Treatment Options for Adult ADHD

An adult’s daily life can be severely impeded by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Focusing, sitting still, sustaining relationships, and finishing chores may all become difficult for you. It’s possible that this will make you feel terrible about yourself, nervous, sad, or alone. Fortunately, there are tactics that can ease the burden of adult ADHD on a day-to-day basis.

Medication is effective for most people with ADHD, but there are other, non-drug solutions that may be helpful as well. Medicine may not be able to eradicate all symptoms, but it can make life easier to bear.

In addition to taking medicine, you may need to make adjustments to your diet and routine. An expert on the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults said, "Start with treatments we know are effective." Then, if you’re still curious, check out some of the other options to see if they add anything to your experience.

Consider Medication

It might be overwhelming to try to locate and settle on the best ADHD medicine. The fact that you have so many potential courses of action is both daunting and encouraging; you may work with your healthcare professional to choose which choice is best for you.

When you talk to your doctor about medicine, they will explain the potential side effects and may even give you a trial period to see what works and what doesn’t. You should think about how often you will need to take each prescription, how much money you will spend, and whether or not you see any improvement.

The Question Is, What Can You Do?

According to the NIH, psychostimulant medicines that have been licensed by the FDA are widely used to treat people with ADHD. Dopamine synthesis in the brain is boosted by psychostimulants, while reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine is decreased. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that improves your ability to feel pleasure and motivation in response to your environment. One of the functions of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine is to keep you awake and focused.

Psychostimulants like these are often administered.

• Adderall XR (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine)
• Ritalin (methylphenidate)
• Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)
• Concerta (methylphenidate)
• Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)

The most prevalent unwanted effects of these medicines include a loss of appetite, stomach pain, sleepiness, and headaches, according to a study published in May 2016 in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

People with ADHD who have not shown improvement while on psychostimulant meds may benefit more from a non-stimulant medication like Strattera. Twenty percent to thirty five percent of persons with ADHD in clinical trials had an unsatisfactory response to early stimulant therapy, according to a review published in January 2014 in CNS Drugs. Some patients’ dislike to psychostimulants stems from an unknown underlying reason, while in other circumstances, an allergy to the drug or unpleasant side effects may be to blame.

The Concept of Therapy

Medication for ADHD can be helpful, but it may be even more effective when combined with CBT.

Changing one’s behavior is one of the goals of cognitive behavioral therapy, which emphasizes such topics as positive self-perception and the rejection of pessimistic outlooks. This can be especially useful for individuals with ADHD as they deal with interpersonal connections, daily tasks, work, and education. Cognitive behavioral therapy can teach you practical skills for managing your symptoms and enhancing your mental and emotional health.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to have the "strongest empirical support" for people with ADHD, according to an assessment of 53 peer-reviewed studies on psychological therapies for the disorder. This review was published in March 2020 in the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.

Although it shouldn’t be considered a substitute for medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you adjust your behavior and may have better results than medication alone.

Learn Something

Learning more about ADHD will help you recognize and cope with your condition. You may use this information to figure out how to handle them better. It might help you feel like you have more in common with other people and less like anything is "wrong" with you.

According to Tuckman, "learning about ADHD helps you know a little better what strategies tend to work." Tuckman also noted that when patients recognize that it takes more than just trying harder to pay attention or caring more about school or job to treat ADHD, it helps minimize feelings of shame or blame.

It might be helpful to look for advice and suggestions from people whose experiences are similar to your own.

Invest in Your Connections

Tuckman recommends that others closest to you (family, friends, and love partners) become informed on ADHD as well.

Young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experienced more interpersonal issues than their non-ADHD peers, according to research published in the Journal of Attention Disorders in January 2019.

It’s possible that you’ll start interrupting others, stuttering, talking too much, arriving late, and experiencing extreme emotions. These actions might be misunderstood or even taken personally by others. Keep in mind that you are worthy of love, friendship, and professional success, and that there are tools available to help you cultivate these connections.

Counseling and therapy can assist you and your loved ones adjust to each other’s requirements. If you’re at ease doing so, it might be beneficial to explain the inner workings of your mind to people closest to you. Tell your friend, for instance, if you have trouble keeping to a schedule because of your ADHD. That way, people won’t assume you don’t value their input.

