Four Underutilized Non-Prescription ADHD Behavioral Strategies

With the recent revelation that almost one in four adolescents and teens are addicted to some form of prescription medication many parents are arriving at the realization that ADHD prescription medications are not the panacea they once were thought to be. Adding to this anxiety is the fact that Ritalin is right at the top of the list of addictive drugs and has been given the classification as a Schedule II drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration because of the potential of abuse. In this article we will explore four non prescription ADHD strategies shown to be both safe and effective.

*Group therapy: Many of us have heard of group therapy and may have even participated in it at some point in our lives. As you may already know there is value in this type of therapy and many of the institutions that utilize it are both reputable and have withstood the test of time.

ADHD group therapy can be described as a group of people with ADHD symptoms meeting regularly, with or without a therapist (though some type of leader or organizer is needed), to discuss problems, share experiences, and find solutions.

Individuals with ADHD regularly have less than stellar planning and organizational skills and can be difficult to deal with whether at home, at school, at a social gathering, or at work.

In family group counseling the entire family meets with a therapist to better understand family members with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to uncover family solutions.

Couples where one or both partners have ADHD may find group therapy helpful in working out issues stemming from adult ADHD symptoms such as forgetfulness, carelessness, lack of patience, and having a short temper.

High school and college student may find group therapy helpful in finding more creative ways to complete assignments, stay organized, and stay focused. High school and college ADHD group strategies may also prove helpful with self esteem and boredom issues often seen in this age demographic.

*Psychoeducational counseling: This ADHD strategy is mainly reserved for adult ADHD. Psychoeducational counseling places the emphasis on understanding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developing tools to live effectively with it. Your counselor will likely discuss topics like ADHD symptoms, various treatments and medication, alternative treatments, coexisting conditions, support groups, additional resources and funding available, disability issues, and insurance concerns.

*Awareness training: This type of non prescription ADHD strategy focuses on helping the ADHD individual become more aware of how they think, feel, and act. By developing an increased sense of awareness into one's inner self they are then able to consciously change the ADHD behaviors that are holding them back or creating problems in their lives.

*Skills development training: This ADHD strategy helps a person develop and/or improve specific skills they may need for a variety of different situations. It is also a viable alternative to standard talk therapy.
Instead of dissecting emotions to learn what motivates an individual with ADHD to think and behave in a specific way skill training helps a person focus solely on improving or developing the concrete skills an individual needs to function more effectively. Many people who have gone through skills training discover that as they develop new skills they begin to think and act in a positive and life-affirming way. The end result is they start to perform much better at home, at school, and in social settings.

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