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Comment by dec0dedab0de | Hacker News Reader

I heard of coaching in relation to ADHD over a decade ago, it's not something they invented.

I don't know anything about Shimmer, so I don't know how well they fit the mold, but as I understand ADHD Coaching: The general idea is that the coaches are there to supplement therapy and/or drugs with practical "in the weeds" advice. A Therapist would worry about making you feel better, and might point you in the direction of some resources to learn practical coping skills. A coach is one of the resources to help you learn practical skills.

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Yeah, my psych makes sure the meds aren't causing problems and does simple mental wellness checks before writing new scripts.

My coach gave me strategies to fit my life. Usually in the form of me presenting a problem, and getting several tricks to try.

I don't think the meds or the coaching would help in isolation. I don't do the coaching now unless I come across a new problem. I have my book of trivks and triggers that remind me to reach for them.

You need to explicitly request cognitive behavioral therapy alongside medical management. You might need to look for a psychiatrist that understands that as a component of ADHD management.

Thanks for sharing your experience, and glad that coaching has given you some strategies that work for you!

When you say book of tricks and triggers, do you mean a physical book? Curious how other folks hold on to their learnings etc.!

The problems/tactics I have written down in my notebook. The triggers are just repetition with lots of failures. Its like chaining the behavior of walking into a conference room to checking my calendar for my next thing. Or when I feel overwhelmed I check the section on prioritizing, scheduling, delegating, and dropping tasks.

Smartphones and smart watches are your friend. Noise canceling headphones come in a close second. You need to remember while unmedicated to take your medicine so an obnoxious, hard to ignore medical alarm is a good tool.

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