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Cogantive Behavioral Therapy for Adults with ADHD - Book Review
Dr. M. Joann Wright on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
About This Book. My Review
If you are curious about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I will try to give you brief summary of definition and how it is used. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a psychotherapeutic technique using multiple aspects of approaching emotional dysfunction, cognition, and specific behaviors through a series of steps. You can often hear CBT as being associated with Talk Therapy.
CBT is not only used with ADHD patients but any number of patients suffering from many disorders relating to the mental Psyche of a person.
After finding out about my ADHD, (for the second time) last summer, I have taken it upon myself to read and learn more about this disorder. I've found some interesting titles. Here is a recent book on CBT that I just read; I found this book very interesting.
If you are looking for a book that has more about the psychology of ADHD with a more rounded approach to looking at this disorder; Great! This is your book.
I constantly found myself wanting to share what I had just read with someone. So this is my way of doing that. It not only details ADHD and those who have it, it gives in-depth information. Something that can get a little annoying as you read it though, is the fact that at the end of the paragraphs it lists where it's information was attained. I did find that a little distracting. Again it deals with Comorbidity and so many other aspects of ADHD it is hard to describe here. It is a well rounded book that touches on almost every aspect of ADHD. I posted the books table of contents for you below, so you can get a better idea about what is in here. I treasure this book. It explained so much.
This book is choked full of wonderful information. I found it such a relief to read. I learned so much about myself and why I am the way I am. Things I had never before understood. I wish I would have had the information a lot sooner. If you are married and you have experienced a lot of turmoil in your relationship, get this book. Read it to your spouse, share it with you family, anyone you are close to. You never know, it could save you a lot of heartache and relieve frustrations by understanding the full effect ADHD has on your existence.
Adult ADHD
An
Integrative Psychosocial and
Medical
Approach
J.
Russell Ramsay
Anthony L. Rostain
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD
Page 41 of the book.
Adult ADHD
An Integrative Psychosocial and
Medical Approach
J. Russell Ramsay
Anthony L. Rostain
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD
Said all too simply, CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on
cognitions (thoughts, images, beliefs) as a useful framework with which
to understand and treat psychiatric disorders (Beck, 1976). More specifically,
CBT involves helping individuals to recognize their existing cognitive
patterns and belief structures in order to be able to modify them
with alternative thoughts and beliefs. By considering alternative cognitions,
individuals develop and experiment with new outlooks, which set
the stage for novel behavioral and emotion experiences. These experiences
provide the raw material for the modification of cognitions, behaviors,
and emotions, thereby resulting in clinical improvements. CBT was
originally designed as a treatment for depression (Beck, 1967; Beck et
al., 1979) but has since been applied successfully to a number of different
disorders, including anxiety and panic disorder, substance abuse,
and bipolar disorder (see Beck, 2005, for a review).
Let us be crystal clear: ADHD is not caused by negative thinking.
As we described in chapter 1, ADHD seems to be the result of a complex
combination of genetic and neurobiological factors. However, the
experience of going through life with ADHD, particularly when it has
gone undiagnosed until adulthood, has potentially important consequences
for the belief systems that develop about the self, the world, and
the future—known as the cognitive triad (Beck, 1967). Thoughts and
beliefs then interact with behaviors and emotions in an intricate web of
experience. The CBT model does not maintain that thoughts and beliefs
are necessarily the cause of all emotions and behaviors (in many cases,
emotional processing occurs first and, besides, a hallmark symptom
of ADHD—impulsivity—involves acting without thinking) but it has
emerged as a very useful route of intervention to understand and modify
these patterns.
Moreover, although identifying and changing the maladaptive
thought patterns that are triggered in various situations is paramount
in CBT for adult ADHD, it is important for clinicians to appreciate that
these in‑the‑moment reactive thoughts may only be the tip of the iceberg.
These reflexive cognitions may represent the culmination of many other
cognitive and developmental processes that are important in constructing
42 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD
comprehensive and individualized treatment plans for patients. The case
conceptualization offers a framework for understanding how living with
ADHD has had a unique effect on each patient and, consequently, provides
a personalized blueprint for how treatment should proceed. Thus,
we will start our discussion of CBT for adult ADHD by introducing the
case conceptualization that guides our psychosocial treatment approach.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD

This book is worth the price. I suggest reading the preface. You can do that by following this link and click on the book where it says look inside. You can do this for free of course and come to your own determination of whether this book is for you or not. ** this book is not available on Kindle from Amazon at the moment.**
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xix
Chapter 1 Adult ADHD: Diagnosis, Symptoms, Etiology,
and Assessment 1
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms Across The Life Span 3
Persistence and Prevalence of Adult ADHD 10
Comorbidity and Life Outcomes of Adults with ADHD 12
Etiology 15
Neurobiology 15
Executive Functions 18
Genetics 20
Assessment of Adult ADHD 22
Assessing Symptoms of ADHD 26
Adult ADHD and Comorbidity 32
Summary 37
Chapter 2 Models of Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Adult
ADHD 39
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD 41
Case Conceptualization 42
CBT for Adult ADHD in Clinical Practice 52
Pharmacotherapy for Adult ADHD 78
Summary 83
viii Contents
Chapter 3 Research Evidence for Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT) and Medications for Adult
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) 85
Review of Research Evidence for Psychosocial
Treatments for Adults with ADHD 87
Review of Research Evidence for Pharmacotherapy
for Adults with ADHD 99
Summary 103
Chapter 4 Clinical Case Examples 105
Case Example 1: William 105
Case Example 2: Jack 117
Case Example 3: Lauren 130
Chapter 5 Complicating Factors 145
Readiness for Change 146
Comorbidity 148
Medication‑Related Complications 160
Professionals’ Reactions to ADHD Patients 163
Significant Impairment 165
Social Skills and Relationship Problems 166
Systemic Complications 168
Summary 170
Chapter 6 Maintenance and Follow‑Up 173
Maintenance and Follow‑Up: CBT 174
Maintenance and Follow‑Up: Pharmacotherapy 181
Summary 182
Appendix A Informational Resources about Adult
ADHD Online Resources and Organizations
Regarding Adult ADHD 185
Recommended Readings about Adult ADHD: For
Consumers 185
Recommended Readings about Adult ADHD: For
Clinicians 186
Contents ix
Appendix B Outline of a Typical CBT Session for Adult
ADHD 189
Appendix C Outline of a 20‑Session Course of CBT for
Adult ADHD 191
Session 1: Getting Started 191
Session 2: Getting Started (Continued) 191
Sessions 3 through 6: Early Phase 191
Sessions 7 through 15: Middle Phase 192
Sessions 16 through 20: Final Phase 192
Appendix D Typical Medications Prescribed to Treat Adult
ADHD 193
References 197
Index 219
Comments
I always love "case studies" since they can show instead of tell...for example "Seth had left the house to get a jug of milk for his 7 growing children...he would come home with gun shells for his new rifle...and feel guilty about forgetting the milk" (true story but names are changed to protect the innocent)
"Seth would stare at the tv for hours on end and not talk, he would appear to be in another world.... same Seth would flip through channels endlessly"