By, Fatima Malik
This whole debate around the covid vaccine had me thinking about how many people feel a certain way about vaccines and medications, without actually doing any proper research around the matter.
They make it a matter of principle, whereas it’s a simple life and death matter (and restaurants if that’s important to you).
It’s the same with ADHD medication, especially when your child needs it (depending on the severity of the symptoms.)
It is common for people to have various opinions around medication based on their own experiences or something they heard when they were a kid, and now that is just an unconscious decision they’ve made.
The fact of the matter is that most of these opinions are just that, opinions – they are not informed decisions.
Making Informed Decisions about ADHD treatments
There is literally no other way to make an important life decision.
You could go with your ‘gut’ when it comes to investing your money in real estate, but even that ‘gut feeling’ is based on some sort of research and consultations with experts.
You don’t just wake up one day and buy a property (even if you have cash laying around). You research the house and the area, talk to a realtor, and discuss with loved ones. So why are medications for yourself or your child a matter of principle?
Or is it denial? This is where therapy comes in, talking to someone about your fears can help you make informed decisions.
Everyone needs therapy—the child diagnosed with ADHD, the siblings of that child and the parents.
If your child was diagnosed with ADHD, that is a significant change in your life. There is going to be an ongoing adjustment needed because of this change. Mainly because the diagnosis isn’t the end of it. After the diagnosis comes the treatment, then comes training, adjustments at home, and as the child grows up, additional changes along the way.
Regardless of what you thought ADHD is and what preconceived notions you may have around the medicinal treatment of ADHD, the fact remains that the decision to give your child medication isn’t a simple, Yes or No answer.
It is more of a trial and error process. A process that needs professional supervision, i.e. the child’s doctor, additional supplementary behavioural treatments, parental training on how to raise a child with ADHD, and if you happen to have other kids without ADHD, how to better understand what they may be going through and prepare them to grow up in a household with someone with ADHD.
So, in the end, keeping opinions and principles aside, proper research, consultations and education are required when deciding whether to medicate your child or not.
Lots and lots of discussions with experts, professionals, the child’s teachers and therapists will help you make an informed decision, that is best for your child in the long run.
Trying out ADHD medications
Sometimes there’s no way of knowing if medication will have the desired effect on the symptoms, so, therefore, chances are you might have to medicate the child to see how it goes.
But there are protocols for these kinds of trials, where breaking the rules, like not being consistent or stopping the medication without giving it the chance to work, will negatively affect the results. Therefore you’d end up making a decision based on botched results.
Disagreements between parents around ADHD medication
If there is a serious disagreement between parents around medication, it is important to involve the experts, so both parties have all the information required to make an informed decision.
For example, meeting with the doctors, meeting with your child’s psychologist, involving the school, and sometimes it helps to involve other family members like grandparents so everyone can be on the same page regarding the severity of the symptoms and the doctor’s official recommendations.
Worst case scenario, if one parent is going against all the recommendations of the doctor and other professionals, then the matter can be taken to court for the wellbeing of the child. Here is more information on ADHD treatment guidelines.
For additional advice please contact us at 1-866-503-7454 we have professionals in cities like Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Maple Ridge, Langley etc
