Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex, chronic, and heterogenous developmental disorder. It shows diverse deficits in neurocognitive impairment and developmental trajectories. It marks its onset typically in childhood and might get carried over to adulthood. It is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder that significantly impacts the affected individual’s personal, social, academic, and occupational functioning and development. Inattention, disorganization, and hyperactivity-impulsivity are the main symptoms that are exhibited persistently in this disorder.
Medications do not work the same way for all. While medication is an essential part of ADHD treatment, it may not work for all your symptoms or show effects on everyone the same way. Rather, multimodal treatment is preferred over others, combining medication, therapy, behavioral changes, and skills training. The combination of coping exercises and medications has proved to be more effective. As far as medication for ADHD is concerned, it mainly includes stimulants and non-stimulants.
The parameters that determine the diagnostic ability of any disease are the symptoms, course, genetics, and biological markers. In the case of adult ADHD, the course of illness needs careful consideration. Does it look like the escalation of symptoms from childhood and independent of other diagnoses? Inattention and executive dysfunction in adults seem consistent with the clinical picture of ADHD. Still, one must stay careful not to ascribe these symptoms just to adult ADHD, as it can also appear as symptoms in other conditions.
It is recommended that one gets fully checked by the doctor before considering the treatment method because people with ADHD often suffer from other underlying conditions too. One may have anxiety or another mood disorder or maybe secretly suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and any kind of dependence on drugs and alcohol can have an impact on how one functions.
What are the Symptoms?
Almost everyone exhibits one or two symptoms similar to ADHD at some point in their lives. If some of your difficulties have appeared only recently or occasionally occurred in the past, you might not suffer from ADHD. It is confirmed only when symptoms are severe enough to cause intolerable problems in your life. These symptoms are persistent and can easily be traced back to early childhood.
The most commonly observed symptoms in adult ADHD are as follows:
- Inattention
- Trouble concentrating when reading
- Trouble coping with stress
- Poor organization skills
- Frequent mood swings
- Low tolerance for frustration
- Problems following through and completing tasks
- Impulsiveness
- Forgetful in performing activities like paying bills and keeping appointments
- Inability to sustain mental efforts over a longer period
Medication Options
Medications prescribed for adult ADHD include stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants approved by the FDA for treating adult ADHD are touted as first-line treatment.
There have been reports that 70% of adults and 70% to 80% of children have shown clear signs of improvement shortly after starting the treatment with stimulants. So, they are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms. Symptoms like short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity can be controlled to some extent, at least as long as the medicine is in use.
They are either used alone or in combination with behavior therapy. These are either amphetamine or methylphenidate-based and are available in short-acting (immediate release of medications), intermediate-acting, and long-acting forms.
Some examples of amphetamine-based stimulants include Adderall® (intermediate-acting) Adderall XR® (long-acting), Vyvanse® (long-acting), etc.
Some examples of methylphenidate-based stimulants include Ritalin® (short-acting) Ritalin LA® (long-acting) Ritalin SR® (intermediate-acting), Concerta® (long-acting), etc.
Non-stimulant medications do not show results as early as stimulants do. Hence it takes a while before it starts working. Also, results may not be as good as stimulants, and it could even take many weeks to feel better. Some non-stimulant medications may raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and death by suicide in teens. Hence, they are highly regulated by the FDA.
Some examples of non-stimulant medications include Atomoxetine (Strattera), Clonidine (Kapvay), Guanfacine (Intuniv), etc.
Do I Need Meds?
Some medicines can be successful at providing relief from your symptoms in the short term, but they can also cause long-term side effects. You can sometimes be compromising your long-term health for the benefit of temporarily easing symptoms.
Let’s see what these side effects are:
One of the most prominent side effects of all amphetamine and methylphenidate-based stimulants is worsening anxiety. It hasn’t been emphasized much, but it is clearly a matter of concern since anxiety itself is a major cause of inattention and executive dysfunction. Hence, before finalizing a stimulant medication, it is suggested that one carefully weighs the benefits against the risks discussed above. Whether a certain medication will be suitable for your symptoms or not should be evaluated by your physician based on your complete medical history, the regimen of medications, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements. This will help your doctor determine the best treatment to address your needs.
Professional Therapy
Research suggests that adults with ADHD on a treatment plan including medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (a form of talk therapy that helps to change thought and behavioral patterns) can manage their symptoms much better than those who rely only on medications.
Professionals trained in ADHD can help you learn new skills to cope with symptoms and change habits for your benefit. Therapists help you make behavioral changes focused on managing anger and stress, and controlling impulsive behaviors. Some therapies are also focused on your organizational skills.
