How Does Therapy Help with Motivation with ADHD?

“I can’t seem to get anything done that I want to get done even if I can do other things and I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”

“Why can I work for hours on a project I love that has nothing to do with literally anything I am supposed to be doing?

Motivation works differently for those of us with ADHD. If you spend your time trying to motivate yourself with the same things that neurotypical people find motivating, like long term rewards or fear of punishment, chances are that not only are you not going to get stuff done but you are going to feel a whole lot of shame in the process. Talking to a therapist can help you understand more about your own unique sense of motivation and what makes you feel ready to take action instead of spinning your wheels or falling down a shame spiral. Your ADHD therapist can help guide you through the main elements that motivate ADHD brains and tailor them specifically to your needs. ADHD brains are best motivated by:

  • Play

  • Novelty

  • Healthy competition with yourself or others 

  • Short intense timed bursts of activity 

  • Sense of connection and purpose

As you can see from this list, ADHD brains are often most excited by situations and settings that give them a hit of dopamine aka the molecule of motivation. Unlike neurotypical brains, ADHD brains are more likely to release dopamine DURING a task instead of after, which is why rewards and punishments are kind of pointless as they literally do not register as particularly relevant on a neurochemical level. This means that motivation for ADHD is actually more of a game to get your mind to find the task interesting enough to start or continue doing it instead of aiming for a sense of accomplishment on completion. You and your ADHD therapist can collaborate on ways to incorporate these elements into your life which can help with the sense of guilt that many people with ADHD feel around motivation and can help you actually get stuff done. 

If you feel that ADHD therapy could be helpful for you, please get in touch with us to schedule a free consultation. 

Pam ShafferADHD, motivation, therapy