Study: Non-Medication Treatments for ADHD Not as Effective as Stimulants

If everything has felt like too much lately, I get it.

You’re in one of those long webinars. The speaker is droning on and on about something vague. Time seems to flow in an absurdly slow manner.

Opportunities are like sunrises, if we wait too long, we miss them.Too often we waste our time waiting for the ideal path to appear. But it never does of course. Because we forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting.

Richards always dreamed of becoming a leadership trainer. It wasn’t just a casual interest, it was his passion. Throughout his life, he experienced many highs and lows, but as he reached middle age, he felt a strong pull to use his decades of corporate experience to guide and inspire others.However, the path to becoming a professional trainer wasn’t easy.

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault

Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause intensify ADHD symptoms, revealing a direct correlation between estrogen and dopamine levels.Estrogen is the hormone responsible for the sexual and reproductive development of girls and women. It also manages important neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, which is central to executive functioning; serotonin, which regulates mood; and acetylcholine, which aids memory.

Less than 1% of published ADHD research is dedicated to women patients. This inequity is maddening, but less shocking when you consider the fact that ADHD was regarded as a strictly childhood disorder just 20 years ago. ADHD in adults did not exist, according to medical literature published a generation ago.During my psychiatry residency from 1987 to 1991, I only treated one adult with ADHD, a young man who was having difficulty in his medical school classes.

With the benefit of hindsight, Candace Rollins* now sees the red flags of intimate partner violence (IPV) in her marriage. “The belittling comments that put me in my place — more and more over time, not letting me have friends over, driving a wedge between me and my family,” explains Rollins, a mother of three in Virginia. “I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I kept on keeping on.

A small study suggests that menstruating people with ADHD may achieve more effective and consistent symptom control by increasing the dosage of their prescribed stimulant medication in the luteal phase, when estrogen levels hit their lowest point.There is a dearth of research examining the changes in ADHD symptoms and medication efficacy during all phases of the menstrual cycle, and during other times of hormonal change.However, one 2023 study published in Front Psychiatry found that increasing a patient’s dosage of stimulant medication during the week prior to menstruation can significantly improve cognitive and emotional symptoms of ADHD during this notoriously difficult phase in the menstrual cycle.1 The study was the first of its kind to examine the impact of adjusting stimulant medication dosages during the menstrual cycle for women with ADHD and co-occurring depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) – a severe form of PMS.Prior to the study, these women experienced “diminished response to amphetamines in the late luteal phase” and an “exacerbation of their ADHD and depressive symptoms in the premenstrual week” that was not helped by their regular ADHD medication. This experience was echoed in ADDitude’s 2023 survey of nearly 2,000 women with ADHD, two-thirds of whom said they experienced intense symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or PMDD, beginning, on average, at age 14 and lasting for up to 40 years.

Too often, ADHD symptoms and circumstances push women to leave high school or college before graduation, limiting professional opportunities as a result. Impulsive behaviors and limiting choices can haunt us and affect our self-esteem, but they need not dictate our career potential.Here’s how to recover from early setbacks and forge a path to a satisfying work life.You have unique talents, some of which may remain hidden.

Actor Busy Philipps, 45, recently shared her ADHD diagnosis – a revelation that came as her young daughter was being evaluated and diagnosed. Philipps realized that she checked all the boxes for the condition too.Despite earning the nickname “Busy” as a child because she rarely stopped moving, she had long dismissed her ADHD symptoms as personal weaknesses.

Not available June 5th? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.“Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music.” — Dr.

January 29, 2020Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy increase the risk of ADHD diagnosis in childhood, according to a study from The Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. This is the first study to investigate the impact of maternal vitamin D levels on formally diagnosed cases of ADHD in children.1Researchers identified many covariates associated with ADHD in offspring, including maternal age, self-reported smoking, socioeconomic status, immigrant status, and substance abuse.

Research tells us that girls and women with ADHD are diagnosed much later in life than are boys and men due to misunderstood symptom profiles in women 1, outdated gender stereotypes, strong coping mechanisms among women, poor clinician awareness, and a high prevalence of comorbidities. 234Studies on gender differences show that ADHD is consistently under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, or undiagnosed in girls and women for the reasons above — and many more.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) have today announced a sublicensing agreement between MPP and a Nigerian health technology company – Codix Bio – to start development and manufacturing of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) using technology transferred from global in-vitro diagnostics company – SD Biosensor (SDB). This agreement will contribute to advancing equitable access to vital diagnostic tools through local production, expanding manufacturing capacity in the African Region.

