ADD: How to best deal with it.

ADD stands for attention deficit disorder. It is very similar to ADHD, a subtype of ADD, but without the hyperactive part. Therefore, it is quite common for ADD to be discovered later in life because the symptoms are more internal and may not always show up in your child's behavior. ADD can be quite disruptive to your life, which is why in this blog I discuss what ADD is and what you can do to minimize its effects

ADD is a neurological disorder that causes difficulty paying attention, such as when receiving instructions, focusing on homework or other assignments, completing tasks, and even engaging in social interactions, such as conversations.

In some cases, you might still be hyperactive, but that means you have ADHD.

So I won't go into that now.

The problem with ADD is that it is not as noticeable in behavior, and it can even be mistaken for laziness.

ADD symptoms

So kids with ADD are not at all as busy as kids with ADHD. They usually just sit quietly in class, but unfortunately that doesn't mean they have their attention.

Children with ADD ...

• often have trouble focusing.
• Appear uninterested.
• Appear bored.
• Daydreaming a lot.
• Are oblivious.
• Sling homework and other things around or get lost.
• Often forget to do/deliver homework.
• Their desk and homework is often cluttered[1].

ADD symptoms in adults

In adults, ADD often causes....

• More creativity
• The feeling of being able to multitask
• Out-of-the-box thinking
• Unorganized
• Forgetfulness
• Often losing things (keys, cell phone)
• Working on many projects but not getting anything done
• Procrastination

If your child is diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, this is often a reason to take the test as an adult as well, because this disorder can be hereditary. So if you recognize many of the problems your child faces from your own childhood and he/she is found to have ADHD or ADD, chances are you have it too[2].

ADD treatment

ADD is often treated with medication and behavioral training. Attention is paid to the home situation and in schools, teachers are taught how best to deal with a child suffering from ADD.

For example, parents of children with ADD are taught how best to interact with their child. Research[3] shows that this often works better than medication and that parents are most positive about this "treatment."

Hypnosis can help parents put these tips into practice if they struggle with limiting beliefs that cause them to freeze up when they need to take action, such as being strict.

For children with ADD, for example, reward systems or a point system are used. Hypnosis can also help teachers stay calm in busy classrooms and model the appropriate behavior when necessary, for example, through a post-hypnotic suggestion.

The children themselves can receive training to improve their social skills. This must be done in conjunction with behavioral training for parents or it will have no effect.

Research also shows that activities in nature help your child experience fewer symptoms of ADD than when engaging in activities in an environment with little or no nature[4].

In addition, your child can also receive psychological treatment, which usually involves cognitive behavioral therapy and training in self-control. Combining this with hypnosis can lead to faster results, especially since children are highly receptive to hypnosis. Adults often receive this treatment as well if they suffer from ADD[5].

ADD medication

When ADD is treated with medication, it’s usually with stimulants like Ritalin. This often helps improve focus. However, Ritalin does have side effects, so as a parent, you may choose to opt for behavioral therapy or other non-medicinal treatments instead.

This can sometimes work better than medication because ADD and ADHD behavior in children can also come from family or personal problems.

ADD and hypnosis

As early as the 1980s, research was conducted to see if hypnosis could help children with ADD suffer less from their symptoms. Initial attempts were made to do this in groups, but eventually it was found that 1-on-1 treatment was best for achieving success[6].

Hypnosis can also be very helpful for adults in reducing some ADD symptoms. For example, have you developed anxiety because you can’t (finish) anything, or do you have trouble sleeping? Then hypnosis can help you calm down and sleep better[7].

Post-hypnotic suggestions for behavior change

For doing what you need to do, hypnosis can also be great for influencing behavior. For example, you can get a post-hypnotic suggestion about when to turn off your PC and relax so you can go to bed.

For example, when there are some regular things you find difficult to do, such as:

• Put your key in a permanent place.
• Doing something quiet after 10 pm.
• Focusing your longer time on 1 task.

Before you put your key in a fixed place, it's helpful to already know what that fixed place will be. You may even have a tray by the door. The hypnotist will put you under hypnosis and have you visualize coming home.

"From this moment on, you put your keys in the tray every time you come home. This will be completely automatic."

"When you are still busy gaming or sitting at your PC at night and notice that it's (been) 10 o'clock, turn off your computer and start doing something that requires less thinking so you fall asleep more easily."

"From this moment on, every time you notice that you are distracted and not doing the task you actually want to focus on, take a few deep breaths and focus on what your touch, sight, sound and smell senses are giving you. Then go back to your task."

Because you get to hear these suggestions while you are under hypnosis, this also comes deeper to you and you start incorporating it into your daily rituals faster.

Hypnotic suggestions for less anxiety

ADD can cause anxiety, such as the fear that you won’t be able to form good social connections or that you won’t be able to do your job well due to a lack of focus. In that case, hypnotic suggestions can also help you gain more confidence in your own abilities.

For example, you can first get those post-hypnotic suggestions for the behavior you want to have at work or with friends. Then other suggestions can help you with your confidence that you can do anything. You repeat these suggestions out loud while you are under hypnosis. For example, these can be:

"I can master anything I want."

"I am a go-getter."

"True friends accept me as I am."

"I am valued at my work."

These are just examples. Depending on your beliefs and issues you want to address, a hypnotist may give you suggestions to repeat other than these.

Thereby, you can then repeat these kinds of suggestions at home to make yourself more confident on a daily basis.

Regression for breaking patterns

In addition, certain limiting beliefs can cause you to fall into patterns that lead you to unintentionally sabotage yourself. That’s a real shame. In that case, regression therapy can help you break through patterns caused by your beliefs about how the world works and how you function in it with ADD.

What happens then is that you look at that pattern you want to break. You go to the first moment on which that pattern is based. This is often a childhood event because that's when you form your beliefs. Then, with the help of the hypnotist, you are going to do something with that moment. I can't say what because this is different for everyone and by doing this you break the pattern and it becomes much easier not to let the belief hold you back. It is as good as gone.

Childhood hypnosis and ADD

Children with ADD often come into contact with hypnosis early on because a teacher or parent might describe the typical characteristics of ADD, and there’s a good chance they’ll start behaving in ways that match those descriptions. Because children are so susceptible to hypnosis, you can sometimes use very simple suggestions to help your child cope better with the condition. You don’t always need to put your child under hypnosis to do this—precisely because they are so susceptible to it.

For example, you can have an "ADD time-out box" into which your child can put the ADD when he needs to focus for a while. This allows him to easily get rid of all that other hypnosis about ADD for a while. Then, when he/she is ready, the ADD can be taken out of the box again, because otherwise, at some point he/she will start to notice that he/she also has ADD if the ADD is in the box for too long.

Would you like to learn more about hypnosis and how you can hypnotize others to help them? Then come to a hypnosis workshop.

Would you like to learn techniques right away to help people with hypnosis? Then sign up for one of our training programs, seminars, or courses.

[1] https://www.verywellmind.com/add-and-attention-deficit-disorders-2161810

[2] https://www.addrc.org/youve-got-adult-add/

[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15374410701818681

[4] https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.94.9.1580

[5] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.20123

[6] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.1986.63.3.1191

[7] https://www.additudemag.com/hypnosis-adhd-treatment-natural-alternative/