Are there herbal or non-prescription remedies that will address ADHD symptoms in an adult?

[newdayadd]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I posted back in April but of course did not follow up and now can't find it - don't know if it actually posted, so I'm trying again.

I did not have difficulty in school or other problems as a child so I can't get diagnosed or drug treatment from a doctor who has to adhere to the DSM. My condition of being very distractable has persevered. It has affected my work. I watch videos and podcasts to get a better understanding of how to work with symptoms, but it is very frustrating. Is there a non-prescription supplement or some way to get relief? I've read all the books like Driven to Distraction, Healing ADD, ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, and Taking Charge of Adult ADHD. Also, I can't use any marijuana-based products because I work for the federal government.

I hope I can get help from this group. Thanks very much

[GatsbyCat]

Hello, NewdayADD~

Welcome to the group (again!) Sorry to hear about yourU issues.

As an adult, I was diagnosed with ADHD about 3 years ago now. So, yes you can still go and get an assessment. These are usually done in person by a licensed psych. They can either refer you back to your general practitioner for therapy, Rx and more.

It's not too late to go do that. Not sure what state you live in, but if you go to ADDitiude Magazine, they've got a list of doctors specializing in ADHD. Even if your symptoms are mild, you should still get an assessment. Have you tried one?

Once your assessment is done, then you can request an Rx. There are a couple of different kinds that you can try to see which one works better for you. I heavily researched them out to learn more about them and side effects.

Here are some non medicated tips that may help you out with ADHD:

1. Work Out - People with ADD benefit from working out your body daily! Just 30 minutes per day.

2. Meditation- Plenty of Guided Meditations on YouTube. Again- daily maybe 20 minutes

3. Use a monthly calendar with an area for each day. Write a To-Do List for this- you can use either paper or electronic- whichever you prefer.

4. Break out your day by incremental times. How long can you work without a break? (An hour, 15 minutes?) Whatever it is, break it down into segments that keep you moving forward. The key here is forward momentum. If you stop and keep stopping, so does the momentum.

5. Have you tried aromatherapy to help with calm? Some people think this is all hooey, but large department stores, realtors and other BIG Businesses use scent to convey emotions to the consumer. If you're not allergic, use lavender oil in a diffuser, you could also get a glade plug in for work to breath in a calm breath.

6. Set aside a time to answer your emails (maybe right after lunch), and block out each of your tasks as in Step 4 above.

7. Everyday, write in a journal your days frustrations, triumphs and intentions for the next day. This helps you focus on what is important in your life, and what matters the most to you.

I'm sure others in the group will have more tips to help you. These are the ones that work for me. While my medication helps with executive functions and slows the rapidity of thoughts, meditation also helps me stay calmer, so I don't freak out.

While it's something we will always have, we can over time learn to control it. It certainly takes effort AND practise, and is not always easy for sure. Glad you came back here to talk to some kindred souls. BTW, I've heard that Betterhelp.com is also a good place to work with so that you can talk to a professional.

Hope these ideas help you out. Good luck on this journey.

Best regards

Gatsby the Cat

🐱

[surfz in reply to GatsbyCat]

Thank you. Good advice.

[tinyturnip]

I’ve also been looking into more natural ways to support the deficiencies our brains have. I recently bought the book “Finally Focused” by Dr. Greenblatt and am about half way through it. It's exactly what you're looking for and a very easy read with great explanations of the science and simple action plans. Highly recommend! I can't wait to begin putting some of his suggestions into practice.

Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects a.co/d/4ctCQ5E

[newdayadd in reply to tinyturnip]

Thanks very much. I just ordered the book. I hope the information helps both of us.

[Boo0102]

Hi there. I see you’re close to my age. I would recommend that with anything like this you rule out any vitamin/nutrient deficiencies. You might find it very interesting to read up on what a Vitamin D deficiency can do to you. Even just being “low” and not deficient can make a difference since those are just standard ranges and not for you specifically. Some people just require more. Also things like B12, magnesium, thyroid, etc. Ask whoever does your wellness check to do these sort of profiles and make sure that they know of your struggles. Sometimes it is these deficiencies that can mimic some of ADHD and other issues. Best to you.

[Doodledoodledoo]

I want to preface this by saying that I am NOT an herbalist, and I don’t really understand how the ADHD brain functions vs the neurotypical brain. I’m just a person with ADHD who has read the first half of a million books on many different topics including herbalism. My suggestion is to find a local herbalist you can speak to, someone who is studied and practiced in herbalism because they will be able to support you best with this question.

I think of coffee as a plant medicine and I know that coffee/caffeine helps me a lot. There are other herbs/plants that are used for focus, energy, mindfulness etc. remember that herbal medicine doesn’t work the same way as chemical medicine, it’s more about building supportive relationships with plants and looking at health wholisticaly so it’s not like you necessarily take a tincture and feel the effects immediately like you would with a chemical stimulant. Some herbs I’ve read about for focus energy memory are ginseng ginkgo spearmint chickoree and there are a lot more.

I would really encourage you to meet with an herbalist though and not to just buy some crap of the internet because there is a huge market for this and a lot of what you find from a Google search is pure marketing BS and herbal medicine is a long and ancient art practiced by people across cultures since the beginning of humanity. An herbalist will know the herbs, how to prepare them properly, and how to work with you to find the practices that will benefit you the best. I also agree with what some other folks said about mediation and exercise which are two things I am personally trying really hard to cultivate in my life (so hard though!)

Bottom line: If you are truly interested in plant medicine, spend some time finding a good herbalist and it will be a big benefit in the long run.

[plantaunt]

Omega-3 fish oil has been shown to be helpful for adhd: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Both in supplements and in foods such as fish and flaxseed healthline.com/nutrition/12...

[BTV65]

To follow on, I have been using fish oil supplements for years and I find they do make a difference. It's not "huge", and it's not immediate. I mainly notice it when I run out and stop for a few days. I find my thinking gets more sluggish than I'm used to when I'm off my medication (before I take it in the morning, or after it wears off in the evening).

[latinadhd]

hello, I gave DMAE a try a few months ago and while it is not an exact replacement for a typical ADHD prescription; it did come in handy when I couldn't refill before I ran out and is often recommended for some of the symptoms you described as well. It may be helpful but I would also recommend doing your own research in addition to some of the things suggested above. What I noticed when taking the supplement, I felt a little more at ease and was able to complete my daily tasks. It definitely helped my ability to focus and not get overwhelmed by my to-do list. The brand of supplement I got was DMAE by source naturals.

DMAE is said to help better memory (especially short-term memory,) keep you mentally alert, improve focus, mental clarity, better sleep patterns, and a few other things as well. Standard but necessary disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, if you have the resources I would recommend asking your doctor to ensure this would be a safe alternative or addition for you. I wish you the best of luck <3

[Francescatya]

IMHO not really but that depends on severity. That said, exercise, breathing, mindfulness, sleep, talk therapy and diet are all equally important. But there’s a lot of documentation that herbal supplements don’t do much if anything, and other alternative treatments alone are usually insufficient. I’ve also heard caffeine can help due to its stimulating effects, I’m somewhat intolerant to it so I don’t drink much tea or coffee but that’s worth considering.

[Slmndrs]

The thing that came closest to meds (for me! Everyone is different!) was inositol plus sam-e, plus exercise and sleep. And Flylady for getting basic adulting stuff done.