I hope you’ll find something here to help you enjoy your summer and beach time even more this year (and something for your Instagram posts too).“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.” – Robert Henri“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard.” – Psyche Roxas-Mendoza“Dance with the waves, move with the sea. Let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine“At the beach, life is different.

Workplaces today are not the same as they were a few years ago. The way people lead, work, and grow within companies has changed. The leaders driving these changes are not just focused on tasks.

“Your either like me or you don’t. It took me twenty-something years to learn how to love myself. I don’t have that kinda time to convince somebody else.” ~Daniel Franzese

Patience isn’t about waiting, it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in.As you move through the days and weeks ahead, remind yourself that it takes roughly 66 days to form a new habit. So for the next nine and a half weeks, consciously leverage the actionable reminders below to look at the brighter side of your life, and you will gradually rewire your brain…When life feels like an emotional roller coaster, steady yourself with simple rituals. Make the bed.

Or simply tell him a couple of them today to make him laugh about fatherhood and the many fierce challenges he has no doubt met so far.“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain“Having a 2-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” – Jerry Seinfeld“Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks.” – Jim Gaffigan“I rescind my early statement, ‘I could never fall in love with a girl who regularly poops her pants.’ I hadn’t met my daughter yet.” – Dax Shepard“I would rather drink a piping hot bowl of liquid rabies than get on a plane with my two children.

This poem is a heartfelt tribute to the unseen heroes, light beings, love warriors, and astral leaders who walk among […]

Closing that slippery deal or overseeing a complex operation often requires a delicate personal touch, even if that means traveling halfway around the globe. There’s always a degree of risk involved. After all, not every business trip can have you visit safe environments free from diseases and other hazards.

By Charles Barnard, founder of Success Institutes. Tyler was only seventeen. A top student, varsity athlete, and beloved by teachers, […]

Forget the torch—electric dab rigs are making concentrates way more beginner-friendly, without sacrificing flavor or control. With rising interest in cleaner, more convenient alternatives to traditional methods, these high-tech devices are gaining traction—especially among newcomers curious about smoother, more accessible sessions.

In contemporary dermatology and aesthetic medicine, the role of botulinum-based injectable products continues to evolve. Among the newer solutions available for wrinkle correction and facial smoothing, Metox Botox is receiving increasing attention from professionals for its consistent effect, clinical precision, and modern formulation. It is part of a broader movement in anti-aging treatment that focuses not only on wrinkle prevention but also on subtle enhancements of facial tone and expression. Full technical details for Metox Botox can be found at https://skin-reboot.com/product/metox-100-units/.

Addiction is a widespread problem affecting millions of people worldwide. It can take a serious toll on health, relationships, and work life. Detoxification, or detox, is often the first step in breaking free from substance abuse. Many see detox as a quick fix, but does it really work? Understanding both its benefits and limits can help you decide on the right path toward recovery.

There’s a story I read to my children, an old piece of African folklore. In the tale, a clever jackal outwits a mighty lion by convincing him that the rock ledge above them is about to collapse. The lion, believing the jackal’s warning, uses all his strength to push up against the rock, holding it in place.

The truth does not vanish when it is forgotten or ignored.You know how you can hear something a hundred times in a bunch of different ways before it finally gets through to you? The ten truths of life discussed here fall firmly into that category — timeless lessons most of us likely learned years ago, and have been reminded of since, but for whatever reason we haven’t fully grasped them yet.This, my friends, is my attempt at helping all of us, myself included, “get it” and “remember it” once and for all…We know deep down that life is short, and that death will happen to all of us eventually, and yet we are infinitely surprised when it happens to someone we know. It’s like walking up a flight of stairs with a distracted mind, and misjudging the final step.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”ConfuciusThis article is about a few mistakes I’ve made.About a few destructive habits that can make life quite messy and unhappy.And it’s about what you can do instead to replace those mistakes and habits with something better.This article is all about uncovering simplicity if you find yourself having overcomplicated your life.Few habits and mistakes are as common as getting stuck in overthinking.I used to do it all the time.And it led to a lot of analysis paralysis, to little action being taken on what I deep down wanted and to so much time and energy wasted.What to do instead:Set short deadlines.When you have all the time in the world to consider something then that can often wind up in you spending a lot of time thinking about the situation at hand from every conceivable angle.I have found that learning to set short deadlines is really helpful for this, although it take a bit to practice.So for small decisions like if should go and do the dishes or go and work out I usually give myself 30 seconds or less to make a decision.For somewhat larger decisions that in the past would have taken me days or weeks to think through I set a deadline for 30 minutes or for the end of the workday.Say stop in a situation where you know you can’t think straight.I know that I’m more vulnerable to negative thinking and overthinking things when I’m hungry or when I’m close to my bedtime.And so I have learned to stay away from thinking about anything important during that time.And if such thoughts with a negative twist still pop up then I tell myself: No, no, we’re not going to think about this now.Because I know that I will be back to thinking clearly and optimistically again

