ADHD adults – Understanding behavior change

       ADHD adults often have behavior problems, like not completing tasks, showing up late for events, interrupting others during conversation, compulsive unhealthy eating, and the like. These unmanaged symptoms of ADHD can disrupt daily lives. Also, they negatively impact the present and future. Some ADHD adults might try various strategies to help overcome these issues.  However, they frustratingly go back to their old ways after a few attempts. Others might feel successful for a while and then eventually revert to their unhealthy habits. 

       This inability to sustain change causes ADHD adults to question their ability to grow and be successful. They may wonder if there is still a chance for them to have a better life.  However, knowing the process of change will give people a deeper understanding of where they are right now. This understanding lessens the frustration after failed attempts and negates the chance of giving up.  ADHD Coaching can help ADHD adults move from stage to stage successfully.  

Name, description and illustration of every stage of behavioral change

     

       The infographic shows the stages an ADHD adult goes through when making a change.  

This method is called the Transtheoretical Model  (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983; Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). 

       The last stage – relapse – shows that it is normal to go back to those old ADHD habits at some point during the earlier stages. 

Obviously, feelings of disappointment and frustration are inevitable here. 

But if there is an understanding of this model, people can feel confident that it’s part of the process and not a failure!

A guide to help ADHD adults move toward change

  • - Change is not being considered, and there may even be a denial that there is a need for change
  • - Begin building confidence that an individual can carry out the desired behavior
  • - Encourage information-seeking
  • - Have you ever tried to change this behavior before?
  • - How do you recognize that you have a problem?
  • - What must happen for you to see this behavior as a problem?
  • - Encourage expressing feelings about the behavior
  • - Emphasize how one’s behavior affects others
  • - Emphasize the pros of behavior change and ways to overcome the cons of behavior change
  • - Continue building confidence that individual can carry out the behavior
  • - Identify what could help you make the change
  • - Identify barriers to making the change
  • - Confirm readiness and commitment to change
  • - Reinforce the pros of behavior change and ways to overcome the cons of behavior change
  • - Continue building confidence that individual can carry out the behavior
  • - Model skills necessary to perform the behavior
  • - Set and write down goals
  • - Prepare an action plan
  • - Develop a list of motivating statements
  • - Accumulate resources that can support you
  • -Restructure the environment to avoid triggers for negative behavior or add cues for positive behavior
  • - Encourage commitment to and goal setting for the behavior change
  • - Reinforce the pros of behavior change and ways to overcome the cons of behavior change
  • - Reinforce self-efficacy for behavior (self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation)
  • - Make sure you have spent enough time in previous stages
  • - Provide rewards for healthy behavior
  • - Garner social support for change
  • - Substitute alternative behaviors
  • - Avoid temptation
  • - Develop coping strategies for temptation
  • - Keep rewarding yourself
  • - Review motivation, plans, and success
maintenance
Relapse
  • - Identify triggers that lead to relapse
  • - Recognize barriers to success
  • - Recommit to your goal and change
  • - Do not let setbacks keep you from progressing toward your goal
  • - Move back to one of the previous stages and keep going

References:

Wayne MD, PhD, MPH, W. L. M. (1991, September 9). The Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change). Sphweb.Bumc.Bu.Edu. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/SB/BehavioralChangeTheories/BehavioralChangeTheories6.html
Healthline Editorial Team, & White, PhD, MS, Psychology, M. A. (2021, February 9). Symptoms of Adult ADHD. Healthline.Com. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adult-adhd
Noar, S.  Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change in Health and Risk Messaging. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Retrieved 10 May. 2022, from https://oxfordre.com/communication/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-324?mediaType=Article
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