Adult ADHD
ADHD Treatment
Combining CBT and Medication
Does CBT work well with medication for Adult ADHD?
January 31, 2022
Summary
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Both CBT and medication work
Studies have shown that both CBT and medication can be great therapies for ADHD.
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They might be even better together
Some studies show that combining CBT and medication may provide results than either treatment alone.
Background: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people understand the problems that they’re facing and change the way they think about and approach problems.
Studies show CBT is highly effective for many disorders, including adult ADHD.
3 Principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Thought, Behavior, and Coping.
What medications work for ADHD?
For adults, doctors typically try a stimulant medication, such as Adderall or Ritalin, first.
Stimulant medications are remarkably effective treatments for ADHD. While there aren't many direct comparisons with other medicines, the data that's out there suggests that they are an excellent first bet when treating adult ADHD.
The data for amphetamines suggests that it may be slightly more effective than methylphenidate for reducing core ADHD symptoms, but both are still highly effective treatments.
Amphetamines such as Adderall are commonly used as first-line treatments for adult ADHD. Methylphenidate is a stimulant like amphetamine and can effectively treat ADHD. Antidepressants and medications such as atomoxetine can be effective.
Study Results
When it comes to treating ADHD, which one should you use, and should you try both? If you are on medication, should you try adding CBT?
One study aimed to answer this question by randomly assigning some patients to receive cognitive behavioral therapy on top of their medication and compared them to similar patients who received medication only.
Researchers found that those who received cognitive behavioral therapy on top of their medication had fewer ADHD symptoms, better mental health as noted by their doctors, and fewer depression symptoms.
What happens when you provide CBT to adults on ADHD medications? Patients experienced improved attention and reduced hyperactivity. Doctors noticed an overall improvement in patients' mental health. Patients on CBT had improved depression symptoms.
Similarly, when doctors gave medication to individuals receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD, they saw that they had improved attention, self-esteem, and organization.
CBT + medication outperformed CBT alone for ADHD symptoms, organizational skills, and self-esteem, although its superiority tended to decrease over follow-up.
Key Takeaways
While there isn’t a ton of research out there, the studies that have been conducted suggest that CBT and medication work very well together.
If you are already taking medication for ADHD, adding CBT may have added benefits.
Similarly, if you are already receiving therapy, adding medication should improve your symptoms.
As always, talk to your doctor about what treatment regimen is best for you. We have our own unique stories, experiences, and symptoms. Therefore, we all respond to treatments slightly differently.