WARNING Adult ADHD San Diego: Psychiatrists Say Slow-Down On Caffeine And Switch To Holistic ADHD Treatment Without Medication For Adults

One client, a high-level executive, found coffee helped him have a more productive day and kept him more motivated and organized. But before he knew it, one cup a day had evolved into 8-9 cups a day just to meet the demands of his job.

• Due to his non-stop schedule, demanding deadlines, and frequent travel, it took our patient some time before finally seeing a psychiatric care provider.
• He's a successful executive whose hands are always full, so coffee became his regular companion while working.

In most cases, ADHD patients are unaware of their own condition and they only seek professional help at their breaking point.

In most cases, adult ADHD patients are unaware of their own condition and they only seek professional help at their breaking point. Part of the reason for this is that so many adults find ways to adapt to the strain ADHD puts on their daily life. They find coping mechanisms so they can function, and even often be very successful unaware that what they are experiencing is not completely normal.

Because of his ADHD, the executive was understimulated in the prefrontal cortex. This often results in less dopamine, and key parts of the motivation, organization, and reward systems that are regulated by that part of the brain.

Adult ADHD brains often tend to crave stimulation since they are missing it. When they find stimulation, it is rewarded in being able to focus, stay motivated, and an influx of dopamine. Caffeine is naturally a stimulant that plays into this cycle, and you can probably see why it can become addictive and feel more and more necessary to have more overtime. Not all patients can recognize this when living undiagnosed.

Fortunately, this is not the case with our patient. Although he may not have been fully aware of the extent of his adult ADHD, he knew that much coffee was too much. In his initial visit, he was already making progress with caffeine tolerance, reducing his daily consumption.

Through our interview session, we found that what he needed was a bit of lifestyle modification to bring balance. He is a successful executive with a handful of job responsibilities, and this had taken too much time away from his much-needed self-care.

His psychiatric care provider discouraged drinking coffee in that excess, and really try to limit consumption at all if on any stimulant medication. As part of his ADHD treatment (which focused on treatment without medication appropriate for adults), we also recommended the following:

Engage in mindfulness activities

Mindfulness comes in many forms. A short vacation can qualify as a mindfulness activity, giving a person time to reflect and unwind. New studies suggest that Transcendental meditation improves brain functions by blocking irrelevant information and allowing the person to focus. Aside from focus, the purpose of mindfulness is to help our patients find balance in life.

Our patient needed to step back from his intense lifestyle. He needed to enjoy a more laid-back set of activities, so we recommended meditation. This helped calm his system down free from caffeine indulgence, and the result has been positive so far.

Outdoor activities

We also recommended outdoor and other physical activities to help reduce stress levels. This could get him off excessive caffeine intake. As for our patient, he found paddleboarding to be a de-stressing activity.

This line-up of activities aims to bring the patient back into a state of wellness–rather than solely focusing on symptom management. Our San Diego psychiatrists and psychiatric care providers apply a holistic approach that addresses various aspects of the patient’s condition to ensure long-term improvements.

While the patient can take medication alongside mindfulness routines and lifestyle adjustments, the holistic approach can work as an adult ADHD treatment without medication for some patients. We have a team of adult ADHD specialists in our San Diego clinic to talk to if you want to know more about what treatment works for your best.