Parents of kids with ADHD hear it all the time: "You're a lazy parent for medicating your child." "Just have more patience." "Being distracted is normal." "Your kid just needs to try harder." "ADHD isn't real."
Yes, many many MANY kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD. But that doesn't make it a fake disorder. ADHD is very real and any kid or parent that has lived through it can tell you. Yes, some kids just naturally have behavioral problems. But ADHD is so much more than acting out at inappropriate times. ADHD is not being able to complete one simple task before moving to another (yes, I'm aware that kids have very short attention spans. However, the older a kid gets, the more easily they can stay focused. This unfortunately is not true for kids with ADHD).
ADHD is not being able to sit still for any period of time (even 5 minutes). ADHD is hearing words but not being able to listen to those words. In this case, ADHD is basically the epitome of the term "in one ear and out the other."
After years of my mom dealing with this with me, I don't blame her for medicating me. There are a lot more details I can mention, but for the sake of brevity let's leave that stuff out. Basically, I was a devil child, and my mom had enough of it. This does not mean my mother is a lazy parent. It does not mean she gave up on me. She fought for years to deal with my ADHD. It couldn't be done. She did not give up. She found a solution. And it helped tremendously (until it wore off in the evening). But even then, it was easier on my whole family.
Everyone seems to think medicating ADHD is the worst possible thing you can do. They think you're ruining a child. They pretty much act like you can never come off the medication; like it's permanent. Guess what? It's not. Who would have thought? I came off my medication at 16/17 and yes I felt like a whole new person, but at the same time I felt like myself. Medication wears off at the end of the day. Guess what else I noticed? The parents that are against medicating ADHD don't have children with ADHD. Ironic, isn't it?
