Did alternative treatments work for you ADHD child?

amother

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 9:21 am

imaima wrote:

I don't understand what you are trying to say. You make it seem like medication is an ultimate evil that needs to be avoided and ADHD is something you can work around. Why is it not the other way round? Why is it bad to give someone medication and help them be a great student, not forget and lose things, be organized and save the child from struggles in grade school and the family from agmas nefesh?

Because it does have side effects. It is molecularly related to cocaine and methamphetamine, but nobody would put their kid on meth to help them be a great student.

https://answers.yahoo.com/ques.....0cDYW

I hope, anyway. And cocaine users can make great employees who never get tired. Wink

amother

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 9:35 am

seeker wrote:

Working in education for a number of years too. I don't know how many students outgrow ADHD with no intervention. But I have seen very many people who suffer for years or forever because of early experiences with untreated ADHD. (I don't mean necessarily medical treatment; could be various routes, but UNtreated imho is way too risky) The poor grades and classroom behavior may not matter in adulthood but the overall feeling of incompetence that leads to and poor cognitive/emotional habits are extremely hard to shake. ADHD can lead to depression, anxiety, and other similar conditions, which can become a big part of your life even IF the ADHD manages to disappear - which evidence does suggest happens for a significant percentage of people. My point is not that you can't outgrow ADHD; my point is that even if it is outgrown eventually that doesn't mean it's not worth treating at the time that it's causing problems. The potential ramifications are endless. What about their college/career/shidduch prospects that are based on an image and self-image that was shaped by ADHD? Is your sister in college now - you say "by the time she got to college." I found college was almost a piece of cake compared to both elementary school and - and especially - motherhood. She's darn lucky her temper has abated (for now. Show her to us 6 months after having a baby and then I'll be convinced) but for most people, temper becomes a habit that is extremely hard to unlearn.

She has 2 kids. One is special needs. Her husband recently lost his job and she has no temper. She may tend towards anxiety, but Its not related to her childhood struggles.

imaima

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 9:36 am

amother wrote:

You know, the thyroid hormone in overdose has the same effect as extasy. Which does not mean that thyroid hormone is evil. It means that you should use it wisely and responsibly.

Many things that help people can be used against them. That's why there are people who are experts who can help figure out how to to make things helpful.

I am not pro or against medication but I am pro treatment. I think sparkle is amazing that she found a way to help her son without treatment. I don't think it is so great to sit back and wait till your child grows out of it.

Being a great student is not just grades. It means continuously experiencing success in a setting where you spend most of your time. No one benefitted from having been loser and nebach for years.

imaima

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 9:37 am

imaima wrote:

You know, the thyroid hormone in overdose has the same effect as extasy. Which does not mean that thyroid hormone is evil. It means that you should use it wisely and responsibly.

Many things that help people can be used against them. That's why there are people who are experts who can help figure out how to to make things helpful.

I am not pro or against medication but I am pro treatment. I think sparkle is amazing that she found a way to help her son without Ritalin. I don't think it is so great to sit back and wait till your child grows out of it.

Being a great student is not just grades. It means continuously experiencing success in a setting where you spend most of your time. No one benefitted from having been loser and nebach for years.

amother

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 9:45 am

imaima wrote:

My point is not to wait until a child outgrows ADHD. My point was that even without medicine, many children will improve and then it will seem like nutrition helped. One amother wrote how she is fine today because of the feingold diet. I was saying she may be fine in part due to maturity...

amother

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 8:00 pm

I had undiagnosed ADHD all my life, my childhood was miserable, I did very poorly in school despite being smart.Was ALWAYS in trouble in school and home. I was a bad kid and that's it, grew up in a large family with a severely special needs sibling, at a time that ADHD was not familiar to anyone.
I grew up, got married, had kid after kid, I look like I outgrew my childhood issues, I DID NOT! I suffer from not being able to be a proper wife and mother on many levels.

When I took my ADHD son to a specialist, I realized this was me! I started with sensory integration and EFT and moved onto EMDR and some herbal supplements. It took about a year after I started to finally start feeling like a mentch!.

I don't believe anyone fully outgrows it, just earn to hide it and compensate or maybe taking meds, you never know.

Sparkle

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 8:17 pm

That is true, amother above. I don't think people do outgrow it fully. But with proper behavior modification, dietary changes, therapy, quality sleep, etc. I think that people can learn how to cope and function very well. The process may be harder than going on meds, but like any challenge one hopefully come out stronger for it.
My brother has ADD and was also diagnosed with depression when he was a preteen. My parents refused to put him on meds (hey, at least I initially tried, lol!), but my mother also pulled him out of school for a year or two to homeschool him. They didn't do much in other ways though (diet or behaviorally), and my brother did have a tumultuous adolescence - and even early 20's. But today he is frum, owns his own business, and functions very well. He recently told my mother that he's glad she never medicated him because he feels that he has learned valuable things about himself in the process of learning how to cope and function. I can only hope my son will say the same thing to me in 10 years. I guess I can only really come on here then and say that I really did succeed with him.
But I also do agree with someone else on this thread who said the worst thing is to do nothing at all. If you don't have the ability for whatever reason to make the changes needed, then get your kid on meds. Not helping a kid with ADD at all, and thinking that he/she will just outgrow it is just cruel IMO.

amother

Fri, Feb 20 2015, 9:59 am

I'm the mother who treated myself as an adult without meds.
It takes a lot of time and patience and true desire to do it, my brother can't do it, I've tried many times to get him help. He either can't or doesn't care enough for the amount of energy, time and money it involves. He finally now went on meds and there is a big difference but I don't think enough. He also refuses to take it shakos and YT and this past Tishrei with all the 3 day YT, everyone wanted him away from them. It shows that the medication works.
His meds are not covered my insurance and cost almost $300 a month, so it's not only money that makes him refuse the therapy. He still has not been able to keep a steady job but I do see improvements and hope he will at some point. Hopefully his wife, who has been amazing will keep rooting for him as if it were me, I think I would have walked out a long time ago.

I just see the difference between me and my brother as we function today and I think the right alternative methods have better results than meds. Not always an option for everyone.