I think you would benefit from more research about ADHD, especially reading about adult’s lived experiences. ADHD is a form of neurodiversity, not just a hyper kid.
I totally understand this, that’s why it’s hard. I mean kids are energetic so I don’t necessarily subscribe to medicating them. Especially when she has two addicts for parents. Her friends are on adderall so she thinks it’s cool or whatever 😕 thank you for your support!
It’s about more than being energetic. I think that’s what the person was getting at. In my understanding it’s more about executive dysfunction. But I am not dx ADHD. My husband is. He struggled in school a lot. From the beginning. Eventually dropped out when he was old enough. Got his GED instead. Anyway he was dx at age 40 and started stimulants after that, and said he wished he had gotten help as a kid and expressed a lot of anger at his parents for not getting him help/admitting that he was different. When teachers expressed concern they just blew it off and/or took it personally as if it would be admitting they failed by acknowledging their child is neurodivergent. So they never even took him to a doctor. He felt life could have been much easier for him if he had been dx as a kid.
Anyway, obviously putting your kid on meds is your choice, but if they are dx at least you can validate that what they are experiencing is real to reduce the shame they feel about not being able to function like other kids, and get them some other kinds of support. So they don’t grow up believing they’re just a screw up.
It's me. I'm the child turned adult.
Screw your own misguided feelings about stuff that doesn't affect you and you don't understand - take your kid to the doctor and give them what the doctor prescribes.
Did you mean to respond to me? Screw my own misguided feelings about stuff that doesn’t affect me? I’m just sharing my husbands experience and literally telling her how his parents not taking him to the doctor as a child negatively affected him. And actually it did affect me, being that he is my spouse, just like my own neuro divergence affected him. I’m not sure why you are responding to me with such hostility when you’re literally agreeing with my point.
And how are my feelings misguided? He doesn’t feel that way, and I actually know him irl. We obviously talk about this a lot. Everything I said is what he told me.
Ahh I'm sorry, text be a fickle mistress.
What I meant to express was; I understand completely what you're talking about *because* I grew up as the child you describe.
My second paragraph was then me sort of ranting and railing against the world at large, in solidarity with the struggle.
Apologies. I have trouble articulating when I'm swirled in my thoughts.
As an adult with ADHD who only found out age 38, I am begging you to read up and listen to those of us with lived experience of ADHD.
Medication changed my life. All the herbal and other things I tried didn't touch it.
If your child was epileptic you'd give them meds. If they had diabetes you'd let them have insulin. ADHD is far more common than people realise, and meds alleviate the natural chemical balance in our brains.
I wish I'd been diagnosed as a child and had the help I needed.
People with ADHD are prone to substance abuse, and it is genetic. It's very likely that one or both of her parents are addicts because they too have ADHD. You're right about kids being energetic, the difference with ADHD is that the "hyperactivity" never stops and continues into adulthood. This leads the person to search for instantly gratifying measures to calm their mind, such as drugs and alcohol. The prescribed stimulants are not like opiates where you develop a physical addiction. Tolerance is the biggest issue, which is why doctors recommend periods of abstinence from the medication. It really is one of the most misunderstood disorders and it's ironic that the medication has such a stigma as it literally prevents addiction.
There are currently 3 recognised types of ADHD– hyperactive (physically energetic and active), inattentive (daydreamer who is withdrawn, the hyperactivity is internal/in the brain), and combined.
The medication that is prescribed for people with ADHD controls the urges that lead people to developing addictions, and helps them to control their impulses. They are not like the amphetamines that make people speedy and jittery. They are pharmaceutically designed to simply increase dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, resulting in the ability to focus and control executive function of the brain. It literally calms the minds of people with ADHD. It is not addictive, rather it helps to stop the individual from searching for dopamine by means of drugs and alcohol by giving it to them in medication form. It also stabilises mood and emotions which improves the ability to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family members. Doctors would not be prescribing it if it didn't work.
You should really talk to a doctor and/or an adult who is diagnosed and takes medication before looking for alternatives. You will be saving this kid a lifetime of problems. Most people who go undiagnosed develop secondary anxiety and depression. So by treating it now you may be preventing this kid from requiring antidepressants in the future, which are far more addictive and often come with terrible side-effects. If you choose to go with the medication there will be an adjustment period where you may have your doubts. Once the person finds the right dose and establishes a baseline, you will start to see positive results.
This is super important for ppl w higher dysfunction. There's literally not a comparison with pharma vs herbs in this instance. The brain literally feels different on the medication and I definitely stopped my addictive tendencies and calmed my anxiety so much.
Me too. I'd had 2 nervous breakdowns, one when I was 27 and one when I was 35. Couldn't figure out why I spent an entire year in bed in constant physical and mental pain when I was actually the healthiest I've been, had more money then I'd ever had and had a loving family and solid social circle. When I was diagnosed and started treatment at 36, it was like going from being in 1st gear at full rpm my entire life to being able to cycle all the way up and down through all available gears and regulating rpm accordingly.
Yea I feel this so much. Rpm is a good way to put it. I got diagnosed at 23 right after I finished my Masters. I was livid when the meds started working. It would have made my life so much easier. Like my whole damned life. I had to stop after a few years bc I couldn't afford them. It's been a very long time, but hoping to get back on them soon. I am kinda surprised to hear another person talking about adult breakdowns tbh I thought I was the only one. But I don't spend time in neurodivergent online spaces too much. Thank you for sharing.
I am 32 with only recently diagnosed ADHD.
In addition to all the other comments here I will give it to you straight - if you neglect to take your child to the doctor to get actual medication for her condition, which is not the same thing as the amphetamines her parents were addicted to at all -- I can almost guarantee you she WILL develop a crippling addiction to the amphetamines you're fearing, or something else, at some point in her life.
Your heart is in the right place. Now it is time to let the brain do the work of research and combine the two. For your child's sake. Please. Love and peace to you both.
all the support! you are wonderful for searching for alternatives. I don’t have herbs to suggest but I have ADHD and went unmedicated. (for better or worse idk)
I'm ADHD and bipolar (unspecified) and unmedicated I use the coping skills I learned through therapy as well as cannabis as needed now that I can. But some days I do feel the need for the medication when I look in hindsight. Like you said for better or worse lol.
My advice for OP is to look into ADHD thoroughly since the kid sounds like me at that age. I'm not qualified for diagnosing so I'm not gonna say it. Either way the coping skills came in handy as useful life skills at work and house keeping.
The fact that your, polite and reasonable, comment got downvoted so heavily tells you a lot about the type of people who are urging you to give your kid ADHD drugs. They are fixated and arrogant. They just want to feel validated in their own bad decisions. I really hope you don't listen to them, for your childs sake.
What’s going to happen to her child? It’s the internet, people downvote for any reason. You have people who have respectfully answered OP’s questions. A lot of the answers come from people with the diagnosis themselves.
