You have been assigned some tasks that are extremely important but your mind is trying to process the different flows of information that are stemming from these tasks but instead of making a choice, you start to procrastinate and are under freeze for an indefinite period of time. This is what we call an ADHD paralysis. So, your followup question would be how to combat ADHD paralysis? Well, let’s talk about it in the words below in addition to defining what exactly ADHD is and why you need ADHD paralysis treatment for it:
Defining ADHD
ADHD, or Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as it is called, is a type of mental condition that is characterized by symptoms such as hyperactivity, inability to focus, procrastination, restlessness, and of course sudden flashes of freeze when doing some work, which is why we are here to answer questions like, “How to beat ADHD paralysis”. All of these symptoms target the executive functioning of your mind. Executive functions can be defined as the processes that are needed to handle tasks that pertain to your everyday life. Once executive functioning is affected, there is a hindrance to the sustenance of your life, which makes it extremely important for you to ask questions like how to combat ADHD paralysis and find a suitable ADHD paralysis treatment.
What is ADHD Paralysis?
It occurs when someone who is suffering from ADHD becomes overwhelmed by their environment or the information they receive. People also commonly call it ADHD freeze or ADHD shut down due to the mini symptoms it displays as part of the paralysis brought on by ADHD.
As an affected individual, you are unable to start a task, maintain focus, or prioritize key steps due to ADHD paralysis. During this time, you start to feel apprehension as you begin to feel anxiety. So, instead of focusing on important tasks while coping with this anxiety, you start to focus on other things or literally freeze right there. Therefore it is important to find solutions and answers for questions like how to combat ADHD paralysis.
Read More: Coping with ADHD Burnout
Signs and Symptoms of ADHD Paralysis
While a proper diagnosis should be made by an expert trained in psychiatry, these symptoms can help identify if you or your loved one are really suffering from ADHD paralysis. These symptoms also make it paramount for us to find ways where we know how to beat ADHD paralysis as soon as possible as once we know what we’re fighting against then it is easy to find ADHD paralysis treatment.
Poor Time Management Skills
ADHD-affected individuals have a tendency to go through time blindness where they are unable to perceive the changes that come due to elapsed time. This also makes it difficult for them to plan ahead and manage time properly.
Excessive Procrastination
One symptom that stands out during an ADHD paralysis is procrastination. Affected individuals will try to put off important tasks for as long as they can and start to procrastinate about it if they even feel a tinge of anxiety about the task at hand. This is where the ADHD freeze usually happens. Usually, this also leads to feelings of guilt and regret for the time they end up wasting while procrastinating.
Easily Distractible
When you are suffering from some kind of ADHD paralysis, distractions are magnified. You may neglect responsibilities in favor of activities that make you feel good as a way to cope with the anxiety that comes during ADHD paralysis.
Disorganized
Not only do tasks at hand become difficult to manage but related thoughts and behaviors also become difficult to handle. This can also make it difficult for us to manage our day-to-day activities and it does not end there as one is not even able to keep something like your desk tidy or organized, making these symptoms a cry for help on how to combat ADHD paralysis.
Indecisiveness
Many will go through a time where they will be unable to make any decisions, even the important ones when they are suffering from an ADHD paralysis.
How to Combat ADHD Paralysis?
Or if it is your loved one, who needs help then this can be all about how to help ADHD paralysis-affected individuals. Let’s begin:
Starting Jotting Down Everything
Writing everything down can be of great help. It is a step towards getting organized as being organized is the first step towards combating ADHD paralysis. It can also help you stay on top of tasks, so even if you ever happen to start a task, anxiety will be nowhere to be seen because if racing thoughts are about to overwhelm you, luckily you have already written them down, so that will precisely not overwhelm you.
Allot Specific Timing To Different Tasks
Allocating different and specific timing to different tasks can help bring the setup of a routine around you. A routine can help you reduce the number of tasks gradually, especially the distractions and poor time management skills. This is killing two birds with one stone, making it essentially one of the best ways that related to how to combat ADHD paralysis.
Avoid Perfectionism
Nothing is flawless but who will tell that ADHD-affected individuals will follow after perfectionism like there is no tomorrow and that is the only thing that can save them? This is one way you can also go about how to help ADHD-affected individuals as you can advise them to avoid perfectionism by telling them it is not something attainable. Vouching for perfectionism can obviously lead to ADHD paralysis.
The “Reward System” Approach
The phrase “The Reward System” provides an idea of how to combat ADHD paralysis. Basically, it is based on the idea you will reward yourself whenever you do something positive or towards the progression of whatever your objective is. This can provide intrinsic motivation for you to complete the tasks that need to be done and is a good way to answer the question of how to combat ADHD paralysis.
Do Something New
Adding something new to your routine can also be therapeutic and can also, therefore, be considered an ADHD paralysis treatment. Monotonous lifestyles can be hindering for ADHD-affected individuals.
Also, Do Something That Interests You
When something you do or are doing and consider it interesting, it will automatically energize you to do that. Doing something that interests you can also save you from ADHD burnout as it is predominantly caused by a combination of factors that includes ADHD paralysis.
Have A Support System
When you have someone to hold you accountable, then the answer to questions like how to help ADHD-paralysis afflicted people is very simple. They can stop you from doing anything that might put you at odds with your progression in terms of ADHD paralysis treatment.
Don’t Forget To Take Breaks
Once in a while, a break from working continuously is paramount for survival as an overworked body does not cope well with someone who is a sufferer of ADHD. This can increase mental, emotional, and cognitive stimulation. By even having a mental alarm for this in place, you can ensure that a break will help you come to terms with what your limits are. You can also use this opportunity of newfound time to take up a new hobby, like exercising or weight-lifting, which in turn also helps in giving answers to questions like, “How to combat ADHD paralysis”.
Read More: Psychotherapy For ADHD in Adults
ADHD Paralysis Treatment
When nothing that is described above works, there is always an ADHD paralysis treatment that will work. This treatment can include psychotherapies, medication, or a combination of these two.
Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapies are essentially “Talk” therapies, where the participants and the mental health expert converse on how the participants as patients can come to terms with their mental issues by finding resolutions for them during therapy sessions. An example of one of these psychotherapies that directly relate to ADHD paralysis treatment is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (a short-term, goal-focused form of psychotherapy that aims to change negative patterns of thinking and replace them with positive ones). This one is called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, where the patient practices mindfulness and lives in the present moment, which can help an ADHD-affected individual navigate the seas of symptoms toward recovery. This way this question can be answered: “How to combat ADHD paralysis.”
Medication:
Medication is another way one can answer how to beat ADHD paralysis. There are two kinds of medication for ADHD. Stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants directly target the hormones associated with executive functions, focus, and rewarding feelings, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and increase these because these are low in ADHD-affected individuals. When the side effects are a lot and are affecting the already affected individuals. Then non-stimulants are used, which does the same thing but without the use of side-effects and less effectively.
Conclusion
We hope you now know how to combat ADHD paralysis. But if that doesn’t work out, you can always go for treatment methods like psychotherapies or medication, which will for sure your or your loved one’s ADHD paralysis is treated properly. At Inland Empire Behavioral Group, we precisely provide what you want and we can also provide services to treat other mental conditions like OCD or PTSD
