1. How to treat ADHD – doctor or medication or both – ask around and shortlist clinicians and be willing to travel to find the right person.
2. Adult Diagnosis is increasingly common and since 2014 more adults than children are being diagnosed. Accept the past is over and focus on moving forward.
3. Treatment Options – stimulant or non-stimulant – counseling or coaching. Discover your challenges and strengths by taking time to reflect on how the condition impacts your life.
4. Using these target symptoms measure how they make an impact and which symptoms you need or would like support in managing. If you take medication, measure how effective this is for your symptoms.
5. Medication and Side Effects – find what suits you. Titration of medications helps you tailor the dose and reduce side-effects. Sometimes the side effects can be worse than the symptoms – shift medication or accept that you will find relief using lifestyle changes instead.
6. Untreated ADHD has risks but not all risks apply to all people and those for adolescents is far higher – for example car accidents 45% higher risk for those with ADHD. ADHD Adults earn 17% less than peers. Childhood ADHD is more likely to lead to drug or alcohol abuse. Nearly 1 in 4 women with ADHD have attempted suicide. Divorce rate is twice that of the general population if one partner has ADHD.
7. The key is to examine how your symptoms manifest and consider all the ways you can work with your strengths while exploring which options work best. This is a lifelong condition and there is no quick fix. Be kind. Be Patient. Be Forgiving.