Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, Meditating While Having ADHD
Stephanie Sarkis, an ADHD expert, discusses how mindfulness meditation can help manage ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and improve focus for both diagnosed individuals and those struggling with attentional issues. She shares personal experiences and practical tips for integrating meditation into daily life.
Deep Dive Analysis
14 Topic Outline
Introduction to ADHD and Attention Challenges
Balancing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Mindfulness
Distinguishing Concentration from Mindfulness in Meditation
Exploring the Concept of Contemplation of the Mind
Stephanie Sarkis's Personal Journey to Meditation for ADHD
Mindfulness Meditation Techniques for Individuals with ADHD
Defining ADHD and Its Diverse Manifestations
Stephanie's Experience with ADHD Medication and Meditation
Prevalence and Underdiagnosis of ADHD in Adults
Addressing Misconceptions About Meditation and Performance
Teaching Meditation and Mindfulness to Children with ADHD
Understanding Hyperfocus as an ADHD Symptom
Practical Strategies for Managing Adult ADHD
The Dual Nature of Living with ADHD
10 Key Concepts
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a type of psychotherapy or mental health treatment that encourages individuals to analyze their thoughts and challenge negative assumptions behind them, often employing analysis as a key component.
Mindfulness (in Meditation)
Mindfulness is the skill of knowing what's happening in your mind right now without getting carried away by it. It involves noting thoughts non-judgmentally, letting them go, and focusing on the raw data of your senses, seeing how the mind works without being owned by its processes.
Concentration Practice (in Meditation)
This refers to the basic instructions of meditation, where one trains their ability to stay on task, such as focusing on the breath. The repeated exercise of getting lost and starting again boosts one's ability to concentrate.
Propuncia
Propuncia is a mental process where the mind engages in 'movie making,' often escalating a current experience (like pain) into a series of negative future scenarios, usually ending in a horrific outcome.
Impermanence
In meditation, particularly when focusing on physical sensations like pain, the lesson of impermanence teaches that everything is constantly shifting and moving, and nothing is solid or everlasting.
Contemplation of the Mind (Chitanupasana)
This practice involves turning the lens of attention around to observe the mind that is doing the knowing, rather than just the objects of awareness. It can lead to an understanding of the fundamental mystery of consciousness and help break down the perceived solidity of the self.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
ADHD is a disorder characterized by issues with inhibition of behavior and motivation, stemming from impaired executive functions in the frontal lobes of the brain. These executive functions include organizing, thinking ahead, planning, and cognitive flexibility.
Performance vs. Ability Gap
A key indicator for diagnosing ADHD, this refers to a significant discrepancy between an individual's intellectual capacity or potential and their actual performance in areas like school, work, or daily life, often leading to a chronic feeling of underachievement.
Brain Development in ADHD
Individuals with ADHD often exhibit neural development in their brain that is about two-thirds that of someone without ADHD. This can manifest as being behaviorally one to three years younger than their chronological age.
Hyperfocus (in ADHD)
Hyperfocus is a symptom of ADHD where an individual becomes intensely concentrated on a particular task or interest, to the point of being oblivious to their surroundings. It is considered as much a symptom of ADHD as a lack of focus.
13 Questions Answered
While meditation emphasizes noting thoughts non-judgmentally and letting them go, CBT encourages analyzing thoughts. In daily life off the cushion, analysis can be very helpful for noticing habitual patterns and decoupling from unconscious biases, making the two approaches complementary rather than conflicting.
While basic meditation instructions do boost concentration by training the ability to stay on task, mindfulness is also baked into the practice. The moment you notice you've become distracted and let it go, you are engaging the skill of mindfulness, which is knowing what's happening in your mind without getting carried away.
If distracted by a persistent emotion or physical discomfort, the next step is to turn into that sensation and make it the object of meditation. By bringing full attention to it, one can observe its shifting nature, learn about impermanence, and see how the mind creates stories around it without being owned by them.
Contemplation of the mind involves turning the meditative lens to observe the 'knower' or the mind itself, rather than external objects or sensations. This practice can lead to an encounter with the fundamental mystery of consciousness and help break down the illusion of a solid, separate self.
Mindful eating involves focusing solely on food, chewing thoroughly, and noticing the taste and texture. This practice can lead to eating less while feeling satiated, gravitating towards healthier food choices, and realizing one might not even like certain foods they habitually eat.
