Amber van den Broek is a psychologist and the author of the book Who Would Have Thought?. She has worked in specialist healthcare for ten years. For seven of those years, she worked with people struggling with addiction who also frequently had ADHD. At her current employer, she established a lifestyle group. Her vision: therapy is about more than just talking. In her opinion, focusing on lifestyle is essential to achieving lasting treatment results.
Why is sitting actually considered the norm?
Many clients ask me if I think they have ADHD. Personally, I think it is more often a societal problem. When we look back at our childhood, we see that children are labeled as rowdy or given the ADHD label, among other reasons, because they have difficulty sitting still and waiting their turn.
From a holistic perspective, we should quickly conclude that children are probably not made to sit still for long periods, with only a short break outside to stretch their legs and clear their heads. I think this is no different for many adults.
How is ADHD diagnosed?
I will not discuss all the criteria, partly to prevent us all from giving ourselves a label. We would be better off focusing on moving more and improving our lifestyle.
In the Netherlands, a diagnostic interview with the person themselves is used, among other methods, to diagnose ADHD in adults. When we look at the questions in this interview, we see two questions that literally concern an inability to sit still:
- Do you often move your hands or feet restlessly or fidget in your chair?
- Do you often have difficulty staying seated when expected?
In addition, there are several questions about attention. I will highlight two:
- Do you often have difficulty maintaining your attention on tasks or activities?
- Are you often easily distracted by stimuli in your environment?
To complete the assessment, a collateral history is also always taken: a conversation with one of the client's caregivers about the client's development and behavior. In addition, we ask clients to find their old school reports.
When the assessment shows that ADHD is present, this often gives people a great deal of recognition and validation. I always find it wonderful to be able to be part of that. At the same time, there is sometimes also disappointment. I hope this article can then be a heartening reminder: focus on your lifestyle and discover what this can change for you.
What role can exercise play in this?
Research shows that exercise can increase the brain's activation level. When the activation level is too low, exercise can help you become more alert and task-focused. A practical idea is to exercise for ten to thirty minutes before starting a task that requires concentration.