You shouldn’t feel obligated to tell everyone you know about your illness if you’re not able to do so. The key to feeling like your best self again is figuring out what works best for you, be it medicine, counseling, support groups, or some mix of these.

Get Organized

Of course, this appears simpler than it is. If you tend to forget things, try keeping a calendar or organizer where you can jot down reminders for yourself each day. Tuckman urged his team to be detailed when discussing lost items.

When asked for guidance, "Where do you put your keys, wallet, and cell phone?" is more specific than the generic "Find a place to put them when you come in the house." Tuckman revealed to Health. "And how many steps do you need to take once you enter the door before you reach [that] specific location?"

What works for one individual in terms of organizing might not work at all for another. If you have ADHD or not, this holds true. Here is where the assistance of both your mental health professional and adult ADHD peers may be invaluable.

To get organized, you might need to try a few different approaches. Don’t be shy about trying new approaches; whatever works for you is OK by us. The National Resource Center on ADHD is a service provided by Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), which suggests the following as a place to begin:

• If you have a reliable buddy, you might ask them to assist you clean up your house or office. (When determining what to retain and what to throw away, your friends won’t be as emotional as you are.)
• Making use of a timer or background music to keep you on track. (You could, for instance, compile a 30-minute-long playlist.)
• Divide your work into manageable chunks. (The more compact, the better!)

No one is without flaws. You could feel irritated with yourself as you try to adjust to new methods of organizing. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t finish anything you started.

Reduce Distractions

This may sound like something your parents or teachers would tell you, but for many individuals with ADHD, eliminating or at least severely reducing distractions is crucial to concentrating and finishing tasks. At the office or in the classroom, this may be especially difficult. According to the DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association, those who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be distracted by "external or unimportant stimuli."

If you’re having trouble concentrating, it can be helpful to talk to a mental health professional. There are several things you need to avoid doing while working from home, and you may already know this.

It’s also possible to:

• Hearing protection headphones
• Put your phone in a different room.
• A break from social media
• Using a to-do list

Wait a Second Before You Act

The DSM-5 notes that impulsivity in speech and behavior is a common problem among people with ADHD. It’s important to remember that persons with ADHD are just as smart as the rest of us. Some persons with ADHD have a habit of using abrupt, impulsive language.

Though challenging, you should train yourself to pause and reflect before responding. To break this pattern, consult a mental health professional. Rather than verbalizing your initial emotion, writing it down might be useful.

Think Ahead

Have a long meeting coming up that you know will put you on edge? Preparing for potential patience-testing scenarios is a smart idea.

Stay active in ways that won’t be a major distraction, either to you or your coworkers. If you find yourself fidgeting, consider taking notes instead. Alternately, Tuckman suggests more discreet fidgeting, such as twirling a pen in your hands under a table. Feel free to express your requirements to others around you if doing so would make you feel secure.

"Perhaps just tell people, ‘I get antsy during these long meetings, so sometimes I need to move around a bit,’" Tuckman said to Health. "Demonstrate how doing this will make [you] a more valuable member of the team or organization"

Finding a planner that works for your mind is useful in other contexts as well. Continually trying new approaches to see what sticks can be both exciting and stressful.

Move It!

Tuckman posed the question, "Who in the world would you not recommend exercise for?" In addition to its positive effects on cardiovascular health, exercise also appears to improve focus, memory, and learning, as noted by Tuckman.

Managing your ADHD symptoms may seem impossible, but regular exercise might help if you choose a program that fits your lifestyle and ability. If getting to a gym is tough because of distance, lack of time, or the inaccessibility of local facilities, you may want to look into taking courses online or using fitness apps instead.

Mental Exercises

Mental exercise, using methods like crossword puzzles or Sudoku-type games, is said to help with ADHD symptoms like inattention, albeit there is little evidence to back this up.

According to Tuckman, only the working memory training software from the company Cogmed has been shown to be effective in scientific studies, whereas the rest of the program does not.

Fun and relaxation activities like these shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for more conventional methods of dealing with ADHD, such as medication or cognitive behavioral therapy.