Support for those not using meds?
Thank you sooooo much everyone.
Logan'smum - thank you anyway, I appreciate your input. I would hope that no-one here would think that I think that they taking putting their child on medication lightly. Believe me, I know the agonising!
Thanks hausof4. I do review those points regularly and, probably like many of you, I think the social issues and self esteem would be the final point that would lead me to try medication. However, we are not there yet... I have told his teacher that I am going to take it 6 months at a time and keep reviewing.
Yes, you are right inspired by music, I am most concerned about school. We seem to cope ok at home, I am comfortable where he's at and what I can expect from him and we seem to manage fairly well most of the time - you KNOW now that I have said that, I will pick him up from school and we will have a shocking afternoon :)
Thanks so much for the tips and the links. I will definitely hop on the the Schools and ADHD section. It's a bit overwhelming when you first join a forum to try and read through all the posts and find the info you need.
I look forward to chatting more with you all.
Much love xx
Hi everyone,
I am new here and it seems like a lovely, supportive forum.
I have a 7yo son who was diagnosed with ADHD about a year ago now. My husband and I have been resisting using medication up until now. (Please understand this is a personal choice, I very much respect everyone's right to decide whether or not to use medication.)
My son's school has been somewhat supportive (ie they haven't pressured me to give medication), but there's not really any practical support forthcoming to help my son to manage in class without medication.
I am aware that there can be benefits in using medication (in conjunction with behaviour therapy), however, I don't feel that I have reached the point where I am absolutely convinced there is no other alternative for my son.
I would LOVE to hear from other parents who have chosen not to use medication for their child. At the moment I am feeling like the only one in the world (of course I know that I am not!).
Many thanks.
anxiety issues than anything, although focus is a problem at school. I'm
sorry that I can not offer any help, but I know how difficult it is
sometimes with just her, and I can't imagine having another 19 kids in
class and trying to deal with adhd symptoms with another child. My
daughters teacher does things like seating her up front in class and
repeating directions to my daughter if needed. I love her teacher this
year because she doe not sweat the little things with my daughter (like
her pokiness getting into class in the morning as she lingers in the hall at
her locker) and she recognizes her talents (like her very creative writing).
I wish I had unlimited amounts of money and then I could try all these
different alternatives like neurofeedback.
Hi,
Let me be very clear I am not suggesting you use medications. However, be very open to all options. I think it depends of the severity of his symptoms. Here are some things to consider:
1. Is he still learning well?
2. Does he have friends?
3. How is his mental health? How does he view himself?
He may not need medication now but might in the future. Just remember stimulant medication works quickly. You know within a few days if it's right (unlike meds that take weeks). You can always discontinue, its not a life long decision. Also, you could do a trial run this summer while he is at home and see if you think the benefits out weigh the risks. Good luck
There are some threads on here about alternatives, and I think there is another website as well, but I can't think of the name. You might check into some older posts and see if you come up with anything that is useful to you. Good luck.Everyone has to make the choice that they feel most comfortable with. But after reading your post I felt the need to let you know about my situation. I have a 12yo son that has been struggling for many years. Our first introduction to ADHD was when he 7-8, he was having issues in school and with other kids so his pediatrician had us fill out those ADHD rating scales, but the results did not show ADHD! I was SURE he had it, but the doctor just suggested some behavior therapy for him, which did absolutely nothing. I tried reward systems, herbal remedies, cutting out artificial dyes in his diet; all with no improvement. So here we are 5 years later and he is STILL having those same issues with school and friends.
On the advice of one of his teachers, I had neuropsych testing done on him and the results showed ADD! (what a surprise!) We made an appt to see the psychiatrist and patiently waited for the day to come... which was TODAY! The doctor prescribed his medication and he will start that tomorrow morning. So I obviously don't have any experience with that yet and will not deny that I am nervous. But I just wanted to let you know that it is really important to figure out the best approach to helping your son. Unfortunately for mine, he has now developed low self esteem, depression, and anxiety. All of which, the doctor told me, are byproducts of ADHD. I am hopeful that the use of medication will help him, I'm just really sorry it wasn't an option earlier. Good Luck and you will find this board to be a really helpful place.
Oh honey, you are sooooooooo not alone! 
Probably all of us here on this board that medicate our kids felt EXACTLY like you at some point! PLEASE don't feel like you're alone! I remember feeling exactly like you and I hadn't found this board yet so I didn't have anyone to tell me it was ok. I'm here to tell you...if you stick with it and you have a good doctor it will be ok! Finding the right med or combo of meds is difficult sometimes but extremely worth it!
My son is much younger than yours but we also tried many many alternatives before we turned to meds. None of them had any effect. The main reason the docs agreed to medicate him so young was that his self esteem was sooooo bad (at 3 yrs old!). It was just not acceptable anymore! Something had to be done fast before any more damage to his self esteem was done!
Contrary to what some of society may think, those of us on this board don't just jump to medications. Most of us have tried many other things. And I don't believe any of us liked the thought of using medication. But you know what? Sometimes life just isn't fair and our kids aren't like other kids! They need what's right for them.
Medication has literally changed my son's life (and ours too!). He can function now! It is a decision that we agonized over for a long time but once we did it, there's been NO question that we did the right thing.
Hang in there! You are not alone!
It seems like you are most concerned with helping your son manage in school. You might want to check out the "ADHD and School" forum on this message board too. Do some research on IEPs and 504 plans. Lots of people assume that schools will be proactive and do what's best to help a child, but it seems like in many cases parents have to go in and really advocate for their kids to get the help they need.
My daughter is 13 and in 8th grade. She was diagnosed at age five and so far we have not used ADHD medication. She is on a lot of medication for asthma and allergies.
For the ADHD, she takes some nutritional supplements: multivitamin and mineral, omega 3 fatty acids with a high EPA:DHA ratio, and an amino acid called phosphatidyl serine.
At school she has a 504 plan which allows her some accommodations such as seating near the front of the room, extra time for tests, and being allowed to turn assignments in late.
She's generally doing well and has hardly used her 504 accommodations this year. Our main issue this year is that it's been a TERRIBLE year for illnesses and she's missed a ton of school.
You may need to change your settings at the top of the page so that you can see threads from previous months. I know there are some good, long older threads on omega 3s, phosphatidyl serine (PS) and on the 504s and IEPs
Best of luck and let us know how things go for your son!
I'm sorry Amethyst! I miss read your email and thought you said you would love to hear from parents who have chosen to use medication! Sorry if I jumped in unsolicited!
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