The Real-Deal Guide to Complementary Treatments for ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is as multifaceted as the individuals who live with it. Just as there is no one singular presentation of ADHD, there is also no singular treatment. This point was vividly illustrated by the findings of ADDitude’s 2023 treatment survey of more than 11,000 caregivers and adults with ADHD.

In addition to taking a deep dive into stimulant and non-stimulant medications, we asked readers about the natural treatments, therapies, and interventions they use — from A (ADHD coaching) to Z (Zinc) — to address their ADHD symptoms. Readers offered forthright feedback about benefits of and barriers to each treatment, assessing efficacy in symptom management as well as considering other factors like cost, convenience, and side effects.

We’ve rounded up their ratings and reviews (both positive and negative) to offer a comprehensive overview of complementary treatments and interventions for ADHD, according to real people. Ranked from most recommended to least, here are our readers’ top choices:

Exercise for ADHD

“When I do get into a good stride with routine exercise, it almost always goes hand-in-hand with better eating habits, focus, energy levels, and mental clarity — and stronger relationships and productivity. I wouldn't say that exercise leads to all of these benefits, but it's undoubtedly a crucial piece of the puzzle.”

Recommended by:

• Adults: 95% of those who have used it
• Caregivers of Children: 94% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Exercise?

• Adults: 50%
• Children: 40%

Benefits of Exercise

• Better focus
• Elevated mood
• Improved sleep

Barriers to Exercise

• Consistency is hard to achieve
• Some forms of exercise can be boring
• Team sports may challenge ADHD kids with social skills deficits

What Our Readers Say About Exercise:

“Regular exercising has had a nearly miraculous effect on my daily life quality, especially when it comes to managing mood and anxiety-related issues, and improving the rhythm and the quality of my sleep.”

“Interval running in the morning calms my body and mind so I can start my day peacefully. Being a little tired helps me sit still to get work done.”

“It's crucial—probably as, if not more, important than medication. I don't need to do much exercise, but it has to get my heart rate up significantly.”

“Cardio helps with anxiety and emotional regulation. Speed work helps me release irritability.”

“ADHD coaching helped me to narrow down my biggest challenges and work on practical solutions for the day-to-day things I struggle with.”

Recommended by:

• Adults: 93% of those who have used it
• Caregivers of children: 82% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used ADHD Coaching?

• Adults: 17%
• Children: 13%

Benefits of ADHD Coaching:

• Practical help with daily challenges
• Offers an accountability partner

Barriers to ADHD Coaching:

• Benefits are short-lived
• Expensive and not typically covered by insurance

What Our Readers Say About ADHD Coaching:

“I have struggled with time management, organization, and these practical lifestyle skills. Being able to have a coach who focused specifically on helping me develop these has been truly invaluable and life changing.”

“It helped a lot to get help making achievable goals, and to have someone check in with me regularly about them, to be accountable to someone.”

“Found very helpful but only when it was actively happening. Results did not last.”

“I think it would help a lot if I were able to do it regularly. I would go back to it if I had the money.”

“CBT has helped me to understand the cascading of emotions and impulsivity that I have experienced my whole life; and to ride those out with greater patience.”

Recommended by: 

• Adults: 81% of those who have used it
• Children: 79% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used CBT?

• Adults: 46%
• Caregivers of Children: 34%

Benefits of CBT:

• Helps with emotional regulation, RSD, and self-understanding
• Effective in treating anxiety
• Helps develop problem-solving tools

Barriers to CBT:

• Challenges inherent to ADHD make it frustrating
• Can be costly

What Our Readers Say About CBT:

“What CBT helped me with the most was processing the emotional side of a late-in-life diagnosis. It helped me work through my grief, anger, and let go of years of pent-up shame.”

“Very effective, particularly for emotional regulation and improving awareness of triggers.”

“It’s like undoing a nut with your fingers. The wrench of meds is much more helpful.”

“It has helped our teen with understanding himself better, increasing self-esteem, and recognizing his thought processes. It doesn’t help with impulsivity or behaviors necessarily, but he is more aware of how his brain functions and he knows he is not a bad kid.”

“Quieting my mind and being more present has been helpful to reduce my emotional dysregulation and spiraling thoughts.”

Recommended by:

• Adults: 89% of those who have used it
• Children: 76% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Mindfulness?

• Adults: 59%
• Caregivers of Children: 30%

Benefits of Mindfulness:

• Improves mood and emotional regulation
• Helps with falling asleep

Barriers to Mindfulness:

• Hyperactivity and impulsivity can make it frustrating
• Consistency is key, but it’s hard to remember

What Our Readers Say About Mindfulness:

“Mindfulness is useful for bringing me down from a heightened emotional state, but it doesn't keep me from getting there in the first place.”

