ADD and not taking any meds...

Guess I should say some stuff about me...I'm Charity, 18, had A.D.D. forever....diagnosed in 2nd grade, all that fun stuff.
2 years ago I was on strattera, but it didn't really work out so I stopped. A few months ago I tried Vyvanse, but my mom made me stop taking it because of the risks of taking medications and all that...

So I just want to know if anyone knows of a way to...help a.d.d. issues...concentrating...at all....without medication. Any tricks...natural remedies, whatever. Thanks.

this is my nonmedical opinion. based on what i can see, the current medical literature on treatment of adolescent/adult ADHD seems quite confusing and scattered. there are reports here and there that support the use of psychotherapeutic approaches, but nothing *definitively* that seems to work. but this is true of medications also, as you've probably noticed based on your experience switching from strattera (non stimulant) to vyvanse (amphetamine-like stimulant).

that being said, it looks like like you can look into the idea of "adhd coaching", which usually consists of a person who applies training to your day-to-day activities, so as to improve short-term memory, and time and organizational skills management. it's said in several studies that improvement of short term memory leads to good improvement in ADHD problems.

also, there are some reports of using "cognitive behavioral therapy" to manage ADHD, although the data is kind of sketchy. most of these studies are pretty small, and i think they get biased results based on the researcher who's trying to get funding, especially as the outcome is rather subjective. for example, in one study of CBT for children with ADHD, a positive outcome was defined as whether the parent observed improvement. but the thing is that the parents themselves were performing the CBT coaching, so it's really hard to get an unbiased opinion from that!

as for natural remedies like herbal supplements, i really don't think there's anything safe, but this is only my lightly informed opinion.

Hmmm thanks for all that. I'm just worried 'cause I'm not on any meds, highly disorganized, can't pay attention, and am going to college in the fall...

for a drug that most consiter safe you can try caffine. it is a stimulant, but milder then some others. and cheap and easy to get I was doing really bad this morning and had a latte and now I can actually read/type other then that the coaching thing sounds neat, but it probably isn't covered by insurence....

Yeah, I've done caffeine like that. Does help. I'm not now though...hmm. I actually used to take caffeine pills to concentrate. It's addicting though...like my mom worries about it 'cause I could not take it for a day and it'd give me headaches...so I dunno.

I wonder if people who say they just have to have thier morning coffee or just can't function are self medicating? its a better way of self medicating then those who take meth......

I don't want to do too much caffine right now because I am nursing. if my kids were older though I might....

Yeah, hmm...interesting.
I think I might just start taking some caffeine again...since I'm not allowed to take any prescription medication any more because of all the things they can cause...

I don't take meds, they caused horrid side effects for me, long lasting ones, so was taken off. Only tried on concerta and ritalin so not many but I would rather cope in other ways than meds for this. Just trying to figure out those other ways... bit hard, but I think trying your hardest is all you can do.

Even if you are on meds, they should only be one piece of your ADHD "plan."

I'm 34 and wasn't diagnosed until I was 32 so I have lots of experience doing it without meds. Believe me, that includes a lot of wrong turns... haha.

For me (and most ADHD types) here are the keys...

Simple organization - like having a hook for my car keys next to the front door so I never have to look for them.
Getting yourself into the right environment - finding jobs, study locations, etc that have the right amount of stimulation for you. And also altering that environment when possible to suit your needs (ie, requesting a slightly more isolated desk at work so you're not distracted by office chatter, that sort of thing)
Writing things down - Get things out of your busy, crowded mind!!! I get a lot of benefit from breaking my to-do's down into simple steps on paper lists so I can concentrate on the next thing on the list, instead of all 50,000 things floating around in my head
Exercise, good sleep, good eating - This might be THE most important part. If you're not a perfect eater (and who is? not me!) a simple multivitamin is good... gummy vitamins are fine, centrum is fine, huge amounts of vitamins are a waste so don't go nuts... keep them in your bag or at your desk so you can remember them more easily.
Meds - Yes, these DO help. I love my Adderall, don't get me wrong.


We all (me absolutely included) love the idea of curing ADHD with simple "magic pills" whether it's meds or the right magic combination of vitamins. That's just human nature! Who wouldn't want to pop a pill and get better?

But really it's the behavior changes that are going to to make life easier, more fun, and more successful. Good luck!!

FMSynth wrote:Even if you are on meds, they should only be one piece of your ADHD "plan."

I'm 34 and wasn't diagnosed until I was 32 so I have lots of experience doing it without meds. Believe me, that includes a lot of wrong turns... haha.

For me (and most ADHD types) here are the keys...

Simple organization - like having a hook for my car keys next to the front door so I never have to look for them.
Getting yourself into the right environment - finding jobs, study locations, etc that have the right amount of stimulation for you. And also altering that environment when possible to suit your needs (ie, requesting a slightly more isolated desk at work so you're not distracted by office chatter, that sort of thing)
Writing things down - Get things out of your busy, crowded mind!!! I get a lot of benefit from breaking my to-do's down into simple steps on paper lists so I can concentrate on the next thing on the list, instead of all 50,000 things floating around in my head
Exercise, good sleep, good eating - This might be THE most important part. If you're not a perfect eater (and who is? not me!) a simple multivitamin is good... gummy vitamins are fine, centrum is fine, huge amounts of vitamins are a waste so don't go nuts... keep them in your bag or at your desk so you can remember them more easily.
Meds - Yes, these DO help. I love my Adderall, don't get me wrong.


We all (me absolutely included) love the idea of curing ADHD with simple "magic pills" whether it's meds or the right magic combination of vitamins. That's just human nature! Who wouldn't want to pop a pill and get better?

But really it's the behavior changes that are going to to make life easier, more fun, and more successful. Good luck!!

I'm with FMSynth. Regardless of whether you're on medication or not, you should implement other plans of attack so to speak. The easiest place to start is reading up on ADD so you can gain more perspective on it. You can also buy workbooks on ADHD as well. There are dairies, planners, and personal organizers to keep notes in. I have also found my iphone extremely helpful for organizing my life. Someone already mentioned ADD coaching and there are therapists who specifically work with those with ADD. You definitely have a lot of options at your disposal.

Things might be more difficult for you, but they're not insurmountable. You might have to work a little harder or require a little more time to get things done, but you're not doomed. There are a lot of disorganized, scattered brain people out there who are getting by just fine. You'll be okay.