>>17201880
Dont do it. Its literally sedating your child. You are going to have to put in extra hours at home teaching him but it can be done.
Can you imagine what its like going life sedated?

>>17201880
Just do it OP. Its not like he's going to grow out of it. Its ADHD. It will handicap his potential for the rest of his life.
>>17201889
He would be much more worse off without it. ADHD is a mental illness and it can't be treated with talking about your feelings and hippie bs.

>>17201903
I have 4 friends with adhd.
This is my experience with it. Only 1 of them actually takes the stuff, 1 never did, and the other two both quick it.
They all say its shit and literally makes things worse. There are many many things you can do about adhd that dont require medicine. Just time and patience.
This is a very common thing I see in families on whether or not to put their child on meds in my job and 9/10 times they feel like they basically killed the child because his joy is stripped from him when they do.

>>17201916
His joy would be stripped any way from just living. There are other pharmaceutical alternatives to Ritalin if you are so worried about side effects, but the truth is kids with ADHD perform better with work and school while on it. If you want you kid to flunk out of school and not have any direction in what he does then by all means let him live without it. You'll end up paying the same amount of money any way for his special needs requirements down the road any way.

>>17201916
My kid just turned 8.
Is it different for adults than for kids?
Does he have to take it forever? Damn, should have made more questions.
In my defense I went to the highest ranking psychiatrist in my country.

>>17201938
>His joy would be stripped any way from just living
This is a false assumption from inexperience. You just assume kids wont function without it which is 100% wrong and nonsense a scared parent who copped out would say from misinformation.
Hell if you even looked into the field every medical institution says do behavior therapy before copping out with medicine since it deteriorates the quality of life.

>>17201880
I was on it as a kid. Makes you really fucking anxious and as an adult I have no skills to deal with my ADHD without it.

I was on Ritalin during my primary school years from grade 7-9 and the improvement in my grades was noticeable, I was always distracted and never focused but the drug helped me. When I grew older and reached grade 10,11 and 12, my senior years in school I realized I didn't need to drug I just needed to work hard and stay focused so I did, and I ended leaving school pretty average but I knew I did it without the drug.

Basically as I child I am confident I would have never leared the value of achivemenet having never felt it and always being the kid who was distracted. I later realised I could work hard and achive the same thing with a little more effort and a little less drugs.

The drugs didn't make me a better person but the things I experienced and achieved while on them allowed me to realize what I was capable of off of them.

If you have any questions about my experience with Ritalin let me know :)

>>17201945

Give his brain time to grow first

Sometimes kids have a hard time conforming to the bullshit the schools conditions them with and its inhuman to expect otherwise

Or just feed him the pills. But he'll likely need them forever

>>17201945
Its assumed that you are going to take them your entire life. Many people just dont have time to deal with kids with adhd and if you dont meds are pretty much the only option.
Adults diagnosed with it have usually learned to function to the point of not needing it and a lot of times they just use to when they are stressed kinda like a drug. many sell their meds as well.
The point is not everyone can successfully function with adhd whether you just tried the wrong things or whatever reason. Many do, many dont.
Medication is kinda how the medical field operates. It pretty much has to tell you medication is the best option since they could lose their license if they dont. You can see many practices in medicine where the doc is forced to against their will because they wouldnt be able to practice other wise. Doctor testimonies about cancer treatment is the easiest to find.
The point is the you child may not be provided the tools needed to cope with adhd whether you dont have time or money or the means and training. And medicine is kinda a last resort often considered a necessary evil.

>>17201973
"Makes you really fucking anxioust"
You mean the drug or the ADHD?
I learned that it's actually amphetamines which produce a "paradoxical" counter-effect.

>>17201979
I kinda feel like giving it to a child who is older, like you were gives him the best chance. He can observe the difference and figure out what exactly that it is thats different. A young child cant figure that out and it hurts a lot in the long run and kinda cripples them.

