BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Attention Deficit Disorder Why is taking ADD medicine a struggle?

I hear often as a RN that "I do not want my kid on meds"...or "I hate I have to take meds for my ADD".

Why is there such a stigma attached to mental health diagnosis such as ADD and why do people feel lesser if they use medicine successfully?

I ask each of you who struggle with these questions to consider what you would do if you were diagnosed with a medical issue....such as diabetes, asthma or emphysema or cancer.

Would you take the insulin the doctor ordered without asking the same questions? Would you use asthma inhalers or oxygen if the doctor told you if you did not you would die sooner? Chemo therapy for cancer is one of the hardest on our bodies...yet most people prefer to take the horrid chemo treatments to get rid of their cacer instead of saying no I am good I will just wait for now.

ADD is consistent with high impulsivity, which causes many young men and women to act on a situation, rather than to stop and think about what they are doing. This is a real risk to people for accidental injury or eve death. Would you deny a child Ritalin whose impulsivity is a great risk to him or her?


We deny ourselves feeling better and accomplishing to our full potential everyday we say I am not going to take my medicine today.

Think about it.

Erika Lyn Smith

The same resistance applies to almost any type of medication that treats a "mental disorder".

I have Clinical Depression and Bipolar, and hear much the same words spoken about the meds that we take for treatment.

I think we have grown up in a society that has taught us that anything that is behavior oriented, and doesn't have any outward, physical symptoms (like would show up on a bloodtest) - we should just work through with determination and willpower.

The other (more reasonable) reason for resisting taking these meds is the side effects. Sometimes the medications have as many side effects that outweigh the treatment. And the only way to figure out which med is going to work best for you is through trial and error. That IS a valid and frustrating part of it.

I know my oldest when on Ritalin went through the roof (he's Aspergers as well as ADHD), but Adderall works great for him. Yet another Mom I met said her son on Adderall was a screaming terror - yet on Ritalin stays right on task.

I wish there were a better way to figure out which meds would be best.

(Oh, and BTW - love, love, LOVE your avatar!!!!)

Chelle~
I meant in my post to refer to all menta health disorders.

I too wish there was an easier way to figure out the right meds for those of us in this situation.

Adderall made me hyperfocus so if I got interrupted while charting I was TICKED OFF...I had to go back threw my note and remember where I left off.

Concerta worked well, problem is I forget to take my meds.

The daytrana patch...well if you do not put it on...the dang thing does not work! Who knew?!

So now we are trying Vyvanse...I was not taking it daily and the doc said....you know better...lol...and I do know better.

Erika Lyn Smith

Hello everyone!
I want to tell you a story. It's a true one.
When my son, Eric was in kindergarten, his teacher called me and begged me to do something and now. Eric was hyperactive, this was before the medical community labeled such behaviour as ADD. She "instructed" me to put him on medication. Ritalin was the medication prescribed for hyperactivity. I saw what it did to my sister and my brother-in-law. It wasn't good, but then, there were no alternatives.
At the time, I was studying to become a Nutritionist.
I did not like drugs of any kind, (my own personal story).
So, I sat down and poured over all my texts and found what I needed.
Alot of the foods we consume are very bad for the body. They irritate the nervous system causing many of the symptoms of ADD/hyperactivity and even bi-polar, (which my daughter developed in her 20's).
I went through my kitchen and removed all white flour products, white rice, sugar and junk foods, etc. Put it in boxes and out on the curb it went.
Went to the store and bought fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread and products. No soda/kool-aid. No cookies, chips,etc.
If I made cookies, they had minute amounts of honey only.
It was a change for all of us.
One month later, Eric's teacher called me to thank me for putting Eric on meds. "He's such a different boy now", she said.
I explained to her that he wasn't on meds, that it was a change in his diet, but she didn't believe me and called me a liar.
I continued with this new diet throughout the years until they left home.
As a side note: when they were in their late teens, I took them to see a dentist for a cleaning. The dentist came out to shake my hand, because he had never seen teenagers without one cavity!
He said their mouths were perfect! Diet folks! It's all about what you put into your bodies.
Footnote: my daughter, Jennifer, developed bi-polar in her twenties. After she left the nest, she went wild with junk food, especially ice cream and candy bars. Her bi-polar symptoms showed within a few years of this diet change, along with numerous cavities.
Work on the diets first.She what changes. Drugs should always be the last resort.

You are absolutely right on about this!!! She had no right to call you a liar. She is, however, not alone in her thinking. Its what we have been taught for years and it is slowly killing us. I applaud your healthy lifestyle.

I've copied this to the Swedish ADHD forum. I hope it's ok.

Tina~

No problem. Next time consider linking the forum in Sweden to the question here so your readers can benefit from all the answers and people do not have to go to separate places to read responses.

Welcome to the ADD forum!

Erika Lyn Smith

Nice post by Divine Mother.

I think the problem lies in the fact that we are overmedicating children now-a-days.
90% of ritalin is used in the US. Do that many kids in the US actually have ADHD? Is there a chance that the ADHD is actually being caused by poor diet and lifestyle.
Have you really looked at the side effects of ADHD meds? I know I wouldn't want my kids taking them.

I think people should do whatever possible to avoid prescription drugs, attempt to change their diet, lifestyle, and supplement if needed.

This is a lovely sentiment but wholly off target when it comes to ADHD. ADHD is a brain dysfunction. If a person can "treat" their ADHD with diet and exercise, they did not have ADHD. It's that simple. Perhaps it is true that some children are being misdiagnosed. In fact, I'm sure it's true. It doesn't negate the fact that for a child with ADHD proper medical treatment can make the difference between success in school and failure, in feeling good about themselves and being angry, depressed and, in extreme cases, suicidal. There are potential side effects to all medications, but the *possible* side effects (and not all people have all - or any - side effects) are not worth screwing up the child's life.

I am an adult with ADD. I didn't get diagnosed until I was 33. My whole life changed within a couple of months of beginning Ritalin. My career has taken off, my relationships with my family have drastically improved, I've developed strong healthy friendships. All of these things were impossible without the Ritalin because, regardless of my healthy diet, my running and Pilates, my prayer and meditation, my brain wouldn't work correctly. I tried everything and I am so grateful I take Adderall now.

I think medication shouldn't be the first thing used to help a child in trouble, but I think it should also not be "the last resort." If a qualified psychiatrist has diagnosed the child with ADD, let them take the meds. It will only make their life better.

:getting off soap box now:

I, too, think our culture (U.S.) is in denial about our eating habits. We ARE what we eat. I am, by no means, a perfect eater; but I will admit that there's a definite difference in how I feel when I eat what's good for me--and when I do not eat too much! I have recently lost weight mostly because a new grandchild has stepped up my activity level. My joints have benefitted!!

Regarding ADD, etc., isn't there still a huge controversy over whether "hyperactivity," "attention deficit," etc. are valid diagnoses? It's been a few years since I looked into it, but I remember reading that, in most of Europe, ADD is not considered a legitimate diagnosis by their physicians.

I know this is a controversial issue, and I don't mean to undermine anyone who has received relief from medication. I do think there are lots of people with all sorts of diagnoses who suffer more from the side effects of medicine than from their symptoms. With some diseases, there is no dietary link; but, when there is, maybe we should pay attention. You really have to go on a case-by-case basis and find the best "fit" for you.

Where boys are concerned, I fear that a lot of them are just behaving like boys and are being labeled with ADD, etc. And, think about how many Type II diabetics we have. So MANY of them are overweight and make no attempt to correct their weight. I mean, I see diabetic friends still eating their desserts!! Come on.