Why Do Some Seek ADHD Treatment Without Medication?
There are many reasons why you might be looking for ADHD treatment that goes beyond taking psychiatric drugs.
Here are some of the reasons my clients have shared with me:
- Limited efficacy of ADHD drugs
- ADHD drugs wore off
- Disturbing and uncomfortable side effects of meds
- Worried about long term damaging effects of medicine on brain
- ADHD meds did not fix relationship problems with friends and family
- After trying medications, they learned that they still needed to learn emotional regulation skills
- Wanted to improve executive functioning skills
And other clients are suspicious about rapid increase and suspected overdiagnosis of ADHD. For example, Blue Cross/Blue Shield reported an increase in diagnosis of 30% over the past 8 years. Likewise, the Center for Disease Control reports an increase in diagnosis amongst children aged 2-5 of 50% between the years 2007 and 2011.
Facts like these make patients wonder what incentives are driving the push for drug treatment that is going on in our culture, our schools and our pharmaceutical/medical system.
And despite these concerns, many people want help with symptoms of ADHD. They want help for themselves and their children. That leads to a question:
Can People Prevail Over ADHD Without Medication? Absolutely.
I have seen it.
Some people are able to make huge strides in their struggle against ADHD symptoms. And they are able to to it without medication. In fact, there is a lot that a good therapist can do to help you get past the limits that ADHD or ADD place on you. For example, a therapist who is a specialist in help clients with ADD/ADHD can offer you the following:
- Skills Building Therapy- Learn skills to help you with time management, procrastination, distractibility,
- Emotional Regulation Skills- Learn to manage anxiety, anger, depression and feeling of failure.
- Attentional Training- Learn how to strengthen your brain’s ability to focus
- Parenting Skills- Learn how best to guide and support your ADHD child
- Treating Co-morbidity- ADHD doesn’t usually stand alone. It typically co-exists with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
In short, pills don’t teach skills.
Neurofeedback Treatment For ADHD Without Medication.
Some clients are looking for a natural approach to healing and growth. They do their best to take care of themselves and want to have effective treatments that produce lasting results. As a result, they turn to neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback is form of technology informed psychotherapy. It’s a type of biofeedback that assists clients in training their brains to improve their mood, lower their anxiety, enhance emotional calmness and strengthen mental focus.
Some of my clients have done best on medications. They have found that they are effective and necessary for them. Others have decided that there are other psychotherapeutic treatments for ADHD that are more helpful for them.
In summary, there is not an approach that works for all people, all of the time. I hope you find the best approach for you.
Thanks for reading!
If you would like to learn how I help clients with ADHD click here.
If you would like to learn about neurofeedback training, click here.