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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=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.

[/quote]

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. [/quote]

100%

Mine is a cautionary tale of what it's like to be miss the diagnosis. I was diagnosed with depression in the mid 90's while in high school. I was a terribly inattentive kid in school, a space cadet in my daily interactions with family and peers. In absence of hyperactivity symptoms, I was handed a depression diagnosis as I struggled to focus, earning mostly Cs in science and math classes, As in humanities. I was only able to focus on topics which I found interesting. I took anti-depressants from 16 - 19. I got into a decent LAC and came home after failing out my freshman year. I enrolled into our local CC, completely lost it and became addicted to street drugs. Battled addiction all through my early 20's. Got into legal trouble and nearly lost my life. At 24, after wasting 5 years of my life, I was evaluated by two psychiatrists who concluded that I was paralyzed by ADHD (without the H :)). I've been on medication for over 20 years now. I enrolled into our state school and got my BA in 3 years, met my husband, and started a family. Reading this forum now as I now myself have a graduating senior.  I'm so sad reading this thread. Ofc there are plenty of savvy kids who may not have ADHD and are looking for an academic edge, but I would not completely discount the possibility that the evaluation may have missed it. Girls do sometimes present with ADHD while being the opposite of hyperactive, without a trace of fidgeting. I remember being told by my high school psychiatrist that with a 120 IQ, I needed to change my study habits, be more disciplined etc etc. I spent my formative years convinced that I had clinical depression. I prob even romanticized that diagnosis. My parents thought I was lazy. I had terrible self-esteem. Anti-depressants were not helping at all and I self-medicated with hard drugs. Ever since starting on ADHD meds, I have not relapsed once. I take one XR in the morning and I go through my days filled with work, family and household chores. I credit my recovery entirely to being on the right meds.        [/quote]

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