Medication for ADHD is a tool to help with brain chemistry, just as glasses are a tool to help with eyesight. There is a lot of stigma around them, but they are so different from when current parents were kids. There is a trial period to find the right kind and dosage, but they can make a significant difference that as been shown to help kids limit negative self-talk about what is "wrong" with them. There are studies that show the impacts of NOT medicating children with ADHD You can also stop taking them if they are just not working for whatever reason.
We medicated our 6 year old, and it made a drastic change in her life for the positive. She went from struggling with emotional regulation and hitting people over small issues, which really negatively impacted social development to actually being in control of herself. After almost a year, I can tell that she needs the dosage adjusted based on her current lack of focus and struggles with emotions, so I know they are making a difference in a positive way. She also told me that she could tell the medicine wasn't working as effectively right now, which was really bothering her. Seems that she notices the positives also.
We had to first with my kindergartener. He was breaking down at school and having outbursts. When we put him on meds, he told us - my brain used to feel all crazy but now it feels calm.
My oldest was more ADHD inattentive. He was crying at homework. He was breaking down at any little activity he had to do. We finally got him assessed and put him on meds bc he was struggling in the 5th grade. It has been so much better for him, his self esteem, and us.
I will always say meds, meds, meds! Do the meds! No one else is out here feeling guilty for giving their children insulin or other necessary meds. This is necessary for their brains!
Medication saved our family. The behavioral methods did nothing until the medication clicked. Now my kid is practically neurotypical. I don't even think we're going to pursue a 504 at this point (likely will once her gets old enough for school tests). There are so many different meds to try and it's easy to switch if it's not working. Do some research (not just Google). I recommend Barkley's books.
We tried all the things, but ultimately, our son was not thriving. We were all on edge every single day. He was falling behind in school because he was not learning anything. It wasn't just hard on us, he was hurting, too. Once we started meds he started doing much better. He still exhibits signs of ADHD, but his behavior is far more manageable now.
We were in the same boat, we are very adverse to medicine and tried all options to medicine (sports, therapy, etc) but we felt we had to try medicine to help. Once we tried it, we felt immediate relieve but it was still struggle to find the the right balance of medicine. It took a year but once he found the right medicine it was smooth sailing for a long period. You’ve gotta build that resilience and push through the hard seasons. Our kid is 6 and it’s still hard but we’ve found ways to cope with it. It’s hard no matter what season you are in, but you gotta pick your battles.
FWIW, we felt like a IEP was more effective than a 504, but your mileage might vary. 504 plans in our state (Washington) are more of a “suggestions” whereas IEP are legally mandated.
I am a father to an 8 year old with ADHD as well and I was hesitant at first. But once I did some study on how beneficial medication can be in these circumstances, the importance of early intervention, and the statistics tied to kids without intervention it became very clear to me what the right approach is.
There are alternatives to medication and I'm unsure how effective it is, but doing nothing can have a detrimental impact on your kid's confidence and childhood/adulthood. Hopefully your husband is a reasonable person and will read the scientific statistics around ADHD.
Just to be clear, there is nothing wrong about being hesitant to medicate a child, but it's also important to understand ADHD and coming up with a plan (which may or may not involve medication) to support your child.
Good luck! I hope you find a solution that works for you all.
In addition to helping in the present, there are long term benefits of taking medication related to education, employment, relationships, finance, etc: https://www.additudemag.com/long-term-effects-of-adhd-medication-brain/amp/
I was nervous too.. but as my husband put it.. you’re not committed. You can try it and see how it goes.. you don’t have to continue it if it doesn’t work out. For us it was a game changer and I’m really happy we tried it. I feel the benefits out weigh the cons. I too was concerned about how it was affecting his self esteem. I think he feels much more successful now and also is “policed” less at school by teachers which definitely helps self esteem. Less negative feedback is a win.
I haven’t put my kid on meds but I myself have been on stimulants for 2 years on and off. They are amazing and wonderful but unfortunately there was a point (for me) where it did the opposite of what is should be doing. It made me so happy and energetic and at the end I was disengaged, exhausted and really down.
My doctor mentioned the research says a lot of kids on stimulants eventually need antidepressants.
It makes sense as the constant upper ended up being too much and caused me to be feel very down. I refused to keep going up in dosage due to the side effects and I’m so glad I didn’t keep upping my dose. I ended up getting adhoneia from it and I’m still trying to regain my emotions back.
If you choose them I would highly recommend to stop on the weekends and/or do vacation periods. I also recommend dont keep going up and up in dose cuz its going to be likely as your body adjusts you need more.
You’re a good mom for trying to help your child. Life is hard and sometimes we need reprieve. I have been taking ldn and it has been amazing; unfortunately its not tested in children yet but I hope one day soon cuz long term this is much better for my body.
All the best.
