Ask the Experts

Too Embarrassed to Seek Help?

“Therapists and teachers have suggested that my son has ADHD, but he has always been too embarrassed to see a psychiatrist. He’s 21 now and struggling in college. How can I get him to reconsider and accept some help?”

Since your son is now an adult, you cannot force him to get help. You might try asking his advisor at college, or a teacher he liked in high school, to sit down with him and explain why they think he has ADHD. Or send him a book or an article about ADHD and the effectiveness of treatment, possibly highlighting passages that you think describe him.

Once he’s convinced that he really does have a problem, and that treatment is available, he might be willing to get help.

 

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