DD home from college; thinks she has ADHD

[Anonymous]

Childhood trauma "noise" can be mistaken for ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are way too many people self diagnosing themselves when they don’t do well. If she was tested and not found to have it then she doesn’t have it.

College textbooks can be so boring that it’s hard for anyone to focus on it. Sometimes students have to adjust their schedules so they can do better.

I remember one class I had was about South American history in the 20th century. The professor was monotone and would just ramble on throwing out so many names and dates and countries. I still can hear him drone on in my nightmares.

And I was not in a top 25 college. I can only imagine how much work those take. Many fall into drugs to help them cope.

And, frighteningly, parents like OP go right along with the drug push.

[Anonymous]

All this ADHD drug will do is make you a life long addict. And when one can't find any on the street, enter meth. I have seen it so many times it ain't funny. Coming off of that s*** is unreal. They can't, not won't, can't function and it takes months even years to get that out of your system and brain.

But you're the parent. Do what you want to do but be aware.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone with ADHD and a DD with ADHD, I doubt she has ADHD. I can’t tell you how obvious it is in people that truly need medication. It was obvious in my kid as a toddler. If she does have ADH, which again doubtful, it is very mild. She is just having trouble studying and wants adderall to make it easier. These stimulants are not to be taken lightly. Please google the impact it has on the cardiovascular system and things like sleep and appetite.

ADHD looks very different in different people. My two kids both have ADHD, and you would have never guessed it, especially with the older one. The psychologist who did the full neuropsychological test, which found sustained attention to be below the 1st percentile, was shocked that the kid is a straight A student taking honors classes at a top private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this ADHD drug will do is make you a life long addict. And when one can't find any on the street, enter meth. I have seen it so many times it ain't funny. Coming off of that s*** is unreal. They can't, not won't, can't function and it takes months even years to get that out of your system and brain.

But you're the parent. Do what you want to do but be aware.

Treating ADHD makes a person less likely to abuse drugs, not more. Untreated ADHD puts a person at significantly greater risk not only for drug abuse but also for serious motor vehicle accidents, mental health issues, dropping out of school, money problems, and lifelong underachievement in all areas. Also, for the record, many ADHD meds leave a person’s system within hours, and don’t even need to be taken daily if they’re not needed.

OP, make sure that any evaluation your daughter had went beyond subjective behavioral assessments (my understanding is that those are a little more likely to miss the diagnosis in girls, who don’t always present as classic stereotypes). Make sure it included more objective tests of working memory and variable attention.

Whether it’s ADHD or not, it sounds like the most important thing she’s telling you is that she needs help.

[Anonymous]

If the evaluation was negative 2 years ago, it's negative now. She wants drugs. I knew a lot of people at HYPSM that took Adderall for performance not for symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone with ADHD and a DD with ADHD, I doubt she has ADHD. I can’t tell you how obvious it is in people that truly need medication. It was obvious in my kid as a toddler. If she does have ADH, which again doubtful, it is very mild. She is just having trouble studying and wants adderall to make it easier. These stimulants are not to be taken lightly. Please google the impact it has on the cardiovascular system and things like sleep and appetite.

ADHD looks very different in different people. My two kids both have ADHD, and you would have never guessed it, especially with the older one. The psychologist who did the full neuropsychological test, which found sustained attention to be below the 1st percentile, was shocked that the kid is a straight A student taking honors classes at a top private school.

So why did you test your kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“So you think you might have ADHD. What is it that you want to see happen?”

Too often, you hear these pronouncements, but there’s no ask. Meanwhile, you’re jumping to try to solve something without knowing when you might even get close to a solution.

What is your dd expecting to see happen as a result of her self-diagnosis? Make her name it. Then you can figure out what’s possible and what you’re willing to do. What you don’t need to do is argue with her about whether her claim is valid or not.

Adderall. She wants Adderall.

Since shes had a neuropsych workup in the past that did not show ADHD, that’s a concerning ask. If she doesn’t have ADHD, it’s addictive and widely abused in college. PP is right. An ADHD diagnosis requires that the symptom/ diagnosis have been present before they became an adult. And your kid has testing saying it wasn’t. There’s a difference between using Adderall for ADHD and having bought or been given some in college, deciding she likes or worse, needs, the non-stop energy and trying to get her own prescription. Also, meds alone don’t solve ADHD. She also needs to be working through the school or with a private tutor on executive functioning skills and with a therapist on any anxiety and depression.

