ADD / ADHD Community

We spoke to his doctor about it, but since the doctor did not prescribe it, he didn't have to make the diagnosis. It has been obvious to his dad and I that as soon as Daylight Savings Time ends, this poor kid is just sooooo crabby. He can't wake up. There are no harmful effects for light therapy, but there are many clinical studies that document its effectiveness. His doc is very eager to see how this works out because he has lots of patients with similar struggles this time of year.

What if your son had asthma or diabetes and had to take medication? Would he still feel "damaged?"

Did he just find out he has ADHD? If so, being untreated for years may have given him the "damaged" feeling.

Can you tell me a little more? It has to be really hard to deal with the current situation no matter how it came about.

Of course your son is 18, but I remember when my son was 6 and his child psychiatrist and I discussed it with him. The doctor told him his brain is like a computer and his is missing a little computer part and the medicine will go to his brain and act like the missing piece. He told him lots of
successful people have ADHD and he could be too. I have had an ongoing discussion with him throughout his life. We have a manager (and friend) at my office who is 38, has ADHD and takes medicine. My son went out to lunch with him to talk about ADHD and growing up with it. My son did feel bad when his medicine had to be increased due to growth and symptoms. Again we sat down with his doctor and it was explained about growth and sometimes due to that he might need a little more medication. Recently he had an interview to get into the AVID program at school. I later heard from his teacher that the interviewer was so impressed with him and that he discussed his ADHD very openly and knowledgeably. He is 13 now and got in to AVID. He has been a good student but the AVID program helps him with learing note taking skills, learning how to write essays and they have small tutorials led by college students.

That is wonderful you were able to find something to help him. Yes, it is an effective treatment for SAD and appears so for your son... official diagnosis or not.

Thank you for your support. Even though I don't know you, I value your opinion. I was the same way as a kid, and my parents thought I was just a "bad kid". I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I had many failures as a young person and adult. We, of course, want better for this kid. He is feeling much better in the morning since we began the dawn simulator. I see smiles and hear laughter again in the morning! Thanks again.

You are welcome. We need to support each other. When our children feel badly we do too.

I know the sound of laughter must melt your heart.

I'm sorry you went through what you did a a child. I was determined to get my child treatment so he would not have to go through that. I think losts of poeple had experiences such as yours because people weren't as aware of ADHD as they are now.

No, he did not just find out he had ADHD. Symptoms began to show in 2nd gr. He was finally diagnosed in 6th gr and began meds.
His neurologist explained it in such a way(I dont remember his exact words) that helpled my son understand and not feel like something was "wrong with him". But through the years, my son has never wanted to talk about it. and he gets upset when his meds stop working and they need to be adjusted. He just gets angry and complains that he has to deal with this.
He is a freshman in college now(doing well, with the help of a private coach) but I still have a hard time bringing up the subject and talking about his condition and his meds. I dont know if he is ashamed or what? I cant get him to talk.
Snowy77

I am sorry to hear that, but I have been told no matter what medication we give our children with ADHD they still are prone to depression. I am not happy to hear that but I am taking every action to help him. So maybe you could take the road of doctors like i have to see who can help you and him.

I have found it easier to have a therapist come for in home or in school visits to meet with my son. She will call me and ask me how is everything and if i have any concerns that she needs to approach. Maybe this is something that you should look into.

Hi Im 14 years old i had taken Vyvanse for about 3 or 4 weeks and i was feeling very angry torwards other people like really scary thoughts. even for me. i went up to my mom one day and said, " mom why am i so angry?" im usually a very happy person. Also lately Ive been having the same effects as your son. i dont feel like doing anything, ive stoped caring about my school work, even when i know that the most important thing i need to focus on right now. my mom had me stop taking Vyvanse because i was having such harsh side effects. my mom had talked to my sister and even my teachers, they all saw an effect in my behavior. i dont know if this will help but i thought you should know that your not alone if it helps.

ADHD can co-exist with other disorders but where did you hear that people with ADHD are "prone to depression?"

I am sorry you and your son are going through this. I know we all wish our kids did not have to deal with these challenges.

My son is really open about his ADHD. When he interviewed for the AVID program in his school he disccused it with the interviewer and she was impressed (I was told.)

However, when his medication had to be adjusted upward after many years, he did feel bad until his doctor told him it was because he was growing and getting bigger, it was not anything he had done.

Thank you for sharing. Sometimes it takes time to find the right medication and it is really good that you shared how you were feeling (on the meds) with your mom.

I know I ask my son and he says he doesn't feel anything other than being able to get his school work done better.

I'm 20, and have been on different medications most of my life. I was taking adderall (which is almost chemically identical to vyvanse) when I was in middle school but stopped because it gave me tics, However, I tried it again when I was 17 and didn't have any problems, I still take it today.

I have 3 children. Two with ADD. The best explanation I have found is that Meds for ADD are like eyeglasses. If you need glasses to see you wouldn't go to school without them. You could probably make it through the day but it would be difficult, you'd miss some important things, and you might get frustrated because you can't see what everyone else seems to see easily. A prescription is needed for eyeglasses to make sure you get the right lens and followup with a doctor is needed because your vision can change. All of this is the same for ADD. AND, when you finally find the right ADD medication for you the result will be like putting on glasses. You'll say "AHA the world is so much more interesting, less frustrating, everything is clear to me now." This explanation works well for children as well as adults. Hope it helps.

You are an intelligent person but you are very young and inexperienced with this issue. This is a BIG problem with ADD. People make comments based on personal experiences and not medical backgrounds. ADD is a REAL and CHEMICAL issue and cases VARY. You seemed to find coping skils. I'm happy for you. But you really need to be careful about BLAMING meds. They are a literal life saver for many kids. I have ADD and do not take meds. I have two children with ADD. One took meds through school and as he matured was able to wean off of them. The other has continued his medication and is VERY VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT. That's my experience. And it's worth noting but not enough for me to give advice or draw conclusions. I leave that to the professionals who know better than I do (or you do). Please, please, please: Be careful about giving this kind of advice to people.