My parents FORCED me on it. I was never bad or hyper, they were just dissatisfied with my grades. They would literally withhold breakfast from me until I 'took my medicine.'

It's important for your child to understand how to manage his/her thoughts as a child so that they don't have to learn in adulthood.

When I was 13 I told my parents I didn't need a drug to be normal so I just refused to take it and there was nothing they could do about it. Now I'm in college with great grades and a good job lined up after school.

Also-- a plea to the parent. What is wrong with your angel? Don't you love them the way they are? Seriously. I cannot help but thinking that my parents choice to do it was a slight against my personality. He may take it personally in later years. You don't want this kid growing up thinking he needs special 'help'.

It sounds like your kid is really not out of control. Some kids do need the stuff to keep them in line, but if he is functional without it...it could be a big mistake.

tl;dr

Don't fucking ruin your kid by doing it. Unless he SERIOUSLY needs it. Like seriously...like will hurt himself, property or others.

>>17201993

I have ADD, which is less severe as I was told by my doctors, I don't know the specifics but I can tell you for sure, in my case, seeing what I was capable of definitely made me realize what I could do.

>>17201880
Psychologist here.

If your kid legitimately has ADHD you'll know by the first day if you made the right call. ADHD is massively over-diagnosed, but IF your kid legitimately has an under-stimulated forebrain this might be a godsend for them.

Keep your eyes open for side effects and withdraw if anything serious happens.

>>17201990
In my experience, they relax me and help me focus/feel motivated while they're "working" but once they wear off I become very anxious and distressed, experience significant lack of pleasure, and can't sleep or eat

>>17202009
I absolutely love him the way he is.
Argh! Everybody makes good points.

Id say, give it a try. Its a drug and at the end of the day you can stop.

If it doesn't work dont pursue it.

>>17202019
I'm going for this. Try for a week and ask the teacher what she notices and see for myself.
If I don't like what I see. Off it goes.

>>17201889
>sedating
Its a stimulant. Thats the exact opposite of a sedative. You literally couldn't be more wrong.

>>17201945
By the time he's in his teens he will have developed some adaptive skills, but theres a good chance he'll be on something forever unless he chooses not to.

>>17201956
Therapy isn't going to increase activity in the brain. At best, therapy for ADHD is going to help develop some coping skills and mitigate the emotional toll of having a brain that isn't functioning properly.

Ritalin (or any of the ADHD drugs on the market these days) isn't going to make the brain function perfectly, either, but its something that helps some people.

>>17201973
Anxiety is a pretty common side effect of the stimulant ADHD meds. Its not universal, but its not uncommon.

>>17202055
Thats not a bad strategy. If you really want to track it well you can see if either your psychiatrist or a psychologist is willing to do some kind of before and after assessments. How was your son diagnosed? Did they do ratings checklists? IQ tests? TOVA?

I'm a parent of a kid with ADHD. I also have ADHD. I waited until two years ago to get tested and diagnosed and it's one of my biggest regrets that I didn't get tested and medicated a long time ago. I suffered through school up until dropping out of college, and I saw my kid going through the same things that I did in school, and her grades were starting to slip. So I got her tested, and she was diagnosed, and she's on Vyvanse, which is what I'm on. She got all A's on her last two report cards, and without having to fight her at all with homework. She still maintained her personality, but without all of the frustration and anger that she used to experience because nothing was catching on with her like it should.

>>17202083
Do you ever worry about the results of prolonged stimulant abuse?

>>17202101
>abuse

Thats not a leading question at all...

>>17202101

Since I'm on a large dose of the med, I would be the first to feel any adverse effects. The first time I took it, I was a bit hyper for a few hours, but after a few days of taking it, the stimulant aspect of it no longer made an appearance, but all of the concentration is still there. My daughter is on the lowest dose offered, and she never showed any stimulant effects... She was finally able to sit down and finish projects she started, though. She loves doing art... drawing, painting, modding dolls and that sort of thing... but she would start something and never finish it because her brain would jump over to other things. On the meds, she'll get inspired to do something, go to the art center we set up for her and will spend hours working on one project, and it's great to see her satisfaction in her work when she actually finishes it.

