Therapy for ADHD Teen

[hiker1j]

I have a 19yr. old son with ADHD. Since he is "chronologically" considered an adult, he refuses the thought of receiving any counseling. I realize this is a sensitive issue for many families as their children become young adults. How have you handled this issue and would an ADHD Coach be a good resource?

[Onthemove1971]

Boy it would be great if you could find a teen group. I wonder if he would accept that?

I think people don't realize how much they can benefit from this service. I am sorry there is such a stigma on counseling.

Best of luck with him.

[hiker1j in reply to Onthemove1971]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, therapy does come with a "stigma" and for our kids they already become self-critical, anxious and angry with the idea that others are "judging" them.

[Kiandra in reply to hiker1j]

Please tell them that is life. Their lender, boss, teacher, friends parents everyone judges every one in this day in time. What i learned to tell my children is you are not going to be like this forever.

[Kiandra]

It would i have a 17 yr old and at 14 he refused to take meds so he's not doing good school not looking for a job nothing. So try to find a support group for adults with his type of issues so he wont feel different

[hiker1j in reply to Kiandra]

Hi Kiandra,

Thanks for your reply. I can certainly relate to the lack of motivation (poor school performance and looking for a job). We just want the "best" for our children and sometimes "our wishes and hopes" get in the way of what they want or think they want. It certainly doesn't get any easier as they become young adults. They have to find the "motivation" within themselves and possibly connect with someone other than mom and dad who can serve as a mentor to build their confidence and competence as those with ADD/ADHD really struggle internally with self-esteem and where to start with their interests/goals.

[seller]

We tried some family therapy when our son was in high school, but it was not very helpful. The truth is that teens have very little insight into their behavior and therefore, therapy is not beneficial for this age group. They just don't make the connection between what the counselor is telling them and their behavior. The therapist actually advised us to stop therapy until our son was older and wanted it for himself. ADHD boys are usually about 2-3 years behind their peers with regards to their executive functioning. This means that you may not see much maturity until he is about 23! My son is now 24 and I can honestly say that he is moving along, but it's a slow process! ADHD coaches sound good, if he will listen and follow through with goals. In my opinion, ADHD medication provides the best results for kids his age, but again, he has to agree to take the medication!

[ADHDtoo]

How is your son? Did you come up with any solutions or things that worked for him. I have a 19 year old who is struggling and we don't have great therapy or any support groups in our town. Would love to hear about your journey.