Alexander Technique for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The world is full of endless possibilities spinning around nervously in my head. It is exhausting and my mind has rarely found an escape route. Forcing itself to be calm outside when secretly hyperactive inside — all it knows is distraction and temptation. How many times have I opened a random tab to go to read something in the middle of working on this article? And the discomfort I feel in my body! Is it actually possible to stick to one task, not having hundreds of tabs open, not daydreaming, not procrastinating, but knowing how to stay calm and attentive?

Having been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or not, it appears that many of us experience a hyperactive state of mind. Without undermining the very real challenges of a neurodiverse brain, all brains are different. In our messy and overloaded Western culture it is okay to feel out of control and be unable to pay attention. Hyperactivity (the H in ADHD) describes a blend of traits that seem to make up a modern human being. As it turns out, ADD is clearly not just an intellectual or a chemical problem.

Overstimulation

One of the dangers to our health is all that comes along with a stressful lifestyle. Experiencing difficulty focusing is actually a normal response of a nervous system that is overstimulated, even for those without clinically diagnosed ADHD. Stressed-out parents pass their coping habits mindlessly onto the next generation and what is a normal nervous system response can over time manifest into behaviors that closely resemble an attention disorder. If we see ADHD as a neurodevelopmental and environmental issue, we can take a step further from it being a solely medical problem that is only dealt with by medications. In order to manage ADHD and related attention issues, we will need to talk about healing the environment, as well as dealing with biochemistry.

Our culture has evolved into something that celebrates a short attention span as a result of an overstimulating environment. It is likely that one of the mechanisms to cope with excess stimulation that you have learned is “zoning out”, another quality of a non-present mind that you probably internalized when you were a child. Acknowledging the coping mechanisms associated with ADHD in addition to the biological root causes helps us to move on from only working with labels to working with its daily manifestations. Though the label can still be helpful as a guide towards solutions.

Instead of how solely asking how to control one’s impulsivity and forcefully focus one’s attention, how do you come back to yourself and cope with the real experience? How do we learn how to stop tuning out or how to quieten down our busy minds?

Here is where Alexander Technique can be more beneficial than ever for a modern human who is not only suffering from bodily pain and posture problems but also from stress, anxiety and attention issues as a response to their environmental overwhelm. Alexander Technique (AT) is a way to calm down a chronically overstimulated nervous system. It is also a way to build resilience in the face of that stimulation.

Alexander Technique (AT) is a way to calm down a chronically overstimulated nervous system. It is also a way to build resilience in the face of that stimulation.

Self-Regulation

The major impairments of ADHD — the distractibility, the hyperactivity and the poor impulse control — reflect, each in its particular way, a lack of self-regulation. Self-regulation is exactly what the Alexander Technique works towards.

A Canadian physician and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, who suffers from ADHD himself, has a lot to say about it. One of his many thought-provoking books, “Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of ADD“, sends out a message that we are not helpless in the face of ADHD. He summarizes self-regulation: ‘It implies that someone can direct attention where she chooses, can control impulses and can be consciously mindful and in charge of what her body is doing.’

‘It implies that someone can direct attention where she chooses, can control impulses and can be consciously mindful and in charge of what her body is doing.’

If there is a way to have that life-saving quality of self-regulation, I would grab for it as soon as possible. Both as a neurotypical modern person or as ADHD. The good news is that there is a way. Thanks to neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to heal and change — you can start the journey in any age.

For self-regulation to be possible, specific brain centres must develop and grow connections with other important nerve centres, and chemical pathways need to be established. We are born with no capacity whatsoever to self-regulate emotion or action as babies. This is where environmental conditions play their role in the development of the brain. An adult continuing to struggle with the unsolved problems of childhood is an illustration of underdevelopment of these important neural circuits.

Inhibition

One way to understand ADHD neurologically is as a lack of inhibition, a chronic underactivity of the prefrontal cortex. In good working condition it would take care of our responses to impulses. This is the efficacy of stimulant medications: they arouse the inhibitory function in individuals with ADHD. Being able to stop in the face of stimuli and choose your responses to them is also the exact capacity that Alexander Technique develops without medications. Many AT clients report back their newly found ability of stopping. With a relief of freedom to choose and new sense of autonomy, their mindless impulsivity has finally ended.

