Highlights
- ADHD in adults can impair functioning across all aspects of life, including work, personal relationships, essential daily tasks, and social interactions.
- Each adult with ADHD has different overriding symptoms and areas of dysfunction, resulting in a need for individualized ADHD treatment plans.
- Management planned around an individual’s ADHD treatment goals provides motivation and drives success.
ADHD is a chronic condition, starting in childhood and often continuing into adulthood. Sometimes, the diagnosis is made only later in life when a person experiences poor functioning at home, at work, and socially. An estimated
However, before even choosing the treatment options and discussing the pros and cons of ADHD medications and suitable types of therapy, it is important to set the right treatment goals.
When considering your treatment plan, a healthcare provider will ask about your expectations of the treatment. In other words, what you’d like to achieve, or differences you hope to see in your life, form the foundation of your ADHD treatment plan.
This article will guide you on an adult-appropriate personalized ADHD treatment plan built on goals, achievable objectives, and examples that make it easily understandable.
ADHD Treatment Plan for Adults: The Components
Firstly, let’s look at the standard components of an ADHD treatment plan: medication, therapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes.
Medication[2] : Stimulants (such as Adderall or Vyvanse) are the first-line choices, with about 7 out of 10 people responding well. However, some individuals with coexisting conditions or those experiencing severe side effects cannot take stimulants may be offered to take non-stimulant medications like Strattera.- Therapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for ADHD is often combined with medication. This type of talk therapy
changes how you feel about your thoughts[3] , which then changes your behaviors. Depending on the goals for ADHD, therapy can improve emotional control, organizational skills, and time management. - Support Systems: Online or in-person support groups help people feel included and understood.
- Patient Education: Learning what’s happening in the brain affected by ADHD and how this condition causes low attention and high impulsivity helps people with ADHD understand how their treatment works; this encourages patients to
stick to the treatment plan[4] . - Lifestyle Changes: Eating a healthy diet, such as Mediterranean-style, is essential for overall well-being and can help deal with some ADHD symptoms easier. Also, studies show that
regular physical activity[5] , qualitysleep[6] , andmindfulness[7] meditation improve attention and emotional regulation.
Think of these approaches as “ingredients” of a treatment plan, and each person’s goals will affect the final “recipe.” That is why knowing what you’d like to achieve with the help of treatment is essential to choose the right solution.
Treatment Goals vs Objectives for ADHD
Next, how do goals and objectives differ? Aren’t they the same thing?
In the dictionary, goals and objectives do have similar definitions, but for treatment plans:
- Goals are the ‘big picture’ or the achievement or change endpoint.
- Objectives are ‘mini-goals’ which are often made up of more detailed steps and help you on your way to the endpoint; this is particularly important when it comes to ADHD.
Setting the Goals for ADHD Treatment
Having long-term goals
In ADHD treatment, the goal itself can be broad, but for each objective (the step toward your goal), ask the following questions:
- Specific: Is this objective clear and detailed?
E.g.,”I aim to do 6 hours of productive work per day,” rather than “I want to do better at work.”
- Measurable. How will you monitor progress?
E.g. “I’ll use a time-tracking app to measure how many productive hours I have every day.”
- Attainable. Is it reachable?
E.g., if you’re currently only doing 2 hours of interrupted work done in a day, will you achieve 6 hours a day easily?
- Relevant. Is it practical, and does it have personal meaning?
E.g., is there a clear benefit? What area of your life will it help improve?
- Timely. When should it be checked off by? This is important; without a goal deadline, there is nothing to work towards.
For example, you say “I want to work productively for 6 hours a day consistently.” This is how your objectives may look like:
- I will reduce distractions during work hours.
- I will log and measure productive hours every workday.
- I will start and complete my workday at the same time to build a routine.
Your first objective may be described in the SMART format this way:
My objective or ‘mini-goal’: Reduced distractions during work hours.
Specific: I’ll minimize distractions by keeping my phone away from the desk and turning off notifications.
Measurable: I’ll use a stopwatch to track how long I’m not checking my phone.
