My ADHD kid is medicated AND THAT'S OKAY

My child has ADHD. (and we are not in the US)​I have encountered so much abject ignorance about this disorder and about medical treatment on our journey (Which has been a long one). Completely false information repeated to me from professionals working in education. Completely false information parroted from fellow parents. And I'm sick and tired of it.Here's some things I've encountered from fellow parents, teachers, and even resources like ADDitude magazine:ADHD is a GiftTalking about ADHD as if it's a gift invalidates the very real struggles and limitations that people with this disability face.And I'd just like to say, "No, it's fucking not".​Just like telling a dyslexic middle schooler inspirational stories of celebrities with their disorder, it does nothing to actually help a kid who can't fucking read. It's not a solution, it doesn't help people feel better beyond at least the knowledge that they aren't alone.Talking about autism as if they're all hidden savants invalidates the struggles of parents who deal with hours-long meltdowns, fecal smearing, and never being able to speak to their kid.ADDitude magazine and other parenting websites have published editorial articles espousing ADHD as some magical evolutionary edge that, if only we lived in prehistoric times, would somehow be useful if our modern depraved social structures were geared towards these kind of individuals.I have ADHD. I fail to see how my pathological inability to plan ahead would benefit humanity on an evolutionary level. If I were a cave man I'd to a pretty shitty job at it.Medicating = FailureIt's often written about as the ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT that anyone should ever consider. The department head of "Learning Needs" at my kids school openly questioned why I had chosen to medicate--despite staring at a large file of his documented struggles. She seemed dismayed that I had "resorted" to this.Medicating is taking a proactive, evidence-based approach to managing a disability that can be very difficult to live with. ADHD is associated with higher rates of depression and lower self-esteem. We should be relieved that it can be easily treated with non-invasive medical intervention resulting in dramatic improvement of symptoms. Why is this not being celebrated? There is nothing "wrong" with my child--I love him for who he is! But he needs help.I didn't give up on my kid. Imagine you are the parent of a 16 month old child. And you can't go out to restaurants, accept invitations to social events, or even make it through a day without a ridiculous, illogical temper tantrum. Imagine how tired and discouraged you feel after a day of crying fits. Multiply that by SEVEN YEARS. That is my life. My child is now struggling to function and it takes a toll on HIM. He sees the consequences of his impulsiveness and failure to follow instructions. Our family life is completely dominated by his behavior.Medication is a step that is well-researched, safe, medically appropriate, and EFFECTIVE. It's not a failure. Would you try to heal a broken arm using homeopathic herbs?ADHD Doesn't exist; some kids are just more hyperADHD is not a conspiracy invented by big pharma to trick lazy parents into sedating difficult children. How and why this rumor got started I have no idea, but it needs to die.As Dr. Russel Barkley so aptly puts, To say that ADHD is inattentiveness, is to say that autism is arm-flapping. The inattentiveness is just one symptom of an underlying neurological disorder that affects the whole of that person's executive functioning: planning ahead, impulse control, emotional regulation, stimulus response, time management, and so on. There are far more things that we DON'T see that affect a person with ADHD that are a great hindrance to their success in life. THAT is why we treat it: not simply to make active kids calm down.ADHD can be treated with food/esential oilsI'm as interested as you are in the gut-brain connection. Until we have actual, evidence-based medical research done, Imma go ahead and treat my kid according to the protocols that actual science and medicine show is effective and safe. Thanks but no thanks.Do I really need to explain why essential oils aren't going to help much?Finally, Wouldn't we ALL benefit from better diet and more exercise? Associating a positive correlation in BEHAVIOR is a false notion. ADHD is not a behavioral disorder; it is neurological. We need more than behavioral interventions to successfully treat it and more than diet changes to manage its symptoms.​Thanks for listening to my manifesto. ADHD parents--you are not alone, the struggle is real, and medicating your kids is safe, effective, and POSITIVE. My son is happier. He is more confident. He feels better about himself. He is doing better in school. He FEELS better. Don't let mommy-warrior mumbo jumbo on Facebook deter you from seeking medical help. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2Eezygr