What is the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Mindfulness Based Therapy (MBT)? Can they be used to help treat ADHD and is it worth adding this type of tool to an ADHD toolbox? 

    Let's start with the Cognitive Based Therapy. Coached  by a competent therapist, within a group or an individual setting, this therapy addresses the contents of your thoughts. Ideas influence your feelings, which in turn  influence  your behaviors. You can learn to evaluate your thoughts and their impact on reality and on how you behave. We all  perceive  the world through tinted glasses, and they do not always faithfully show what's really going on! These misconceptions can create hard feelings such as sadness, anger, isolation, exclusion, shame and so on. Could  there be an other way of seeing these same situations that don't lead to such negative emotions?  Yes, there always is. CBT is proven useful for ADHD management.  It’s also a treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders, who often come along with ADHD, so  it’s a wining situation!

    And what about the Minfulness Based Therapy? Research on MBT in ADHD  kids and teens shows that it’s  an interesting  way to alleviate externalized behaviors like anger, opposition and parental stress, This therapy also boosts attention in patients.

    STOP  is the mindfulness technic taught in one if these studies: S Stop; T time to breathe; O observation of what’s going on;  P pursuit of activity. Clinical studies  on the adult ADHD population who practice mindfulness exercises, or other calming activities such as yoga or dance, demonstrate improved executive functioning and less  inattention, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, depression and anxiety symptoms.

So there you go, both therapies described in this article can be used, in conjunction with other tools, to help treat ADHD. It all comes down to what kind of treatment is best for each individual patient!