Very unprepared for adulthood

[JoyADell]

Did anyone else get diagnosed as a very young child and put on medication immediately after with out being giving any tools on how to succeed in life without medication/?

[Musicever]

I hope I did but I never did sadly

[Musicever]

I really hope I did so I won't suffer during childhood and struggle but I understand

[Dodger09]

My sons are on medication and start at a young age. You don’t need to teach the skills prior to medication you teach them the entire time they grow and develop just like any child. Personally it would be horrible for me to withhold medication that greatly improves their quality of life until they mature enough to grasp the skills to function without it. My oldest was diagnosed at 5 and it’s our hope that he will be off meds around puberty (he just turned 9). He’s on the right track right now. As an active participant in his treatment he’s always had a voice when it comes to adhd medications.

[Emerald-Eyes in reply to Dodger09]

Puberty is when most likely you will also want them medicated so they aren’t self medicating with illegal substances.

[Dodger09 in reply to Emerald-Eyes]

Thankfully my oldest is very very similar to myself (I’m also adhd/2e). He’s a rule follower and his ultimate goal is to become a military police officer (we are a law enforcement family). He’s extremely mature for his age. We have always had very open communication so I’m not overly concerned with illegal substance usage with him. This is a kid that can keep all of his random holiday candy in his room and asks before eating a piece. We have worked with him since he was very young using ABA therapy methods. I feel it’s very important to talk with and really listen to kids when it comes to things like this. For example at the start of 2nd grade he requested to stop his stimulant medication, we talked about it and agreed he could try. He was able to stay off until he was forced to do remote learning. We then switched to a different medication and we have an agreement that he takes it on school days and “as needed”. We give him some control, responsibility, and listen to him.

My parents never had me tested as a child (I’m 40) and didn’t address the teachers concerns that I was dyslexic. They were more concerned that a label would take me out of the gifted program I was in. I wish I had access to medications and therapy as a child/adolescent. I was finally diagnosed this past summer and am doing so well on Maydais.

[JoyADell in reply to Dodger09]

My problem isn't with the medication. It is the fact i wasn't taught any skills to handle my ADHD and grew up hating my medication because i was taking it everyday without any skills to help along with my medication

[Hidden]

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 25 years old! And Trust me! I cry so much because I understood a lot of things as in why I was so behind in school and remember how I had to work double to be able to understand anything in class. Also understood why my marriage didn’t workout, well I didn’t know who I was when I decided to get marry, I was all over the place when it came to my personal life in general ! And I wished I would of known sooner so I could of made better decisions in life and truly pursued college right after high school instead of wasting time! I am now 28, happily engaged, have a handsome healthy boy, and back in college! And guess who has good grades in school? This girl- 👧

I hope my story makes you see things a little different and don’t think your parents meant any harm rather than them trying to help you! 🤍

[Emerald-Eyes]

Hi I wasn’t medicated. Could have used it as I struggled learning. It would have been good to learn things as I was growing up to also help me with my ADD too, even if I wasn’t medicated. A large percentage of us do NOT grow out of this. Hyperactive scan internalize more as adult if not outwardly. Medication for me was like putting on a part of glasses. It was like, so this is what more normal feels like. Wow! I was 50 because my parents wouldn’t help me know what was going on or my diagnosis so I search. Had no idea there was more then one type of ADHD. Inattentive type (used to be ADD). My parents taught me how to function as a housewife as far as the how. But there is so much more then that for us. We don’t have the same brain wiring. We need to learn ways to function that isn’t necessarily just like everyone else, but could come out with the same or better achievement. It’s the difference between parking a car and parking a helicopter. We are the later. Helicopters can be more fun and exciting but also sensitive and take more menuvering.