Meditation can make ADHD medication work more effectively and helps individuals stay more in the present moment, reducing the 'super monkey brain' effect of racing thoughts. Mindfulness meditation, which allows for movement, is often more appealing and effective for people with ADHD.
Stimulants for ADHD actually stimulate neurons in the frontal lobe to communicate more effectively, boosting dopamine and norepinephrine levels which are typically low in individuals with ADHD. This helps calm the brain and improve focus, despite the counterintuitive name.
The key indicator for ADHD is a significant gap between one's ability and performance, where potential is not being met. This can manifest as difficulty completing assignments, not working to expectations, or conflict in relationships due to inattention, impacting overall quality of life.
ADHD is actually underdiagnosed; only about 10% of people who experience symptoms seek professional diagnosis. Untreated ADHD leads to significantly higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and suicide, highlighting the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment.
About a third of people with ADHD are initially resistant to meditation, often believing they cannot sit still or need to achieve a state of 'empty brain.' However, when they understand it's about focusing on breath and starting over, and that movement is acceptable in mindfulness, their resistance decreases.
No, meditation does not diminish one's edge; it actually increases the ability to perform effectively. By reducing wasted energy on distractions, anger, and emotional reactivity, meditation allows individuals to channel more focus and 'heart and soul' into their work, leading to increased productivity and better performance.
Parents can start with small, engaging practices like 'sniffing a flower' (inhale) and 'blowing out candles' (exhale). Visual aids like a stuffed animal on the tummy for diaphragmatic breathing or a bubble wand to teach extended exhales can make it more accessible and fun for young children.
Hyperfocus in ADHD means an individual can become so intensely focused on a task that they are completely unaware of their surroundings, even to the point of not hearing alarms. While it can be channeled for meditation, the challenge lies in the motivation aspect of ADHD, as one must want to engage in the activity to achieve this state.
23 Actionable Insights
1. Basic Meditation Practice
To begin meditation, sit with eyes closed (or slightly open) and focus your full attention on the sensation of your breath. When distracted, simply notice the distraction and gently return your attention to the breath, repeating this process as many times as needed.
2. Meditate: Note & Let Go
During formal meditation, note thoughts (e.g., judgment, anger) non-judgmentally, then let them go and return focus to your primary object of meditation, such as the breath. This practice emphasizes raw sensory data over analytical thinking.
3. Analyze Thoughts Off-Cushion
When not formally meditating, use analytical skills (like those from CBT) to examine habitual thought patterns, such as judging others. This analysis can help decouple you from unconscious biases and habitual self-stories, leading to improved behavior.
4. Build Mental Stability First
In the initial stages of meditation, prioritize building mental stability and concentration. This foundational clarity is essential before moving into deeper mindfulness practices that involve analyzing thought processes.
5. Meditate on Persistent Distractions
If a persistent distraction like a strong emotion or physical discomfort arises during meditation, shift your focus from the breath to that sensation. Fully attend to it to observe its impermanence and the stories your mind creates around it, building mindfulness muscles.
6. Contemplate the “Knower”
To explore the nature of consciousness, close your eyes, listen to all audible sounds, and then ask yourself “what is hearing?” or “where is the ‘me’ who is hearing?”. This practice helps to deconstruct the solid sense of self and understand the mystery of awareness.
7. Embrace Accessible Meditation
Recognize that meditation is highly accessible to everyone, requiring no money, specific location, or formal teacher to begin. Its high return on investment and proven effectiveness make it a valuable practice for all.
8. Meditation: See Mind Clearly
The purpose of meditation is not to achieve a special state or empty the mind, but to clearly observe the mind’s activity without being controlled by it. This skill helps you navigate difficult thoughts and emotions in daily life.
9. Meditation Boosts Performance
Contrary to fears of losing one’s “edge,” meditation actually enhances professional performance by reducing energy wasted on distractions and emotional reactivity, allowing for greater focus and productivity.
10. Mindfulness for ADHD
For individuals with ADHD, mindfulness meditation, which can be practiced while performing daily activities, is often more accessible and effective than traditional seated meditation due to its flexibility and accommodation of restlessness.
11. Embrace Movement in Mindfulness
For those with ADHD or general restlessness, incorporate movement into mindfulness practices, such as walking meditation, to accommodate the need to move while still cultivating present moment awareness.
