How to treat ADD without drugs - ADD / ADHD Message Board

Blue102 · 06-12-2005, 01:39 PM

Hi...I have been seeing a psych and a counselor for a while to see if I have ADD. (I have all the symptoms, and fit the DSM criteria.) It's caused some serious impairments in my life. I'm unable to keep a job. My counselor thinks I have it, but my doctor says I just have a very high IQ and am easily bored and distracted. (He actually told me that maybe my calling in life was to not work! Well, wouldn't that be nice?)

I believe I have ADD, but I'm not going to the doctors anymore because I really don't want to take meds anyway. I tried Adderall, but it worsened my pre-existing anxiety and mood problems. It seems to have gotten worse since graduating college, and sometimes I have to drink a glass of wine just to be able to focus on simple things.

My question is this: What can I do naturally to help myself? Exercise, food, herbs, etc? Does caffeine help or hurt? I used to drink about 8 cups of coffee a day, but I'm trying to cut back.

Thanks for any help.

Jess75 · 06-12-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue102

Hi...I have been seeing a psych and a counselor for a while to see if I have ADD. (I have all the symptoms, and fit the DSM criteria.) It's caused some serious impairments in my life. I'm unable to keep a job. My counselor thinks I have it, but my doctor says I just have a very high IQ and am easily bored and distracted. (He actually told me that maybe my calling in life was to not work! Well, wouldn't that be nice?)

I believe I have ADD, but I'm not going to the doctors anymore because I really don't want to take meds anyway. I tried Adderall, but it worsened my pre-existing anxiety and mood problems. It seems to have gotten worse since graduating college, and sometimes I have to drink a glass of wine just to be able to focus on simple things.

My question is this: What can I do naturally to help myself? Exercise, food, herbs, etc? Does caffeine help or hurt? I used to drink about 8 cups of coffee a day, but I'm trying to cut back.

Thanks for any help.

I have the same problem. I get easily bored especially in school, distracted, but yet I have a high I.Q. ADD is a very confusing concept but it is real and it affects me the most when I'm in a high stress situation such as college for example. I have a hard time studying for LONG periods of time even though i understand things, I just get distracted easily since what I'm studying consumes ALOT of my time. Adderall made me worse and I do fine on ritalin. I only take it during school season and it makes me function very normally and helps me concentrate. Is the ADD really affecting your every day life? I do know that exercise and eating healthily do help ALOT but unfortunately, not enough for me. IF ADD has affected you, how, and how much of your daily routine can you take?

Blue102 · 06-12-2005, 06:39 PM

Hey Jessicca, I haven't been on here in a while, but I remember you. So Ritalin is still working well for you? When you take it for a few days, and then stop, does it affect your mood or anything? Maybe I will go back to the doctor and ask him to prescribe that to me, to see if it works. I guess there's a reason there's different medication options out there.

I would really like to find a way to treat it without drugs, though, so if anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it.

Jess75 · 06-12-2005, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue102

Hey Jessicca, I haven't been on here in a while, but I remember you. So Ritalin is still working well for you? When you take it for a few days, and then stop, does it affect your mood or anything? Maybe I will go back to the doctor and ask him to prescribe that to me, to see if it works. I guess there's a reason there's different medication options out there.

I would really like to find a way to treat it without drugs, though, so if anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it.