ADHD / ADD Support Group
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.
I have probably been lucky, but when I started taking Ritalin it changed my life. My colleagues were amazed to see how much more work I managed to get through, as was I. So in my case it's a success story. The same goes for my son - he is at university, was struggling to keep up and since he's been taking ritalin his marks have improved tremendously. His girlfriend says she can see how much it helps him. The first day he took it his words were "I can actually sit through an entire lecture and focus on what the lecturer says!" He was amazed.
When my son was in high school I discussed the possibility of him being/having ADD with the doctor - she said (after we went though all the possible symptoms) sometimes the final test is to try ritalin - if it works then ADD is the problem. Some kids compensate so you don't always see all the classic signs, so it may be difficult to diagnose. In his case I could see an immediate difference. The symptoms also differ from person to person.
I don;t want to create the impression that our doctor mmedicates everybody and everything - her ons som has ADD and she mentioned to me that she has treid various drugs for him but he can't take them.
Having said all this, I know that Ritalin doesn't work for everyone, In fact, meds don't work for everyone. BUT YOU WON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY.
When my son was in high school I discussed the possibility of him being/having ADD with the doctor - she said (after we went though all the possible symptoms) sometimes the final test is to try ritalin - if it works then ADD is the problem. Some kids compensate so you don't always see all the classic signs, so it may be difficult to diagnose. In his case I could see an immediate difference. The symptoms also differ from person to person.
I don;t want to create the impression that our doctor mmedicates everybody and everything - her ons som has ADD and she mentioned to me that she has treid various drugs for him but he can't take them.
Having said all this, I know that Ritalin doesn't work for everyone, In fact, meds don't work for everyone. BUT YOU WON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY.
Your son is at University, which is fantastic & you must be very proud? People have their own views on everything & unless you walk a day in someone elses shoes, they have absolutely no idea at all.
Thanks for sharing!!
Adderall XR-10 is what is what we use and we like it.
I don't know about focalin. I have heard that Vyvyanse? is supposed to be another version and cheaper........Is it Vyvanse that is another version of the Adderall? I've heard of that.
If you can take the ritalin, just take care.
:-D
I have dyscalculia.
I also agree with 4myson about always working with your doctor - In fact I have to go back to her because I am developing a tolerance to Ritalin and have had to increase my dosage (with hre blessing) - hope she has good news for me!
Ritalin, like any other drug, can be abused, but as long as ADD/AHD is properly diagnosed, and as long as it is taken as prescribed, I don;t see a problem. And of course if it works!
I have a colleague who has a son with ADD - they didn't want to medicate him and tried all sorts of other things, and now they're going to medicate him after all - after he's lost another year at school. And he was already old for his class, so it can become a problem.