I would encourage you to really ignore the stigma that comes along with it, because I think it's endlessly harmful and only delays treatment for folks.
The best way I can put it, was the first time I got a pair of glasses, I didn't know how bad my vision was (I was like 12)... when I put them on for the first time, I was shocked, I was in disbelief, "this is how everyone else sees?"
Glasses are a tool to help you see better if your eyes don't work correctly, a "stimulant" is a tool to help your brain if you can't focus. The world, in both cases, I was missing, was one I had no idea existed until I had a tool to do so.
I've taken stimulants, both Adderall and Ritalin and I can't stand the way they makes me feel. I don't have a very severe problem though but I do struggle sometimes with procrastination.
I don't know how much patience you have for trialing drugs but some people have reported responding very well to Wellbutrin. In my own life, ritalin was terrible for me but switching over to concerta - a slower dispensing XR methylphenidate - did wonders.
There are a lot of options a neurologist can explore and everyone's brain is different.
That said... if non-pharmaceutical coping mechanisms work to your satisfaction that's great to hear.
I was also diagnosed recently and have moved to taking medication; however, that really only lowers the resitence for me to doing the "right" thing. I still heavily rely on the mental tools that I've learned with my psych. Even before I started medication, those tools were incredibly helpful. Parts of it was just sitting and deconstructing some of what I think and how I act and try to find ways to insert reminders into life. Also, just having a diagnosis helped me personally accept that things like breaks and timers and things that other people don't need to get work done aren't something silly, but very useful devices to help me focus on the things I want to be, not just things that strike my fancy.
I would highly recommend see a doctor if the only thing holding you back is not wanting to do medicine. Mine was supportive and left the decision up to me. I went for around a year before starting and once I started I could def feel the difference -- it's not huge, but it's...a gentle nudge? If you find a doctor who isn't supportive of not using meds, find another doctor. It can be a bit like dating, where if something isn't working or priorities aren't aligned, then you move on.
There are non-stimulant treatments, but they're not as effective. The increase in dopamine is what helps the ADHD brain work more closely to "normal", and stimulants are great at releasing dopamine.
That said, stimulants at doses that affect ADHD don't necessarily to come with other physical side effects.
I take a non-stimulant ADHD medication named atomoxetine (marketed as Strattera) and I’ve found that it’s been life changing.
With untreated ADHD, I was not aware of my attention issues and had trouble understanding the way my mind and the world around me worked, even though I could have fantastic focus and attention to detail when excited about things.
With atomoxetine, I feel that my attention still drifts, but I am able to notice it and respond to it without stress and turmoil. I get distracted often, but it’s actually EASY to just put myself back on task. It still sucks to get distracted, of course :-)
For me personally, it’s been fantastic. I have basically no negative side effects and no physical dependence (if I were to stop taking it, I would miss the benefits, but there would be no extra downsides.) It’s significantly less invasive than stimulants in that way.
A psychiatrist is always the right person to make the call, of course!
I'm happy to share, mental health carries a stigma and it should fucking not... it was really hard for me to seek treatment, I thought about it for years, but the social stigmas [1] kept me from seeking help.
At first, I was given anti-depressants, because if you're very depressed sometimes things like starting/stopping projects is difficult (looks like ADD/ADHD). Also, most ADD medicine is heavily regulated; so, they pretty much put you through a gamut to make sure it's what's actually yer problem. At first this sort of felt like they weren't listening to me, but I do appreciate it now reflecting back (mostly because most health care professionals do want to help you, if you're in a bad place mentally though, it can be hard to realize).
I was at the time suffering pretty horrible depression due to a very bad couple of years; so, it made sense, and it helped my mood-- I didn't feel hopeless but it didn't really resolve my underlying stress of never being able to focus or finish anything (which was pretty deeply affecting me because I wanted to contribute more to my team, or rather more steadily).
After two or three months on anti-depressants, and checking in monthly, I was prescribed a pretty small dosage of Adderall; though, if my insurance was better for mental health I would have tried Vyvanse (I think is what its called). Since the dosage was low after about the first week or so, it would kind of wear off after like four hours... So, after the first month I asked to have it doubled and have been at that dosage since with no issues or complaints been about eight months now.
I've read and hear about a lot of people who sort of have enhanced ADD on drugs like Adderall and I haven't really experienced that at all, with the exception of a couple of days I was battling a lot of sadness. Which is why I think my mental healthcare provider did a really great job addressing it (my depression) first; so, that my ADD could actually be treated.
[1] It's really shitty to have mental health issues because almost everyone tells you to: try "diet X," that you have some bad habit, or that you don't do "Y or Z." If you had a physical injury though, no one is going to say "stop eating sugar to fix it." It's not that some diet, exercise , etc might be helpful, just like it would be to prevent a physical injury), sure... thanks hindsight-man.
By doing that what you're telling someone is: that their problems are completely within their control, that they are to blame, and it's their fault because they're choosing this for themselves. When in truth they cannot control it and should not feel blame or inadequacy for it.
Over the years to treat my ADD I tried:
1. Gluten free
2. Exercise
3. Keto
4. Smoking Weed
5. Not Smoking Weed (went a year without it, didn't help, actually made my ADD worse and I got fat(ter))
6. Vitamins of all fucking kinds
7. Cutting coffee/caffeine out
8. Steady sleep schedule
9. Various other weird "natural" shit too I'm sure
None of it helped but each thing on that list prolonged me from getting help [2].
[2] Having never suffered from that kind of depression before I can honestly say it was a heavy fog, that slowly rolled over my life, that was impossible for me to recognize until I was treated for it. If anyone else out there finds themselves angry or upset in ways that don't reflect who they feel they once were, get help, friend. Depression isn't just about being sad.
