I am so glad you asked. Too many people who have used a self-screening tool from the internet have “borrowed” ADHD medications from a friend or loved one and tried to gauge the effect from a single day’s experience.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to consult with a qualified health professional before experimenting with psychoactive chemicals. Even though ADHD medications are, all factors considered, among the safest drugs to use, your brain is something too precious to play around with.
It is not hard to find a trained, qualified, and competent ADHD specialist in Toronto. You can often seek out these individuals for in-person visits, or you can use secure telehealth platforms to access services anywhere in Ontario. Look for a clinic that demonstrates some specialization in ADHD and has a doctor or nurse practitioner onboard for a seamless assessment-to-diagnosis process.
But Shouldn’t I Be Worried About Treating My ADHD with Medication?
Frankly, I appreciate your cautious attitude toward medication, even ADHD medication. Sometimes we put too much faith in medication. If you find yourself stuck in a terrible, dead-end job, antidepressant medication might not be what you need. What you need is a new job! Similarly, if you have ADHD and expect medication to change your circumstances, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
If we identify ADHD as the chronic inability to sufficiently convert intention into action (what we call deficient “executive functioning”), the right ADHD medication can help you bridge that gap. If you need a new job, but can’t quite follow through on your intentions to apply for jobs, it might just be your ADHD that is holding you back. The depression you might be experiencing might not be causing your inability to send out your resume—but it could well be the result!
Medication management for ADHD might get you over-the-hump to fire off those resumes, and that could change your circumstances. It won’t be the medication changing your life, it’ll be you, freed up by ADHD medication, to become a better, more effective version of yourself. Using ADHD medications is not about giving up control, it’s about taking control.
Aren’t ADHD Medications Addictive?
That’s a good question. The most straightforward answer is, No, they aren’t. But I want you to have all the facts. Medications for Adult ADHD are not physiologically addictive. They are not like THC, nicotine, or even caffeine. You won’t find yourself lost in cravings or withdrawal if you stop taking them. With the correct dosage, they full metabolize overnight, so they are out of your system by the time you wake up.
As one notable expert on ADHD often quips, “If ADHD medications are addictive, why do so many people forget to take them? Have you ever heard of anyone saying, ‘I forgot to take my heroin today’?” If I forget to buy coffee, I feel it within an hour of waking up. Most people taking medication for adult ADHD don’t realize they forgot to take it until early afternoon when they realize they haven’t had a normally productive day.
That said, some people come to believe that they cannot function at all without their ADHD medication, and that’s just not true. We might call this a psychological addiction, but this has nothing to do with the properties of the medication itself. Once people get used to their “new and improved” level of executive functioning, they may want to continue taking their medication but in fact they don’t need to take it. They’ll just be glad when they do.
Related: ADHD and Medication: Exploring Stimulants and Alternatives for Adults
How Do I Know Which Medication for Adult ADHD is the Right One?
This is where I “climb down off my high horse.” I’m a therapist, and I work with lots of people coping with ADHD, both medicated and not medicated. I have seen some truly life-changing results for people who begin combine ADHD medications with ADHD-specific coaching and/or ADHD-informed psychotherapy for overall management of ADHD. But I am not a prescriber.
What I understand from experienced prescribers is that there is a ranged of considerations when selecting the right formulation and the right dosage, including use of other prescribed medications, sensitivity to medications in general, previously-diagnosed psychiatric conditions, age, weight, and even lifestyle. Based on published evidence and their own clinical experience, a prescriber will select the formulation and the dosage based on the best odds of success.
Since everyone is different, and to avoid very rare adverse reactions, most prescribers will begin with a low dosage and gradually increase it until the client reports satisfaction with its effect. Sometimes name-brand medications are preferred to generics, even though they are the same compounds, because name-brand medications often have superior coatings, allowing for a more even release throughout the day. That said, generic medications often catch up with name-brand medications in short order.
And that’s another good reason to consult with an ADHD specialist when considering medication for adult ADHD.
Is There Anything Else I Should Know?
Just this: you are doing the right thing by reading this, and doing your homework. You should feel confident that you are in good hands before embarking on the use of ADHD medications. Find a healthcare professional or a clinical setting (even a virtual one) that has deep experience working with ADHD, and check-in regularly for full management of your ADHD. If you are looking for ADHD medication management near Toronto, Ontario trust So You Need Therapy.