Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
ADHD in teens, adults: Symptoms and unique challenges
Excerpts from an article published in HEALTHbeat (Harvard Medical School’s newsletter) and another by Timothy Wilens, MD, featured in additudemag.com
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) brains develop differently than neurotypical brains. In the adolescent years, this may explain an increased risk for motor vehicle accidents, medication diversion, substance abuse, academic setbacks, and self-harm. It also means that families need to remain vigilant through the teen’s development and treatment in this critical period.
In adolescence, ADHD is associated with a set of distinct and measurable challenges — executive dysfunction, increased risk for substance misuse and automobile accidents, stimulant medication diversion, emotional dysregulation, high-risk behaviours, and more. Robust, long-term studies confirm that, if unaddressed, these teenage challenges can impact quality of life and general functioning well into adulthood.
For best outcomes, clinicians must help patients and families understand how ADHD impacts the adolescent and young adult brain specifically, and how early care and interventions can have positive effects. If the conversations and interventions begin early, and a family’s vigilance remains high, teens with ADHD will grow and launch into remarkable young adults.
Treatments that don’t involve medication
If the impact of ADHD is minor and you’ve figured out coping strategies without a formal diagnosis and treatment plan, your doctor may instead advise treatments that don’t involve medications. Here’s taking a look at some of these treatments:
1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
ADHD may have a particularly serious impact on a certain part of your life, such as job performance. A therapist can help you work on areas that need special attention, giving you strategies that can help in specific situations at work and elsewhere.
One widely used approach is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This type of psychotherapy helps people change negative thought patterns into positive, healthier ways of thinking. The idea is that if you change the way you think about a situation, your feelings and behaviours can change, too. For example, CBT may help change “all or nothing” thinking, in which in many people with ADHD tend to think that their accomplishments must be either perfect or a failure.
CBT is very focused on giving you tools to help deal with stresses and challenges in life. Working on self-esteem is often a very important aspect of ADHD treatment.
2. Emotional Therapy
ADHD is not just about paying attention in conversations and in meetings. ADHD can lead to frequent emotional ups and downs, which can hamper relationships and everyday activities. Just waiting in line can make a person with ADHD quite irritable. So can minor setbacks, such as having a project not turn out quite right or having a boss who changes deadlines or who demands more work at the last minute. It may help to find a psychiatrist or another type of therapist and meet regularly to discuss your symptoms and any challenges or successes in your life.
It’s also common for adults with ADHD to have other mental health conditions. An estimated 50% of adults with ADHD, for example, also have an anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
3. Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is a form of treatment that teaches you how to regulate your brain waves in an effort to enhance brain function and mental well-being. Brain activity is monitored through a machine called an electroencephalograph. Brain signals pass from one or more leads placed on your head to a computer, which translates the brain signals into a video or audio display.
People with ADHD often have excessive slow-wave activity in frontal leads, indicating reduced frontal brain activity. Through neurofeedback, you can learn to do tasks that may enhance the function of the prefrontal cortex by suppressing slow-wave activity and increasing higher (that is, faster) frequencies. The technique is noninvasive and painless.
(To learn more about ADHD, check out Confronting Adult ADHD from Harvard Medical School, and Timothy Wilen’s complete article here)
Career
12 warning signs your current job doesn’t fit you
Excerpts from an article published by Expert Panel® Forbes Councils Member & Forbes Coaches Council in forbes.com
Not every job is meant to be a long-term part of your career. Whether your professional goals have evolved or the position you’ve landed in isn’t what you imagined it would be, you may find yourself struggling with feeling ambivalent about a job you thought you were going to love.
The first step to finding the right place is leaving the wrong one. But how can be sure that your current job isn’t a good fit for you? Forbes Coaches Council members shared the top warning signs that the job you’re in isn’t right for you.
1. You don’t feel welcomed or valued at work
A telltale sign that your current job is not right for you is if you cannot answer yes to these four questions: Are you welcomed at work? Do you feel valued at work? Are you able to contribute and be rewarded for those contributions? Can you be your authentic self in this organisation? If you cannot answer yes to all four questions, it may be your clue to go find a job where you can.
2. You feel misplaced on the inside
In the wrong job, you feel frustrated, helpless. You are not “on your path,” and the work is neither personally meaningful nor professionally satisfying. If you feel misplaced on the inside, as if something deep and important is missing, pay attention to these feelings.
3. You’re not using your strengths daily
When you don’t feel like you are using at least some of your gifts, talents and strengths on a daily basis, then it might be time to look for a different job. People who use their unique set of skills are much more productive and engaged in their positions in many ways.
4. Your work feels like a chore
If you aren’t in the right job, it feels like a chore. You don’t look forward to going to work, and you aren’t excited about the opportunities in front of you. Being unhappy in your job zaps your energy.
5. You have the ‘Sunday Blues’
Look out for higher anxiety levels and bad moods on Sundays—the “Sunday blues.” This is a phenomenon that people who are disenchanted with their current jobs typically experience. If you feel as if Monday is hovering over your head despite getting enough sleep, evaluate what still makes you excited about your position.
6. You don’t feel a sense of family
Are you happy before and after work but not throughout the duration? Do you make an effort to engage in additional work activities, projects or groups? The right fit will look and feel like family. You will enjoy going to see some of your family every day. You’ll look forward to virtual happy hours. Most importantly, you will offer to help.
7. Your work is not engaging or meaningful
Are you still engaged and energised by the work that you do? Do you consistently find meaning and purpose at work? Do you have the opportunity to learn and grow each and every day? If the answer to any of these questions is no, you are likely a poor fit in your current job.
8. You’re struggling to refill your energy tank
When you are doing work that fills you with purpose, healthy challenges and growth, it can feel as if you would do this kind of work for free. When you feel as if you are constantly “running on empty,” it could be that you are in the wrong place. Monitor what’s draining you.
9. You have physical reactions to thoughts of work
A clear sign is having physical reactions to thinking about work, entering the building or speaking with supervisors. Pay attention to what your body is telling you! If you notice changes such as headaches, insomnia, snapping at family member, or a sense of calm when the day is finally over, you should consider looking for a new role.
10. You’re experiencing health issues
Check your vital signs and your health. Clients of mine have lost hair, had their blood pressure increase and have seen signs of other serious health issues. It certainly has to do with their choices and genetics, but do not underestimate the cumulative stress of a dysfunctional environment or poor occupational fit.
11. You’re feeling disengaged and unfocused
One true sign that it’s time to rethink your current role is the feeling of disengagement. If you’re struggling to stay focused and have a lack of enthusiasm toward your routines, it may be time to have that discussion about different opportunities to apply your talents and interests.
12. You overreact to a triggering event
One warning sign that your job isn’t the right fit is an overreaction to an event. Perhaps someone says or does something that you react to in a way that is not proportional to the trigger. Most people are numb to the daily stressors at work but those emotions do not go away. They get stored unconsciously in the body and they build until they manifest into form, such as through an overreaction.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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Informative and interesting
Glad you found it useful, Mrs Kapoor!