What is ADHD?
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Attention Defficit Hyperactive (ADHD) Disorder is defined as a behavioural syndrome characterised by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.
In this sense, it can have severe impact on a person’s day to day functioning and cause hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour in men and emotional dysregulation , as well as forgetfulness and mood swings in women.
This can be very stresful and exhausting for those suffering from ADHD, as these symptoms can cause stress, anxiety, low self esteem and anger.
An estimated 3% to 4% of adults in the UK have ADHD, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other sources, though the actual number could be higher due to underdiagnosis
.
Treatment options for ADHD
. Medication
Traditionally ADHD is treated with pharmaceuticals which can help people stay focused for longer, listen better, and fidget less.
However sometimes these medications can have negative side effects such as headaches, stomachaces inability to sleep, dry mouth and nausa.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps people build stratergies that enable them to stay organised, manage distractions, and regains focus.
It does this by identifying and changing unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour and developing new ways of coping.
Although CBT can be helpful for individuals with ADHD, it has been criticised for being to generic and not flexible to people’s varying ADHD presentations.
Lifestyle changes
From a proactive position, it is reccomended that an individual with ADHD leads a healthy lifestyle by engaging in regular exercise to help calm the nervous system, eats a balanced diet to promote a happier mood and gets sufficient sleep to boost energy levels.
Again whilst this good advice, it fails to recognise that people with ADHD can struggle with routine and discipline and they may not always be so easy to put into practice.
Massage
An alternative therapy that can be used in the management of ADHD symptoms, is massage.
It has been clinically proven that this process can be conducive for
calming the nervous system, regulate the body’s stress response and
provide a sense of security and relaxation.
This in turn can be beneficial to improve mood, focus, anger and sleep.
The added bonus of treating ADHD with massage is that unlike other treatment options, with massage their is minimal side effects that can occur, making it a healthy and desirable choice.
Conclusion
ADHD can be a debilitating condition that can have a detrimental impact on a person’s quality of life. Fortunately there are many treatment options as listed above to help manage symptoms.
Engaging in regular massage can be a gentle nurturing approach to eliminating the negative impact ADHD can have and can help the body and mind feel more balanced, connected, and calm.