Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am at a loss as to how to discipline him effectively for this because it is literally constant. I mean constant. Multiple issues a day. He's just spiraled out of control this past month. We sit him down and give him a serious talk and then 5 minutes later he's sneaking his ipad and hiding it under his pillow. We locked confiscated toys in the garage, and he woke up at 7am, found the keys, and opened a heavy metal garage door to get his toys while we were asleep.

Anonymous wrote:DS diagnosed at age 16. Requested meds and we said ok so I'm another poster who believes Best Decision Ever. He takes only on school days. Wish we'd known by 6 or 7th grade as that would have been a great time to have started the meds looking back from today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the backlash against OP for taking too long to medicate is particularly helpful.
There is such a huge amount of judgment around medication for children with ADHD. It's unfortunate that, like many others, OP let society's judgment cloud what she needed to do for her kid, but she's turned the page, and that's a good thing.
More than one of the PPs mentioned that their only regret was not medicating sooner. While their children's cases were maybe not as severe as OP's child, it's clearly fairly common for there to be a delay in doing medication.
Congratulations and support to all families who are seeing great results with medication. Let's focus on spreading the word and hopefully swinging the pendulum back from socieity's knee-jerk anti-med thinking.

I don’t think the data show society (in the US) has an anti-med bias. If anything it’s the other way around.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I generally am one who doesn’t like ADHD medication and don’t medicate my son. I think it should be a last ditch resort and is overproscribed.

However, sounds like your family is in the last ditch. No judgment at all. Hugs and crossing my fingers it improves your situation.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the backlash against OP for taking too long to medicate is particularly helpful.
There is such a huge amount of judgment around medication for children with ADHD. It's unfortunate that, like many others, OP let society's judgment cloud what she needed to do for her kid, but she's turned the page, and that's a good thing.
More than one of the PPs mentioned that their only regret was not medicating sooner. While their children's cases were maybe not as severe as OP's child, it's clearly fairly common for there to be a delay in doing medication.
Congratulations and support to all families who are seeing great results with medication. Let's focus on spreading the word and hopefully swinging the pendulum back from socieity's knee-jerk anti-med thinking.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I know this is very difficult for you, and I am trying to sympathize. That said, the tone of your post really struck me the wrong way.

You have cast this decision in a way that suggests that medication is a horrible thing to do to a kid with ADHD, and that you are such a great parent because you have gone to the ends of the earth to help your kid, but finally, finally, have no alternative other than the dreaded medication. That’s extraordinarily offensive to the many, many people who *have* medicated their kids (many to great effect, I might add), without all the angst and garment rending you display here. You are judging yourself for medicating him - well, I’m judging you for allowing a kid who obviously desperately needs help, a kid who, in your own words, is violent, lying, has no self-control, is irritable, threatening teachers, stealing, etc. to continue so long *without* medication. You can take your holier-than-thou attitude and stick it.

I sincerely hope the medication helps your son, and that you ponder how much better off he, and your entire family, would have been if you’d started him on it earlier. Jerk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I know this is very difficult for you, and I am trying to sympathize. That said, the tone of your post really struck me the wrong way.

You have cast this decision in a way that suggests that medication is a horrible thing to do to a kid with ADHD, and that you are such a great parent because you have gone to the ends of the earth to help your kid, but finally, finally, have no alternative other than the dreaded medication. That’s extraordinarily offensive to the many, many people who *have* medicated their kids (many to great effect, I might add), without all the angst and garment rending you display here. You are judging yourself for medicating him - well, I’m judging you for allowing a kid who obviously desperately needs help, a kid who, in your own words, is violent, lying, has no self-control, is irritable, threatening teachers, stealing, etc. to continue so long *without* medication. You can take your holier-than-thou attitude and stick it.

I sincerely hope the medication helps your son, and that you ponder how much better off he, and your entire family, would have been if you’d started him on it earlier. Jerk.

OP, I don't think you are jerk but I do agree with the bolded. You are, perhaps inadvertently, casting a lot of judgment on parents who medicate without letting their kid spiral into such self-destruction first. It's medication. Would you have a parent let a kid suffer through a bad bout of pneumonia or the flu without medication, unless it's the very last resort? Do we need to wait until the kid is almost dead?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re kid’s been suffering and you make it all about you.

No one cares if you medicate, op. Get over your damn self.

This. Parents like OP, who deny their kids the medication that would help them, for no good reason, make me angry. See 10:32’s post for a window on the world of difference medication can make to a long-struggling kid.

OP here. Ha! This made me laugh — in a good way. I probably do need to get over my damn self. It’s so overwhelming to have a kid like this I tend to get really overwh.

Anonymous wrote:No time to read through the threads but we also resisted meds for hhree years. Did diet change, gluten free, acupuncture, put DC on an intense swim team, did behavioral stuff, took DC to naturopathic dr, etc. Finally put DC on meds. Best Decision Ever!