TL;DR
The best ADHD treatment is multimodal: a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and psychoeducation tailored to the individual. Medication alone doesn't solve everything, and therapy alone doesn't address the neurobiological challenges. At Alethia, we offer both under one roof.
ADHD treatment is not just about medication. The best treatment is multimodal, meaning a combination of approaches that together help you function better in daily life. Here we walk through the key options and what you can expect from each.
Medication: How it works
Medication is the most well-documented treatment for core ADHD symptoms according to the Danish Health Authority. The two most commonly used medications in Denmark are methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet) and lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse). Both work by increasing the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, two neurotransmitters that play a central role in attention, impulse control, and motivation.
Methylphenidate comes in short-acting and long-acting variants. Long-acting forms (Concerta, Medikinet CR) are typically taken once in the morning and last 8 to 12 hours. Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) works for up to 14 hours and is released gradually in the body.
Medical treatment is always initiated by a psychiatrist. You start on a low dose, which is gradually adjusted upward. This process, called titration, typically takes 4 to 8 weeks. The goal is to find the dose that provides the best effect with the fewest side effects. Common side effects may include reduced appetite, sleep difficulties, or mild headache, but these often subside after the first few weeks.
Psychoeducation: Understanding your ADHD
Psychoeducation is an integrated part of the feedback at Alethia. You get an explanation of what ADHD is, how it affects your brain and daily life, and which strategies can help. The diagnosis alone is not enough; understanding why your brain works the way it does matters just as much.
For many, simply understanding that decades of struggles with forgotten appointments, chaotic routines, and a feeling of not being enough has a neurobiological explanation is a relief in itself. Psychoeducation provides a language for the experience and opens the door to concrete strategies: external structure, time blocking, routines, and understanding when your brain works best.
What happens in that moment is more than education. It is a narrative shift. Most adults with undiagnosed ADHD have lived with an internal story that they are lazy, irresponsible, or fundamentally inadequate. Psychoeducation does not replace that story with a new, simple one. It does something more fundamental: it gives the person the ability to distinguish between what is ADHD and what is them. That distinction is the prerequisite for being able to act differently.
Therapy: When ADHD doesn't stand alone
ADHD rarely appears alone. Kessler et al. (2006, Archives of General Psychiatry) showed that between 70 and 80% of adults with ADHD also meet the criteria for at least one other condition, most often anxiety or depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most documented therapy approach for ADHD-related difficulties, because it addresses the thought and behavior patterns that build up over a lifetime of living with ADHD.
Therapy can also help with self-esteem, procrastination, emotional regulation, and relational challenges. At Alethia, we offer individual therapy sessions at 1,200 DKK per session. Therapy is an option, not part of the core assessment, and you can start at any point in the process.
The Alethia model: Assessment and treatment under one roof
One of the biggest frustrations in the public system is the transitions. You get assessed in one place, referred for medication somewhere else, and have to coordinate between your GP, psychiatrist, and psychologist yourself. At Alethia, it all happens under one roof.
Our team of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists works together under one roof. The psychologists conduct the assessment, and the psychiatrist can initiate medication typically within 1 to 2 weeks of diagnosis. You don't need to wait for a new referral or a new waiting list.
The first psychiatric consultation costs 2,500 DKK. Follow-up medication appointments cost 1,200 DKK each. The psychiatrist is responsible for your medication for at least 6 months before your GP can take over. See all prices.
When treatment isn't medication
Not everyone with ADHD wants or needs medication. Some experience sufficient benefit from psychoeducation and therapy alone. Others have side effects that make medication unsuitable. The assessment helps clarify what makes sense for you specifically.
A thorough assessment is valuable regardless of whether you choose medication. The diagnosis gives you access to understanding, strategies, and rights, regardless of treatment approach. And the decision doesn't need to be made right away. Many start with psychoeducation and consider medication later.
Daring to accept help
Many adults with ADHD have spent decades compensating: longer hours, more coffee, harder self-discipline. When that compensation finally breaks down and they seek help, it is rarely a neutral step. It is a confrontation with a self-understanding built on the belief that you should be able to manage on your own.
Resistance to medication is a good example. For some it is about side effects. But for many it is about something deeper: a feeling that medication is a personal failure. The thought 'I should be able to manage without it' may reflect decades of untreated ADHD, where compensation became the only strategy because no one identified what was actually going on.
Choosing treatment is a step toward agency, not away from it. It requires honesty about what works and what does not. It requires letting go of the self-narrative that keeps you stuck in a pattern that is not working. It is difficult. It is also the most important thing you can do for yourself.
Public vs. private treatment
Public treatment is free, but the waiting list is long. The Rigsrevisionen report from 2024 shows waits of up to 3 years for adult ADHD assessments. Privately, you can typically start within 2 to 4 weeks and have your diagnosis within 3 to 5 weeks. A full private ADHD assessment costs from 9,400 DKK across 3 sessions. Read more in our comparison of private and public ADHD assessment.
With medication initiation and two follow-up medication appointments, the total comes to 14,300 DKK across 6 sessions. You pay per session over several weeks or months.
Lifestyle as a complement
Regular exercise, good sleep hygiene, and structured routines cannot replace treatment, but they can amplify its effect. Many with ADHD find that physical activity has a noticeable impact on concentration and inner restlessness. It's not a cure, but it is an important complement.
Ready to take the next step?
Everything starts with the clinical interview (2,900 DKK). Book directly.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Some choose psychoeducation and therapy alone. The assessment helps clarify which treatment approach suits you best. Medication is an option, not a requirement.
Our psychiatrist can typically initiate medication within 1 to 2 weeks of diagnosis. The first psychiatric consultation costs 2,500 DKK. This is followed by follow-up medication appointments (1,200 DKK each), where we find the right dose.
Titration typically takes 4 to 8 weeks. You start on a low dose, which is gradually adjusted upward until the effect is good and side effects acceptable. During this period, you typically have 2 to 3 follow-up medication appointments with the psychiatrist.
Yes, but only after at least 6 months of stable treatment with our psychiatrist. Once the dose is stable and the effect documented, your GP can take over. You are also welcome to continue with the psychiatrist beyond the 6 months.
A full ADHD assessment with medication initiation and two follow-up medication appointments costs 14,300 DKK across 6 sessions. You pay per session. Therapy costs 1,200 DKK per session and can be added as needed.