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July 16, 2008, 8:18 am
Flag as Inappropriate CallieO  

I was diagnosed with ADD a couple of years ago. Before that I thought I was just disorganized and scattered. I would love to know if anyone else has this diagnosis and what are your favorite tips for dealing with the condition without meds? I tried meds for a bit but prefer not to take them if I can help it.

As far as I know, unless the ADD is really minimal, something needs to happen to change the brain's chemistry. Anything that will do that, whether it is natural, organic, or pharmaceutical, is a drug.

If your ADD is minimal, you can start arranging your life around a schedule, and use the schedule faithfully. Standard teas and herbs can be added for their calming affects.

Some people swear by Fragrant Valerian and Black Cohosh. A good book to use as a guide is "The Herb Book by John Lust.

You should be very careful with Black Cohosh, it is an abortificant, and can cause internal bleeding.

Have you considered any diet changes to see if you have food-allergy related attention issues?

As already mentioned the only truly effective method to control ADD/ADHD is medication. You should also be careful with black cohosh as it can make age spots darker (something they forget to tell you).

Someone mentioned this already but you should have yourself checked for food allergies. One thing not to neglect is artificial sweeteners. Aspartame makes my kids hyper in an angry kind of way and while I have nothing to back it up I'm more than a little suspicious of sucralose now that I've had some in my diet. Too much sugar is not a good thing so we all try to reduce but I find sugar better than any chemical alternative I've used.

ADD is often diagnosed with minimal studies or testing which leaves room for a misdiagnoses. So if you did not receive thorough check ups and tests to rule out everything else I would get a second opinion. If you are certain of your diagnosis then the book that you were referred to in the first post is a very good guide to organic foods that may help.

ON the Black Cohosh....

If you aren't pregnant you shouldn't worry too much about it. It has the same risk of causing internal bleeding as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.

I am also Adult ADD. I take Staterra. It helps but I still have to make lists of things I have to do the next day or a forget. I also don`t drink caffene. I take vitamins. My list is the biggest thing I do that helps me. By the way for some reason the Staterra helps me lose weight too,added benefit.