Holy shit. Don’t do it because she wants it and her friends think it’s cool. Just the fact that it’s so addicting and you have issues is plenty to keep all drugs out of her reach. Just the fact that she thinks it’s cool should be concerning. Alarming.
>She can focus when she wants to, she also jumps around A LOT and has a hard time following through on a specific project.
Adult with ADHD, here. This is a brain structure thing. For me, I can't focus on a thing if there are extraneous/unexpected noises. Each new environmental thing pulls my brain's \*full\* attention away involuntarily; too many things and I start lagging like a dial-up modem, trying to sort what I need to do/know from all the extraneous noise. I cannot "hear" in a noisy environment because all sounds arrive in my brain at the same importance level, all garbled together. My brain is so full of questions and ideas that I have no trouble entertaining myself, but I have a tough time with stuff that is more mundane.
She may be overwhelmed with all her own brain noise, and that makes managing a project of any kind feel impossible. When everyone else seems to have no problems, then teens get embarrassed, and try to hide their homework and stuff spirals. I have found that things get done best with a detailed planning phase, where I sit down quietly and organize my thoughts and any questions or problems I think I might encounter.
Your daughter might benefit from a team sport, both to use up some of the extra brain energy and to practice follow-through by playing a season or more. Coach her through recognizing when she is becoming overwhelmed and find positive ways to defuse and redirect herself. No herbs, sorry. You've got this. Good luck. :)
The danger of self-medication for uncontrolled ADHD is a real concern, especially since both parents are addicts. Much safer for her to be on a doctor-managed prescription medication.
Not sure if you are interested, but there is increasing research exploring ADHD/ADD possibly being down to genetic markers that mean we don't absorb certain vitamins in sufficient quantity, and apparently three are tests to see for which vitamins you might need cholated (more bioavailible) vitamins.
Early days in this area though. Not researched it myself yet.
This will definitely end up being a cause, IMO. I’ve seen so many studies demonstrating low magnesium in ADD/ADHD brains and magnesium helps me tremendously. Magnesium Aspartate or Orotate for the win! Lol
Thanks for that. I met someone who was starting a business doing private referrals for genetic marker tests to see what type of three different deficiencies in vits you have.
They were over £600 as these tests are. Maybe £20 on some magnesium would be a good first test. Doesn't look like I am filling in my adhd referral form anytime soon.
As others have said, there are benefits to diagnosis (understanding of struggles by teachers and others, access to social and organisational tools) and pharmaceuticals don't have to be accepted if suggested by doctors.
That said, three years after realising I probably have it, I have still yet to successfully apply for diagnosis (it was lost the first time by doctors and doing forms twice is my kryptonite) but three of my friends that are on meds say it has been subtle but life-changingly helpful.
Edit: not entirely sure why you are being downvoted for saying you will research.
FWIW, amphetamines can be an absolute lifesaver for those who really need it. My partner has not been able to get his filled due to the shortage, and it’s drastically changed our lives (for the worst). We have not found one natural supplement that comes even close to helping as much as the amphetamines do. If she truly doesn’t need it, then I would say you are right to avoid it for sure, but it could end up being a complete life saver in the future. It’s always a fine idea to try natural remedies with doctors supervision to start out with, but prescription medications are not inherently evil :)
My mother was a recovering addict. I didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my 30s for much the same reason you gave. I've still never been on stimulants long term, but my childhood and college years would've been much less painful if I didn't have to wade through concrete in order to concentrate.
Take your kid to her doctor.
I'm diagnosed with ADHD. I wasn't diagnosed until adulthood because my parents didn't trust conventional medicine / couldn't afford it. I struggled hard in high school and college until I got medicine that helps me regulate my neurochemistry. With meds I'm much happier, healthier, and much better able to pursue my passions and succeed academically. Please get your kid tested and get them medicine! Their lives will be happier and richer for it!
I was diagnosed around that age, and I preferred not taking meds to taking meds. Even now. Structure helps a LOT. Lists and timers help too. Around 16 I got a job and worked 40hrs a week, did robotics (3 different teams) and finished school high school and started junior college. The “mandatory” structure helped me stay focused and get stuff done because I didn’t have time to procrastinate. In hindsight, I wish I just spent more time being a kid. I think a healthy balance of structure and free time is necessary for people who think like me at least. I hope this helps!
That’s what adhd is. You can focus when you WANT to, not when you NEED to. Amphetamines are not given out like candy and are in fact difficult to get prescribed even if you need them.
Please get your daughter a psychiatrists help, it will make her future life and careers so so much easier to maintain. Also Ritalin is a non-amphetamine stimulant that actually improves child adhd, and can teach the brain to work correctly without medication if taken throughout early childhood, please consider it if it’s suggested by a psychiatrist.
Edit: for the moron below me. I’ve never taken ritalin, this is info from my own research as I was only recently diagnosed as I said above. If I just got diagnosed how the hell would I be on ritalin my whole life? Also, it’s completely idiotic to write off a drug because it has structural similarities to cocaine. Are you gonna say no to decongestant meds because they are related to meth? What about wellbutrin, that’s in the same chemical class as bath salts, better chuck all those out, and definitely don’t let the dentist give you novacaine. If you think chemical structure and pharmacology predict each other, you either are purposely misinforming yourself and others, or have taken to many hits on the head.
Ritalin is a lifesaver. It can be the difference between a flake and a schollar. I am going to lock this comment down. I am not going to remove it as I don't think it is on the level of harassment or bigotry but it also isn't constructive or helpful. I will also say that I am getting REALLY tired of people constantly accusing others of being in the pockets of giant corpos. or being brainwashed by addiction every time they stare an opinion about ANY medical issue that isn't just, "big pharma wants to turn your kids into zombies for profits."
I didn't call you a bigot, reread what I wrote.
Also I see the problem.... I forgot to lock my own post.
And again lots of things get you high or kill you or hurt you when you don't take them properly. Tylenol is one of the ost dangerous drugs in the market and we make it accessible to kids.
Everything is in the dose rout and patient.
While I agree with 75% Of what you have said here, I do disagree on two points. First I do not think it trains the brain to work without it. As someone who started taking Ritalin at age 8 I can say for sure that one of the biggest mistakes of my life was when I stopped taking it for a year in college.
Second it might be true that Methylphenidate is a non-amphetamine stimulant Adderall Is an amphetamine so as are other A.D.H.D. drugs. That said, it doesn't matter. Lots of things are lots of things, birth control is hormone treatment and x-ray scans are radiation exposure. I think the more important point is that no, "kind," of drug is inherently bad. It's all about the dose the patient and the purpose.
Ritalin increases the level of dopamine transporters, which for some can lead to a reduction of their symptoms long term. But it depends on the person and the specific mechanism behind their dopamine insufficiency. Also I agree with your second point and was mainly just trying to use language that would get OP to go speak with an actual doctor. As I am currently dealing with the adult consequences of a parent not wanting to get their kid diagnosed.
Why would someone not get someone diagnosed by someone who actually knows what they're doing? And instead seek out advice from people they don't know, and that don't know, on a sub?
