Drug free treatments

[Onyxruby35]

I have ADHD and was wondering if there is any drug free treatments available without insurance I ask this because I took medication in the past for my ADD and ADHD and I hated the side effects I had while taking these medications.

[Knitting20projects]

I have seen various supplements that advertise for “focus”. There isn’t much evidence from medical studies to support their use, but as we all know, every individual is different. I think Nordic Naturals or maybe Natrol might have something. Sorry, I don’t remember exactly. I actually priced them & they were too expensive for us.

[Gettingittogether]

Therapy--cognitive behavioral therapy--to promote an optimistic attitude of experimentation and persistence and patience and self compassion. Neurofeedback is a non-drug therapy.

Just a caution: problems with meds in the past don't mean problems in the future. You gotta get the right dose and right med. Just in the past 15 years since I got diagnosed, I've been on the same med at different times (actually two different meds at different times). Both meds affected me and my body very differently from one time to the next. I guess my body and brain changes.

[Gettingittogether in reply to Gettingittogether]

Also coaching with an ADHD focus and exercise--cardio and strength training. Also going into nature.

[notanotter in reply to Gettingittogether]

CBT helped me with a bunch of things, mainly to get out of my own way. I should go back and try some methods with an eye to the ADHD.

[Jozlynn]

I'm not familiar with the drug-free approach because meds work so well for me, but I do follow a gentleman on LinkedIn who is always talking about non-medical ways to manage ADHD. It's extremely informative! Here he is: linkedin.com/in/josephpack/

There are also nootropics - have you tried those? I tried them once but couldn't tell if they helped because I did still have my meds on board, but I've read a lot of good things about them. I'm sure there are others, but the one I tried was this: takethesis.com/

Hope that's helpful!

[Knitting20projects]

Also I think exercise helps. Too bad I can’t get myself to do it. That’s on my list of priorities.

[Gettingittogether in reply to Knitting20projects]

There lies the problem. Two excellent things to do for yourself without meds are exercise and meditation. Problem is it's hard to do those without medication! That's one reason I became so pro medication is that I started doing all the "natural" stuff more once I got on meds.

Definitely try CBT.

[Knitting20projects]

PS I also wonder if, depending on the side effects, maybe trying medication again with some coping strategies and seeing if, with time, your body adjusts? Of course, if they’re unsafe ones or you’re truly miserable I don’t recommend that.

[notanotter]

According to my psychiatrist, if you get at least 20 minutes a day of high-intensity exercise, that will give you a big dose of the dopamine we desperately need. You can do high intensity by something like a HIIT exercise class, or as simple as alternating walk-run-walk even if you just run 20 seconds between every 2 minutes of walking.

You say "without insurance", so do you mean low-cost?

I know two people are are managing their mental health conditions with regular exercise and good nutrition, without meds, and doing well if not perfectly (who is).

[Gettingittogether in reply to notanotter]

OMG high intensity intervals leave me feeling fantastic! Slow jogging works wonders as well, but something about the high intensity seems to really calm me. Maybe it's because I'm really tired afterwards, but I feel so relaxed when I do intervals. I'm recovering from surgery and slowly building back up to running intervals.

I am glad you shared what your psychiatrist said.

I endorse weight lifting as well. A psychiatrist years ago recommended it for me because he said when you get going with weights, you really can't think of anything else while lifting. You tend to stop thinking and worrying--and that break from thinking, he said, is good for the brain and for mood and for appearance and on and on.

[OldIndigoBlue]

Depending on whether or not you like to read books, there are many different non-medication approaches, but what I find (I can't take the meds either) helps the most is exercise, and I've changed my diet and cut out sugar as much as possible, and processed foods, too. Dr. Daniel Amen - who many people disagree with - lists different supplements and protocols for "different types of ADHD" in his book, "Healing ADHD" - again, what works for one person may not work for another, but there are recommendations out there. Plenty of folks on YouTube dealing with ADHD and discussing alternatives to medication. As "notanotter" put it, doing well but maybe not perfectly (and who is)... Good luck!!! Hope these suggestions give you a starting point for your deep dive.