If we did not sleep, we would notice the difference, and we would crave sleep it - but that doesn’t mean we’re hooked on it. Here’s another helpful analogy: Sleep is incredibly important and healthy because that’s what keeps us functioning. A medication is useful if it helps a child execute what they need to do - not if they achieve a high off of it. If a child finds medication useful, they’re dependent on it in the same way that a person with a broken leg depends on crutches or a wheelchair ramp. Clinicians should remind parents of this difference. ADHD Medication Concern: Will My Child Will Become Dependent?įinding ADHD medication useful and helpful is not the same thing as developing a dependency on it.

In other words, it’s not that the child is less funny it’s that they’re more appropriately funny at the right times. If a child known for his sense of humor seems “less funny” on medication, it could be that the medication is properly inhibiting them. Another medication should be tried.Īt the same time, parents should know that not all personality changes sparked by medication are negative. They may desire interventions to address some challenging aspects of their child’s behavior, but they are afraid medication will turn their son or daughter into a “ zombie.”Ĭlinicians should assure parents that any medication that appears to mute the child’s positive aspects and core personality is indicative of an unsuccessful medical trial. The most common fear I hear from parents is that ADHD medication will change their child’s personality. “Should I Medicate My Child for ADHD?” Common Medication Concerns ADHD Medication Concern: Will My Child Become a Zombie? While it’s important to educate parents on how medications work and why they might be used, it’s equally critical for clinicians to support parents by being mindful of the concerns that are often present, though not always overtly stated, as they navigate the decision-making process. The benefits and side effects of ADHD medications, whether stimulants or nonstimulants, are well documented. It is not a black-and-white decision for most caregivers. They research the pros and cons of ADHD medication, but their findings are colored by feelings of guilt and fear of judgement from others. For parents, the question of adding medication to their child’s treatment plan is one that weighs heavily. The issue of medication for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) - more than with any other condition that I treat - is controversial and murky.

Add vs adhd medication