“Whenever I remember to do it, I feel more clear-headed and down to earth. It's difficult to remember to do, though.”

“Sometimes meditation feels like a cool drink of water on a hot day. Sometimes it feels like I’m wasting my time. I accept this, and keep up the habit.”

“I’m terrible at being able to sit still, so traditional meditation felt like torture. I have to involve enough movement to engage my brain enough so it's only able to focus on the here and now.”

“I cut out added sugar, junk food, and fast food. This drastic change in diet has had a drastic improvement on my mental clarity, physical and mental well-being, and ability to focus.”

Recommended By: 

• Adults: 84% of those who have used it
• Children: 73% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Diet or Nutrition?

• Adults: 29%
• Caregivers of Children: 30%

Benefits of Diet and Nutrition:

• Reducing sugar and artificial colors/dyes/sweeteners improves mood swings, hyperactivity, and focus
• Increasing protein helps energy and concentration

Barriers to Diet and Nutrition:

• For picky eaters and those with suppressed appetite, eating problems can interfere with caloric intake
• ADHD symptoms make consistency a challenge
• Adopting a healthy diet can be expensive

What Our Readers Say About Diet/ Nutrition:

“A high-protein diet gives me more stable energy throughout the day.”

“After avoiding sugar for an extended amount of time, I can clearly see that when I consume sugar or carbs I feel a brain fog, and it is hard to focus.”

“As someone living alone with ADHD, it's difficult to stay on a nutrition plan. Consistency is often a problem.”

“We struggle to get enough calories into our child due to decreased appetite and body image issues. We are happy to have her eat, regardless of what or when.”

“Neurofeedback can help you become aware of specific behaviors that may be caused by ADHD and can give you a plan to modify those behaviors. Awareness is critical.”

Recommended By: 

• Adults: 81% of those who have used it
• Children: 69% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Neurofeedback?

• Adults: 9%
• Caregivers of Children: 14%

Benefits of Neurofeedback:

• Helps with focus and clarity
• Improves anxiety

Barriers to Neurofeedback:

• Takes a long time to work
• Cost is often prohibitive

What Our Readers Say About Neurofeedback:

“Helps to pause and think more clearly.”

“It was extremely slow, but we did see an improvement with our son. After 40 sessions, we saw that he was doing much better and had learned to focus better in school.”

“Costly and time-consuming.”

“After about 100 treatments, there was a clear improvement in concentration.”

“I keep my vitamins at work and use them on days that my medication isn't cutting it. I'm able to focus, very well actually, for a couple hours.”

Recommended By: 

• Adults: 66% of those who have used it
• Children: 55% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements?

• Adults: 49%
• Caregivers of children: 49%

Benefits of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements:

• Supports overall health
• Helps with side effects of medications
• For those with limited diet, vitamins supplement nutrition

Barriers to Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements:

• Hard to measure the positive impact of vitamins
• For caregivers, it’s just one more thing to nag kids about

What Our Readers Say About Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements:

“The combination of supplements I have found has improved my mental health overall and has felt like a better form of support than medication alone. They are more accessible and more sustainable overall.”

“They help keep my alertness and offset some of the tiredness from stimulants.”

“It's difficult to say how well the supplements are working, and the best effects are easily attributable to my use of medication. But there certainly seems to be no harm, so I'm still trying it.”

“When you parent a child with ADHD, there is so much reminding and it becomes exhausting. It feels like ‘just another thing to do.’”

“Makes me feel less alone, lessens the feelings of failure, and provides strategies. Very convenient, short lessons and brain hacks allow you to try out a little bit at a time.”

Recommended By: 

• Adults: 64% of those who have used it
• Caregivers: 52% of those who have used it

How Many Readers Have Used Brain Training?

• Adults: 6%
• Caregivers: 6%

Benefits of Brain Training:

• Helpful for emotional dysregulation
• Short lessons feel manageable

Barriers to Brain Training:

• Hard to measure benefit
• Training skills don’t transfer to real life

What Our Readers Say About Brain Training:

“Helped with learning how to identify and manage my big emotions.”

“It has made a huge difference, and has let me achieve results at my job in spite of my ADHD brain. Each time I stopped using it, my cognitive abilities worsened, so I kept coming back.”

“My son improved at the specific games but there was no crossover into real life situations.”

“Motivation and discipline are needed to use a digital program to help with ADHD. I was not consistently interacting with the program and found the reminders to be more annoying than helpful.”

Alternative Therapies for ADHD: Next Steps

• Download: 2024 Scorecard of ADHD Treatments
• Read: Natural Remedies for ADHD - How to Augment Treatment
• Watch: Unlocking the Future of ADHD - Advances in Research, Diagnosis,
• Download: The ADHD Healthy Habits Handbook

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