"Dan" had been on a medication for ADHD since his early teens (over two decades ago!) when he came to see me. Actually, he was brought in by his partner as he had little initiative at that point.
Without his medication, Dan was unable to focus even to have a conversation with someone and would become irritable and rageful when the medcation started to wear off.
Dan was willing to try an alternative to ADHD medication, which is the amino acid tyrosine. Just like meds designed to help ADD and ADHD, tyrosine targets a group of neurotransmitters in the brain called the Catecholamines.
Catecholamines are responsible for motivation, energy, and concentration.
While my goal was to help Dan rely on his medication less, within two weeks he reported that he no longer needed his medication at all. Tyrosine gave him the same good effects without any negative side effects at all.
Also, something strange happened to him...his emotions returned.
He may have been unaware that his emotions were being masked until they came flooding back.
I have seen this with many substance users/abusers who get clean, but I had not experienced this with someone using an ADHD med before. Addiction insulates us from emotions (the reason many turn to it in the first place) and when the substance is taken away, emotions can flood back in an overwhelming way.
When we dig for root causes of symptoms, instead of simply medicating them, the results are often that we get our life back.
I'm so grateful to my clients who are looking for alternatives to medication, want to investigate root causes of symptoms, and are willing to do some hard work to see lasting results.
If this approach peaks your interest, click the "store" tab on my website to learn more. If you are a clinician and want to learn more, my next course will be in the Fall-send me an email to be added to the list of interested attendees (this list will receive the first notifications and special pricing) vonda@nutritionistherapy.com or click the "contact" button on the website.