ADHD and Adderall?

Question

Do you think that ADHD is a legitimate disorder and would you put YOUR kid on Adderall?

Answer 1

Wow to this one , I have been going back and forth w/ this all day and i posted something earlier on this to my family and friends on myspace .. ill share a piece of it w/ you :)

~ Anyway before i have her checked for a learning disability , they are wanting me to have Hannah checked for possible ADD (not ADHD which is the hyper active kind) and Bipolar Disorder , one because she "supposedly" shows signs of having either or both ( Rodney does and he is medicated for it but he is also an adult and what damage could have been done has been ), But in reguards to Hannah, I havent decided how i feel about this yet ..
It was once easy for me to say ill NEVER have my kids medicated to help w/ their problems but now im not so sure ... Basically im trying to let my logic wrestle w/ my own personal opinions and beliefs on this , I mean what if something as simple as taking one pill a day could help Hannah w/ her school / social problems and i prevent that because of "selfishness"in my way of thinking .. After reading and i mean really reading and spending numerous hrs online looking up both ADD and Bipolar i do believe Hannah has ADD .. NO i dont think she has bipolar tho .. So what should i do , Ive tried it all pretty much and Hannah is really having a hard time right now .. My initial plan is to get her to a Dr and have them check her thyroid , iron etc .. rule out all Physical problems first ( you would be suprised how many physical problems have the same symptoms as some of these Mental ) and then go from there ..
Like i said this is just " part " of something i posted earlier .. Maybe it can give you some insight :)
Btw way my husband has ADHD and is taking adderall so i know a few things about it and thats why i not so sure of all this yet ..

Answer 2

My son was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school. We tried therapy and behavioral methods but by middle school he was on Ritalin. He did OK on Ritalin and we saw a huge improvement in his ability to concentrate and stay focused on tasks. He had some minor side effects so after a couple of years we switched to Adderall. He did much better on Adderall and had no real side effects. He was on medication until he was about 16 and decided that we were "all wrong and that he didn't have ADHD or anything". He refused to take his medication and stopped seeing his therapist.

I know that ADHD is real and that at least for my son that medication was helpful. He is 25 now and still floating around trying to find himself. He can't seem to stay focused on anything and floats from job to job.

Answer 3

Honestly, yes it is and my father and brother are proof of that. But honestly my brother grew out of it and my father just never did. I dont think the pills are the answer. its all in how you handle the child in question. Yes my brother was on the pills for some part of his life but one day it was like..why am i taking these? they dont do anything anymore. and the pills arent supposed to be a cure, they are just a quick fix for a serious problem. Try the pills for a few years then take the child off them and see how they behave. You dont want them to end up dependant on them. not to mention teenagers love to pop any of the ADHD pills for a fun time. The pills also stunt growth and in the long run may hurt them. its all just your opinion and how you feel about it. I would test the pills out and see how it goes over, do you really notice a difference? if not change the pill or try something new. tons and tons of kids are misdignosed as having ADHD so id take them to a specialist. a lot of doctors seem to use ADHD as a quick fix to a problem they dont know a lot about. the pills for ADHD are calmers and focus helpers so honestly any small kid taking them would seem alright after taking them. who wouldnt if they were stressed out with school or friends or family issues? anyway! best of luck ^_^

Answer 4

I am a nanny for an almost 8 year-old boy that is autistic and ADHD and his behavior has improved a lot since they switched him to Adderall. ADHD is a REAL disoirder. My cousin had it. He would wander in circles for hours when he was a kid playing with his transformers, just changing them back and forth. He was on Ritalin. My other cousin almost died and have to have liver transplant eventually because of it.

Answer 5

ADHD is legitimate disease but I'm not sure if I would put my son on any sort of drugs, if he would have ADHD.

Answer 6

I do think ADHD is a legitimate disorder.
I would try an non- stimulant first like Strattera.