Teen years-no meds anymore

It varies among young people. Some outgrow their ADHD, for the most part (and thus their need for medication to control it), and others struggle with it throughout their lives. Since your son is only 12, it remains to be seen which category he’ll fall into. He may outgrow it while in his teens.

Yours truly,
Kathy G.

Interested wrote:
>
> Any parents really find that during or post teen years
> they’re children no longer required medication? Our physician
> claims that half of the kids with ADHD will no longer need
> medicine when going through puberty. I have heard this
> before, is it true. So far our son shows no signs of
> lessening symptoms of his ADHD. He, however, is just 12.

I have seen that some ADD/ADHD children improve as they grow older. All kids’ attention spans usually get better as they older. My own son was able, as a teenager, to do well without medication.

Whether it’s fair to say 1/2 or not, is something else again. And, as you say, your son is still young.

It’s also true that these days some people only begin taking medication for their ADD/ADHD as an adult.

There are some excellent websites on ADD/ADHD. Do a search and you’ll find several organizations devoted to gathering and sharing information about ADD/ADHD. Some of their information may be what you’re looking for.

It is my understanding that ADHD never goes away. I am an adult with ADHD. But a person with ADHD grows, changes, and developes as they age just like anyone else. My experience is that the hyperkinetic energy subsided at puberty, but that hyper activity remanifested itself as “racing thoughts” and a tendency to become overly preoccupied, often leading to insomnia. Another factor in my change of behavior was that I had begun to suffer from major depression (a common comorbid disorder) at about the same time.

If your son does become less hyperactive, that may not mean that he no longer could benefit from medication. Difficulty focusing, organizing one’s thoughts, having difficulty with self-motivation can persist. You may want to research adult ADD to get a better idea of some of the problems he may experience as he grows older.

OTOH many people with ADHD see their symptoms decrease in severity and/or aquire effective compensations, with or without consciously trying, and can do very well without meds regardless. Medication is not the only treatment for ADD.

Has anyone here had any experience with neurofeedback to treat ADD? My 16-year old has just been diagnosed with severe ADD (but not hyperactivity). I’m reading a lot of interesting literature on the subject, and would welcome input from any parents or specialists.
Thanks

CHADD’s take on this is that it is not proven to be effective and can be very expensive.

I have used biofeedback and the techniques for relaxation (but not formally as treatment for my ADHD). I think that most people can benefit from a greater awareness of how their bodies react to stress and mindfulness can be helpful to a person with ADD, but as for the dramatic differences that some people claim, I remain sceptical.

Greetings Mary,

Dr. Amen, nationally recognized ADD expert, states in his book entitled HEALING ADD that, “In my experience with neurofeedback and ADD, many people are able to improve their reading skills and decrease their need for medication. Also, neurofeedback has helped to decrease impulsivity and aggressiveness…… The use of neurofeedback is considered controversial by many clinicians and researchers. More published research needs to be done in order to demonstrate its long-term effectiveness. Some of the controversy stems from exaggerated claims for neurofeedback. Some clinics have advertised that they can cure ADD with neurofeedback alone. That is not my experience. Overselling neurofeedback has hurt its credibility, but in my clinical experience it is a powerful and exciting treatment and we are yet to see its full development.”

You might want to check out Dr. Amen’s website at www.brainplace.com for more information.

Blessings, momo

Hi,

We have also noticed a major change in our almost 12yo son. He seems a lot less “active” lately, or more impulse controlled I should say. Everyone around us comment on how more “mature-like” his behaviour has been. We took him off the meds (Aderall) for the entire summer and is “behaving” better now than when he was on it.

We don’t fully understand what is going on but perhaps it is due to the fact that in the summer the pressure is off and he is more relaxed. He doesn’t have all the school issues to deal with, like peer pressure, deadlines, study halls, etc. And, he eats better, sleeps better, therefore feels better physically and mentally.

Now the question is, should we keep him off the meds starting the new school year and “wait and see? Or should we start him then, and make sure he gets a “smooth” start? That is a tough one for any parent, but we have decided to “wait and see”. Maybe he has developed the strategies he needed to do well without meds, maybe not. We will never know if we don’t try.

So, good luck to you and your son. If you want, we can stay in touch to exhange our sons’ progress. My email address is [email protected].

Take care,

mlwmc