Does Mindfulness Meditation Work for ADHD

00:00 Intoduction
00:45 Brief discussion of mindfulness meditation for ADHD and its history
03:21 Lydia Zylowska’s book on mindfulness meditation for adult ADHD
03:41 Book by Zylowska and John Mitchell on mindfulness practices for adult ADHD – a clinician’s manual
06:16 Review of a 2016 meta-analyses of this treatment and its results
07:48 Review of a second meta-analysis from 2020 and its results
09:01 Review of the latest meta-analysis from 2021 and its results
14:50 Discussion of the potential side effects (adverse events) from mindfulness practices for ADHD

Here I discuss the issue of whether mindfulness meditation or mindfulness-based practices throughout the day is beneficial to adult ADHD.

The references that I use in the video can be found here:

L. Zylowska (2012). The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD. Shambhala Publications

L. Zylowska & J. T. Mitchell (2020). Mindfulness for Adult ADHD: A Clinician’s Guide. New York: Guilford Publications.

M. Cairncross et al. (2016). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapies for ADHD: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 24(5).

Poissant, H. et al. (2020). A meta-analysis of mindfulness-based Interventions in Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Impact on ADHD Symptoms, Depression, and Executive Functioning. Mindfulness, 11, 2669-2681.

Oliva, F. et al. (2021). The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder beyond core symptoms: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 292(1), 475-486.

J. T. Mitchell et al. (2018). Adverse events in mindfulness-based interventions for ADHD. The ADHD Report, 2018, p. 15.

[Maktheblade]

There is a basic misunderstanding of "mindfulness meditation" as opposed to mindfulness. The meditation practice comes from Vipassana, an Indian technique that focuses on the breath. The person focuses on their breath, and when intrusive or errant thoughts appear, they notice them and focus back on the breath.
This is the core of mindfulness meditation, because it rewires the brain and is the whole point of the exercise. In practice it means that for people with ADHD (like me), over time they may find it easier to guide their thoughts away from negative or chaotic areas, and feel more in control.
This is the very important difference between "mindfulness" and "mindfulness meditation" - vipassana isn't concerned with internal or external experience, and examining the senses - it is about rewiring the neural pathways that govern how we think. Dr Barkley, I recommend The Science of Meditation by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson.

[ADHDad]

I have never thought about adverse effects of Mindfulness until this video and it hit me like a landslide why mindfulness practices always seemed, to me, to bring about much more instability and anxiety. It's why I turned to more philosophical and purposeful practices and shy away from doing things like meditation, journalling etc
Good lord what a relief, I thought I was alone in feeling it.

[MysteryGrey]

In grade school we learned this song, "Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free." When I was really having a hard time in life because of the ADHD symptoms, I remembered that song and thought it was good advise. So, I simplified my life...and that helped me a great deal. Mindfulness only works for me of I'm interested in it. DBT gave me some skills. Meditation is hard...basically I listen to the same Meditation music and concentrate on that for 20. Thank you Dr B.

[andymellor]

In my personal experience mindfulness practices help in two specific ways. Firstly in task switching between two menatally taxing tasks. Having five minutes lying down and focusing on breathing helps 'unload' the previous task from my mind and makes it easier to initiate the new task.

Secondly, I can be anxious and / or stressed without being aware of what it specifically is that I'm anxious or strressed about. Spending a short time in a mindful state usually brings this to the fore, so I can use CBT techniques, like thought logging, more effectively. So, in my experience it's synergistic with CBT.

Finally, mindfulness (or anything elsle) does not have to address ADHD to benefit a person with ADHD. There are whole aspects of our wellbeing other than ADHD.

[bomcimtube]

3M: Medication, Move (exercise) and Mindfullness (practicing to be present)

[xXBismarckXx]

i have problem with anxiety, and depresion, and i dont want to take pill, so i starting do it exercise and meditation focus on my breathing that helpme a lot, with the time i have the skill to put silent to the think i dont like, now i can focus in what i need to do, but was really hard to get to this point, everytime i dont want to do nothing i stating do it exerice and 30 minutes just focus on my breathing when i can focus on my breathing i stay in the same position and with the time when i stay meditation just until i get my 30 minutes of focus, i gain control on my focus, is really more painfull at the first time but with the time i dont feel when i pass more than 1h or 2 hrs, its just pratice and everything coming more easy because you can pass the test bc you can focus on you studies and undertad more, but you have to develop the reading too, all the problem is a mind problem most of the time, can be lazyness a trauma, , but the live that you live is what you have insder of you.

[charliebee]

Sending my best wishes for a successful move to your new home. 🏡

Also "a Buddhist pratice that was reincarnated in the US" was a good one. 😜

[Benjamin-uf]

Very spot on. I have been doing DBT for a couple months and the homework aspect (which is not hard and not required) hit me like a ton of bricks. The other potential issues you mentioned either occur with myself or other ADHD folks in the group. I have really been thinking that a different version of DBT needs to be created for ADHD because it does work sligthly different for us. Nearly everyone one with it cant do the homework without stress and we all want to talk way more than other participants. Most of us have commented on having flashbacks or major anxiety from not controlling the distractions etc etc. But nothing in DBT is really an issue unless we make it out to be in our heads. At least this is my experience so far. I am not prone to woo woo either...

