Is medicating for ADD taking the easy way out?

fish

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 3:31 pm

My DD age 9 has just been dx with ADD. The psychologist has given us a list of things to do to help her at home and another list for the school. We can also medicate or do both together. My question is, is medicating taking the easy way out instead of just working hard to implement all the strategies that are being recommended?

mha3484

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 3:34 pm

That really depends on the kid. Mine has become infinitely more receptive to all sorts of help once we medicated. We did not go the stimulant route as his bigger issue was impulsivity not inattention. We may need to change courses as he gets older.

amother

Firebrick

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 3:43 pm

I evaluate children for ADHD and other diagnoses. It's not the easy way out at all for many kids. As the above poster wrote, it really depends on the child and how badly they're struggling. More often than not, it can really change their life in a positive way.

fish

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 3:53 pm

Her dx is predominately Inattentive, she isnt hyper or impulsive. We have tried charts and rewards in the past and they never seem to work.....
I just feel like if we medicate right away we are being bad parents because we have no more patience to keep trying diff things so the meds are an easy way to go.

amother

Blue

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 3:59 pm

I am a brain training coach and there is nothing easy about either approach. Just know that medication is not the only solution. Even if you have to medicate, there are other methods to help reduce or eliminate the need for meds over time.

sarahmalka

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 4:43 pm

Last I checked (last year) the studies show that the combination of meds and psych/behavioral interventions works the best. We have not found meds to be the easy answer, there's a lot of trial and error. So it's not like, pop a pill and problem solved. It's still a lot of work to figure out the right med, the right dose, and then also the right behavioral techniques, like amother Blue said above.

amother

Royalblue

Wed, Aug 23 2017, 4:49 pm

I have found that when my DS is on medication-he is more receptive to the social and executive function skills therapist he goes to. He listens better and interacts during the sessions. He is then able to take what he learned and use it after the medication wears off.

crust

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 1:25 am

imasinger wrote:

I agree with all the other posters.

Taking meds doesn't mean you should avoid the challenges of behavior modifications. It means you can tackle them with greater odds of success.

e1234

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 1:38 am

if it's needed it's not the easy way out - but it's helping your child succeed

are crutches the easy way out for a child that can't walk?

it's also usually not the all cure - it works best together with coaching and therapy

amother

Cyan

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 3:30 am

Medication ruined my life. For my parents it was the easy way out.

But I do know it can be helpful. As long as you are:

A) Receptive to your kid, how they feel, side affects, etc (my parents did not care about my side affects)
B) Know that there is an alternative, excersize and a good diet work wonders. There's many other things to do with medication.
C) In general it can take months or years to find the right dosage or med. You need to try each out for a bit, see how it works, switch, to it all over again. You and your kid need to know that upfront. It's not so simple.

amother

Cyan

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 9:45 am

I was lethargic, medication took away my sense of self and personality. I didn't feel like doing anything or going anywhere. I was not excited or passionate about anything at all. I am a fiery redhead with load of passion and personality- this ripped this part away from myself. I felt like I was in someone else's body.

Phsyical, it caused me to pick at my skin, (this is a real thing, me and my brother were on the same meds at the same time and it both happened to us) and it caused bleeding, embarresment etc. The urges lasted for months after we stopped.

amother

Tangerine

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 11:48 am

It is not the easy way out. It might be a very necessary step. With meds your kid might feel more successful in school, won't be getting in as much trouble etc plus will be able to implement the behavioral techniques and systems you were taught.
Meds can be a lifesaver- but realize it might take a while to get to the right dose. And listen to your kid about what they experience.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 11:51 am

I have adhd. I learned great skills how to cope with it, how to manage my life... but even if I can learn all the skills I need to cope with day to day life without meds, I cant compare the way I feel when I am on ritalin. I feel calm, I feel relaxed, happy. I feel normal. when I'm on meds I don't wonder how everyone manages their life. when my mind is ok it is easy to juggle all that. what im trying to say is that I feel physically better when im on medication, besides for accomplishing more.

a strong component to success is also to learn to live with it. executive functioning, building your life around your strengths and weaknesses... but for me it wasnt enough.

at times taking meds are difficult. from time to time, I need to take some days off it and its really not simple, but it is very worth it for the quality of life I have with it.

I have no advice for you as to what you should do for your daughter, I just wanted to share my experience and to say that taking meds is NOT the easy way out. working on skills cant give her what meds can and meds cant give her what teaching her executive function can...

loads of luck

FranticFrummie

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 12:09 pm

amother wrote:

All the above, but the bolded is KEY. Let your child's feelings be the barometer by which you measure success. It's not about making things easier for you, it's about making life easier for your child.

amother

Cyan

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 12:20 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.

mha3484

Thu, Aug 24 2017, 12:32 pm

Totally agree with FF. I ask my son regularly how he is feeling on the meds. I also want him to associate the positive feelings with the meds so when he is older he wont be as resistant to taking them like some teens can be.