12. Commit to Initial Meditation Sessions
If you have ADHD and are trying seated meditation, aim to complete at least three 15-minute sessions. Successfully completing these initial sessions significantly increases the likelihood of long-term adherence to the practice.
13. Practice Mindful Eating
To eat mindfully, sit and focus solely on your food, turning off distractions like TV or phone. Chew each bite thoroughly (e.g., 10-15 times for those with ADHD) to enhance satiety, potentially reduce food intake, and gravitate towards healthier choices.
14. Meditation for Kids’ ADHD
Encourage meditation and mindfulness in children and teenagers with ADHD, as research indicates it can improve prefrontal cortex connections, decrease inflammation, and alleviate symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression, with greater benefits over time when started early.
15. Teach Kids Diaphragmatic Breathing
To teach young children meditation, start with simple inhale/exhale exercises, using analogies like “sniffing a flower” and “blowing out candles.” For diaphragmatic breathing, have them lie down with a stuffed animal on their tummy, watching it rise and fall, or use a bubble wand to visualize long exhales.
16. Impose Structure for Non-Linear Thinkers
For individuals with ADHD or non-linear thinking patterns, establish clear parameters and deadlines for structured projects (e.g., “Chapter 1 by Tuesday,” “Outline by Wednesday”). This external structure helps channel their creativity into productivity, as they often struggle to create their own.
17. Monitor Post-Medication ADHD Symptoms
Even with medication, actively monitor remaining ADHD symptoms, especially as medication wears off. Practice conscious thought before speaking and maintain focused attention on tasks like driving to manage lingering challenges.
18. Manage ADHD Time Perception
Acknowledge and manage ADHD-related time estimation challenges by either overcompensating (arriving very early) or openly communicating to others that you tend to run late. Medication can improve time estimation, but conscious strategies are still necessary.
19. Use Trackers for Lost Items
To combat the common ADHD challenge of losing items, utilize tracking devices like Tile trackers or GPS trackers on frequently misplaced belongings.
20. Practice Mindful Driving
To drive more mindfully, consciously focus on sensory details like the feel of the steering wheel in your hands and the visual cues on the road, especially when medication for ADHD has worn off.
21. Monitor Spoken Thoughts (ADHD)
If you have ADHD, make a concerted effort to pause and think about your thoughts before speaking, especially when off medication. This helps ensure that what you intend to say aligns with what actually comes out, mitigating a common communication challenge.
22. Gauge ADHD by Performance Gap
To assess potential ADHD, evaluate if there’s a significant gap between your intellectual capacity and actual performance in school or work. Look for patterns like underperforming despite high ability, difficulty completing tasks, or issues with multi-step directions.
23. Seek High-Pressure Careers (ADHD)
If you have ADHD, consider careers in high-pressure, crisis-driven environments (e.g., ER, firefighting, sales, TV news) where you can thrive. Individuals with ADHD often excel in such situations, finding routine daily tasks more challenging than intense, stimulating work.
5 Key Quotes
I was doing research on non-medication treatments for ADHD and saw the the data showed it really helped with ADHD so then I started recommending it to my clients and then I started doing it and because I have ADHD and it's helped pretty much everybody that I've worked with so pretty powerful stuff.
Stephanie Sarkis
ADHD is an issue with inhibition of behavior and also motivation.
Stephanie Sarkis
People with ADHD, they not only have a higher rate of of anxiety, but they also have a higher rate of depression and suicide as well.
Stephanie Sarkis
The point is... not to reach some sort of special state, it is to be in the muck with the craziness of your own mind and to see it clearly without being yanked around by it.
Dan Harris
One of the trickiest parts of ADHD is what you're thinking and what comes out of your mouth can be two different things.
Stephanie Sarkis
2 Protocols
Mindful Eating for ADHD
Stephanie Sarkis- Sit and focus exclusively on your food.
- Turn off the TV, put away your phone, and avoid reading.
- Chew your food approximately 10-15 times per bite (for people with ADHD).
- Notice the taste, texture, and your body's signals of satiety.
Teaching Kids Meditation
Stephanie Sarkis- Start small with simple breathing exercises.
- Teach inhaling by imagining sniffing a flower.
- Teach exhaling by imagining blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
- For diaphragmatic breathing, have kids lay down and place a stuffed animal on their tummy, observing it rise and fall with their breath.
- For very young children, use a bubble wand to visually demonstrate exhaling for a count of five.