Helping Your Teen Navigate ADHD

We often think of ADHD as a condition that largely impacts children. While that’s true, that doesn’t mean it’s always diagnosed in childhood. Or, if it is, it doesn’t magically go away as that child gets older. 

It can be just as difficult for teenagers to deal with ADHD symptoms — perhaps even more difficult. Teens have a lot on their plates, from trying to fit into social circles to thinking about their futures. Adding ADHD on top of it can feel overwhelming. 

So, what can you do to help your teen navigate ADHD? 

Be Understanding

Your teenager might get frustrated by their own condition. They might have trouble in school because of it or even struggle with relationships. So, they can start to see their ADHD as some kind of flaw.

It’s important to be as understanding and supportive as possible. Remind them that their disorder doesn’t somehow make them less than any of their peers. As teens go through hormonal and physical changes, they can have a hard time with self-esteem. When they’re also struggling with the effects of ADHD, it can be an even greater blow to their confidence. 

Remind them of their strengths and be uplifting. Sometimes, an encouraging or positive word can do more for them than you might realize. 

Help Them Work on Weaknesses

Of course, encouraging your teenager doesn’t mean letting them remain stagnant. Be clear and direct about what you want them to work on, and help them along the way. Give them goals to focus on that are easy to understand and attainable. 

As they achieve those small goals, they’ll experience a boost in self-esteem and increased motivation to keep moving forward and working on their weaknesses. They’ll see that they can achieve great things and that they are more than their condition. 

Let Them Make Mistakes

As a parent, the desire to protect your child from any kind of “failure” never really goes away. But, it’s good for them to make some mistakes, as long as they are safe. Failure leads to growth, responsibility, and accountability. Those are life lessons that they will take with them into adulthood.

So, if they make a mistake and you know they can overcome it with time, effort, and dedication, let them. Guide them and offer your support, but don’t fix the problem for them. Again, when they recognize what they can do, they’ll be more confident in the future. 

Support Their Independence

You might feel the need to restrict your teenager’s freedoms, but that can lead to a lack of emotional growth and won’t prepare them for the future. As they reach their goals and prove that they can be responsible with certain tasks, give them more freedom. Let them be more independent. 

Teenagers need independence and privacy, whether they have ADHD or not. Your goal should be to raise a teen that knows how to take care of whatever life might throw at them when they’re out on their own. That requires you to loosen the reins a bit right now. 

Be a Support System

Perhaps the best thing you can do for your ADHD teen is to provide a listening ear. They need to know that you’re with them and for them, no matter what. If they don’t always want to open up to you, consider encouraging them to talk to a counselor or therapist. 

They might have a difficult time expressing their emotions at first, and therapy can help them to organize and process those emotions effectively, so they can let go of negative feelings or thoughts that might otherwise be limiting their growth and confidence.