Part One: ADHD and the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

The idea struck me one day while I was out for a run: the journey that someone with ADHD takes as they begin treatment really follows a very predictable path, one that seemed to have great similarity to the path that the Buddha taught. I don't claim to be an expert on Buddhism, nor am I a practicing Buddhist. But, the synergies between the teachings of the Buddha and the treatment path for ADHD are striking.

The Buddha's teachings that I reference here are the Four Noble Truths. Buddhism teaches that we must understand and embrace the Four Noble Truths in order to begin to walk on the path toward enlightenment. They are as follows (more or less; like I said, I'm no expert):

1. Life is suffering

2. Our sufferings and difficulties are a result of our attachment to material things that are short lived. We have desires and cravings that cannot be satisfied by the material world.

3. The way to end our suffering and material cravings is by following a path, or a new way of living

4. The Fourth truth is the Eight Fold Path itself.

What struck me is that for people with ADHD, life is hard, and full of difficulties. These difficulties are caused by the collection of traits and behaviors we have collectively known as ADHD. There is a way to alleviate our difficulties, and this is multi-modal treatment. Multi-Modal treatment involves eight key components.

In my next post, we'll look in more detail at the First Truth: Is life truly suffering for someone with ADHD?