- Talk therapy: Underachievement, failure, academic challenges, job-hopping, and relationship conflict affect everyone, but adults with ADHD often get stuck in their patterns and find it hard to talk about or seek help. Talk therapies are individual-oriented sessions where one can release emotional baggage by talking about what disturbs them the most. It could be anything: the feelings of embarrassment and guilt you may have experienced as a child or a teenager, or you always felt as if you were not good enough.
- Marital Counseling & Family therapy: It addresses the problems that ADHD can create in your relationships and family life, and educates you to deal with situations when impulsive decisions look like the only way out. Therapy can help you and your loved ones understand these issues better and shift your focus to finding constructive ways of dealing with them, and of course, communication always makes things easier.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: It encourages you to identify and change the negative beliefs and behaviors that are causing problems in your life. The main goal of this therapy is to change one’s outlook towards life, making it positive and hopeful. Practical issues like disorganization, work performance challenges, and poor time management are associated with ADHD and these are the main areas of concern that CBT focuses upon and helps to improve.
Lifestyle Changes
Some lifestyle changes include:
- Exercise: Physical activity burns off extra energy that otherwise can lead to impulsivity. Exercise also helps in boosting the neurochemical levels in the brain that are directly related to focus and attention, such as Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Serotonin. It further improves concentration, memory, and mood.
- Diet: What you eat impacts your health directly. Hence, be selective of what you are eating and make sure it is healthy and fresh. Ensure your food has a good amount of zinc, iron, and magnesium. If you’re unsure of the composition of the food, then taking a multivitamin would also help. Apart from nutrients, protein, complex carbohydrates, and Omega-3s would help in relieving your symptoms.
- Sleep: Inadequate sleep or poor quality sleep can affect attention, focus, and mood and could worsen your symptoms. A regular sleep schedule is essential, especially for those with this condition. Below are some tips that can help you for getting better sleep:
- Go to bed at a fixed time and get up at the same time each morning, even if you feel tired.
- To get sound sleep, it is very important that you keep your room dark and try to keep all electronic devices out, as the dim light emitting from your phone or digital clocks can also disrupt your sleep.
- Avoid having screen time (watching TV or using smartphones) at least an hour or two before your sleep time.
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Other Ways to Cope
Coping practices help you greatly ease your symptoms when you do them alongside your medications.
- Support groups: There is so much to talk about when you get to meet other people who are also suffering from ADHD. You can share your experiences, difficulties, coping strategies, and more. Such groups are available in both online and offline communities.
- Social support: You may first hesitate to tell your spouse, close relatives, and friends about your ADHD. But when you tell them how difficult it is for you to cope, they will understand you better rather than analyze your behavior. This will improve your relationships.
- Co-workers, supervisors, and teachers: ADHD can make any size of work a great challenge. If for one moment, you can gain that courage and tell your boss or professor that you have ADHD, likely, they will supportively make those small accommodations to help you succeed.
When to Reach Out for Professional Help
Professional help should be solicited as soon as you start experiencing that the symptoms listed above are beginning to get worse because one or two occurrences of these symptoms do not mean anything.
Getting started with your primary care provider is the best way to reach out for professional help. Based on the results of the initial evaluation, you may then be referred to a specialist, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional.
Seek ADHD Counseling from a Trusted Therapist With DocVita
DocVita is one such platform that encourages you to become more informed on your health issues. Scheduling ADHD counseling at DocVita is as easy as ordering food online. Just keep some basic info handy before your consultation. These will help the doctor know your problems better:
- Any recurring symptoms that led to a problem at work, at school, or in relationships
- Any recent life incidents that caused some kind of stress, or any key info about your health
- All the medications you are taking now, including the name and dosage. This even includes vitamins, herbs, or dietary supplements. Also, one should not forget to mention any dependency on coffee/tea. If you consume alcohol or take drugs, mentioning the frequency is also important.
Basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What can be the possible reason behind the development of symptoms in my case?
- What tests do you recommend for me?
- What are the types of treatments available, and which will benefit me?
- Are there any alternatives to the treatment you’re suggesting?
- I have other health problems too. What steps do I need to take to manage both conditions so that my health suffers the least?
- Are generic alternatives available for the medicines you’re prescribing?
- What are the common side effects that are likely to happen after taking this medicine?
Feel free to ask questions anytime you don’t understand something. Psychiatrists, therapists, and doctors at DocVita are very friendly and give you enough space to discuss your challenges without having to worry about the fear of being judged. Schedule an appointment with us today and see it yourself!