And the ones that will help you to explain to your dad just how much he means to you.“My father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future.” – Liza Minnelli“I am not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my father’s equal, and I never loved any other man as much.” – Hedy Lamarr“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” – Tim Russert“My Father’s tears and fears are unseen, his love is unexpressed, but his care and protection remains as a pillar of strength throughout our lives.” – Ama H.

Sonia Jenkins is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. […]

Introduction

“Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul ,be just another human soul.” ~Carl Jung

You can’t lift a thousand pounds all at once, yet you can easily lift one pound a thousand times. Tiny, repeated efforts will get you there.I have witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages — 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and more. How did they all do it? In a nutshell, they started making gradual progress in their lives, step by step.

No matter how you use them, I hope they will help you and the dads in your life to have positive and happy day.“Bigger than the sky. Deeper than the ocean.

Among all the open discourse on mental illness and how it affects different people in their lives, you may have occasionally heard the phrase “Imposter Syndrome” from time to time. If you’re unaware of the term, however, suffice to say that imposter syndrome (also called the “imposter phenomenon” or “imposterism”) is the overwhelming and persistent fear or perception that, despite evidence of one’s competence, a person believes that their expertise and achievements are fraudulent.

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Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is simply believing you’re worthy of the trip.“Life hasn’t been the easiest on me lately. I won’t get into all the details now, but the tough times I’ve been living through have left me with many cracks. And although I’ve still managed to be a reasonably successful person, on most days I struggle desperately with my self-confidence. I just don’t feel good enough. I feel flawed. I feel like my cracks make me undesirable…”Those are the opening lines of an email I received recently from a new reader of our blog.

Every January for the past few years, I’ve run a big bundle sale offering a collection of online tools to help you heal, grow, and reconnect with peace, joy, and meaning. But this year, it didn’t happen when I planned.

Women with ADHD typically spend their lives masking to fit in. In social situations, we cringe with embarrassment and self-recrimination when we arrive late, interrupt, or say something that seems inappropriate.

How do ADDitude readers overcome negative thoughts and rein in their big emotions? Many turn to positive affirmations to reduce feelings of fear, self-doubt, and shame — and to increase self-acceptance.Here are some of the reflections, self-directed pep talks, sayings, and favorite inspiring quotes that readers shared:“I am a good person. I deserve love. I am calm. I am peace.”“My emotions are valid, and I am allowed to have them.”“This is only temporary.

Many teenage girls and young women with ADHD come of age feeling different or misunderstood. To fit in, gain acceptance, or feel loved, some engage in sexual activity, mistaking it for intimacy or a gateway to true relationships.Research suggests that women with ADHD are more likely than their neurotypical peers to engage in sexual exploration at a younger age and to have multiple sexual partners.

I come from a generation that assumed women could not have ADHD, and I felt so misunderstood. Society taught us that girls were caregivers, nurturers, nice, quiet, and pretty. I didn’t meet those expectations.

PMS is unfamiliar to few women. Roughly 80% of menstruating women experience premenstrual symptoms like irritability, mood swings, and cramps.1 Now imagine PMS symptoms with the volume turned up to 11. You feel hopeless, depressed, worthless.

When you owe money, receiving calls from debt collectors can be stressful and intimidating. However, it’s important to remember that you have rights. Debt collectors are regulated by specific laws designed to protect you from abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices. 

When crisis strikes—whether in the form of natural disasters, violent conflict, personal tragedy, or global pandemics—some people seem to recover with remarkable strength. Others may struggle to regain their footing. Why? Psychology offers important insight into this question, illuminating what shapes human resilience and how it can be cultivated even in the darkest moments.

When most people think of therapy, they imagine sitting on a couch, dredging up every painful memory like some grim archaeological dig. But the truth is, good therapy doesn’t just stitch up old wounds, it rewires the way you move through the world.

Use one or a few of them for a card, social media captions on for example Instagram or simply to have a good laugh with friends and loved ones during the celebrations and bitter sweet moments in between it all.“If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.” – Muhammad Ali“My dear terrified graduates, you are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives. The stories you are about to live are the ones you will be telling your children, and grandchildren, and therapists.” – Lin-Manuel Miranda“Don’t be frightened: you can always change your mind.