Education on Stimulant Medications Versus Other Forms of Treatment for ADHD

Most individuals and families come to evaluations fairly skeptical of even considering stimulant medications as a primary avenue for treatment of ADHD. This is unfortunate and is directly related to rampant misinformation and stigma in public opinion. It does not take long researching online to find negative opinions about stimulant medications on social media, state and national news sites, public forums, etc.

Did you know?

• Individuals with ADHD who do not pursue medication treatment are more likely to have premature mortality before the general population by 6.8 to 12.7 years

• Stimulant medications have been proven to significantly reduce numerous issues across the life span including substance abuse, suicide, motor vehicle accidents and tickets, school failure, incarceration, early unplanned pregnancy, affairs and divorces, obesity and binge eating, etc.

• Stimulant medication effectiveness is higher than all other classes of psychiatric medications

• Stimulants are much safer than myths suggest

It is also important to understand that a lot of well meaning professionals often do not steer individuals in the right direction when it comes to sound research on treatment for ADHD. School staff are typically undertrained in understanding and identifying ADHD and have no training in stimulant medications. Many medical doctors have little to no training on ADHD and stimulant medications unless they are psychiatrically trained, completed a specialized clinical rotation in medical school, and/or have pursued post-graduate training/specialization. A majority of mental health therapists, whether at masters level or doctoral level training, also have limited training in ADHD, especially beyond the basic diagnostic criteria for symptoms.

An integral value I have for ADHD evaluations is that individuals and/or their families leave with some understanding of their treatment options, the actual research on those treatments, how to navigate finding appropriate services, and how to advocate for their treatment needs effectively.

I am not a prescriber. I do not give medical advice for an individual’s treatment. I ensure that you are equipped to make informed decisions about your or your family members treatment of ADHD, whether it be via medication, therapy, alternative treatments, tutoring services, etc. It is also worth mentioning that this discussion is often relevant for whole families, given the high heritability rate for ADHD.