Stimulants are a front line defense because they pretty reliably treat the symptoms in just about everyone. There are many other medications that _can_ help with symptoms, but their effectiveness is largely dependent on your body chemistry. It can take trialing several drugs to find one that works best with you.

Methylphenidate was a no-go for me too, was emotionally unstable and burnt out at the end of the day. However, this is my second month on atomoxetine and so far, I have only words of praise. There are one or two months to go for full effectiveness but I am satisfied so far. Focus is better, my mind is much more quieter, I've been able to kick some dopamine seeking behaviors and am working on new habits. I really feel positive and ready for change in life -- speaking this as an anxiety ridden person for more than ten years. The only negative is that it slightly increases heart rate, but I think this is supposed to go away too. I'd note that I am on some supplements as well and beforehand I did a simplistic dna check to see my methylation/detox profile (wanted to see why methylphenidate was a no-go).