What To Do Until the Adderall Comes Through: 102 Non-Drug Strategies

The New York Times reports today that there is an Adderall shortage nationwide, affecting perhaps hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.  As someone who takes antidepressants for my unipolar depression, I can empathize greatly with all of you out there, feeling almost a sense of panic if I weren’t able to get my own prescribed Sertraline, Bupropion, and Olanzapine in the mail regularly.  However, as someone who has long been a vocal critic of ADHD as a medical disorder, and who has cautioned against certain aspects of ADHD drugs (yes, I know I sound like a hypocrite, but hear me out) in my book The Myth of the ADHD Child, I can see how an overreliance on a drug for treating symptoms like hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity can lead to problems like this one.

Diversification is the name of the game.  The Irish got themselves into a lot of trouble in the 19th century when they relied too much on a single variety of potato.  When that potato was decimated by the fungus-like Phytophthora infestans, they were caught short and over a million people died.  Same thing with money.  Put all your money in cryptocurrency markets and see where that gets you. It’s always best to have a variety of alternatives available, and when it comes to disorders like ADHD and depression, the larger the arsenal of available methods to handle it, the more flexibility you have, and the more powerful your ability to control the symptoms.  Yes, I take antidepressants, but I also exercise daily, have a mindfulness practice, do yoga daily, eat a Mediterranean diet, see a therapist once a month, pray, nourish social connections, and engage in other activities that bring me joy like playing my piano, reading great literature, and watching classic movies.

I wrote The Myth of the ADHD Child as a response to parents who got angry at a lecture in Pennsylvania many years ago when I said ”I just don’t think parents are aware of all the non-drug alternatives that are out there.” So the great majority of the book is dedicated to 101 practical non-drug strategies that parents can use to help their ADHD-diagnosed kids.  I’ve adjusted the list so that it works for adults (see below).  So while you’re waiting for your Adderall prescription to be filled, here are 101 non-drug strategies to look over.  See which ones you’re already doing, and which ones can be easily added to your daily routine.  It won’t make all the withdrawal symptoms or the recurrence of ADHD symptoms go away, but it could help in the meantime.  And help is what we all need.

1. Let Yourself Fidget
2. Channel Your Creative Energies into the Arts
3. Emphasize Your Diversity, Not Your Disability
4. Enroll in a Martial Arts Class
5. Make Time for Nature
6. Hold Family Meetings
7. Teach Yourself Focusing Techniques like Mindfulness
8. Discover Your Best Time of Alertness
9. Engage in Hands-On Activities
10. Build, Borrow, or Buy Wiggle Furniture
11. Consider Alternative Healing Options
12. Take Care of Yourself
13. Eat a Balanced Breakfast
14. Give Yourself Choices
15. Remove Allergens and Additives from Your Diet
16. Use Music to Focus and Calm
17. Teach Yourself Self-Monitoring Skills
18. Use Effective Communication Skills with Others
19. Take a Course on Mindfulness
20. Nurture Your Creativity
21. Hold a Positive Image of Yourself
22. Give Yourself Space to Learn New Things
23. Follow Your Interests
24. Establish Consistent Rules, Routines, and Transitions
25. Celebrate Your Successes
26. Make Time to Play
27. Get a Personal Coach
28. Build Resilience in Yourself
29. Have People Give You Instructions in Attention-Grabbing Ways
30. Limit Junk Food
31. Learn Something New
32. Nourish Your Social Connections
33. Learn About How Your Brain Works
34. Eliminate Distractions
35. Engage in Daily Exercise
36. Learn How to Communicate with Others
37. Strengthen Your Working Memory
38. Limit Junk Media
39. Engage in Flow Experiences
40. Use Online Learning as an Educational Resource
41. Use Metacognitive Tools to Help You Think Better
42. Learn Emotional Self-Regulation Skills
43. Teach Yourself Mindfulness Meditation
44. Engage in Spontaneous Self-Talk to Help You in Your Work
45. Engage in Exercise and Recreation as a Family
46. Learn Stress Management Techniques
47. Identify ADHD-Friendly Mobile Apps That Can Help You
48. Find a Mentor
49. Play a Favorite Sport
50. Exposure Yourself to Stimulating Experiences
51. Learn Goal-Setting Skills
52. Ask People for Immediate Behavioral Feedback
53. Work to Promote Worker-Boss Rapport
54. Consider Neurofeedback Training
55. Get Professional Massages
56. Allow Yourself to Move During Work
57. Make Time for Plenty of Humor and Laughter
58. Spend Positive Time Together with Your Family and Friends
59. Discover Your Multiple Intelligences
60. Develop a Growth Mind-Set
61. Make a List of Your Strengths
62. Work and Study Under Natural and Full-Spectrum Light
63. Cook with Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
64. Consider Therapy
65. Pep Up Each Day with at Least One Novel Experience
66. Look for Positive Role Models (e.g. Celebrities with ADHD etc.)
67. Eat a Mediterranean Diet
68. Learn to Do Yoga
69. Use Aromas to Calm and Center Yourself
70. Teach Yourself Something New
71. Rule Out Other Potential Contributors to Your ADHD Symptoms
72. Get Outdoors Regularly
73. Provide Your Child With Real-Life Tasks
74. Use Time Out in a Positive Way
75. Enhance Your Self-Esteem
76. Avoid Exposure to Environmental Contaminants
77. Make Sure You Get Sufficient Sleep
78. Activate Positive Career Aspirations
79. Teach Yourself to Visualize
80. Play Chess or Other Concentration Games
81. Be a Mentor to Someone
82. Practice Self-Awareness
83. Plant a Garden
84. Play Video Games That Help You Focus
85. Engage in Products Involving Augmented and Virtual Reality
86. Try Out for the Community Theater
87. Learn to Take Deep Breaths to Help You Center Yourself
88. Care for an Animal or Garden
89. Support Your Own Late Blooming
90. Consider Individual Psychotherapy
91. Positive Behavior Contract With Your Child
92. Engage in Positive Niche Construction (see The Power of Neurodiversity)
93. Develop Your Social Skills
94. Engage in Strenuous Exercise Once a Day
95. Start a New Business
96. Practice Gratitude on a Daily Basis
97. Create a Blog on Your Experience with ADHD
98. Expand Your Social Network
99. Engage in Projects or Hobbies that You’re Passionate About
100. Learn a Few Work-Arounds to Get Things Done
101. Learn Organizational Strategies

We could also add a strategy #102:  Help Your Child With His/Her Own ADHD Symptoms.  To do this, get my book The Myth of the ADHD Child:  101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion.

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