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Over-the-counter ADHD treatment alternatives can be a helpful way to ease symptoms for people who are hesitant about prescription stimulants used to treat ADHD or want to combine their prescriptions with other treatments to enhance symptom relief. It can also be a way to ease symptoms as you wait for a formal diagnosis—which can be a long and frustrating process for some.

With that in mind, many of the supplements and home remedies you’ll see online don’t have much scientific evidence to back them up. To help you navigate the vast and confusing world of ADHD treatment alternatives, here’s an overview of the non-prescription options with the most substantial evidence backing their efficacy.

Caffeine

Caffeine is perhaps one of the most thoroughly studied and widely used forms of self-medication among people with ADHD. In animal studies, caffeine consistently and significantly improved memory and learning. Meanwhile, a review of human studies found similar positive cognitive benefits, including increases in the following:

The doses that provided the optimal benefits for ADHD patients were typically between 200–400 mg. That’s roughly two to four cups of coffee.

While caffeine is believed to be the main active ingredient responsible for helping people manage certain ADHD characteristics, coffee also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, both of which may also play a role.

If that’s the case, drinking coffee rather than taking caffeine supplements might be the best way to get these potential benefits. If you’re not a fan of coffee, green tea and black tea have a similar profile of caffeine, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds—but they only contain about a third of the caffeine.

Aromatic Amino Acids

While most known as the building blocks of protein, amino acids also serve other functions in the body—one of which is acting as a neurotransmitter precursor.

For example, your brain needs to combine phenylalanine and tyrosine to make dopamine. To make serotonin, it needs tryptophan. These three amino acids—phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan—are collectively known as aromatic amino acids.

ADHD traits are largely the result of low dopamine levels, the neurotransmitter that acts as a “go” signal, motivating a person to take a particular action or make a decision. So, the idea is that increasing the intake of the aromatic amino acids your body needs to make dopamine will help your body produce more dopamine. That, in turn, may help people better manage some characteristics of ADHD.

These supplements can also have side effects. For example, while l-tyrosine is considered generally safe, it can also cause side effects such as:

• Anxiety
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Nausea and vomiting
• Restlessness
• Skin flushing

Antioxidants

Oxidative stress—when free radicals from your environment damage cells and tissue—has recently gained attention as a possible contributing factor in ADHD. The existing research is still too new to draw any firm conclusions but early data suggests that reducing oxidative stress may also help people manage certain aspects of ADHD.

This involves increasing your intake of antioxidants. Two of which show early promise include:

Maritime Pine Bark Extract

One of the most widely recommended for ADHD—this supplement is a natural plant extract that contains a combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids, and phenolic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits. Also known as pycnogenol, maritime pine bark extract includes a potent antioxidant that has been found to improve attention and visual-motor coordination while reducing hyperactivity in children with ADHD.

Ginseng

There are limited studies on ginseng, another potent antioxidant, as a treatment for ADHD. Daily ginseng supplements were associated with reduced inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in children with ADHD. While dosing varied, 1,000 mg per day was associated with positive results.

Iron and Zinc Supplements

Nutrient deficiencies are another focus of research into the contributing factors of ADHD. While the data is mixed, the most consistent findings suggest that iron and zinc levels are often lower in ADHD patients compared to control. Moreover, as levels of these two minerals are brought back to normal, ADHD characteristics like inattention and hyperactivity tend to decrease.

Heme-iron (found in meat and fish) is absorbed at rates of 25% to 35% while non-heme iron (from plant sources) is only absorbed at rates of 1% to 10%. Meanwhile, your body absorbs anywhere from just 16% to 50% of the zinc you consume.

Instead, it may be more worthwhile to add iron and zinc-rich foods to your diet as a way to bolster the effects of your other treatments.  A few foods that are high in both:

• Red meat. A 3.5-ounce serving of ground beef contains about 44% of your daily zinc requirement and 15% of your iron.
• Poultry. A 3.5-ounce serving of turkey delivers about 14% of your zinc and 8% of your iron.
• Dark chocolate (70% or higher). A 3.5-ounce serving of dark chocolate contains around 30% of your daily zinc and over 60% of your daily iron requirement. As a bonus, dark chocolate also contains caffeine and antioxidants, which are also thought to help with ADHD characteristics.
• Seeds. Three tablespoons of hemp seeds contain as much as 43% of your zinc and 16% of your iron. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also good sources of both.

Your healthcare provider can test your iron and zinc levels to get an estimate of how efficiently your body absorbs these minerals and whether or not supplements might help.

