Children with Predominantly Inattentive ADHD frequently suffer from anxiety. Very young children can have separation anxiety and older children can have anxiety related to performance, to social situations or just generalized anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been studied extensively and found to be useful in the treatment of ADHD Predominantly Inattentive anxiety.
Computer based CBT programs have been around for around 10 years and recent studies performed in England, Australia and the United State has found many of these programs to be as effective as therapist based Cognitive Behavioral Programs. These online programs have the benefits of being inexpensive, available for home use and are able to be completed privately. When part of the anxiety is related to social problems, the anonymity of online or computerized programs is a certain advantage.
A company calle d Mymindmapps has recently released an iTouch and iPhone application called eCBT Calm. This is 99 cents Cognitive Behavioral App designed to improve anxiety symptoms including the anxiety symptoms seen in children and adults with Predominantly Inattentive ADHD. This same company has three programs, one program for depression or mood called eCBT Mood, one for post-traumatic stress called eCBT Trauma and eCBT calm designed to help anxiety.
When my ADHD Predominantly Inattentive son, who tends to get anxious about many things, tried the eCBT Calm app he reported that it helped him. Before completing the exercises in this app he reported feeling anxious about his acting part in the class play that was to be performed the next day. He was the lead Ninja in a play that his teacher wrote specifically for the kids in his class.
Many adults and children with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive can be introverted. Being on stage can be very anxiety producing for even extroverted people. For an ADHD Predominantly Inattentive introverted individual, this type of activity can be paralyzing.
I asked him to tell me how the app had helped him. He said that the iPhone program teaches you to 'kind of meditate and breathe' to calm yourself down. I asked him if he thought the app was helpful for anxiety. He said that he thought so because he only threw up once before having to go on stage for the play. I am not sure if this is a resounding vote of confidence but my son felt that I should recommend it because in his words, "It was definitely worth the 99 cents that I paid for it."
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