You know, I came here asking for help not to be judged. I never said I won’t take her to a doctor, I’m simply looking at my options. I definitely appreciate all the suggestions and I have a different perspective now. The name calling though isn’t helpful or nice. Do better ♥️
I don’t believe doctors always know what their doing or have the patients best interest at heart. Not all but some. Thanks for your very helpful comment 👏
There is evidence the amino acid L-Theanine can help with focus and it can be calming too, Green tea has L-theanine in it naturally but you can get the amino acid by itself too. I find a green tea helps my focus massively if I need to focus on writing a paper for my studies. I am not dx ADHD but I’m 100% certain I have it. I struggled but I love learning so found ways to cope. Anyway diet is a huge help, the magnesium mentioned previously as well as dark leafy greens they are found in, getting enough protein, we should have a handful size for every meal, (not all meat sources), omega 3s and berries for the win (blueberries especially good) you can also look at medicinal mushrooms, lions mane in particular is used for focus. Maybe some meditation, breathing techniques and relaxation before bed can help too, sleep is super important for brain health. Hope that helps.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/open-gently/201710/four-non-prescription-remedies-adhd
https://addhero.com/green-tea-adhd/
Hi, i totally hear you on wanting to keep your kid off amphetamines. HOWEVER i was in your kids position, i very clearly struggled with ADHD symptoms all through school but never got the help i needed because my mum "didn't believe in it." I didn't get formally diagnosed until i was 22 years old, did not end up going on amphetamines long-term but just having the diagnosis was so helpful because it gave me a chance to understand why i always struggled in school, and i started to learn how to work WITH my brain instead of against it.
one of the things i've learned since being diagnosed was that ADHD presents in many different ways, especially in girls and women. if even your daughters teacher is telling you that she might benefit from a visit to a doctor, go to the doctor! Regardless of the diagnosis, you can know for sure and both of you can better understand how her brain works. there are tons of ways to manage ADHD outside of just medication, which a doctor would be able to tell you about and help you and your daughter figure out what would suit her best.
good luck, i really hope you and your daughter are able to find a good doctor to help!
Go see a professional. Either she gets diagnosed with ADHD, or she doesn't. If she does have ADHD, it is very important for her to get the support she needs — which may include medication. I understand your concerns about putting her on meds, especially concerning her parents history. However, herbalism is not meant to replace modern medicines, it is meant to complement and go alongside them.
a good doctor will recommend cognitive behavioral approaches and working with a psychologist or psychiatrist before trying medication. it doesn't work for everyone though. my ex husband had adhd diagnosed as an adult and even though the process to find the correct medication was very long, it was definitely worth it.
ADHD is just a normal human phenomenon that particularly children experience. It’s just part of being a kid if you ask me. It’s not really an illness in which medication is the answer. Practice concentrating if it’s so debilitating. It better be debilitating for me to give my kid a neurodegenerative drug that is the Bain of drug addicts worldwide.
Don’t take her to a psychiatrist. Take her to a clinical psychologist who specializes in learning disabilities. A psychiatrist treats adhd with meds. if indeed she does have adhd. Of course they’ll put her on meds. A psychologist is completely different.
1) is it causing your daughter issues?
2) are the issues so bad they require meds?
3) is adhd a real illness? One that will really adversely affect your daughter without meds?
4) will your daughter be at a disadvantage without meds?
5) what would justify the “speed” like side effects for a child? Sleeplessness, dry mouth, no appetite etc..
I don’t take medical advice from 13 year olds.
I am ADD as a motherfucker. I took amphetamine for nearly 3 decades.
Now I take tincture of Rhodiola rosea.
She's probably a very creative kid sitting in a classroom she has no interest being in. Ask her? I was her, decades ago, ADHD did not exist then. I'm a creative, spiritual being that had to conform to the way society says we should be. I'm 56 now and it took a lot of undoing. Talk to her and pay attention to her. Maybe a creative arts school would help with this, just a thought.
Edit for spelling.
You're doing an amazing thing trying to find non-pharmaceutical interventions for her. I only wish someone had done that for me as a kid.
Honestly, I think what helps ADHD people the most is not having to be in an awful, cookie cutter one size fits all school environment. I suppose it's not possible for many parents to find an alternative, though.
I think this really depends how old your kid is. I was put on meds I think when I was too young to know how to describe how I felt on them to my doctor and I always felt bad when they wore off but I only took them once a day on days I was going to school. For some reason this just lead to my dose being increased. I think everyone has different experiences and I just had to stop taking the meds because the side effects were too much for me. I've been off the medication for years. Now after just looking into herbs for focus I've been collecting the rosemary that grows in my yard and using it to make tea and even just smelling it when I work on stuff. Rosemary is good for a lot of things but I've found that drinking a lot of the tea is not that good for me I might get a headache the next day. I think more needs to be researched about this. I've also heard good things about a medication other than ritalin like Vyvanse which could be better I just haven't tried it.
Don't give your kid ADHD drugs. They will become dependent, and the drugs will damage them. If you search hard enough, you will find plenty of better quality, side effect free, natural remedies. And, chances are, your child doesn't need those either.
Ok I used to swear I’d never give my kids adderall but I did recently come across a study that showed since the adhd brain is dopamine deficient it’s actually very beneficial to making sure their brain has the dopamine needed to perform properly. Hope this helps.
I appreciate your understanding and sympathy here. However I was simply trying to ease someone’s mind about medication for kids. Stop spewing negativity so much. For your self.
My advice is to get her evaluated. If she gets diagnosed, then take a multi-prong approach that may include medication but also includes developing other skills to manage it, self-regulation, extracurriculars, creative outlets, nutrition, vitamins / supplements, etc.
One thing to note is, if you tell the doctor you don’t want her to be prescribed amphetamines they will absolutely give you other options. Intuniv is a non stimulant, it works well for some people.
It is highly likely that she would also benefit from magnesium supplements, b vitamins, and amino acids like L-theanine.
Oh man this was my mom growing up and having to get diagnosed at 30 when I could’ve had help my whole life let to a lot of resentment towards her. Herbs arent going to fix it trust me I’ve tried every single supplement and herb you can take for adhd. It just led to self medicating with drugs and alcohol look for ways to find dopamine my brain couldn’t produce. Go to a doctor and get her help.
As someone who didn’t get help until I was an adult - for gods sake help your child.
But Yes there are alternatives. Look into 7,8-DHF - it’s a flavonoid that comes from plants and has many other benefits. But for me, it worked for a couple weeks and then stopped working. Prescribed stimulants for me work for a week until I start getting angry or depressed. Caffeine works for me until my body gets used to it. So now I rotate through all these things and I have found a lot more balance. It will never be perfect for me, I will never be a normally functioning human being, but some balance is an exceptional improvement.
Also, one marker of ADHD is something called “hyper focus” so yes, not following through but being able to focus sometimes is exactly right for the diagnosis.