A Note on Buying and Using OTC Supplements

While that’s not an automatic deal breaker, it does mean that the burden is on you to do the research and learn which brands you can trust and which supplements actually have scientific backing. Reading this overview of your options is a great first step. If you’re considering trying any of the over-the-counter ADHD medication alternatives, here are some tips to keep in mind as you shop around:

Check for a USP or ConsumerLab Label

Lack of regulation means supplements may not even contain the ingredient (or the dosage) the label says it contains. US Pharmacopoeia (USP) and ConsumerLab are two independent, nonprofit research labs that test and verify consumer products. Seeing either on the label confirms that the supplement does indeed contain the ingredients listed at the dosage claimed—and without any contaminants or unsafe additives.

Choose Products with Detailed Active Ingredient Lists

Some natural supplements are made of extracts while others are just a whole root or plant ground up and packed into a capsule. Both can be safe and effective (if verified), but the dosing will vary. It’s the difference between “50 mg of caffeine” and “50 mg of coffee.” That 50 mg of coffee contains caffeine but also the bean itself with its other compounds.

Always Consult your Healthcare Provider About New Supplements

Even though you may not need a prescription to get anything on the list above, you should still consult your provider about the appropriate dosing and possible drug interactions with any other medications you’re taking (for ADHD or anything else).

A healthcare professional can help you develop a personalized treatment plan for maximum benefits with the least potential risk.

Kurt Lewin was an influential psychologist recognized today as the founder of modern social psychology. His research on group dynamics, experiential learning, and action research had a tremendous influence on the growth and development of social psychology.

He is also recognized for his essential contributions to applied psychology and organizational psychology. In a 2002 review of some of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, Lewin was ranked as the 18th most eminent psychologist.

Significant Events In Kurt Lewin’s Life

• Born on September 9, 1890.
• 1914 – Joined the German army.
• 1916 – Awarded a PhD from the University of Berlin (although he’d completed the requirements two years prior).
• 1921 – Became a lecturer at the Psychological Institute of the University of Berlin
• 1933 – Emigrated to the United States
• 1935 – Became a professor at the University of Iowa; published A Dynamic Theory of Personality
• 1944 – Established research center at MIT
• Died at age 56 on February 12, 1947, of a heart attack

Lewin’s Early Life

Born in Prussia to a middle-class Jewish family, Kurt Lewin moved to Berlin at 15 to attend the Gymnasium. He enrolled at the University of Frieberg in 1909 to study medicine before transferring to the University of Munich to study biology. He eventually completed a doctoral degree at the University of Berlin.

He originally began his studies with an interest in behaviorism, but he later developed an interest in Gestalt psychology. He served in the German army and was later injured in combat.

Lewin’s Career in Psychology

In 1921, Kurt Lewin began lecturing on philosophy and psychology at the Psychological Institute of the University of Berlin. His popularity with students and prolific writing drew the attention of Stanford University, and he was invited to be a visiting professor in 1932.

Eventually, Lewin emigrated to the U.S. and took a teaching position at the University of Iowa, where he worked until 1945.

Lewin established the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Training Laboratories (NTL). Lewin died of heart failure in 1947.

Lewin’s Field Theory

Influenced by Gestalt psychology, Lewin developed a theory that emphasized the importance of individual personalities, interpersonal conflict, and situational variables.

Essentially, Lewin’s field theory suggests that people are the sum of all of their influences. Behavior involves the complex effects of many influences and our interactions within our environments.

Behavior emerges as a result of an individual’s personal characteristics and their environment. Lewin introduced the idea of:

• Psychological field: The total sum of all forces and influences that can impact a person’s behavior. It incorporates situational, cultural, and social elements.
• Life space: This represents a person’s unique experience and reality. It includes their feelings, thoughts, perceptions, goals, and experiences.

Lewin, Lippitt, and White Study

In this study, schoolchildren were assigned to either authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leadership groups.

It was demonstrated that democratic leadership was superior to authoritarian and laissez-faire leadership. These findings prompted a wealth of research on leadership styles.

Lewin’s Contributions to Psychology

Kurt Lewin contributed to Gestalt psychology by expanding on gestalt theories and applying them to human behavior. He was also one of the first psychologists to systematically test human behavior, influencing experimental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology.

He was a prolific writer, publishing more than 80 articles and eight books on various psychology topics. Many of his unfinished papers were published by his colleagues after his sudden death at age 56.

Lewin is known as the father of modern social psychology because of his pioneering work that utilized scientific methods and experimentation to look at social behavior. Lewin was a seminal theorist whose enduring impact on psychology makes him one of the preeminent psychologists of the 20th century.

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to complete a task or achieve a goal. It encompasses their confidence in themselves to control their behavior, exert an influence over their environment, and stay motivated in the pursuit of their goal. People can have self-efficacy in different situations and domains, such as school, work, relationships, and other important areas.

