The Adult ADHD Assessment Guide
Chapter 9
Treatment and support
A diagnosis is a beginning, not an end, and adult ADHD treatment options are broader than many people expect. Medication is one part of the picture, but only one. This chapter sets out the main forms of treatment and support, how they fit together, and what they cost, so you can choose what suits you.
There is no single right approach
What helps one person may not be what another needs, and many people combine a few approaches. National guidance recognises both medication and non-medication support, and the right mix is the one that fits your life. Nothing here is compulsory. You can take up as much or as little as you wish, and change your mind as you go.
| What it is | What it can help with | |
|---|---|---|
| Medication | Prescribed treatment, started through a careful titration process. | Steadying attention and impulse for many, though not everyone. |
| Talking therapy | Structured sessions such as cognitive behavioural therapy. | Managing anxiety, low mood and unhelpful patterns alongside ADHD. |
| ADHD coaching | Practical, goal-focused support for everyday systems. | Planning, time, organisation and follow-through. |
| Workplace and study adjustments | Reasonable adjustments, often supported by your report. | Flexible deadlines, quiet space, clearer written instructions. |
| Sleep and lifestyle | Attention to sleep, routine, exercise and recovery. | Reducing the everyday load that makes traits harder to manage. |
Medication, in brief
If you and your clinician decide to try medication, it is started gradually. This is called titration: small, monitored adjustments to find the dose that helps most with the fewest side effects. It is a careful, collaborative process, not a one-off prescription.
Once you are settled, ongoing care is simpler, with a periodic review to check the medication is still right for you. Our costs for both are fixed and shown below.
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Medication (titration) package6 months | £995 |
| Medication review or external-patient onboardingAnnual for adults, 6-monthly for children | £250 |
Beyond medication
Many people find the most lasting change comes from the non-medication side. Therapy can help with the anxiety and self-doubt that often build up over years. Coaching turns understanding into practical systems that actually stick. And at work or in study, your report gives you a recognised basis to request reasonable adjustments.
These approaches work well together. Medication can make it easier to put new strategies into practice, while coaching and therapy help those strategies last.
Support is a conversation
The goal is not to fix you, because you are not broken. It is to remove the friction that has made ordinary things harder than they needed to be. The final chapter, living well after diagnosis, looks at how to carry this forward in everyday life.
Common questions
Do I have to take medication if I am diagnosed?
No. Medication is one option among several, and it is entirely your choice. Many people do well with therapy, coaching and adjustments, with or without medication.
What is titration?
Titration is the careful, monitored process of starting medication gradually to find the dose that helps most with the fewest side effects. It is collaborative, not a single fixed prescription.
Will my GP keep prescribing my medication?
Sometimes, through a shared care arrangement after private titration, but this is always at your GP's sole discretion and not every practice offers it. It is best to ask your GP before you begin.
What support is there besides medication?
Talking therapy, ADHD coaching, reasonable adjustments at work or study, and attention to sleep and routine all help. They work well together, and your report supports requests for adjustments.
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