BUT with all that said, it is very good over all and it is something that supplements other treatments very well. It is worth doing. One just needs to be aware of the potential issues and let them know ahead or as they occur, they are very accomadating. I am going to be doing CBT after the DBT as I keep hearing it seems to work better for ADHD.

Also, it isn't really about a free flowing mind or doing meditations etc. It is more about observing and non-judging thoughts, not letting them control oneself to problem solve better.

[aceraptor]

I received my diagnosis a couple of months ago. These videos have been invaluable to understanding the condition.

Thank you for taking the time to make them, and all the research you have done.

[hanbanaroda]

It works for me, especially to fall asleep. I changed it a little when I tried to teach it to my 5yo ADHD son to be it a game and since then it works for me even better 😅

Simply put: you concentrate on your breath and everytime your mine wanders away (at it will happens immediately and a lot 😂) you catch it, give yourself an imaginary pat on the back, go back to your breath and wait till you manage to catch your mind wandering again.

You are not trying to meditate, you are not trying to concentrate, you play cat and mouse with your thoughts. It totally changes the whole feeling of it as you stop feeling like a failure to not being able to concentrate, but you praise yourself for recognizing you let your minds wander (again and again).

Basicaly you fell asleep with praising yourself 20 times in a minute 😅 Sometimes I even WANT to go to bed to do this because it's fun to look at what crazy thoughts your ADHD brain produces. Either that or you throw away the bad thought, it's a win win.

Just the other week I heard my son murmuring: no, no, octopuses with rocketlaunchers, breath 😂 I for example concentrate on the way the air passes through my nose, he said it's the sound for him. I guess it doesn't matter as long as you concentrate on any aspect of breath, as it slows your heartbeat and you breath deeper (ADHD or not, it's just biology).

I do not practice it as a true meditation though, but it's year now and some funny things come along: I can put myself at ease by breathing differently and also can somehow change my heartrate a bit, which helps epsecially when my ADHD meds kicks in after morning. Oh, and I am able to fall asleep during the day, I wasn't able to take a nap in my whole 35 years, now it works with this "trimmed mindfullness"😅

[Beansproutts]

I found both mindfulness and meditation just led me into patterns of rumination and fixating on negative thoughts/events etc.
CBT just gave me labels for things (again, leading to further rumination).
Daily journaling also led to rumination.

Journaling is only helpful if I do it when I'm upset/distressed - it helps organise/articulate my thoughts and emotions. Also gives me space to calm down.

[N]

Dr K with HealthyGamer has taught many different types of meditations on his YouTube channel that have absolutely helped me with my subclinical ADD
‘Meditation to Remove Negative emotion’ or Om Chanting are particularly good for ADHD folks

[KairosDBT]

This is a great brief overview of the essential pros and cons of mindfulness for ADHD. Thank you, Dr. Barkley. I'm an adult with ADHD and a DBT practitioner who has modified DBT for adults, including mindfulness, of course. Your view on empirical issues is very helpful, too, in terms of maintaining humility about mindfulness and the claims/assumptions we clinicians adopt and disseminate.

[micheleries]

This is very interesting and informative; thank you for the reference materials! I'm a (relatively LOL) functional adult who started ADHD treatment (meds and behavioral) in my late 30's. I have more predominant inattentive symptoms of ADHD but also see symptoms of cognitive disengagement syndrome (especially in childhood). I'm glad you brought up potential adverse effects of mindfulness meditation. I personally have to be careful - in the past I think I was simply dissociating further with meditation. It took a while (and medication) to be able to properly use mindfulness to strengthen my ability to stay truly awake and present. I need additional supports such as even keeping a journal documenting "What am I physically doing?" to keep me grounded in reality. I'm also a neuropsychologist and interested in this from a professional standpoint. Thank you for so tirelessly making this high-quality content available publicly (where it can really be useful)!

[ariekashamoon]

As someone with adhd mindfulness is the only thing that has truly helped me.

[efib]

Thank you so much for everything you have done and keep doing, Dr. Barkley. Im a woman 45 years old and I finally recently was diagnosed with ADHD. Happy new year

[flawlix]

I’ve found a guided visualization meditation works best for me. Just focusing on my breathing isn’t enough. But the act of trying to picture something in my mind, hold it there, and then move it about, plus try to “visualize” an accompanying sensation, is sufficient to sustain my attention. (Two examples from headspace: a ball of light gently moving up and down your body or a pitcher of light slowly filling you up from the feet to the top of your head.) Primarily, it helps me in the morning to transition from groggy and half awake to getting prepared for work. I was meditating almost daily for about 6 months, but fell out of the practice. I’ve noticed that I’m more jittery and having a harder time getting my morning routine or starting work once I get there.

Edit: some things you said explain why I had a really hard time with mindfulness and meditation when my old therapist was pushing me to do it

[tinathecrafter]

As always, a thought-provoking and thorough review. Thank you. I have always struggled with any type of mindfulness exercise and now I know why.

[christina_cl]

Thank you for these videos. It is refreshing to hear a proper scientific analysis instead of all the "opinion" pieces the internet is flooded by. It is also great that you mention the potential side effects of meditation and other behavioral treatments. They are often talked about as this "miracle" treatment that helps everyone, but that is not necessarily the case. Yes, they can help a wide range of people, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone.

[LUPECARREON]

I play body scan meditation videos at night for my son with ADHD and it works very nicely to help him fall asleep ❤