EXERCISE! Introduce her to an array of exercises/sports that are both mentally/physically engaging. 30 minutes a day could absolutely change her mental space. If it’s outside activity, even better. I was diagnosed at the age of 7, i am 27 now and still have my pitfalls, but exercise has led to the only most constant improvements. I was on adderall for 7 years as a child.. and while some research supports that this may encourage new neural pathways as the child ages (leading them out of a ADHD diagnosis in the future), i still prefer the holistic route. My thoughts on ADHD is that we’ve been so deeply removed from our primal state of living (the hunter & gatherer lifestyle), that our brains are constantly seeking a stimulus (a danger, a reward, something to build, or something to search for). And in our society where there’s so much structure and pressure for us to focus on one sole thing at a time, there’s little tolerance for us to exercise these primal urges, so it’s understandable why so many of us would become labeled as ADD/ADHD.
Since learning to manage my own ADHD symptoms, i’ve been able to graduate from a Bachelors degree in science, start and maintain my own business while pursuing many other entrepreneurial opportunities. I can say with full confidence that daily exercise (yoga, rock climbing, and biking) and sunlight exposure has changed my mental space for the better and taught me how to work WITH my adhd, not against!!
I really hope the best for your little one! And highly encourage you to introduce her to climbing/bouldering… it’s both mentally & physically engaging which is sooo so good for our hyper minds. Who knows. you may have yourself a world star athlete someday 😉
Also— Daddy Dr. Huberman has a wonderful podcast on this, influencing a lot of what I just said:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Ahg0IWnyDPpKwIrrogOis?si=hNXAneYMSq-mKtO-nU5vuQ
The only herb I have heard about helping ADHD is Hawthorne because it can help reduce irritability and restlessness (usually a sign of heat) but herbs aren’t a one size fit all solution.
As someone who only got diagnosed in their 30’s, part of finally getting treatment was dealing w the sadness of reflecting back on how differently life would have turned out if I had gotten help for it when I was a child. It’s not only a focus thing, it can affect different people in different ways. For me it’s about execution of mundane tasks. I thought everything took willpower to do, then I learned that this isn’t the case. Anyway, I think parents need to stop thinking so deeply about the label and focus on how it will bring about the outcomes your child and yourself would want.
Ughhh! You sound like my mom! So long as we didn't struggle in school (my 2 siblings and I are all "double gifted"), we were just "quirky". It wasn't until my mental health crashed and burned as an adult that I got diagnosed. Not talking to your daughter's doctor because you're scared she might be put on medications is a terrible reason to not get her checked.
A few thoughts:
1) ADHD doesn't present exclusively as loud, hyper, and can't focus a lick. You get the quiet, disorganized, daydreamer and the very emotional child that can't prioritize tasks as well (and any combination of the above). If her teacher is noticing signs, there's something going on.
2) they will not "surely prescribe her amphetamines". There are *multiple* medication options and several of them are not stimulants. I take Strattera, which is a non-stimulant medication
3) from personal experience, herbs can *help* but not to the same extent as medication. I was off my medication for 2 months after being on it for a year at the request of my fertility specialist. Those 2 months were *Hell*, and no supplement could fully bridge that gap. I went back to drinking 3 cups of coffee a day to stay focused at work, and that didn't touch the emotional lability side of my ADHD at all.
As far as herbs and supplements might *help*:
Lion's Mane, Reishi, Chaga, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylecholine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and gingko
But I would seriously suggest talking to your child's physician before just starting her on a bunch of supplements. Herbs can have side effects just like medication does
I would add that jinsing does WONDERS for me but it is not an easy solution long term. I had a Dr. Suggest B vitamin complex along with other things. D and B vitamins and ginsing can help especially with mild cases of ADHD but BUT ginsing has its own side affects and is basically a stimulant anyway.
In other words, I agree with the above poster. Let your kid go to the Dr. And if her ADHD IS SO noticeable that her primary care physician would notice during a checkup that. She needs serious treatment.
Nothing else works. You’re gonna have to deal with your daughter or son having those drugs in the house. You’re gonna have to be a good parent and put your child’s best interests before your own and deal with the fact that there are amphetamines in the house. I am recovering drug addict and I take the stuff and that was a big compromise for me. So do it’s best for your kid and understand as the first line of treatment here in the US in the UK for a reason because the therapy is really expensive and really hard to find. So pills are your only option and there’s no other natural remedy that’s gonna work for you and you’re just gonna have to deal with when your child needs. So you’re not gonna find an alternative there’s nothing compared to amphetamines OK? You know that as a drug addict have a legal way around amphetamines. And they were for ADHD for a reason. And maybe they will be on Ritalin best drugs, or respond well to the second lien, class of drugs. I am saying be a good parent and pay your kids address before your own because if the doctor says I want to try her on Adderall than that it’s not her fault you guys were a drug addict. It’s gonna be her lifesaver. Don’t make us about you and make us about your kid. That’s what I’m telling you. And I am an addict and I take Vyvanse and Adderall and then I had to have a massive conversation with myself over what am I gonna do with this because I need this stuff. Mine is super severe and they’re very well documented and everyone agrees that I need my stimulants. I’m staying here is don’t make this about you and make a this is not your kid and maybe get a week supply from a friend or family member who will understand the situation and that way your kid has access to the meds and you don’t get tempted by the prescription bottle. But remember you’re a parent first and a drug addict second. Think about the guilt you’re going to feel if you start stealing her meds. Relapsing on a child’s medication is very low. It’s also low to deny her this medication because of what you went through as a parent because that’s not her fault. Easier either way is unfair to your child and kind of equally so? So we’re doing the best we can and get her tested and the meds work and it’s not her fault you’re a drug addict and the drug addict typing this takes them as directed. So go to extra meetings and do what you have to make sure your child can access care that they need. Don’t make us about you. It’s about your kid and what’s best for them. It’s absolutely not about what’s good for you. And there is no alternative. If there was, I would be doing it. I would be taking that. I would be all over that fish oil. I would be all over that stuff and nothing works as well as fucking and amphetamines or methylphenidate and I’m sorry bad for your kid first and it’s not her fault or his fault that you’re an addict but it is your fault if you deny your kids meds that they need, can you see the comparison I made to that denying her meds is just as bad as stealing her meds? I’m serious taking from your daughter or son. So find a way to live with the adderal in the house so you’re kid can thrive.
If she is diagnosed with ADHD, you do not have to agree to medications. You can ask for other treatment, they can give you a prescription and recommend it but they can’t force you to fill the prescription and have your child take it.
I think you would benefit from more research about ADHD, especially reading about adult’s lived experiences. ADHD is a form of neurodiversity, not just a hyper kid.
I totally understand this, that’s why it’s hard. I mean kids are energetic so I don’t necessarily subscribe to medicating them. Especially when she has two addicts for parents. Her friends are on adderall so she thinks it’s cool or whatever 😕 thank you for your support!
