adhd

my son is 13 and he has adhd and am trying not to have him on medicine .he's in th 7th grade

Hi Nicole,

I read with interest your posting about your 13 y/o son with ADHD.  Please allow me to share from my personal experience.  I am an adult with ADHD.  I wasn't diagnosed until the last semester of my master's program.  I was so relieved to find out what was wrong.  I had problems in school my whole life.  I knew I was intelligent, but I had difficulty processing information, and expressing myself.

Living with ADHD, and going through 18 years of education was very hard and it took a major toll on my self esteem.  It took a lot of therapy to get over all of that and I still struggle in certain situations.

 I am now a therapist in private practice and I am on medication for ADHD.  It has made a huge difference in my ability to focus, organize my thoughts , follow through on tasks, understand reading, behave appropriately and so many ways.

I understand your desire to keep your son medication free.  Just educate yourself as much as you can.  There is a lot of information on the internet for children and adults with ADD/ADHD.  Also, be aware, the it can be damaging to your son's view of himself and can lead to depression.  Living with ADHD affects your whole life and the decisions and choices you make.

My psychiatrist recommended some vitamin supplements that have been helpful.  Fish Oil,   Acetyl-L-Carnitine, and one that contains DHA. 

Good luck to you and your son.