Dealing With Family Members | ADHD Information

I am 22 and have been recently re-diagnosed with ADHD.  I was diagnosed as a child as well, but my parents never have believed in the existence of mental disorders.  Instead, they say that a person chooses whether or not to get over something.  Having lived with ADHD for such a long time now and trying to manage it without medication, I can affirm that they are wrong in their will-power theory.

Unfortunately, I still receive my health insurance through my father, who receives it from the company that he works for.  When I mentioned that I would be medicated, both of my parents lectured me and told me not to take the medication.  I really have tried to convince them that I need it and that I am old enough to make this decision, but they refuse to listen.  I wanted to know if anybody knows how to deal with people like this?

And another thing, if I really cannot convince them that they might be wrong about ADHD: if I want to keep taking my medication, and I can't afford it without the insurance, do my parents have to know if I am still receiving the prescription through the insurance company?  How much privacy do I have in such a matter - what do I have the right to keep private, and how much are they allowed to know?

Any help would be appreciated! I am not positive, but do believe under privacy laws they do not need to know what you are taking. Call and talk to the insurance company they should be reasonable. Unfortunately there are people that just wont listen. Are they just worried about side effects? Woudl your doctor talk with them?

Find out if there is any paperwork that goes to the home in the name of the person carrying the insurance (your dad). For my insurance, we get explanation of benefits statements for doctor visits but not for prescriptions (so your parents would not get any info about the prescriptions).

If you find that you have to do some education, try places like these for good current information:

http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/myths

http://www.russellbarkley.org/adhd-facts.htm

maybe once they see how much the meds can help they will come around. I'm sorry this has to be so difficult for you. Please feel free to post whenever you just need some support. The med route can be tricky.Yea Diane, I was thinking the same exact thing. Maybe after they realize how different you seem, motivational wise, they might reconsider.Thank you for your help!
They don't worry so much about "side effects"...they just somehow do not believe that ADHD exists at all, and that taking medications would only prove that I have been "fooled into feeding money to drug companies."   I think that they have such a strange point of view, and because I don't agree with them at all, it makes it hard for me to find a good way to explain to them that I really do have the symptoms and living with it is really truly hard for me.  And because whatever I have to say goes completely against their beliefs, they shut down and just don't listen. 
As for the info on insurance paperwork, I appreciate it, thank you!!!  I will call mine and ask if they send anything home.
If you pay the co-pay out of your own pocket, and remain on the insurance, there's really no way they would be able to tell.