She doesn't bounce off of walls, nor does she just lay around the house. She's just as active as she used to be, but now she can control how she channels that energy. She's also taken up an interest in long distance running, which she never would have had the patience for before. She just ran her third 5k this year on Friday night.

I have yet to see any bad effects from the meds, and the first time I did, I would look for other options for both her and myself.

Just look up sugar pills on the net, tell him it's his ADHD meds and then pocket the monthly supply to resell it to coworkers for some serious dosh.

No downside here.

>>17201880
> in an ideal world he'd be just a normal extremely imaginative and active kid.
He's not.
My dad tried to get me on adderall since I was 5. My mother fought it tooth and nail, and since she had majority custody I never was.
I started it last year, I'm now 23. The immediate change in how I can actually retain and understand information is mind boggling. I actively resent my mother for not even giving it a try. I would have graduated college by now, probably would have a successful social circle, and wouldn't be in such a weird fucking place that I am because I wouldn't have spiraled out of control with no direction or focus.

It doesn't fuck with creativity. If your child is imaginative and creative, they still will be. But it will be with impetus. It will have focus. Drive. It won't be aimless coloring of rainbows and WHAT IS THE MOON WERE REALLY A BALL OF COTTON AND AND THE CHOCOLATE MONSTERS?
Your kid will dream up imaginative but coherent stories. Things will connect. Their mind will have continuity.

>>17201956
I took Adderall and strattera back when it was in trial phases. Not quite the same as Ritalin, but my experience was that I have never been the same since I took those drugs. Strattera had me suicidal. Literally on the verge and ready to jump. It did ruin my life. I got better, and I would never go back.

Adderall was fine the first time around. I really don't know why they changed it on me. I don't have an addictive personality.

The second time I tried Adderall was high school, and it brought the suicidal thoughts back three fold. I was having daily panic attacks and I had to stop taking it after less than a week.

So yeah no these pills aren't dangerous and unnatural at all. The feelings I had would have totally happened regardless. Totally.

>>17202189
man your placebo effect was amazing. but dont blame your mom for that

>>17202755
Fun fact: Some people actually do have attention and memory issues that are completely fixed with a sustained dosage of amphetamines. It's the same reason you can sit down and study a whole shitload of stuff with a pot of coffee.

>>17202762
You mean you cant. I definitely can. Your brain actually adapts and thickens a certain layer to help with concentration if you use it enough. Evident in a lot of physicist. But obviously you wouldnt know what trying felt like.

Don't do it, OP. ADHD doesn't exist; fucking psychiatrists think that analyzing and labeling the human mind somehow gives them the authority to tell us what is "normal'. Don't believe the bullshit and don't suppress you kid's natural way of thinking; it is NOT in his best interets in the long run.

>>17201880
>On the other hand I think in an ideal world he'd be just a normal extremely imaginative and active kid.
That's generally true. Unfortunately, this isn't an ideal world.
How intelligent is the kid? If you can teach him to be respectful and quiet, that can get him through school without medication. The more intelligent he is, the more severe deficits in executive functioning he can get away with.
I'm well into pseudodementia by multiple causes (including PFC adrenoreceptor loss due to long-term narcolepsy treatment with amphetamine, LTP loss due to treatment-resistant depression, and classic ADHD-inattentive due to hypoactive dopaminergic neurotransmission). Despite struggling massively with daily tasks like appointments and bills, I've always performed well in school, and almost every teacher and professor so far has tolerated my problems without complaint.

>>17201945
>Is it different for adults than for kids?
Yes, it's safer for adults. For kids, we have many concerns about how it may shape long-term development. We won't know anything for sure until this "ritalin generation" grows old and dies so we have enough data.