Self-efficacy is important because it plays a role in how you feel about yourself and whether or not you successfully achieve your goals in life. Continue reading to learn more about this concept that is central to Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experience, and reciprocal determinism in personality development.

Self-Efficacy Basics

Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as “the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations.” Put simply, it is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation. Such beliefs play a role in determining how people think, behave, and feel.

According to Bandura, self-efficacy is part of the self-system comprised of a person’s attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills. This system plays a major role in how we perceive and respond to different situations. Self-efficacy is an essential part of this self-system.

Since Bandura published his seminal 1977 paper, “Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change,” the subject has become one of the most studied topics in psychology. Why has self-efficacy become such an important topic among psychologists and educators?

As Bandura and other researchers have demonstrated, self-efficacy can impact everything from psychological states to behavior to motivation. Self-efficacy determines what goals we pursue, how we accomplish those goals, and how we reflect upon our own performance.

The Role of Self-Efficacy

Virtually all people can identify goals they want to accomplish, things they would like to change, and things they would like to achieve. However, most people also realize that putting these plans into action is not quite so simple. Bandura and others have found that an individual’s self-efficacy plays a major role in how goals, tasks, and challenges are approached.

High vs. Low Self-Efficacy

Having high self-efficacy is a good thing. People with a strong sense of self-efficacy:

• Develop a deeper interest in the activities in which they participate
• Form a stronger sense of commitment to their interests and activities
• Recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments
• View challenging problems as tasks to be mastered

Poor self-efficacy, on the other hand, can have a number of detrimental effects. People with a weak sense of self-efficacy:

• Avoid challenging tasks
• Believe that difficult tasks and situations are beyond their capabilities
• Focus on personal failings and negative outcomes
• Quickly lose confidence in personal abilities

Self-Efficacy vs. Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence

Self-efficacy is sometimes confused with self-esteem, but there are important distinctions between the two. What is the difference between self-efficacy and self-esteem? Self-efficacy refers to how you feel about your ability to succeed in different situations, while self-esteem refers to your respect for your own value and worth.

Is self-efficacy the same as self-confidence? While the two terms are related, there are some important distinctions. Self-confidence is more general and refers to a person’s overall belief in themselves in all contexts. Self-efficacy, on the other hand, is more specific and context-dependent. A person can have high self-efficacy in one area (such as in academics) and low self-efficacy in other areas (such as in sports).

How Does Self-Efficacy Develop?

We begin to form our sense of self-efficacy in early childhood by dealing with various experiences, tasks, and situations. However, the growth of self-efficacy does not end during youth but continues to evolve throughout life as people acquire new skills, experiences, and understanding.

Bandura identified four major sources of self-efficacy. The four ways that self-efficacy is achieved are:

• Mastery experiences
• Social modeling
• Social persuasion
• Psychological responses

Mastery Experiences

“The most effective way of developing a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences,” Bandura explained. Performing a task successfully strengthens our sense of self-efficacy. However, failing to adequately deal with a task or challenge can undermine and weaken self-efficacy.

Social Modeling

Witnessing other people successfully complete a task is another important source of self-efficacy. According to Bandura, “Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers’ beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to master comparable activities to succeed.”

Social Persuasion

Bandura also asserted that people could be persuaded to believe they have the skills and capabilities to succeed. Getting verbal encouragement from others helps people overcome self-doubt and instead focus on giving their best effort to the task at hand.

Psychological Responses

Our responses and emotional reactions to situations also play an important role in self-efficacy. Moods, emotional states, physical reactions, and stress levels can all impact how a person feels about their personal abilities in a particular situation.

A person who becomes extremely nervous before speaking in public, for example, may develop a weak sense of self-efficacy in these situations. However, Bandura also notes “it is not the sheer intensity of emotional and physical reactions that is important but rather how they are perceived and interpreted.”

Examples of High Self-Efficacy

So what exactly does high self-efficacy look like? People may possess a general sense of self-efficacy or in a specific domain where they believe they can do well such as school, work, friendships, parenting, sports, hobbies, and other areas.

Some examples of strong self-efficacy include:

• A person struggling to manage a chronic illness feels confident that they can get back on track and improve their health by working hard and following their doctor’s recommendations.
• A student who feels confident that they will be able to learn the information and do well on a test.
• Someone who has just accepted a job position in a role they have never performed before but feels that they have the ability to learn and perform the job well.

Impacts of Self-Efficacy

The impact that self-efficacy has on your life varies depending on whether your level of self-efficacy is high or if it is low.

High Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy can play an important role in health psychology and how people manage their health, nutrition, and illness. For example, having a strong sense of self-efficacy can help people who are trying to quit smoking stick to their goals.

Maintaining a weight loss plan, managing chronic pain, giving up alcohol, sticking to an exercise schedule, and following an eating plan can all be influenced by a person’s levels of self-efficacy.

Research has also shown that when teachers have high self-efficacy, it has a positive impact on academic outcomes. High teacher self-efficacy positively influences student motivation and achievement.

Bandura suggests that self-efficacy can benefit a person’s sense of well-being in a number of ways. For instance, they remain optimistic and confident in their abilities, even when things become difficult.

Low Self-Efficacy

People who are low in self-efficacy tend to see difficult tasks as threats they should avoid. Because of this, they also often avoid setting goals and have low levels of commitment to the ones they do make.

When setbacks happen, they tend to give up quickly. Because they don’t have much confidence in their ability to achieve, they are more likely to experience feelings of failure and depression. Stressful situations can also be very hard to deal with and those with low self-efficacy are less resilient and less likely to bounce back.

Learned helplessness is the opposite of self-efficacy. It can occur when people feel they have no power to control what happens in a situation. Instead of looking for opportunities to change the outcome, they give up and behave passively.

Evaluating Self-Efficacy Strength

For a quick, informal assessment of your own self-efficacy levels, consider the following questions:

• Do you feel like you can handle problems if you are willing to work hard?
• Are you confident in your ability to achieve your goals?
• Do you feel like you can manage unexpected events that come up?
• Are you able to bounce back fairly quickly after stressful events?
• Do you feel like you can come up with solutions when facing a problem?
• Do you keep trying even when things seem difficult?
• Are you good at staying calm even in the face of chaos?
• Do you perform well even under pressure?
• Do you tend to focus on your progress rather than getting overwhelmed by all you still have to do?
• Do you believe that hard work will eventually pay off?

If you can answer yes to many or most of these questions, then chances are good that you have a fairly strong sense of self-efficacy. If you feel like your self-efficacy could use a boost, consider some of the following strategies for improving your sense of efficacy.

Building Self-Efficacy

Fortunately, self-efficacy is a psychological skill you can foster and strengthen. Start by looking for ways to incorporate Bandura’s sources of self-efficacy into your own life. Here are a few strategies to try.

Celebrate Your Success

Mastery experiences play a critical role in the establishment of self-efficacy. Bandura actually identified this as the single most effective way to create a strong sense of self-belief.

When you succeed at something, you are able to build a powerful belief in your ability. Failure, on the other hand, can undermine these feelings, particularly if you are still in the early phases of building a sense of personal efficacy.

Set the Right Goals

The ideal types of success, however, are not necessarily those that come easily. If you experience a lot of easy success, you may find yourself giving up more readily when you finally do encounter failure.

So, work on setting goals that are achievable, but not necessarily easy. They will take work and perseverance, but you will emerge with a stronger belief in your own abilities once you achieve them.

Observe Others

Bandura also identified vicarious experiences obtained through peer modeling as another important means of establishing and strengthening self-efficacy. Seeing others putting in effort and succeeding, as a result, can increase your belief in your own ability to succeed.

One factor that plays a key role in the effectiveness of this approach is how similar the model is to yourself. The more alike you feel you are, the more likely it is that your observations will increase your sense of self-efficacy.

Seek Positive Affirmations

Hearing positive feedback from others can also help improve your sense of self-efficacy. For example, your physician telling you that you are doing a good job sticking to your diet plan can be encouraging. Feedback from friends, mentors, and people who you respect can help you feel greater confidence in your abilities.

By that same token, avoid asking for feedback from people you know are more likely to have a negative or critical view of your performance. While positive social feedback can be helpful for strengthening your already existing sense of efficacy, negative comments can often have a powerful undermining effect.

Pay Attention to Your Thoughts and Emotions

If you find yourself getting stressed out or nervous before a challenging event, you might feel less sure of your ability to cope with the task at hand. One way to boost your self-efficacy is to look for ways to manage your thoughts and emotions about what you are trying to accomplish.

Do you feel anxious? Looking for ways to ease your stress levels can help you feel more confident in your capabilities. Do you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts? Look for ways to replace negativity with positive self-talk that promotes self-belief.

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Final Thoughts

Developing a strong sense of self-efficacy can play an important role in almost every aspect of your life. Life is full of challenges and high levels of self-efficacy can help you better deal with these difficulties more effectively.

Your belief in your abilities can predict how motivated you are, how you feel about yourself, and the amount of effort you put into achieving your goals. That makes this belief one that is worth investing time in to develop.