this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2024
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As a parent of a child with ADHD, I'm cautious about using stimulant medication unless it's clearly the best course of action. My main goal is to help my child succeed, and academics is a big component of that.
I see many of my son's ADHD symptoms in myself, and I believe I may have also had/have ADHD. Despite this, I've been successful in my life. This personal experience makes me hesitant to automatically turn to medication as the solution for my child. I prefer to explore other options first, unless there's a strong reason to consider it, such as struggling academically.
When my son entered high school he became mature enough to participate in the decision-making process regarding his own treatment. Because of that it was easier for me/us to get him a prescription of Adderall and feel good about it as parents.
Edit: since it seems to not be clear, my son is on ADHD meds and has been for the past three or four years. We talked to him about it and he prefers taking the medication and has had input in the dosage that he's taking.
Unsolicited advice incoming:
Help your kid get a diagnosis ASAP and try to find a medication that works. The drugs are just a tool, but your kid won't know whether they help without trying them.
At some point, they may find themselves unmedicated and down in an ADHD hole — having the diagnosis and knowing which medications may help is crucial to dig out of the hole.
Sorry, if it wasn't clear, he has a diagnosis of adhd and he's on meds.
Counter point.
The medication worked. Suddenly i could pay attention and my grades went up. And those where the main “problems” adults perceived.
My parents where skeptical about medicine first but opted to try because the backlash people gave me for lacking an attention span was affecting me hard. They ultimately believed they where doing the right thing.
I slowly become less social then i already was, lost my appetite, stopped feeling many emotions in general and eventually sank into a deep twisted depression.
I was unable to understand it was the medicine doing this. I was unable to communicate any of it properly because i thought what i was (not) feeling was just normal life and puberty. It was not.
I know and respect that those drugs can help some people. But they completely destroyed me, afterwards it took many years of controversially self medicating with cannabis to restore my original self and feel my emotions properly again. (The mail reason I started was because i read it could be used for adhd/autism and my first experience left me feeling normal and able to take public transport without suffering intens social anxiety)
I fully agree on your diagnosis part though. And i al also not saying medicine cant be the correct tool but its definitely not a clearcut choice.
The lack of emotions is awful. Going to family events or friends parties and it might as well feel like I'm at the grocery store. People tell funny jokes and I make a weird mouthy smile to pretend I'm normal.
They might make it easier to do work you otherwise would not want to do, but the cost is absurd in my opinion.
Seriously. Get them meds and a proper therapist ASAP who has a clue about ADHD. While their brain is still plastic you can train it early with the hope of having a future where coping mechanisms are already there and potentially reducing or getting off their meds entirely. Once you are an adult, it is over. Opportunity lost and time to learn the hard way.
He's on meds (has been for 3 or 4 years), and he has an ADHD diagnosis... What's the therapist for? I haven't seen any actual issues that warrant a therapist, what are you thinking I should be watching out for?
Right now he's doing pretty good in school, he's a little less social than I would like, but that's nothing new. Other than that, he seems a sharp well-rounded kid without any behavioral or emotional issues.
Couldn't think of the word, but not a "talk" therapist. Behavioral or cognitive therapist. Basically, they fill in the gap that medication doesn't and can reduce your dependence on medication later in life. They give you strategies on how to handle the emotional dis-regulation, motivation issues, lack of dopamine, etc. You don't need to be in "rough" shape, or have a really bad case, or anything like that. Medication only helps so much, so getting those strategies in early can make a big difference. Even as an adult it can help and may be something you want to pursue yourself. Half the battle is understanding what behaviors you exhibit is due to ADHD.
I wish I had been diagnosed early in life and got the help I needed, but with the stigma, poor family, and lack of healthcare, I never had a chance. I missed the part where they are a teenager. Please don't assume they are fine because everything looks good on paper, so to speak. Best thing is to present the option and continue to support them and yourself.
I hope you don't take any of this as me saying you are a bad parent or anything like that. I don't mean it that way. I am really passionate about it and a lot of the stigmas against medication has done a lot more harm than good.
This is probably a good call. In the first place a common problem with stimulant meds for adhd is that tolerance goes up quickly, requiring the user to increase their dose over time. The dependency is hard to break. I was prescribed on it for only a few months and made the mistake of abruptly stopping taking it - and even that was enough to go through one of the worst depressions of my life.
There is also evidence of heart risks with long term use, and given that cardiovascular disease is already the western world's number one killer, another blow to our hearts is that last thing anyone needs.
And then there's the regulatory and supply issues. Pharmacies often struggle to keep enough of a supply to meet demand, which is the worst thing for a substance with such a high-risk dependency situation. Plus because it's a schedule 2, you must see a doctor for every refill.
And of course the insurance companies make all of this all the more ugly. Really not worth it.
Edit: oops, didn't catch the last part. Welp, hope it works well for them.
My experience is completely the opposite of what you describe, not that I disregard anything you've stated. I've been on nearly the same dose for nearly 40 years and do not perceive any changes in the effect I receive. And I'd rather live without my medication while waiting on temporary shortages than live my life without it.
Hey if it works well for you, that's great. I hope it keeps working well too.
Can I add, anecdotally, how many times ive seen people who take adderall daily try another stimulant like coke or meth and say something like: "This doesnt feel much different than adderall at all," or "I thought this stuff would be stronger."
Its like people taking oxycontin but thinking heroin is this scary potent drug. People have no idea what they are playing with.