"The ADD Treatments For Adults Awards: The Top, Worst, Or Strangest Things We've Ever Seen
ADHD Treatments For Adults
Adults are able to benefit from many of the same therapies as children. These include medicine, counseling (psychotherapy) and life skills training. These treatments can consist of a combination.
Stimulant Medications
These drugs work by increasing brain chemicals that regulate attention and self regulation. They include the chemical methylphenidate (marketed as Ritalin, Concerta) and stimulants from the amphetamine group like Lisdexamphetamine (marketed as Adderall, Vyvanse).
Stimulant Medications
Stimulants boost the body's metabolism and can cause increased mental alertness and physical activity. These include legal substances like caffeine (added to coffee and tea) and nicotine, as well as prescription medications that treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), narcolepsy and hyperactivity. In large doses, stimulants may result in over-stimulation and cause anxiety, heart palpitations, hypertension, aggression and paranoia. Long-term use of stimulants can cause the dopamine system in the brain to malfunction and decrease feelings of happiness. The stimulants are available in pills, liquids or patches that go on the skin. Cocaine, methamphetamines, and amphetamines are stimulants that can be obtained illegally and abused.
Medications in this class are known as central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. They work by increasing the amount of certain chemicals in the brain that improve concentration, decrease fatigue, and improve alertness. They are the initial line of treatment for adults with ADD or ADHD. These medicines are available in a morning-only formula or in longer-acting formulations that are active throughout the day, such as lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate.
The health care team could also recommend psychosocial interventions, like psychotherapy or education. adhd adults treatment is important to monitor the effectiveness of medicines over time. This can be challenging.
Non-stimulant Medicines that are not stimulants
Around 15%-30 percentage of children don't respond to stimulant medications, and this is likely to be the case for adults as well. The non-stimulant medications take longer time to kick in and may take a few weeks for you feel any effects. However, they don't have the same risk of adverse effects as stimulants, and could be a better choice if you can't tolerate these medications or are concerned about addiction.