Most of the time when someone receives a mental health diagnosis they start to look for some form of treatment. Oftentimes this means counseling, medication, or both. When it is a child that is diagnosed, the parents are primarily responsible for deciding what will help their child the most (though involving the child in the discussion will usually result in less resistance). When a child’s diagnosis is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it seems like the decision about medication can sometimes become more difficult. This can be for a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t believe in ADHD or think that the child needs to “just get with the program. Maybe they’ve heard stories from others that ADHD medications “turned this one kid into a zombie.” Maybe the parent also has ADHD (whether actually diagnosed or not) and thinks, “I did fine, s/he will figure it out.” It can also be as simple as wanting their child to try different types of treatments before medication. The purpose today isn’t to talk anyone into medicating their kids, however, I do want to dispel some of the myths that interfere with this very important decision.
According to an article from **Additude Magazine, medications are recommended if symptoms of ADHD interfere with socialization, appropriate expression of emotions, and education. The emotional component of ADHD is often overlooked as most people tend to think kids with ADHD are hyper and have trouble focusing. These individuals often have deficits in executive functioning (the ability to plan and organize, which extends to accurately predicting ____ will happen if I do ____). They also frequently experience high levels of emotion in situations where others do not. Here at RSC, we have a saying that folks with ADHD experience everything at a 10 (on a scale of 1-10). The lack of ability to see the consequences of their actions, combined with frequent states of emotional dysregulation, can result in impulsive (and sometimes destructive) decisions. Behavior therapy** can help kids learn to control their behavior, but none of us make good decisions when we’re dysregulated, and sometimes kids need help with this baseline of emotional support.
To the question of safety, ADHD meds are safe** for use with individuals who have ADHD, so a thorough diagnosis is important. Side effects are usually loss of appetite for stimulant medications. Some may report headaches or trouble sleeping, but dose timing can have an effect on this.
Some parents** can beat themselves up about this decision. It is common for parents to wonder if they’ve failed their child in some way by “giving in” and using medication. It isn’t a failure to recognize that your child needs a little extra help. Most likely, if you’re looking at the decision of whether to medicate your kid it is because you’ve tried your best to help and they need something to help themselves. It doesn’t make sense to see this as a failure of parenting any more than it is to give your child glasses if they have trouble seeing.
Dosage of ADHD medicines, just like with many other types of medicine, often requires some trial and error. Doctors will typically start kids on low doses and work their way up as necessary. Interestingly, dosage* isn’t based on weight. The dose depends on the body’s ability to metabolize the medicine, so a very small child could potentially have a larger dose than a large man. There are different types of medicine for ADHD. The stimulants are the most common and most effective, but some don’t respond to these medicines. Other types include antidepressants and alpha-agonists, which can treat the symptoms in a different way. There is no “best kind” of medicine for ADHD. The best kind is whatever gives the best effect to an individual.
The worry of “turning my kid into a zombie” is thrown around a lot, but this worry is mostly without merit. Again, doctors tend to start treatments on a relatively low dose, and parents who stay in close contact with the doctor can communicate back and forth about what they are seeing. If an alarming reaction happens it will probably be very short-lived. One of the biggest considerations about medicine should be about what happens if parents do nothing. By all means, parents can consider other options first, but don’t just expect a kid to be able to do what they simply aren’t capable of doing. The risks* of untreated ADHD are poor self-esteem, academic failure, social problems, car accidents, and drug use.
If the child you love has problems focusing, controlling their emotions, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or problems organizing themselves, consider a thorough evaluation for ADHD. If you want to pursue non-medical options first, some kids respond well to counseling and behavior therapy. However, if their grades are suffering, their socialization skills are low, and their emotional outbursts are extreme, medications might be able to help. Check out the links below for the articles that I’ve referenced in this blog.
*https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-medications-for-children/?src=embed_link
**https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/what-are-the-side-effects-of-adhd-medication-on-kids/