How to Take Care of ADHD Adult in Quarantine

Human beings quickly get bored when placed in isolation or uninteresting environments. Even with the highly stimulating modern gadgets, you can feel jaded if you spend plenty of time in one place. For an adult struggling with symptoms of adhd, the feeling is more pronounced, especially when placed in segregation. 

You see, ADHD patients find it hard to regulate attention and stay focused for long durations. Contrarily, individuals without ADHD endure seclusion with ease which is almost impossible with patients struggling with self-motivation and focus. Living with such an individual is pretty unfortunate because you may never manage to hold a healthy relationship. 

Below are helpful tips on how to take care of ADHD patients without feeling drained or disregarding your needs.

Encourage Patients to Seek Expert Help

If no proper diagnosis is made, booking an appointment with a reliable mental health expert can be a great start. Principally, a professional helps ADHD patients understand more about the condition and the best coping strategies. Other than that, they address communication issues, anxiety, and co-occurring ailments. 

Remember that not all patients feel comfortable going through the treatment process. Therefore, if the patient seems hesitant, explain to them diligently the possible positive outcomes. It is no surprise that your encouragement may go a long way in motivating them to make the ultimate decision. 

Be Patient

No one wishes to live with the undesirable effects associated with ADHD. As a caregiver, you know how frustrating and ignored it feels trying to relate with such a person. However, you need to understand that your loved one is probably going through immense inner turmoil. Therefore, do not put unnecessary pressure on them because they are going through a lot already. 

Furthermore, pestering them on their behavior may scare them into a cocoon and escalate the situation. All in all, a better understanding of how it feels living with symptoms of adhd makes it easier to offer empathy instead of criticism. Also, it diverts caregivers from concentrating on disturbing behaviors but more on the person they love.

Minimize Communication Conflicts

Poor communication makes it taxing to understand other people’s perspectives. If this is not handled on time, it can lead to a vicious conflict cycle. Often, ADHD patients may appear distracted and not interested in talking with you. Moreover, they are victims of procrastination and forgetfulness, which can be frustrating. 

One quick solution is to mention concerns immediately they happen without piling them up. In addition, allow them to give their side of the story without prejudice. If the conversation becomes intense, take a breather and bring it up later. Finally, do not show disrespect but communicate with kindness even when things get out of hand.

Accentuate their Strengths

Living with an ADHD adult in quarantine can be strenuous, especially if you share household chores. Sharing responsibilities requires extra thought because these individuals have various abilities. For instance, an individual may have excellent culinary skills but struggle with making meals on time.

 In such situations, you can choose your words well to praise their cooking prowess and remind them about keeping time. You can put it forward like this, “ I can’t wait for your grilled salmon dinner tonight. Can I help you prepare the ingredients?” That way, the patient may feel more appreciated and encouraged to perfect their timings next time.

Allow them to Make an Attempt

You may find it tempting to solve every challenge on behalf of your ADHD patient. However, this does not help in any way because it can de-motivate them not to try. When faced with a problem, encourage them not to give up but instead find long-lasting solutions around them. For example, if they always forget to take the trash out, do not reprimand them. 

Also, do not empty the litter bins on their behalf. Rather encourage them to accomplish daily responsibilities even when they may not feel energized enough to do them.

Manage Aggression Episodes

Anger or violent behavior is pretty familiar with ADHD patients. In adults, this condition overwraps with other ailments like bipolar and borderline personality. As a result, patients have a rough time controlling their feelings like frustrations or anger. When this happens, you may notice increased irritability, anxiety, or stress. 

You can calm the situation by not allowing yourself to get caught up with emotions. Instead, learn to hold your calm but only devise positive solutions to the issue at hand. Most importantly, remember to think first before uttering a word or holding up a confrontation. That way, the patient may have time to collect their thoughts and reflect on calmly what you have to say.

Support Regular Exercise

Any form of physical activity helps to burn out surplus energy from the body. It also minimizes symptoms of ADHD by assisting patients in focusing better on specific movements. If done well, body workouts decrease impulsivity and risk other related conditions such as anxiety or depression. 

With the brain stimulated, patients can calmly make better decisions. They can also find a practical way to focus their energy, attention, and passion without harming themselves or the people around them.

Minimize Distractions

An ADHD patient easily gets distracted by whatever is happening in the vicinity. There is usually plenty of free time during isolation, which can be disastrous to a wandering mind. In most cases, patients may get addicted to video games, computers, or television. 

You can reduce time spent on these devices by introducing body workouts or other extra curriculum activities like dancing or playing musical instruments. The beauty of this approach is that patients get a chance to let out built-up energy. They may feel less fidgety and composed to handle everyday activities at home with ease in the long run.

Create Structure

Given that ADHD patients struggle with impulsivity and indecisiveness, develop a routine and stick by it. You can introduce rituals around certain activities so that the patient can get used to them. For example, requesting your loved one to prepare for the next day in the evening can provide an imperative basis for a more organized life. 

If need be, break activities into manageable bits to avoid overwhelming them. Then use a calendar or reminder to instill discipline. 

Be Flexible but Define Rules

Even if you are trying to infuse structure and control in the patient’s life, don’t be extremely strict with them. Recall that a patient exhibiting symptoms of adhd may not adjust to change very well. Therefore, allow them to make harmless mistakes without putting them down.

 As long as the odd behaviors are not detrimental to the patient’s life, you should not worry much about it. However, please do not encourage them daily because it can be challenging to get rid of them eventually.

The Bottom Line

Treating ADHD in recent times is not as complicated as before because several effective medications and therapies are available. Unfortunately, even with all these management programs, there is no guaranteed cure for ADHD. Nonetheless, it would help to embrace the condition with positivity and not brand it as a curse. The thumb rule is to explore successful ways of supporting ADHD patients and improve communication to create a lasting relationship.