to determine this.

Therapy for ADHD

Group therapy for ADHD

Group therapy will involve a therapist and co-therapist working across groups of 6 to 12 people. The aim of group therapy is to provide valuable insight into the progress and coping mechanisms of others with the condition. This can help people to understand their own ADHD, within an open and supportive environment. Group therapy will encourage someone to work on more positive patterns of thinking that can help to alleviate unwanted symptoms of the disorder.

Group therapy is an appropriate method that can be used for both adults and children experiencing ADHD symptoms.

CBT for ADHD

Depending on age, an ADHD treatment plan may include CBT, which is a problem-solving talking therapy that can help manage thoughts and behaviours more effectively.

CBT can help you, in simple terms, to ‘re-programme’ your brain and change the patterns of negative thinking that are associated with the disorder, helping you to manage the symptoms of ADHD better. This type of therapy is not often used with young children, but can be used with teens and adults.

Family therapy for ADHD

Family therapy helps the whole family unit come together to understand ADHD and how symptoms can impact everyone’s lives. Family therapy will help explore ways in which you can support someone with ADHD as well as teach someone with ADHD about the thoughts and feelings of family members.

For adults, family therapy may also include marriage counselling, discussing relationships and responsibilities. The therapy will aim to open lines of communication and improve ways of dealing with challenges. Sometimes, the ADHD symptoms women experience may differ to what a man might experience, so opening these lines of communication helps one another understand the condition more.

ADHD coaching

This is an approach to supporting ADHD that’s based on individual strengths and teaching people to use their strengths to overcome weaknesses. This is a highly practical approach to managing the challenges of ADHD in daily life.