I think that ADHD is a spektrum, from "Phineas Gage" all the way to seasoned zen monks.
Also, all sorts of activities, meditation and neurofeedback, have been shown to alleviate some of the symptoms and problems of ADHD, even without medication. That means there should be a solid chance for someone with ADHD training their attention capabilities more or less "accidentally" over the years.
But still, treatment, even medication, is a much better proposition than waiting 10-20 years for a cure that might or might not come.
There has been research into mindfulness-based approaches to ADHD, but it's still quite preliminary and in small groups. In the meantime, many people respond well to pharmaceutical treatment.
I don't think you really "cure" a particular brain configuration. You work with it and around it.
Disclaimer: I suffered from severe "ADHD" as a child and my parents refused to drug me with ritalin. They taught me to force my attention and a huge part of that was via martial arts. As an adult in my early 30s, I still consider myself super ADD and tend to have problems concentrating at times.
Japanese Goju Ryu Karate practitioners train under freezing waterfalls to hone their focus. I did very similar training and went into a meditative state. It is very extreme and you can go into shock if you're not careful, but it allows you to reach ultimate concentration when done properly.
I'm still super ADD, but use it as a strength and not a weakness. Why? Because I can multitask better than just about any of my coworkers as I am forced to.
As I said, a "functional cure" might arrive after 10-20 years of training.
In the meantime, most children with ADD will develop depressions, suffer social problems, beat up on their peers and achieve much lower, academically, than necessary...
Yes agreed. I went from a "special needs" class to the super gifted class within 2 years. Depression and being "bored" in class really makes a difference.
Also, all sorts of activities, meditation and neurofeedback, have been shown to alleviate some of the symptoms and problems of ADHD, even without medication. That means there should be a solid chance for someone with ADHD training their attention capabilities more or less "accidentally" over the years.
But still, treatment, even medication, is a much better proposition than waiting 10-20 years for a cure that might or might not come.