It is always important to address stress because everyone can relate to the feeling, especially with a new school year right around the corner.
What Is Stress?
Stress can be defined as “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.” Everyday situations come where mental tension starts to creep in whether for upcoming events or simple tasks throughout the day.
It’s hard enough to learn to manage stress without additional challenges. For those with ADHD, this can be extra challenging.
Resources For ADHD
“CHADD” (Children and Adults with Attention/Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is an organization that focuses specifically on ADHD and has a lot of helpful resources. Many professionals in this association have a passion for helping people with ADHD thrive.
In an article about stress and ADHD, Dr. Murray, Ph.D. says, “When someone says that ‘stress is making my symptoms worse,’ I think there is a fairly strong body of literature with examples of that happening. I have also heard lots of stories about how the symptoms of ADHD can create stress, and I think that is true, too.”
Preparing For School
Children experiencing the symptoms of ADHD may not have learned to manage stress yet. Here are some useful ideas to help your child as they enter into a new school year.
- Work with educators. “It’s important for parents to approach this process as a partnership… and say, ‘My child has been having problems in class because of his ADHD, and I want to work with you (on solutions).’” Maureen Gill, MSW
- Teach your child techniques of mindfulness and breathing exercises.
- Seek therapy and professional help.
Stress Can Be Harmful
Dr. Murray says, “What we can see over time, especially when stress is at a level we could consider toxic, chronic, or traumatic. You can see some effects on the brain, in both brain structure and size of some specific sections, along with brain function, as related to some of the brain chemicals. There is a reduced cognitive capacity for making decisions, goal-setting, and problem-solving, the things we think of as related to cognitive self-regulation.” The sooner stress is addressed, the better outcomes will be for your child’s future.
Starting a new school year is stressful for anyone. As it gets closer, be aware of ADHD symptoms so that your child can better handle this new chapter in their life!