I’m not confident that ADHD is the real problem and that makes me fearful of ADHD medication
Hi. It’s Dr. James Wiley with Focus MD. Another thing that makes parents fearful about giving their children ADHD medication is they’re not really 100 percent sure that their child has ADHD in the first place. The diagnosis can be subtle. It’s not always cut and dry. And parents often have a justifiable concern that they’re starting medication for a diagnosis that they don’t completely understand or that they haven’t bought into.
This is very scary for a lot of parents. And at Focus MD, we really strive to address this by doing more objective testing, looking actually at the patient’s movement and attention and impulse control and then comparing those parameters to age- and gender-based norms. This way, parents really can see objectively how their child compares with other children. And we’re not backing into a diagnosis by looking at behaviors. We’re looking at neurology.
Of course, the behavioral aspects of ADHD are extremely important in making the diagnosis, so we make sure that parents are not rushed and have plenty of time to tell their story and that we have plenty of time to get to know the child. If there’s any question, we recommend taking our time and delaying the diagnosis and treatment until everybody’s more sure and comfortable with what’s going on. That way, we don’t have to be so afraid of the medication.
This information should not be relied upon as a substitute for personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use the information provided on this site solely at your own risk. If you have any concerns about your health, please consult with a physician.
James Wiley is the founder of Focus-MD. Focus-MD is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and related problem patients. They provide objective testing, medical treatment as well as behavior modification strategies to help or patients transform from frustration to focus. To find a Focus-MD clinic, click here.
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