Help ADHD Without Medication
I have adult ADHD and refuse to take medications. I've seen what these medications can do - zone people out, cause more behavioral problems; I want none of it.
But one day my husband frustratingly asked, "What is wrong with you today??" I had been VERY forgetful, I procrastinate until I forget what I need to do, and I keep saying I'll do things then I won't do them. I felt like there was nothing I could do without medication - like I was stuck being like this all the time. My husband let me know that I can help myself with diet and exercise and he badly wanted me to look into it.
So that day I looked it up. I read articles and watched videos. And low and behold - diet and exercise can supposedly help me curb my ADHD.
Yoga & Tai Chi is suggested for ADHD. I've now done yoga more than once and feel it is strengthening my body and giving me some inner peace & balance. It's relaxing my muscles & taking away stiffness (which is unrelated to my ADHD but definitely a perk).
This diet thing seemed tough: No gluten, no sugar AND no artificial sweeteners (is that even possible??). No preservatives and no dairy... NO DAIRY? I LOVE DAIRY! Yogurt, cheeses, eggs, sour cream... Are you serious??
But I felt the urge to do something. I just switched positions at work to a department that is much busier and takes on much more during the day than what I was previously doing for 1.5 years. I NEEDED to be able to concentrate and retain information better. I NEEDED to at least try something out and see if it helped me.
Guess what? IT HAS!
The first week was kind of a slap in the face... the dairy and gluten was the first thing that I realized made up a lot of my diet. My family had chili dogs... I had a hog dog, chili, & onion. No bun, no cheese, no sour cream.
My family has cake, cookies, & chocolates. I may have a bite here and there, but nothing compared to what I was having. I might have a bite of something with sugar in it once or twice a week.
I have fruit at work, and Juanita's chips (gluten free) has been my go-to snack while working.
This is one of THE TOUGHEST things I've ever done. But after cutting out sugar & artificial sweeteners alone, I don't really crave them now.
It has now been 2 weeks. I am remembering things I feel I wouldn't normally remember (family asking me to get something extra at the store, procedures to a new task I learn at work). I laid in bed and remembered dance moves to a whole song that I learned 15 years ago! (The last time I attempted the dance, I forgot moves to about half of the song.)
I feel more on top of my tasks at work and feel I'm retaining information better than before. I don't feel I procrastinate as much, and feel I'm much more productive during my days.
Medications can have nasty side effects and even make people worse. I've had BAD experiences with anti-depressants & other medications that I may write about separately. From what I've heard, there are many disorders that can be helped by diet & exercise. If you're having any issues with a disorder, I HIGHLY suggest you just do some research. You may find information that will not only surprise you, but also improve your quality of life!