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[quote=Anonymous]OP - we were right there with you.  We tried everything at age 2-3-4: OT, looked for social skills groups (unsuccessfully - the therapists said not to bother at that age because the 3-4 yo with adhd wouldn't be able to access those tools outside a therapy setting), worked nonstop with his school, avoided all busy settings, skipped all the birthday parties, used reward systems, consistently, tried about 4 different diets, never had any processed food or much sugar from the get go (so knew that wasn't the problem), were constantly loving, supportive parents but firm. We tried everything. But he was hyperactive and hurting us (inadvertently -- or i should say, the actions were "advertent" while the resulting injury to others was not his intent).  He was hurting and scaring other kids at school and was totally unaware of the idea of "friends".  He was, the minute there were more than 2 people around him, just in this insanely intense overloaded state.

We started medication at 4.5 and it was the best thing we ever did.  He was instantly a new happier kid. Within a month, all those years of therapies, efforts, reward systems, etc paid off and they all came together.  He *knew* all the things he was supposed to be doing (thanks to the years of effort we had put into working with him, we thought to no avail). His adhd brain totally prevented him from being able to do those things.

I thought general pediatricians and teachers were going to eye-rolling and skeptical.  But we went through proper channels (KKI) and they have been nothing but supportive.  His ped is like "your kid has a disorder. The brain scans would show that his brain works different than it's supposed to.  Mom wouldn't stop taking her thyroid medication just because she didn't like the idea of drugs. Don't be mean to your kid."  His teacher has seen him off meds (when we have forgotten) and she said it's like he's a kid in the wrong skin -- totally uncomfortable and out of sorts. He's a happy, hyper, engaged kid with friends on the meds.  He's an unhappy, hyper out of control loner when he's not.

I'm also happier: I no longer wake up in sweaty anxiety attacks, or lie awake every night sweating the next day.  I no longer dread daily phone calls from school, calling me away from work.  I don't dread parties, or play dates, or making eye contact with other parents at school.

PS that NY Times article is such bullshit.  It's about a bratty millennial journalist who started using meds in college without any diagnosis.  And then traveled the world lying to get more prescriptions.  There are always rich, entitled brats like that in life. In the 80s, it was the kids who used uppers. And today, people using those 7 hour upper caffeine drinks.  I have no idea why they used that headline to describe the article because it's not what the article was about at all.  [/quote]

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