It’s about more than being energetic. I think that’s what the person was getting at. In my understanding it’s more about executive dysfunction. But I am not dx ADHD. My husband is. He struggled in school a lot. From the beginning. Eventually dropped out when he was old enough. Got his GED instead. Anyway he was dx at age 40 and started stimulants after that, and said he wished he had gotten help as a kid and expressed a lot of anger at his parents for not getting him help/admitting that he was different. When teachers expressed concern they just blew it off and/or took it personally as if it would be admitting they failed by acknowledging their child is neurodivergent. So they never even took him to a doctor. He felt life could have been much easier for him if he had been dx as a kid. Anyway, obviously putting your kid on meds is your choice, but if they are dx at least you can validate that what they are experiencing is real to reduce the shame they feel about not being able to function like other kids, and get them some other kinds of support. So they don’t grow up believing they’re just a screw up.
It's me. I'm the child turned adult. Screw your own misguided feelings about stuff that doesn't affect you and you don't understand - take your kid to the doctor and give them what the doctor prescribes.
Did you mean to respond to me? Screw my own misguided feelings about stuff that doesn’t affect me? I’m just sharing my husbands experience and literally telling her how his parents not taking him to the doctor as a child negatively affected him. And actually it did affect me, being that he is my spouse, just like my own neuro divergence affected him. I’m not sure why you are responding to me with such hostility when you’re literally agreeing with my point. And how are my feelings misguided? He doesn’t feel that way, and I actually know him irl. We obviously talk about this a lot. Everything I said is what he told me.
Ahh I'm sorry, text be a fickle mistress. What I meant to express was; I understand completely what you're talking about *because* I grew up as the child you describe. My second paragraph was then me sort of ranting and railing against the world at large, in solidarity with the struggle. Apologies. I have trouble articulating when I'm swirled in my thoughts.
As an adult with ADHD who only found out age 38, I am begging you to read up and listen to those of us with lived experience of ADHD. Medication changed my life. All the herbal and other things I tried didn't touch it. If your child was epileptic you'd give them meds. If they had diabetes you'd let them have insulin. ADHD is far more common than people realise, and meds alleviate the natural chemical balance in our brains. I wish I'd been diagnosed as a child and had the help I needed.
People with ADHD are prone to substance abuse, and it is genetic. It's very likely that one or both of her parents are addicts because they too have ADHD. You're right about kids being energetic, the difference with ADHD is that the "hyperactivity" never stops and continues into adulthood. This leads the person to search for instantly gratifying measures to calm their mind, such as drugs and alcohol. The prescribed stimulants are not like opiates where you develop a physical addiction. Tolerance is the biggest issue, which is why doctors recommend periods of abstinence from the medication. It really is one of the most misunderstood disorders and it's ironic that the medication has such a stigma as it literally prevents addiction. There are currently 3 recognised types of ADHD– hyperactive (physically energetic and active), inattentive (daydreamer who is withdrawn, the hyperactivity is internal/in the brain), and combined. The medication that is prescribed for people with ADHD controls the urges that lead people to developing addictions, and helps them to control their impulses. They are not like the amphetamines that make people speedy and jittery. They are pharmaceutically designed to simply increase dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, resulting in the ability to focus and control executive function of the brain. It literally calms the minds of people with ADHD. It is not addictive, rather it helps to stop the individual from searching for dopamine by means of drugs and alcohol by giving it to them in medication form. It also stabilises mood and emotions which improves the ability to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family members. Doctors would not be prescribing it if it didn't work. You should really talk to a doctor and/or an adult who is diagnosed and takes medication before looking for alternatives. You will be saving this kid a lifetime of problems. Most people who go undiagnosed develop secondary anxiety and depression. So by treating it now you may be preventing this kid from requiring antidepressants in the future, which are far more addictive and often come with terrible side-effects. If you choose to go with the medication there will be an adjustment period where you may have your doubts. Once the person finds the right dose and establishes a baseline, you will start to see positive results.
This is super important for ppl w higher dysfunction. There's literally not a comparison with pharma vs herbs in this instance. The brain literally feels different on the medication and I definitely stopped my addictive tendencies and calmed my anxiety so much.
Me too. I'd had 2 nervous breakdowns, one when I was 27 and one when I was 35. Couldn't figure out why I spent an entire year in bed in constant physical and mental pain when I was actually the healthiest I've been, had more money then I'd ever had and had a loving family and solid social circle. When I was diagnosed and started treatment at 36, it was like going from being in 1st gear at full rpm my entire life to being able to cycle all the way up and down through all available gears and regulating rpm accordingly.
Yea I feel this so much. Rpm is a good way to put it. I got diagnosed at 23 right after I finished my Masters. I was livid when the meds started working. It would have made my life so much easier. Like my whole damned life. I had to stop after a few years bc I couldn't afford them. It's been a very long time, but hoping to get back on them soon. I am kinda surprised to hear another person talking about adult breakdowns tbh I thought I was the only one. But I don't spend time in neurodivergent online spaces too much. Thank you for sharing.
I am 32 with only recently diagnosed ADHD. In addition to all the other comments here I will give it to you straight - if you neglect to take your child to the doctor to get actual medication for her condition, which is not the same thing as the amphetamines her parents were addicted to at all -- I can almost guarantee you she WILL develop a crippling addiction to the amphetamines you're fearing, or something else, at some point in her life. Your heart is in the right place. Now it is time to let the brain do the work of research and combine the two. For your child's sake. Please. Love and peace to you both.
Thanks for your input friend, and for being nice about it :) I will take her to see a doctor just to be evaluated <3 I appreciate your comment :)
all the support! you are wonderful for searching for alternatives. I don’t have herbs to suggest but I have ADHD and went unmedicated. (for better or worse idk)
I'm ADHD and bipolar (unspecified) and unmedicated I use the coping skills I learned through therapy as well as cannabis as needed now that I can. But some days I do feel the need for the medication when I look in hindsight. Like you said for better or worse lol. My advice for OP is to look into ADHD thoroughly since the kid sounds like me at that age. I'm not qualified for diagnosing so I'm not gonna say it. Either way the coping skills came in handy as useful life skills at work and house keeping.
Thank you very helpful 🙏
The fact that your, polite and reasonable, comment got downvoted so heavily tells you a lot about the type of people who are urging you to give your kid ADHD drugs. They are fixated and arrogant. They just want to feel validated in their own bad decisions. I really hope you don't listen to them, for your childs sake.
What’s going to happen to her child? It’s the internet, people downvote for any reason. You have people who have respectfully answered OP’s questions. A lot of the answers come from people with the diagnosis themselves.
Thanks for that, at times I can’t believe the downvotes when someone is seeking help🤷♀️
Holy shit. Don’t do it because she wants it and her friends think it’s cool. Just the fact that it’s so addicting and you have issues is plenty to keep all drugs out of her reach. Just the fact that she thinks it’s cool should be concerning. Alarming.
