Mindfulness for ADHD
Mindfulness for ADHD
Staggering results from a short (simple) practice
Tickets for my next London talk, on 17th May, are selling fast. Learn how to manage ADHD with skills (not pills) via my unique toolkit.
If you want to come, get your tickets here — in-person and virtual tickets are available.
See below for more dates & locations.
Some people suffer such severe depression that drugs or even electroshock treatments are no help.
Research from Oxford University found that Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) cut the rate of relapse to depression by half – more than any medication.
This highly rigorous meta-analysis of 18,753 citations found 47 studies that met the highest standards for replication and study design.
Psychology suffers a serious problem with poor study design and lack of replication – so it’s essential we only pay attention to those that meet the highest standards.
The Oxford University meta-analysis found MBCT is as effective as medication for treating anxiety, depression and pain, but with zero side effects.
Here’s what Dr. Daniel Goleman had to say about the study – “A 50% drop in relapse far outreaches what any medication used for severe depression can claim. If this beneficial impact were true of a drug, some pharmaceutical company would be minting money from it.”
So how does this relate to ADHD?
Zindel Segal, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Toronto, found the best outcomes were in those who were able to “decentre”. That is, to step outside their thoughts and feelings enough to see them coming and going, rather than getting carried away by “my thoughts and feelings”.
We’re impulsive, so we’re unconsciously guided by our thoughts and feelings. Often without regard for where those thoughts and feelings come from and whether listening to them does us any good.
It doesn’t.
When the voice in our head won’t shut up, we get anxious. When the anxiety sticks around it can lead to depression and so on.
If we can “decentre” from our thoughts and feelings and look at them objectively, we can gain greater control over our ADHD.
This really is possible.
Cognitive behaviour therapy has worked wonders for me. So has mindfulness (via my meditation practice).
Combining the two allows me to remove my negative behaviours (via CBT) and create space between me and my thoughts (via meditation).
The result = reduced anxiety, calmer, less impulsiveness, better decision making, happier, more content, less egotistical, and more.
Where to start with MBCT
Ruby Wax, the comedian and TV presenter, studied MBCT at Oxford and has written numerous books on it. I recommend you start with this: A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled.
If you want to go deeper, try some of the academic textbooks on MBCT. I recommend Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Distinctive Features by Rebecca Crane.
You can also start immediately, by learning how to meditate. Try Headspace for that.
See me teach my ADHD Toolkit
I’m teaching my ADHD Toolkit in London, Liverpool and Brighton in May and June.
If you’re interested in managing, or helping your kids manage, ADHD with skills (not pills), this talk dives into the methods I’ve learned over the past 5 years. You’ll hear stories, personal anecdotes, and step-by-step instructions on cold showers, breathwork, meditation, and more.
Click a link below to get your tickets:
London, 17th May (get tickets)
Liverpool, 7th June (get tickets)
Brighton, 14th June (get tickets)