What do you know about ADD? Do you assume this is just a condition which affects children? Or do you understand that this also affects a large proportion of the adult population too?
If you’re in the bracket of people who realise how many adults suffer from this difficult condition, then you would be correct.
The key to maintaining a healthy and happy life side by side with ADD is to manage symptoms in the correct way for that particular sufferer. Just as one size shoe doesn’t fit all, one method of management doesn’t fit all in this particular case either. Everyone is different, and therefore the plan of attack will also be slightly different for every single person.
The main line to go down here is symptom management, and to recognise triggers. Whilst medical management will probably be one of the first things to try, other “self-help” methods are also highly effective.
It’s basically a life choice and change, and it has to be something that the sufferer understands and sticks to, in order to control their own severity of symptoms.
Let’s look at a few effective ways to manage ADD symptoms.
Find what works for you and stick to it – Like we discussed, there is no one line of management that works for every single sufferer, so once you find the method that suits you, stick to it.
Write things down – One of the main symptoms of ADD is disorganisation and forgetfulness. If you write things down, you will feel more control over your life, and this will also give you helpful pointers to not forget the important things you need to do on a daily basis.
Prioritise – Write things down, put them in order of priority, and tackle them in that way. This again gives you a feeling of control, and everything gets done on time.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Everyone needs a little help from time to time, and whether this is in the form of speaking to a therapist, or whether it’s simply a chat with a friend, if you need help, ask for it! There is no shame.
Understand your condition – If you understand how ADD affects your life, then you will become less frustrated, and able to manage it all more easily. ADD doesn’t have to rule your life, and a happy and healthy life can be easily achieved once you allow the grips of the condition to leave you, and you grab back a little control.