While the effectiveness of ADHD medication is well established for a number of symptoms, its effects can cause a lot of distress for the child, whether in their social or family relationships. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can offer an interesting alternative for parents who don’t want to use Ritalin, or for children for whom it proves ineffective or poorly tolerated. Here’s how it works.
The proven effectiveness of CBT for various disorders
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach frequently validated by research. In fact, the Haute Autorité de Santé recommends it for treating various mental health conditions:
- Anxiety disorders (school phobia, OCD, panic disorder)
- Depressive disorders (persistent, major)
- Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia)
- Sleep disorders (insomnia, difficulty falling asleep)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Stress management issues
- Personality disorders
The three components of CBT
While CBT programmes vary widely (number of sessions, duration, strategies used), they are generally organised around three components: behavioural, cognitive and emotional.
Psychoeducation, or the behavioural component
An essential first step in any therapy, this stage involves demystifying ADHD, dispelling misconceptions, easing feelings of guilt and involving the family in care.
Example of a situation analysis in therapy: in the present moment, the observation “I got into a fight again at recess”; the therapist then explores with the child the past (“every time, I got punished for it”) and the future (“if I fight, I’ll be punished”). From there, another solution than fighting needs to be found, perhaps talking it through, ignoring it, or telling an adult.
Cognitive therapies
Depending on the child’s age, approaches to cognitive restructuring are adapted to help them develop alternative ways of thinking. Note that the “problem-solving” approach is included in most programmes.
Example of therapy: Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs) are distortions of emotion that need to be countered with rational, considered thoughts. A concrete example: my teacher didn’t say “good morning” this morning, as usual (event), “what did I do wrong?” (NAT), personalising the reaction (distortion), “she probably just didn’t see me” (rational, considered thought).
Emotional therapies
Essential for fine-tuning emotions and developing appropriate strategies depending on their intensity, these can take the form of relaxation or meditation. The aim is to work specifically on the child’s ability to recognise and tolerate difficult emotions, so they can adopt a more functional, less automatic behavioural response.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with a psychologist on the Ora-Visio platform to discuss CBT programmes for your child with ADHD, whether as a complement to medication or as an alternative. Beyond reducing symptoms, these programmes will help them develop useful strategies for everyday life, which will in turn reduce the functional impact of their condition. An approach to support that proves very positive in many cases.