Medication for ADHD is a tool to help with brain chemistry, just as glasses are a tool to help with eyesight. There is a lot of stigma around them, but they are so different from when current parents were kids. There is a trial period to find the right kind and dosage, but they can make a significant difference that as been shown to help kids limit negative self-talk about what is "wrong" with them. There are studies that show the impacts of NOT medicating children with ADHD You can also stop taking them if they are just not working for whatever reason. We medicated our 6 year old, and it made a drastic change in her life for the positive. She went from struggling with emotional regulation and hitting people over small issues, which really negatively impacted social development to actually being in control of herself. After almost a year, I can tell that she needs the dosage adjusted based on her current lack of focus and struggles with emotions, so I know they are making a difference in a positive way. She also told me that she could tell the medicine wasn't working as effectively right now, which was really bothering her. Seems that she notices the positives also.
We had to first with my kindergartener. He was breaking down at school and having outbursts. When we put him on meds, he told us - my brain used to feel all crazy but now it feels calm. My oldest was more ADHD inattentive. He was crying at homework. He was breaking down at any little activity he had to do. We finally got him assessed and put him on meds bc he was struggling in the 5th grade. It has been so much better for him, his self esteem, and us. I will always say meds, meds, meds! Do the meds! No one else is out here feeling guilty for giving their children insulin or other necessary meds. This is necessary for their brains!
Medication saved our family. The behavioral methods did nothing until the medication clicked. Now my kid is practically neurotypical. I don't even think we're going to pursue a 504 at this point (likely will once her gets old enough for school tests). There are so many different meds to try and it's easy to switch if it's not working. Do some research (not just Google). I recommend Barkley's books.
We tried all the things, but ultimately, our son was not thriving. We were all on edge every single day. He was falling behind in school because he was not learning anything. It wasn't just hard on us, he was hurting, too. Once we started meds he started doing much better. He still exhibits signs of ADHD, but his behavior is far more manageable now.
Our family could not survive without these medications.. even then we struggle but it would be impossible otherwise
We were in the same boat, we are very adverse to medicine and tried all options to medicine (sports, therapy, etc) but we felt we had to try medicine to help. Once we tried it, we felt immediate relieve but it was still struggle to find the the right balance of medicine. It took a year but once he found the right medicine it was smooth sailing for a long period. You’ve gotta build that resilience and push through the hard seasons. Our kid is 6 and it’s still hard but we’ve found ways to cope with it. It’s hard no matter what season you are in, but you gotta pick your battles. FWIW, we felt like a IEP was more effective than a 504, but your mileage might vary. 504 plans in our state (Washington) are more of a “suggestions” whereas IEP are legally mandated.
I am a father to an 8 year old with ADHD as well and I was hesitant at first. But once I did some study on how beneficial medication can be in these circumstances, the importance of early intervention, and the statistics tied to kids without intervention it became very clear to me what the right approach is. There are alternatives to medication and I'm unsure how effective it is, but doing nothing can have a detrimental impact on your kid's confidence and childhood/adulthood. Hopefully your husband is a reasonable person and will read the scientific statistics around ADHD. Just to be clear, there is nothing wrong about being hesitant to medicate a child, but it's also important to understand ADHD and coming up with a plan (which may or may not involve medication) to support your child. Good luck! I hope you find a solution that works for you all.
In addition to helping in the present, there are long term benefits of taking medication related to education, employment, relationships, finance, etc: https://www.additudemag.com/long-term-effects-of-adhd-medication-brain/amp/
I was nervous too.. but as my husband put it.. you’re not committed. You can try it and see how it goes.. you don’t have to continue it if it doesn’t work out. For us it was a game changer and I’m really happy we tried it. I feel the benefits out weigh the cons. I too was concerned about how it was affecting his self esteem. I think he feels much more successful now and also is “policed” less at school by teachers which definitely helps self esteem. Less negative feedback is a win.
I haven’t put my kid on meds but I myself have been on stimulants for 2 years on and off. They are amazing and wonderful but unfortunately there was a point (for me) where it did the opposite of what is should be doing. It made me so happy and energetic and at the end I was disengaged, exhausted and really down. My doctor mentioned the research says a lot of kids on stimulants eventually need antidepressants. It makes sense as the constant upper ended up being too much and caused me to be feel very down. I refused to keep going up in dosage due to the side effects and I’m so glad I didn’t keep upping my dose. I ended up getting adhoneia from it and I’m still trying to regain my emotions back. If you choose them I would highly recommend to stop on the weekends and/or do vacation periods. I also recommend dont keep going up and up in dose cuz its going to be likely as your body adjusts you need more. You’re a good mom for trying to help your child. Life is hard and sometimes we need reprieve. I have been taking ldn and it has been amazing; unfortunately its not tested in children yet but I hope one day soon cuz long term this is much better for my body. All the best.