Re: cognitive behavioral therapy anyone?

[Bill]

Hi Vic – There are lots of people that have more experience with CBT than I do. I went to a CBT therapist for a while. Her focus was on identifying automatic thoughts and bringing them to the surface so you can make a conscious decision and change your behavior. For example, are there times when you feel suddenly restless? With me, I’d suddenly get a craving for something sweet. As we worked with it, I came to realize that it wasn’t about food, my mind was seizing on anything to get away from the work. She had three stages:

1. Look backwards and identify the behavior you want to change

2. Recognize the automatic thoughts as they happen

3. Come up with strategies for avoiding the automatic behavior

One of the strategies we came up with was not trying to focus on one task for hours at a time. Have two things on the go and switch between them. That was helpful.

But I don’t think that CBT is your only option. CBT is one form of mental discipline. There are others. There are two things I think you should be looking for: an awareness of how you are affected by ADHD and tools to help you accomplish what you intend to do. Look for activities that encourage focus and intent. For some, it might be martial arts. For others, performing or fine arts. Still others might study business analysis. All of these disciplines involve hard work, so pick an area that energizes you.

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