Why CBT is indicated for ADHD

November 16, 2024

If you or your child has ADHD, why would you want to engage in CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy? For a long time I thought or felt that talk therapy really can't help ADHD. And I probably do still believe that. So CBT is just a different take on talk therapy. Rather than talking to develop insight and perhaps catharsis about your feelings, CBT aims to develop your awareness about your thinking and thus increase your mental flexibility. It also is aimed at behavior change. So let's think about ADHD. How many behaviors happen or don't happen totally outside the mental control of the individual with ADHD? This can be distilled down to and illustrated by two categories: the gas and the brake in a car. Attention deficit is a poor descriptor. It's really attention regulation and action regulation. Can you get better at inhibiting your impulses [response inhibition]? Don't respond to everything you notice (and think)! Can you get better at starting any behavior whatsoever when you want to!! [task initiation] Yes, you can, with CBT for ADHD. Jane Rekas, LCSW

See also: CBT for ADHD | Navigate ADHD