When a Loved One Has ADHD

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This is the final article in our three-part series discussing different strategies to help you deal with a loved one who has been diagnosed with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  ADHD affects the entire family, often resulting in loved ones experiencing a myriad of emotions from anger, stress, and exhaustion to frustration, anxiety, and depression. Our previous articles covered the importance of understanding the diagnoses, practicing self-care, setting a routine, and minimizing clutter around your home.  Today, we will look at two more ways you can help both yourself and your loved one who has been diagnosed with ADHD.

Seek Support For Yourself

Your loved one may be in ADHD counseling, which is great, but what are you doing for you? One of the best things you can do when someone you love is affected by ADHD is to seek support for yourself. Counseling for depression and counseling for anxiety can be very beneficial if you find yourself becoming depressed or anxious.  Even if you are participating in family therapy or couples therapy, seeking support for yourself through either individual therapy or group therapy can ease your burdens, help you better understand the disease, and give you the opportunity to connect with others facing similar situations.

Love Them Unconditionally

You may get frustrated or angry with your loved one, but it is important that no matter what you feel, you communicate that you still love them unconditionally. This is extremely important not only for you, but also in helping them deal with their emotions and feelings.

PATS Consultants is a premier provider of psychotherapy services serving individuals throughout the Tampa Bay area. Some of our specialties include counseling for ADHD, counseling for anxiety, and counseling for depression. We offer individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy as well as counseling for children and counseling for teens. Teletherapy options are also available.  Give us a call to start on the path of healing today!

Dealing With a Loved One Diagnosed with ADHD

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We are continuing our series of articles discussing how to cope when a loved one has been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  First, it is important to confirm the diagnosis through a psychological evaluation and/or ADHD evaluation.  Once the diagnosis is confirmed, encouraging your loved one to proceed with ADHD treatment will help them learn ways to manage their symptoms, modify their behaviors and identify healthy ways to cope.

But what about you?  Dealing with a loved one with ADHD can be challenging so it is important to take care of yourself as well.  Our previous article discussed the importance of understanding the diagnosis and practicing self-care.  Today, we will look at two more ways to help you deal with a loved one’s ADHD diagnosis.

Set a Routine

Structure is especially important when you have a family member who has been diagnosed with ADHD.  If they are getting ADHD treatment, their therapist is likely recommending they work on setting a routine.  Simplifying schedules and establishing set times that are predictable for activities such as meals, waking up for work and/or school, leisure activities, screen time, etc. can help individuals with ADHD function better, which in turn, benefits everyone in the household.

Minimize Clutter

Many individuals diagnosed with ADHD struggle with being organized. Clutter throughout the home and/or work space often complicates their symptoms. Part of their ADHD treatment plan may be to work on minimizing clutter.  Doing what you can to contribute to a non-cluttered household will help reduce stress and anxiety for everyone.

Our next article will cover more ways to help you cope with a loved one’s ADHD.

Psychological Assessment and Treatment Services, LLC (PATS) is a professional counseling practice offering individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy and group therapy as well as psychological evaluation and ADHD evaluation services. In addition to ADHD treatment, our psychologists and mental health counselors also diagnose and treat mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  We also help clients deal with chronic pain, illness, grief, divorce, life transitions, work and career issues, etc.  We even have counselors who specialize in parenting, life transitions, stress management and autism.  If you are struggling, you are not alone. We are here to help. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.

What To Do When a Loved One is Diagnosed with ADHD

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Your loved one has been struggling and you’ve just learned that their psychological evaluation reveals that they have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now what?

We understand this may be a scary time filled with uncertainty and confusion. Our next series of articles will provide some valuable tips on how to handle this diagnosis. Let’s get started:

Understand the Diagnosis

The first step in learning to live with a loved ones ADHD diagnosis is to understand it.  While ADHD can look different in different people, some common characteristics include difficulty concentrating, frequent daydreaming, impulsive behaviors and difficulty making decisions. Once an ADHD evaluation is complete, your loved ones therapist will develop an ADHD treatment plan. It is advisable that you participate in at least a few family therapy and/or couples therapy sessions with your loved one so you can gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects them and how ADHD treatment works. While your loved one will participate in ADHD treatment sessions, you may choose to seek individual therapy and/or group therapy for your own guidance and support.

Practice Self-Care

Self-care is important to our overall health.  Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, many people do not make time for sufficient self-care.  Dealing with a loved one with ADHD is often a trying and exhausting process. Proper self-care gives you time to relax, rejuvenate, reflect and refresh yourself so you are better prepared physically, emotionally and spiritually to handle whatever lies ahead. Self-care can include just about anything that is fulfilling to you such as reading a book, taking a long bath, going to dinner with a friend, watching a movie and even seeking support through individual therapy and/or group therapy.

Our next article will discuss more ways to help you cope when a loved one has been diagnosed with ADHD.

Psychological Assessment and Treatment Services, LLC (PATS) is a full-service counseling practice located in Tampa, Florida.  PATS team of highly qualified and licensed psychologists and mental health counselors offer a variety of services including (but not limited to): psychological evaluation and treatment of mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression and anxiety, stress management, grief counseling, divorce care, life transitions, ADHD evaluation and ADHD treatment for children, teens and adults.

If you or a family member think you may have ADHD, please know you are not alone. Our clinicians are highly trained and can conduct a psychological evaluation to determine if ADHD could be the root cause of some of the issues you are facing. During ADHD treatment, we educate you on ways to manage your symptoms, help you modify behaviors and walk with you as you learn healthy new ways to cope.  We provide individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy and group therapy options for those living with ADHD and their loved ones. We are here for you. Give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our qualified and compassionate counselors today! Hablamos Español.

Immigration

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Under the best circumstances, the immigration process can be challenging and stressful.  Dr. Odio knows from first-hand experience the challenges that immigrant families face.  “My family came to the US from Cuba in the 1960’s that is why I am committed to helping families faced with immigration and deportation problems.”  Our office offers services to help families navigate the immigration process and to help them transition from one culture to another.

Pursing legal status in the U.S. is not only stressful for the immigrant who wishes to stay here permanently but for their family members as well.

We offer psychological evaluations to assist with extreme hardship cases, VAWA, Asylum, and U-Visas.

If you would like to learn more about our immigration solutions, call our office today.