More about Alexander Technique

So what is this so-called neuroregulator Alexander Technique? It is a holistic approach involving both mind and body that helps to regulate person’s nervous system for its optimal functioning. It shows us how to change our habitual thought, feeling and movement patterns in order to create more integrated and available ways of being. It re-teaches us the state of mind that is naturally very flexible in young children.

The way AT works is through guided invitations for novelty in movement. The everyday movements used are low stimulating — sitting, standing or lying down — to keep the nervous system quiet and alert. The sessions can be done online or in person, where the difference lies in using verbal guidance or gentle hands-on guidance to bring about change.

The mind develops rigidity as a survival mechanism in response to life-experiences. Simultaneously it drags the body along to stiff patterns in an unconscious attempt to create safety. The rigidity of mind and body affects our ability to pay attention. These patterns have a direct link to safety mechanisms resulting in a frustrating non-presence of mind in an unsafe, fidgety body.

Attention

Being attentive is a skill we acquire. Nobody is born with “attention”. As young children, we cannot pay attention on demand. The newborn can no more focus his attention than he can focus his vision. Attention is a result of complex brain activity with multiple components to it. A deficit of attention is not just a matter of some sluggish brain mechanism to be set in action by rewards or medications.

Although we think of attention as a function of the intellect, its deepest roots are in the subsoil of emotion. From the evolutionary point of view, this could not have been otherwise. Emotions remain the basis of attention, even after the development of intellect that dominates our conscious thought.

Before it can develop in a normal way, an infant must feel safe. Without a secure attachment relationship with its caregiver, the infant will not be able to focus. It is same as what you feel as an adult — greater security means less anxiety and the ability for more focused attention.

Without touching many of the trauma mechanisms in this article, dissociation (mental absence, tuning out) is a form of psychological defence. It is a way of coping with emotional hurt. The solution to this is in developing psychological maturity and strengthening one’s sense of self. If I do not lose my identity, I do not have to protect myself. I can afford to cooperate, relax, and focus.

It is important to mention that blaming the parents, teachers, or societal systems for creating poor conditions for a growing child is unnecessary and not accurate. Blame becomes a meaningless concept if one understands how family history stretches back through the generations. For parents, self-blame is a trap that helps neither the parent nor the child to develop.

Attunement Deficit Disorder

The first way to help children and adults with ADHD who deal with environmental factors exacerbating the condition, is to strengthen their relationships. Heal attachment scars, learn that it is safe to connect again. Dr. Maté has given ADD a softer synoym: ’Attunement‘ Deficit Disorder. Attunement is the process by which we form relationships, the connectedness and closeness to other people and ourselves. Person-centered psychotherapy would put the emphasis on the individuation process. If there is something central in the healing world, it is what the Alexander process is also offering — strengthening the person’s sense of Self as a whole.

Attunement is the process by which we form relationships, the connectedness and closeness to other people and ourselves.

Nature’s goal for human growth is the eventual maturation of a self-motivated, self-regulated and self-reliant adult. Find a way to evolve towards self-reliancy but look for a systemic technique under the guidance of an empathic and unconditional practitioner. A healing relationship is all about trust and co-regulation. It will be the nurturing connection of another individual that supports you via their presence, tone of voice, calm and regulated way of being. It will be the attunement that brings tranquillity to the mind and peace to the emotions. It assists the body to relax, replacing stress with ease and vitality.

Healing Conditions

It is worth asking some important questions along the way. What conditions are needed for human physiological and psychological maturation? What conditions would inhibit or interfere with that growth process? These healing conditions can be created as a foundation for the maturation process. This is what Alexander Technique is all about.

A major start as someone with ADHD is to acknowledge that there are certain steps to take towards your wellbeing beyond the scope of medical treatment and that it will have to be a conscious journey. However, noone’s nervous system will change on its own, therefore there is a need for the knowledge and skills of a health professional. Most importantly, Alexander Technique can help you first get settled enough to take that responsibility for your healing journey.

This article is written with edits and contemplations by Annaliisa Asveit and Matt Urbanek.