A Quick Rundown on Medications Used for ADHD

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is very common among both children and adults. It is characterized by difficulties in paying attention, being easily distracted, issues with impulsivity, or being very hyper or overactive.

ADHD Treatment Options

ADHD is one of the most studied mental health illnesses in the world. Over time there have been many different medications and treatment options developed for people with ADHD. In fact, as a mental health illness ADHD is one of the most successfully treated illnesses. That means-with proper treatment symptoms can be treated to remission pretty frequently. Treatment options for ADHD include behavioral therapies and medication. Medication for ADHD is then further broken down into two broad classes: stimulants and nonstimulants.

Stimulants

Stimulant medications are the gold-standard for ADHD treatment. What does this mean? They are the most studied and have the most evidence as the most effective treatment. Stimulants tend to have a bad rap a lot of times in the general population. This might be because stimulant medications are controlled substances, meaning they have some potential for abuse or addiction. Now, certain types of stimulants have a higher risk for abuse or addiction than others. And it’s important to know that because they are controlled substances their use is tightly monitored by your provider and your pharmacists (remove s). Many measures are taken to avoid abuse risk as much as possible.

Stimulant medications are good to use for ADHD for a number of reasons. They are the most effective for most people. Stimulant medications also tend to work very quickly. You also do not need to take stimulants every day for them to be effective. Many people even take off on weekends or during times when they feel they may not need them.

It’s important to note that all stimulant medications affect different people differently, and different people may require different dosages of medication. Just because a friend had a poor reaction to one does not mean that medication is “bad.” It just means it may not have been the right medication or correct right dose for them. Often, people can become afraid of stimulants after hearing how one person may have had a poor response to one, but the truth is they affect everyone differently and they can change people’s lives for the better!

Some common stimulants are things like (remove things like) Vyvanse, Concerta, Focalin, Adderall, Ritalin, and there are (remove there are) many more!

Non-Stimulants

They're also a handful of non-stimulant treatment options for ADHD. Non-stimulant treatment options may be helpful for people who do not tolerate stimulants or simply do not want to take a stimulant. The non-stimulant options are not controlled substances, meaning they do not have a documented risk of abuse or addiction. Most of the non-stimulant options do require you to take the medication daily, and they tend to take longer before they are effective than the stimulant medications. Some non-stimulant options include things like (remove things like) Guanfacine, Clonidine, Strattera, and Qelbree.

Seek Help!

Don’t let the fear of ADHD treatments scare you from getting help! ADHD can be a gift, but it can also cause some difficulties with tasks required to thrive in school or in work. There are plenty of treatment options out there and one of them is right for you!