ADHD help
My daughter (16) has a friend with diagnosed ADHD and has expressed her jealousy of her friend's accomodations in school.
My daughter makes good grades and is very driven, straight As, creative, and organized. She's never mentioned real ADHD concerns in the past, just that she wished she had it so she could get special treatment (in a wistful way once or twice when talking about said friend)
Today, however, she wouldn't get out of bed, cried about school and how she wants to get tested for ADHD because it would make school easier for her.
She asked if I could get her medication, like Adderall.
I told her that it wasn't that simple, and she insists he knew a place where you could get diagnosed right away, and even start getting medication right away. I am clueless as to how this sort of thing works so I asked her how she knows and she says her friend (a different friend than the first one mentioned, let's call her #2) knows all about it and that her friend's mom would tell me how to do it.
I have to go to work so I let her take a sick day and told her to rest while I do some research to figure it out. She finishes the conversation by saying if I really loved her I'd get her the test and medication and the school exemptions. I am completely flabbergasted.
At work I'm so frazzled I can't even concentrate so I excuse myself early to go home home and be with my daughter. I brought her hot chocolate, a scone and I make her soup and try to just be there for her.
I ask to help her do some homework and she reluctantly obliges, but doesn't attempt to write legibly even though the work seems mind numbingly easy. After a few minutes she collapses into anger again, demanding to get tested and to get Adderall.
Again I explain it's not that simple, and I will have to get her teachers and counselors involved to help us figure this out. She gets upset at me saying this, she just wants the diagnosis and prescription.
She's sobbing and screaming and I don't know what to do but to hug her and let her lean on me. She calms down, my husband comes home, and him and I go out to do errands.
She has gymnastics practice in the evening so I call her #2 friend's mom during that time and her friend's mom tells me that the friend has gone through extensive therapy and psychiatric appointments and that after 8 years they've decided on ADHD diagnosis and they are stepping through the many hoops to get medication that the child does NOT want to take and the mother frankly admitted to me that she doesn't want to give, but that this friends behaviors so difficult to manage they've come to this as a last resort.
My husband who is much more logical, scientific and level headed than I am, had a discussion on the drive to gymnastics with my daughter about adderall and it's effects and suffer effects, ADHD struggles and symptoms, how it's normal to lack motivation and focus sometimes, and he says their conversation was engaging. She was responding and asking questions though she did seem a bit cranky.
She came home, we went for a walk, she got herself ready for bed with her usual neat and tidy routine, I tucked her in, gave her a kiss and hug goodnight and she was asleep by 11.
The sites she sent me that are "so easy to get diagnosed and meds"? They are for 18+. Her friend is also a child and must not understand the severity of this situation or diagnosis.
Honestly... I'm just freaked out. I want to know, what does a kid with ADHD look like?
How do I discourage/explain to a a kid that drugs seem like a solve-all but truly are not?
I am very worried about Adderall abuse whether or not she ends up getting her own prescription one way or another.
Thanks for reading.
-Worried mom
I’m ADHD since I was a kid.
it could be really hard for parents and friends to really understand what’s going on with our mind.
ADHD kid’s could be really rebellious cuz there so many different creative thoughts came to our mind. And we couldn’t hold it down. We can change at any second.
then we could also be very lazy and procrastinating.
But ADHD actually has a lot of pros. We can accomplish things that we like in a very short time. We are very energetic. We r rather optimistic cuz our mind just run so fast.
There, it is actually a lots of things going on for being an ADHD diagnosed. Indeed, it’s not all that simple. Cuz we have brilliant minds that people around us could never able to follow… this would be a very good charisma but there would be a lot of jealous friends. Unsupportive people too..
we could be very wild and dangerous that could potentially hurt people around us without any awareness.
it is really not easy to be an ADHD.
it would come with a lot of challenges. U can only taste the fruit after u go through some really tough lessons. But the fruit could be really really sweet.
Me, For also an ADHD. I also can’t tell it’s good or bad. I can only share some of my similar experiences and perspectives.
at the end It really depends on how your family and your daughter personally perceive it.
it is very sweet that u r being caring and supportive for her.
I suggest u should get to know what is really an ADHD so u can decide getting her drugs or not and seek for professional advice always not gonna harm.
all the best. God blessed.
I know this is stressful and how are trying for best, but as my two sense, I think you should try to be validating of your daughter's experience and help her get the help she needs instead of dismissing her. Someone could be on the surface doing well and able to get good grades but could be kind of masking and actually be really struggling. Try to be open and empathetic and believe her about her own experience. I am not sure the resources she was talking about but probably a psychiatrist and counselor may both be needed. Sometimes medication can help people quite a lot and maybe ask a trusted medical professional/psychiatrist what is appropriate for a teen. They may start her on a low dose at first to minimize side effects.
@Daydreamer47* two cents oops