How Should I Treat My Child's ADHD?

When Meds Deliver Benefits, Everyone Is Happy

How does it feel to know that your or your child’s medications are working? Joy, fear, and relief, say ADDitude readers.

ADDitude asked: What did it feel like when your or your child’s ADHD meds finally worked?

I felt I had done right by my child. I gave him what he needed to be successful in school and in life. -Theresa, New Jersey

> Relieved. He’s doing much better in school and no longer gets time-outs. He still struggles, but he can focus better now that we’ve increased his dose. -Jenn Dothan, Alabama

> In the beginning, it seemed too good to be true. When it was obvious that the meds were helping, relief and calm came over me. -Avie Lumpkin, California

> My son finally became calm and manageable. -An ADDitude Reader

> It was like when I got my first pair of eyeglasses. I remember walking to school with my new glasses and noticing that I could see the individual leaves on the trees. It was amazing. When my medication dose “got right,” I could see beyond my own needs and my own opinions about what was right and wrong. I was already a successful professional, but I became a nicer person. -Cathi Zillmann, Smithtown, New York

> I cried the first time my child looked me in the eye and talked with me calmly. -An ADDitude Reader

> I felt clearer and had less brain fog. I felt as though I had some forward momentum. -C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

> It felt as if my brain took a deep breath and was able to rest, instead of fighting with me. -Jill Hughes, Casper, Wyoming

> It feels like, “Oh, this must be how it’s supposed to be!” -An ADDitude Reader

> I felt great when my son said, “When I am on my medication, I can do my math in 30 minutes. When I am not, it takes me four hours.” (Now he is a mechanical engineer.) -Nancy, Green Pond, New Jersey

> This sounds strange, but I felt fear – because I noticed improvements and a happier home and I worried that it would end. -Tammy, Ontario, Canada

> It was an amazing day for us when our son finally had a dose of medication that didn’t bring him to a crashing halt and didn’t turn him into Mr. Hyde! -Ruth, Georgia

> It felt liberating. I felt I was the person I was meant to be. I could focus much better, both at my job and in my home life. -Kristin Horton, Oakdale, Minnesota

> It felt like a switch had been turned on inside me. My meds help me feel like I am awake. -Terry Grier, Springfield, Missouri

> Great. But when puberty kicked in for my child, we had to look for the right dose again. -Terry Redwine, Knoxville, Tennessee