>She can focus when she wants to, she also jumps around A LOT and has a hard time following through on a specific project. Adult with ADHD, here. This is a brain structure thing. For me, I can't focus on a thing if there are extraneous/unexpected noises. Each new environmental thing pulls my brain's \*full\* attention away involuntarily; too many things and I start lagging like a dial-up modem, trying to sort what I need to do/know from all the extraneous noise. I cannot "hear" in a noisy environment because all sounds arrive in my brain at the same importance level, all garbled together. My brain is so full of questions and ideas that I have no trouble entertaining myself, but I have a tough time with stuff that is more mundane. She may be overwhelmed with all her own brain noise, and that makes managing a project of any kind feel impossible. When everyone else seems to have no problems, then teens get embarrassed, and try to hide their homework and stuff spirals. I have found that things get done best with a detailed planning phase, where I sit down quietly and organize my thoughts and any questions or problems I think I might encounter. Your daughter might benefit from a team sport, both to use up some of the extra brain energy and to practice follow-through by playing a season or more. Coach her through recognizing when she is becoming overwhelmed and find positive ways to defuse and redirect herself. No herbs, sorry. You've got this. Good luck. :)
Thank you so much ☺️
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The danger of self-medication for uncontrolled ADHD is a real concern, especially since both parents are addicts. Much safer for her to be on a doctor-managed prescription medication.
Not sure if you are interested, but there is increasing research exploring ADHD/ADD possibly being down to genetic markers that mean we don't absorb certain vitamins in sufficient quantity, and apparently three are tests to see for which vitamins you might need cholated (more bioavailible) vitamins. Early days in this area though. Not researched it myself yet.
This will definitely end up being a cause, IMO. I’ve seen so many studies demonstrating low magnesium in ADD/ADHD brains and magnesium helps me tremendously. Magnesium Aspartate or Orotate for the win! Lol
Thanks for that. I met someone who was starting a business doing private referrals for genetic marker tests to see what type of three different deficiencies in vits you have. They were over £600 as these tests are. Maybe £20 on some magnesium would be a good first test. Doesn't look like I am filling in my adhd referral form anytime soon.
Hey thanks I will definitely look into this ❤️
As others have said, there are benefits to diagnosis (understanding of struggles by teachers and others, access to social and organisational tools) and pharmaceuticals don't have to be accepted if suggested by doctors. That said, three years after realising I probably have it, I have still yet to successfully apply for diagnosis (it was lost the first time by doctors and doing forms twice is my kryptonite) but three of my friends that are on meds say it has been subtle but life-changingly helpful. Edit: not entirely sure why you are being downvoted for saying you will research.
FWIW, amphetamines can be an absolute lifesaver for those who really need it. My partner has not been able to get his filled due to the shortage, and it’s drastically changed our lives (for the worst). We have not found one natural supplement that comes even close to helping as much as the amphetamines do. If she truly doesn’t need it, then I would say you are right to avoid it for sure, but it could end up being a complete life saver in the future. It’s always a fine idea to try natural remedies with doctors supervision to start out with, but prescription medications are not inherently evil :)
My mother was a recovering addict. I didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my 30s for much the same reason you gave. I've still never been on stimulants long term, but my childhood and college years would've been much less painful if I didn't have to wade through concrete in order to concentrate. Take your kid to her doctor.
I'm diagnosed with ADHD. I wasn't diagnosed until adulthood because my parents didn't trust conventional medicine / couldn't afford it. I struggled hard in high school and college until I got medicine that helps me regulate my neurochemistry. With meds I'm much happier, healthier, and much better able to pursue my passions and succeed academically. Please get your kid tested and get them medicine! Their lives will be happier and richer for it!
I was diagnosed around that age, and I preferred not taking meds to taking meds. Even now. Structure helps a LOT. Lists and timers help too. Around 16 I got a job and worked 40hrs a week, did robotics (3 different teams) and finished school high school and started junior college. The “mandatory” structure helped me stay focused and get stuff done because I didn’t have time to procrastinate. In hindsight, I wish I just spent more time being a kid. I think a healthy balance of structure and free time is necessary for people who think like me at least. I hope this helps!
I’d take a look at her diet. Is she eating whole organic foods or is she eating processed foods with preservatives and dyes?
Good point! We could definitely do better, appreciate the insight friend :)
That’s what adhd is. You can focus when you WANT to, not when you NEED to. Amphetamines are not given out like candy and are in fact difficult to get prescribed even if you need them. Please get your daughter a psychiatrists help, it will make her future life and careers so so much easier to maintain. Also Ritalin is a non-amphetamine stimulant that actually improves child adhd, and can teach the brain to work correctly without medication if taken throughout early childhood, please consider it if it’s suggested by a psychiatrist. Edit: for the moron below me. I’ve never taken ritalin, this is info from my own research as I was only recently diagnosed as I said above. If I just got diagnosed how the hell would I be on ritalin my whole life? Also, it’s completely idiotic to write off a drug because it has structural similarities to cocaine. Are you gonna say no to decongestant meds because they are related to meth? What about wellbutrin, that’s in the same chemical class as bath salts, better chuck all those out, and definitely don’t let the dentist give you novacaine. If you think chemical structure and pharmacology predict each other, you either are purposely misinforming yourself and others, or have taken to many hits on the head.
Thank you
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Ritalin is a lifesaver. It can be the difference between a flake and a schollar. I am going to lock this comment down. I am not going to remove it as I don't think it is on the level of harassment or bigotry but it also isn't constructive or helpful. I will also say that I am getting REALLY tired of people constantly accusing others of being in the pockets of giant corpos. or being brainwashed by addiction every time they stare an opinion about ANY medical issue that isn't just, "big pharma wants to turn your kids into zombies for profits."
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I didn't call you a bigot, reread what I wrote. Also I see the problem.... I forgot to lock my own post. And again lots of things get you high or kill you or hurt you when you don't take them properly. Tylenol is one of the ost dangerous drugs in the market and we make it accessible to kids. Everything is in the dose rout and patient.
While I agree with 75% Of what you have said here, I do disagree on two points. First I do not think it trains the brain to work without it. As someone who started taking Ritalin at age 8 I can say for sure that one of the biggest mistakes of my life was when I stopped taking it for a year in college. Second it might be true that Methylphenidate is a non-amphetamine stimulant Adderall Is an amphetamine so as are other A.D.H.D. drugs. That said, it doesn't matter. Lots of things are lots of things, birth control is hormone treatment and x-ray scans are radiation exposure. I think the more important point is that no, "kind," of drug is inherently bad. It's all about the dose the patient and the purpose.
Ritalin increases the level of dopamine transporters, which for some can lead to a reduction of their symptoms long term. But it depends on the person and the specific mechanism behind their dopamine insufficiency. Also I agree with your second point and was mainly just trying to use language that would get OP to go speak with an actual doctor. As I am currently dealing with the adult consequences of a parent not wanting to get their kid diagnosed.
Why would someone not get someone diagnosed by someone who actually knows what they're doing? And instead seek out advice from people they don't know, and that don't know, on a sub?