Both my kids have ADHD that’s been evident and treated since a young age. For true ADHD, Adderall has the opposite effect from when it is abused. It calms down their internal agitation, restlessness and hyperactivity so they can focus. And makes them less likely to go Squirrel! It does not keep them awake, give them energy, etc. in fact, the opposite. Many adults with ADHD self medicate with large amounts of caffeine, which helps them stays calm enough to focus and sleep.

If she hadn’t had prior testing and you had several thousand dollars to blow, I’d say test her. But that’s happened and by the definition she didn’t develop ADHD since she was last tested. Start with pulling up her old testing and seeing exactly what it says about the ADHD evaluation. If it clearly says no, that’s going to be hard to get around. Then take her and her prior testing to a psychiatrist and let them figure it out. Lots of things because ADHD cause kids to feel unfocused, including stress, depression and anxiety. A psychiatrist should be able to look at the testing, talk to your kid and let you know whether updated testing is recommended.


Just be careful. It’s not a great situation to be in. You don’t want to tell your kid you won’t help. But, you also really don’t want to help them get them hooked on legal meth. You definitely want her to be working with a therapist. My kids don’t tell anyone at school they have meds and keep them in a lockbox to prevent them from being stolen. They also don’t want to be put in the situation where friends ask for “just one” to get through an all nighter.

Also, ask her why she wants Adderall. An ADHD kid says— to help me sit still and focus. Substance abuse says— to give me enough energy to get through my workload.

That said, you don’t have a state licensing issue with testing. A college in NY will honor testing from MD. The licensing becomes a problem if your kid gets a therapist here and then goes to college in another state or vice versa. It’s a real issue for those of us with college kids with ADHD who see therapists. Your kid can have one at home or one at school. But not both. And depending on the state, even virtual therapy from school when home (or the opposite) is not allowed. My OOS kid also has to be physically in the state to meet with the psychiatrist for meds. Fortunately, the psychiatrist has had him since ES, and is good about seeing him on breaks, and extending his meds an extra month until a break, if necessary. But still, every break, my kid has to be physically in the state to Zoom with the MD, who gave up his office space during COVID (which makes no sense. My kid isn’t different zooming from school vs home). But, MD psychiatrist can call in meds to an OOS pharmacy.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there really licensure issues to consider? DS had his neuropsychological evaluations done in MD, at 10 and 17 years old, and goes to college in DC. The Disability Office of his uni accepted his paperwork without batting an eye.

Even though ADHD was not found, are there low-processing issues, or learning disabilities such as dyslexia, that could be impeding her learning?

What is she really complaining of? Could it be a medical issue? For example, I've had several bouts of thyroid imbalance starting as a teen, and was later diagnosed with Grave's. Being hyper thyroid makes me unable to focus, super panicky and a bundle of nerves, and being hypo thyroid makes me lethargic and slow.

Maybe she needs a full medical check-up at some point.

Maybe she needs to study a little harder.

She probably needs both. Since she wasn’t diagnosed as a child, ADHD is only disposed if everything else is ruled out. She definitely needs a full physical workup and some time with a therapist and psychiatrist. Don’t create an addiction in your kid, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her psychiatrist is able to diagnose her. She needs to talk to the doctor. Make an appointment during winter break.

Right. But she had neuropsych testing that did not diagnose ADHD. And then was treated by a psychiatrist who did not diagnose ADHD. She’s having academic problems (as a 1st semester freshman) and has self diagnosed ADHD. The chance that she actually has ADHD vs anxiety, depression and/or ordinary freshman issues with the academic transition is almost zero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you consider it? I have ADD and I only was diagnosed in my 40s. It was a long road and I wish I had known in college.