Attainable: I’ll start with 25 minutes away from the phone during my work hours and increase this time by 5 minutes every day.
Relevant: Fewer distractions will help me concentrate on my tasks better, which will increase the number of productive hours.
Timely: I’ll maintain this habit for the next 4 weeks.
Tips for Setting Treatment Goals for ADHD in Adults
To get started in goal-setting, consider the following tips:
- Identify Motivations. Find reasons to chase goals: tie each goal to a very specific reason you care about it and/or come up with a reward for achieving it.
- Prioritize Goals. People with ADHD struggle with multitasking, so it’s better to start with the most important goal and proceed with them one by one instead of trying to do everything at once.
- Temper Expectations. The realistic/relevant, and attainable aspects of SMART goals are essential, but you should keep them balanced. Unattainable or unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment, and low-expectation goals won’t drive motivation.
- Break Down Goals Into Manageable, Measurable Parts. This is where objectives and their steps come into the treatment plan. They make it easier to work towards the end goal because meeting an objective feels rewarding and seeing progress feeds motivation.
Obviously, life happens, and this is why seeing your healthcare provider regularly is important for reviewing progress and adapting your treatment plan objectives, if goals or timelines change.
Examples of Adult ADHD Treatment Goals
Every person with ADHD has different symptoms and life circumstances, so their treatment goals will vary as well. For breadwinners, work performance might be a priority, whereas someone whose marriage is falling apart because of unmanaged ADHD symptoms might want to focus on their relationship.
Here are a few examples of adult-specific ADHD treatment goals.
Professional Goals
- Recall project deadlines using X number of reminders, within 6 months.
- Start work daily on time with X number of reminders, within 1 month.
- Learn X number of skills at work, within 3 months.
Social Goals
- Nurture friendships by replying the same day to text messages, within 3 months.
- Display appropriate behavior when upset, within 6 months.
- Stop interrupting conversations, within 3 months.
Relationship Goals
- Journal X things ‘I’m grateful for about my partner’, weekly, within 1 month.
- Commit to spending one evening alone with my partner each week, within 1 month.
- Be an active listener (and remember) when my partner speaks, within 3 months.
Essential Life Task Goals
- Stick to a morning household chore routine for 1 hour, within 2 months.
- Pay the bills on time, using X number of reminders, within 3 months.
- Purchase groceries once per week, within 1 month.
A Sample Treatment Plan for ADHD
Now that we’ve covered some examples of goals and objectives for adults with ADHD, let’s tie it all together. Here are the examples of plans for these work-oriented goals:
- Do 6 hours of productive work daily, within 3 months
- Meet deadlines on time, within 3 months
Long-term 3-month goals | SMART objectives |
Do 6 hours of productive work daily | Month 1: Routinely take my prescribed medication every morning after breakfast.
Routinely incorporate lifestyle changes that improve attention:
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Month 2: Continue practicing lifestyle changes that improve attention:
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Month 3:
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Meet deadlines on time | Month 1: Routinely set deadline reminders.
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Months 2 and 3: Effectively work around time blindness by practicing task scheduling.
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In Conclusion
The benefit of individualized and measurable treatment goals for ADHD is that you and your healthcare professional can see what’s working or not. Having SMART goals adds purpose, increasing treatment effectiveness.
If you are ready to take control of your ADHD symptoms and achieve results, contact MEDvidi today to individualize your ADHD treatment plan.
FAQs
What is an example of a SMART goal for ADHD?
A SMART goal for ADHD, for example, would be: “I want to be on time for all of my appointments within the next 6 months.” It needs to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound.
What are the goals for children with ADHD?
The goals for children with ADHD might include improving school performance, keeping a bedroom tidy, and spending less time on social media. However, goals will vary because everyone’s symptoms and situations differ.
What are the IEP goals for ADHD?
IEP (individualized education program) goals for ADHD aim to improve a person’s school grades by identifying their educational needs, providing support, and monitoring their progress.
What is the most effective treatment for ADHD?
The most effective treatment for ADHD is a combination of medication and therapy. However, each person’s treatment plan will differ according to their symptoms, circumstances, and treatment goals.
