[PragmaticPulp]

For what it's worth, my psychiatrist friend who has ADHD and specializes in ADHD practice swears by non-stimulant medications for long-term treatment.

His personal preference is Intuniv (Guanfacine). He says the only reason it's not more popular is that the start-up side effects can be unpleasant for a while and proper dose titration takes more work on the provider's side to get it right.

Stimulants don't necessarily lead to dependence, but I have seen enough adults become dependent on stimulant medication or even fall into the trap of doubling up doses or seeking extra sources that it's wise to approach it with caution. Most patients seem to use as directed, but the people who go down the path of addiction and dose escalation aren't necessarily the ones you'd expect.

[solarmist]

I've used Guanfacine. It gave me heart palpitations and high blood pressure without helping my ADHD at all.

Non-stimulant medications can be good, but none of them worked for me. ADHD too broad a category to have a good idea of which medications will work for one individual or another.

The only ADHD medication that's worked for me is Adderal (and XR which I'm currently on). Otherwise the only other medication that's helped me was memantine (an Alzheimer's drug) that helped with sensory processing disorder.