But did you get a comprehensive neuropsych workup at 16, followed by treatment with a psychiatrist? There is almost no chance that both the neuropsych and the MD missed ADHD. They know it presents differently in girls and boys, even if the general public doesn’t. And they looked at technical things like GAI IQ vs PS in making the diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone with ADHD and a DD with ADHD, I doubt she has ADHD. I can’t tell you how obvious it is in people that truly need medication. It was obvious in my kid as a toddler. If she does have ADH, which again doubtful, it is very mild. She is just having trouble studying and wants adderall to make it easier. These stimulants are not to be taken lightly. Please google the impact it has on the cardiovascular system and things like sleep and appetite.

I have a DD with ADHD and it was not obvious. She compensated until she had a breakdown and her self esteem and confidence were damaged.

OP, if your pediatrician won’t prescribe without a diagnosis, see a psychiatrist out of pocket to start right away. We did the full evaluation that took five months and $3,000 and all it did was waste valuable time in high school.

Same. ADHD often presents differently in girls and goes undiagnosed because their hyperactivity is more fine motor oriented rather than gross motor (eg fidgets rather tgan jumping up). The questionnaires that schools use often don't take this into account, but neuropsych evaluation should be accurate. Our referral took 12 months but was fully covered by insurance (went to Children's Hosp). You might try again but also see is there is anything else at play. Good luck to you and your DD.

[Anonymous]

OP, your DD did multiple day full neurophysiological testing at age 16? It cost $4-5k? If there was ADHD, the dr would have found it - 100% I have 3 kids with ADHD and testing caught all of them (1 at 8 years, 1 at 12 and 1 at 14). Retesting as they have gotten older has shown the same results. If it didn’t show up at 16, something else is going on besides ADHD. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone with ADHD and a DD with ADHD, I doubt she has ADHD. I can’t tell you how obvious it is in people that truly need medication. It was obvious in my kid as a toddler. If she does have ADH, which again doubtful, it is very mild. She is just having trouble studying and wants adderall to make it easier. These stimulants are not to be taken lightly. Please google the impact it has on the cardiovascular system and things like sleep and appetite.

ADHD looks very different in different people. My two kids both have ADHD, and you would have never guessed it, especially with the older one. The psychologist who did the full neuropsychological test, which found sustained attention to be below the 1st percentile, was shocked that the kid is a straight A student taking honors classes at a top private school.

But the neuropsych found it. OP’s kid had the neuropsych. Did the testing and doesn’t. OP’s kid isn’t a neuropsych or a psychiatrist. OP should listen to her kid when the kid says she is stressed, her grades are bad, she’s anxious, she’s having trouble with focus and support he in finding solutions. But she should not assume her kid’s self diagnosis of ADHD is correct.

OP, if you run a drug store drug test on your kid tomorrow, I’ll bet a lot that she tests positive for amphetamines. She bought or was given some Adderall, it helped her get a ton of work done fast, and now she wants that feeling all the time. And so much easier and cheaper to just get a prescription.

Assume her feelings of anxiety, lack of focus, whatever, are genuine. Do not assume her self diagnosis of ADHD is right and both her neuropsych (who performed obj tests) and her psychiatrist were wrong. You don’t enable substance abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All this ADHD drug will do is make you a life long addict. And when one can't find any on the street, enter meth. I have seen it so many times it ain't funny. Coming off of that s*** is unreal. They can't, not won't, can't function and it takes months even years to get that out of your system and brain.

But you're the parent. Do what you want to do but be aware.

Treating ADHD makes a person less likely to abuse drugs, not more. Untreated ADHD puts a person at significantly greater risk not only for drug abuse but also for serious motor vehicle accidents, mental health issues, dropping out of school, money problems, and lifelong underachievement in all areas. Also, for the record, many ADHD meds leave a person’s system within hours, and don’t even need to be taken daily if they’re not needed.

OP, make sure that any evaluation your daughter had went beyond subjective behavioral assessments (my understanding is that those are a little more likely to miss the diagnosis in girls, who don’t always present as classic stereotypes). Make sure it included more objective tests of working memory and variable attention.

Whether it’s ADHD or not, it sounds like the most important thing she’s telling you is that she needs help.

Untreated ADHD is bad. But, giving a kid who doesn’t have ADHD amphetamines is worse. A neuropsych should absolutely have IQ testing that could pick up ADHD, a TOVA, etc. that’s why you see a neuropsych, rather than a psychiatrist. To quantify with actual testing.