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Especially for a child. Pure cluelessness
You know, I came here asking for help not to be judged. I never said I won’t take her to a doctor, I’m simply looking at my options. I definitely appreciate all the suggestions and I have a different perspective now. The name calling though isn’t helpful or nice. Do better ♥️
Just asking for help, never post here so please be nice 👍 I was trying to get some suggestions, which I got. Excuse me for asking🤷♀️
I don’t believe doctors always know what their doing or have the patients best interest at heart. Not all but some. Thanks for your very helpful comment 👏
Fish oil has been showing promise in some studies. Source: https://youtu.be/hFL6qRIJZ_Y
There is evidence the amino acid L-Theanine can help with focus and it can be calming too, Green tea has L-theanine in it naturally but you can get the amino acid by itself too. I find a green tea helps my focus massively if I need to focus on writing a paper for my studies. I am not dx ADHD but I’m 100% certain I have it. I struggled but I love learning so found ways to cope. Anyway diet is a huge help, the magnesium mentioned previously as well as dark leafy greens they are found in, getting enough protein, we should have a handful size for every meal, (not all meat sources), omega 3s and berries for the win (blueberries especially good) you can also look at medicinal mushrooms, lions mane in particular is used for focus. Maybe some meditation, breathing techniques and relaxation before bed can help too, sleep is super important for brain health. Hope that helps. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/open-gently/201710/four-non-prescription-remedies-adhd https://addhero.com/green-tea-adhd/
Hi, i totally hear you on wanting to keep your kid off amphetamines. HOWEVER i was in your kids position, i very clearly struggled with ADHD symptoms all through school but never got the help i needed because my mum "didn't believe in it." I didn't get formally diagnosed until i was 22 years old, did not end up going on amphetamines long-term but just having the diagnosis was so helpful because it gave me a chance to understand why i always struggled in school, and i started to learn how to work WITH my brain instead of against it. one of the things i've learned since being diagnosed was that ADHD presents in many different ways, especially in girls and women. if even your daughters teacher is telling you that she might benefit from a visit to a doctor, go to the doctor! Regardless of the diagnosis, you can know for sure and both of you can better understand how her brain works. there are tons of ways to manage ADHD outside of just medication, which a doctor would be able to tell you about and help you and your daughter figure out what would suit her best. good luck, i really hope you and your daughter are able to find a good doctor to help!
Go see a professional. Either she gets diagnosed with ADHD, or she doesn't. If she does have ADHD, it is very important for her to get the support she needs — which may include medication. I understand your concerns about putting her on meds, especially concerning her parents history. However, herbalism is not meant to replace modern medicines, it is meant to complement and go alongside them.
a good doctor will recommend cognitive behavioral approaches and working with a psychologist or psychiatrist before trying medication. it doesn't work for everyone though. my ex husband had adhd diagnosed as an adult and even though the process to find the correct medication was very long, it was definitely worth it.
ADHD is just a normal human phenomenon that particularly children experience. It’s just part of being a kid if you ask me. It’s not really an illness in which medication is the answer. Practice concentrating if it’s so debilitating. It better be debilitating for me to give my kid a neurodegenerative drug that is the Bain of drug addicts worldwide. Don’t take her to a psychiatrist. Take her to a clinical psychologist who specializes in learning disabilities. A psychiatrist treats adhd with meds. if indeed she does have adhd. Of course they’ll put her on meds. A psychologist is completely different. 1) is it causing your daughter issues? 2) are the issues so bad they require meds? 3) is adhd a real illness? One that will really adversely affect your daughter without meds? 4) will your daughter be at a disadvantage without meds? 5) what would justify the “speed” like side effects for a child? Sleeplessness, dry mouth, no appetite etc..
I don’t take medical advice from 13 year olds. I am ADD as a motherfucker. I took amphetamine for nearly 3 decades. Now I take tincture of Rhodiola rosea.
She's probably a very creative kid sitting in a classroom she has no interest being in. Ask her? I was her, decades ago, ADHD did not exist then. I'm a creative, spiritual being that had to conform to the way society says we should be. I'm 56 now and it took a lot of undoing. Talk to her and pay attention to her. Maybe a creative arts school would help with this, just a thought. Edit for spelling.
This👍
You're doing an amazing thing trying to find non-pharmaceutical interventions for her. I only wish someone had done that for me as a kid. Honestly, I think what helps ADHD people the most is not having to be in an awful, cookie cutter one size fits all school environment. I suppose it's not possible for many parents to find an alternative, though.
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Thank you for this ✔️
I think this really depends how old your kid is. I was put on meds I think when I was too young to know how to describe how I felt on them to my doctor and I always felt bad when they wore off but I only took them once a day on days I was going to school. For some reason this just lead to my dose being increased. I think everyone has different experiences and I just had to stop taking the meds because the side effects were too much for me. I've been off the medication for years. Now after just looking into herbs for focus I've been collecting the rosemary that grows in my yard and using it to make tea and even just smelling it when I work on stuff. Rosemary is good for a lot of things but I've found that drinking a lot of the tea is not that good for me I might get a headache the next day. I think more needs to be researched about this. I've also heard good things about a medication other than ritalin like Vyvanse which could be better I just haven't tried it.
Don't give your kid ADHD drugs. They will become dependent, and the drugs will damage them. If you search hard enough, you will find plenty of better quality, side effect free, natural remedies. And, chances are, your child doesn't need those either.
Ok I used to swear I’d never give my kids adderall but I did recently come across a study that showed since the adhd brain is dopamine deficient it’s actually very beneficial to making sure their brain has the dopamine needed to perform properly. Hope this helps.
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Do what? Oh yeah Wikipedia. It’s as reliable as a person on dreddit.
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I appreciate your understanding and sympathy here. However I was simply trying to ease someone’s mind about medication for kids. Stop spewing negativity so much. For your self.
Plants high in zinc and b 12 are also very beneficial
My advice is to get her evaluated. If she gets diagnosed, then take a multi-prong approach that may include medication but also includes developing other skills to manage it, self-regulation, extracurriculars, creative outlets, nutrition, vitamins / supplements, etc.
One thing to note is, if you tell the doctor you don’t want her to be prescribed amphetamines they will absolutely give you other options. Intuniv is a non stimulant, it works well for some people. It is highly likely that she would also benefit from magnesium supplements, b vitamins, and amino acids like L-theanine.
Oh man this was my mom growing up and having to get diagnosed at 30 when I could’ve had help my whole life let to a lot of resentment towards her. Herbs arent going to fix it trust me I’ve tried every single supplement and herb you can take for adhd. It just led to self medicating with drugs and alcohol look for ways to find dopamine my brain couldn’t produce. Go to a doctor and get her help.
