[skue]

The book the OP mentioned, Delivered From Distraction, is a great resource. The author is a psychiatrist who does a good job of presenting med and non-med options in a balanced way. He has ADD himself and did not find that meds helped him (they work for 80-90% of folks), though they have helped his children and many other patients/friends he describes.

Basic things like regular exercise can help, but meds are still a mainstay for treatment. Although studies have shown therapy to be as effective as meds for depression, there isn't great evidence for therapy for ADD. Meds are effective for most folks, have practically no side effects (at least the stimulants, Strattera can have side effects though it has other advantages), and have been safely used for decades without safety issues. The effects of the stimulants also disappear within hours so if you don't like being on a med you can simply stop. It won't change who you are. And if one med doesn't work well, sometimes another works better.