Medications for adult ADHD affect the neurotransmitters in your brain responsible for attention and motivation. While stimulant drugs have long been considered the first line of defense in treating the disorder and are still widely regarded as the most effective, they are by no means the only type of medication. Many nonstimulant drugs, including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, waking agents, and even estrogen have proven beneficial. Strattera, a relatively new nonstimulant drug that's the only medication approved by the FDA specifically for adult ADHD, is showing great promise in treating the disorder.