>>17202019
>If your kid legitimately has ADHD you'll know by the first day if you made the right call.
Stupid thing to tell people, imho. We all know that practically everyone's focus, drive, and general performance improve with short-term stimulants, it's not considered a paradoxical effect anymore.

>>17202264
>I don't have an addictive personality.
It's not only addiction potential. Atomoxetine (strattera) is safer and preferable in general, but your doctors and parents are insane for persevering despite that anxiety. If you have severe anxious side effects, switching from adderall to strattera at the same effective dose is expected to significantly increase them (strattera has to rely on more NE boosting).

>>17202782
Coffee is certainly a far better choice for long-term health, but it won't make a kid stay in his seat and work.

>>17201880
I wouldn't give it to a young child, maybe in the year before exams, uni etc. I took my brothers for the 4 weeks leading to my uni finals. I never got diagnosed and was too old at the time to get it prescribed. But we are certain i have it pretty bad. Turned me into a C grade student into an A. I was able to focus over longer periods and not drift off every 5 minutes. I'm just about to embark on an MBA and going to get diagnosed. The rules in the uk have been relaxed for prescribing to adults. I will only take them on days of study. Also have your kid have higher dosages of fish oil. A lot of information out there on it helping, also keto diets.

Well OP seems like a lot of people here have given you their perspective on it. It also seems like those who have taken drugs haven't done it for very long, so I'll throw in my experience as well.

My boyfriend has been taking a somewhat high dose of Adderall his whole life (30mg xr), since around 7 or 8, and he's 23 now. The pill is very effective for him, when he doesn't take it it's nearly impossible to have a coherent conversation without him jumping from topic to topic. It's very easy to tell if he hasn't taken it. That being said, he wishes his parents didn't medicate them as early or heavily as they did, and wishes they had sent him to therapy instead. Research is showing that therapy for children has long lasting and positive effects on being able to control adhd. People who are saying children grow out of it if you medicate them when they're young are just plain WRONG. My boyfriend cannot stop taking his medication until he basically doesn't need to concentrate on anything any more (retirement). His mother also takes medication for adhd and has been for most of her life and she's almost 70. Depending on how severe your child's adhd is this is not a short term solution, this is the rest of their life we're talking about. I know if our kids ever get diagnosed with adhd we will be taking them to therapy before we even consider medicating them.

With all of that being said he is successful in his chosen career path (getting ready for grad school at an ivy league university with an amazing fellowship) and a well-adjusted person emotionally. I just know he would have preferred therapy over medication when he was a child. Whatever your decision OP I think everything will work out as long as you are loving and supportive.

OP, I have no idea but I read this and it might help you http://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2016-05-30/lifestyle-may-be-key-to-improving-adhd-in-kids
No idea if it just means that kids with ADHD are less likely to follow a healthy lifestyle or if following a healthy lifestyle might help them.

>>17203639
>y boyfriend cannot stop taking his medication until he basically doesn't need to concentrate on anything any more (retirement)
Note that recompensation takes a long but finite amount of time. My guess is that it would likely take a year at his dose and time taking it (ie if he stopped taking it tomorrow, it would take about a year or so for him to regain baseline PFC adrenoreceptor sensitivity).
Try to encourage him not to take it on weekends or during breaks from his job: it helps slow down tolerance and dependency buildup, keeping the same dose more effective for longer. I've just managed to go back down from 25mg to 20 by not taking it at night anymore (narcoleptic so i can sleep fine while on it) and skipping either saturday or sunday each week.

No! Listen Ritalin for adults i can understand, but for kids it kills their personality. For me personally it made a hyper happy child a horrible depressed mess and when I finally gasped what suicide was i wanted to do it. Children aren't mentally equipped to take Ritalin or medication like it.

Shit can you guys just run and let your kid blow off steam in the morning.

He'll burn out and chill in class.

No joke class is usually boring can't blame the kid for not wanting to pay attention.