ADHD Treatments For Adults
Adults are able to benefit from the same treatments that children receive. These treatments include counseling, medication (psychotherapy), and life skills training. They could also include the combination of these therapies.
Stimulant Medicines
These drugs work by increasing the amount of certain brain chemicals that aid in controlling attention and self-regulation. They include methylphenidate, available under the brand names Ritalin and Concerta and stimulants from the amphetamine family like lisdexamphetamine. It is marketed under the brand name Adderall and Vyvanse.
Stimulant Medications
Stimulants speed up the body and can cause increased alertness to the mind and physical activity. These include legal substances such as caffeine (added in coffee and tea) nicotine, prescription drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) and narcolepsy and hyperactivity. In large doses, stimulants may create over-stimulation, which can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, hypertension as well as paranoia and aggression. Long-term stimulant use can cause the dopamine receptors in the brain to malfunction, reducing feelings of happiness. The stimulants are available in pills, liquids, or patches that are applied to the skin. The most commonly used and illegally obtained stimulants include cocaine, methamphetamines and amphetamines.
Medications in this class are called central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. They function by increasing the quantity of certain brain chemicals which improve concentration, reduce fatigue and increase alertness. They are the initial line of treatment for adults with ADD or ADHD. These medications can be a formula that acts quickly that is taken in the morning, or a longer-acting medicine that remains active throughout the course of the day, such as the lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) or methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin).
The health care team can also suggest psychosocial interventions, like psychotherapy or education. Monitoring the effectiveness of medication over time is crucial, and can be an extremely difficult task.
treatment for adult adhd -stimulant Medicines
Around 15%-30 percentage of children don't respond to stimulant drugs, and this is likely applicable to adults as well. Non-stimulant drugs take longer to kick in and could take as long as several weeks to notice any effects. But, they don't come with the same danger of having side effects as stimulants and can be a better choice if you can't tolerate the effects of stimulants or are worried about addiction.