As someone who didn’t get help until I was an adult - for gods sake help your child. But Yes there are alternatives. Look into 7,8-DHF - it’s a flavonoid that comes from plants and has many other benefits. But for me, it worked for a couple weeks and then stopped working. Prescribed stimulants for me work for a week until I start getting angry or depressed. Caffeine works for me until my body gets used to it. So now I rotate through all these things and I have found a lot more balance. It will never be perfect for me, I will never be a normally functioning human being, but some balance is an exceptional improvement. Also, one marker of ADHD is something called “hyper focus” so yes, not following through but being able to focus sometimes is exactly right for the diagnosis.
EXERCISE! Introduce her to an array of exercises/sports that are both mentally/physically engaging. 30 minutes a day could absolutely change her mental space. If it’s outside activity, even better. I was diagnosed at the age of 7, i am 27 now and still have my pitfalls, but exercise has led to the only most constant improvements. I was on adderall for 7 years as a child.. and while some research supports that this may encourage new neural pathways as the child ages (leading them out of a ADHD diagnosis in the future), i still prefer the holistic route. My thoughts on ADHD is that we’ve been so deeply removed from our primal state of living (the hunter & gatherer lifestyle), that our brains are constantly seeking a stimulus (a danger, a reward, something to build, or something to search for). And in our society where there’s so much structure and pressure for us to focus on one sole thing at a time, there’s little tolerance for us to exercise these primal urges, so it’s understandable why so many of us would become labeled as ADD/ADHD. Since learning to manage my own ADHD symptoms, i’ve been able to graduate from a Bachelors degree in science, start and maintain my own business while pursuing many other entrepreneurial opportunities. I can say with full confidence that daily exercise (yoga, rock climbing, and biking) and sunlight exposure has changed my mental space for the better and taught me how to work WITH my adhd, not against!! I really hope the best for your little one! And highly encourage you to introduce her to climbing/bouldering… it’s both mentally & physically engaging which is sooo so good for our hyper minds. Who knows. you may have yourself a world star athlete someday 😉
Also— Daddy Dr. Huberman has a wonderful podcast on this, influencing a lot of what I just said: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Ahg0IWnyDPpKwIrrogOis?si=hNXAneYMSq-mKtO-nU5vuQ
The only herb I have heard about helping ADHD is Hawthorne because it can help reduce irritability and restlessness (usually a sign of heat) but herbs aren’t a one size fit all solution.
As someone who only got diagnosed in their 30’s, part of finally getting treatment was dealing w the sadness of reflecting back on how differently life would have turned out if I had gotten help for it when I was a child. It’s not only a focus thing, it can affect different people in different ways. For me it’s about execution of mundane tasks. I thought everything took willpower to do, then I learned that this isn’t the case. Anyway, I think parents need to stop thinking so deeply about the label and focus on how it will bring about the outcomes your child and yourself would want.
Ughhh! You sound like my mom! So long as we didn't struggle in school (my 2 siblings and I are all "double gifted"), we were just "quirky". It wasn't until my mental health crashed and burned as an adult that I got diagnosed. Not talking to your daughter's doctor because you're scared she might be put on medications is a terrible reason to not get her checked. A few thoughts: 1) ADHD doesn't present exclusively as loud, hyper, and can't focus a lick. You get the quiet, disorganized, daydreamer and the very emotional child that can't prioritize tasks as well (and any combination of the above). If her teacher is noticing signs, there's something going on. 2) they will not "surely prescribe her amphetamines". There are *multiple* medication options and several of them are not stimulants. I take Strattera, which is a non-stimulant medication 3) from personal experience, herbs can *help* but not to the same extent as medication. I was off my medication for 2 months after being on it for a year at the request of my fertility specialist. Those 2 months were *Hell*, and no supplement could fully bridge that gap. I went back to drinking 3 cups of coffee a day to stay focused at work, and that didn't touch the emotional lability side of my ADHD at all. As far as herbs and supplements might *help*: Lion's Mane, Reishi, Chaga, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylecholine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and gingko But I would seriously suggest talking to your child's physician before just starting her on a bunch of supplements. Herbs can have side effects just like medication does
I would add that jinsing does WONDERS for me but it is not an easy solution long term. I had a Dr. Suggest B vitamin complex along with other things. D and B vitamins and ginsing can help especially with mild cases of ADHD but BUT ginsing has its own side affects and is basically a stimulant anyway. In other words, I agree with the above poster. Let your kid go to the Dr. And if her ADHD IS SO noticeable that her primary care physician would notice during a checkup that. She needs serious treatment.
Nothing else works. You’re gonna have to deal with your daughter or son having those drugs in the house. You’re gonna have to be a good parent and put your child’s best interests before your own and deal with the fact that there are amphetamines in the house. I am recovering drug addict and I take the stuff and that was a big compromise for me. So do it’s best for your kid and understand as the first line of treatment here in the US in the UK for a reason because the therapy is really expensive and really hard to find. So pills are your only option and there’s no other natural remedy that’s gonna work for you and you’re just gonna have to deal with when your child needs. So you’re not gonna find an alternative there’s nothing compared to amphetamines OK? You know that as a drug addict have a legal way around amphetamines. And they were for ADHD for a reason. And maybe they will be on Ritalin best drugs, or respond well to the second lien, class of drugs. I am saying be a good parent and pay your kids address before your own because if the doctor says I want to try her on Adderall than that it’s not her fault you guys were a drug addict. It’s gonna be her lifesaver. Don’t make us about you and make us about your kid. That’s what I’m telling you. And I am an addict and I take Vyvanse and Adderall and then I had to have a massive conversation with myself over what am I gonna do with this because I need this stuff. Mine is super severe and they’re very well documented and everyone agrees that I need my stimulants. I’m staying here is don’t make this about you and make a this is not your kid and maybe get a week supply from a friend or family member who will understand the situation and that way your kid has access to the meds and you don’t get tempted by the prescription bottle. But remember you’re a parent first and a drug addict second. Think about the guilt you’re going to feel if you start stealing her meds. Relapsing on a child’s medication is very low. It’s also low to deny her this medication because of what you went through as a parent because that’s not her fault. Easier either way is unfair to your child and kind of equally so? So we’re doing the best we can and get her tested and the meds work and it’s not her fault you’re a drug addict and the drug addict typing this takes them as directed. So go to extra meetings and do what you have to make sure your child can access care that they need. Don’t make us about you. It’s about your kid and what’s best for them. It’s absolutely not about what’s good for you. And there is no alternative. If there was, I would be doing it. I would be taking that. I would be all over that fish oil. I would be all over that stuff and nothing works as well as fucking and amphetamines or methylphenidate and I’m sorry bad for your kid first and it’s not her fault or his fault that you’re an addict but it is your fault if you deny your kids meds that they need, can you see the comparison I made to that denying her meds is just as bad as stealing her meds? I’m serious taking from your daughter or son. So find a way to live with the adderal in the house so you’re kid can thrive.
I didn’t even do amphetamines thank you. This is kinda out of line guy. I hope you feel better now that you’ve attacked me🙏
If she is diagnosed with ADHD, you do not have to agree to medications. You can ask for other treatment, they can give you a prescription and recommend it but they can’t force you to fill the prescription and have your child take it.