Attention Deficit Disorder: To Medicate Or Not To Medicate

That is the question.

The issue of whether to treat Attention Deficit Disorder using medications is a personal decision that must be made on a case by case basis by the affected individual or his/her parents in concert with a knowledgeable, patient, and available medical professional. Numerous factors must be taken into consideration.

Certainly, there is no "magic pill" that will enable someone with ADD/ADHD, etc.  to function perfectly without developing skills and coping strategies. I think it's unfortunate that in our society we have a predilection for the idea that we can fix everything with a pill; it's a damaging concept, in my opinion, that encourages us to avoid personal responsibility and the hard work that is often needed in dealing with an issue, and ADD is no exception. Even if medication is used to treat ADD, the patient and his or her family must still work to identify skills and copying strategies, develop schedules and reminders, and work with teachers, employers, other family members, friends, and really any other individuals with whom the patient is involved on a daily basis to find positive ways to accomplish daily tasks.

In my family, we have two children who have been formally diagnosed with ADHD and one who certainly has it but for whom we have not sought formal diagnosis and treatment at this time. My oldest daughter chose treatment with medication as a young adult then later decided to discontinue the drug, feeling that it hampered her creativity to too great a degree.  We chose medication for my oldest son when he was about nine years old because he was completely unable to function in a school setting; it did help him for several years, but as an older teenager he chose to discontinue the meds as well.  We've chosen to help our youngest daughter cope with her symptoms without medication with mixed success, though she is doing better this year than ever before. I have personally used medication to treat my own ADD for many years, but because of our recent loss of health insurance, I will be working to handle my condition without the use of medications very soon.

Always take these things (in the order most relevant to YOUR circumstances) into account when deciding on whether to us medication to treat Attention Deficit Disorder:

1. How serious is the condition in the individual being treated? Can they reasonably be expected to get through an average day in one piece without it? Have you tried using other types of interventions before resorting to medication?

2. Do you have the ability and the determination to implement alternative strategies consistently?

3. Are there coexisting conditions, whether medicated or not, that could have an effect on the success or failure of drug treatment for the ADD?

4. Are there lifestyle issues that make medication more or less advisable?

5. Do your religious beliefs allow for treatment of ADD using medications?

6. Are there factors in your family medical history that would make using a particular medication, or any medication at all, inadvisable?

7. Does the individual have any medical history that would preclude using medications to treat his or her ADD?

8. What medications are being considered?  Do you, or the parents of an affected child, have strong feelings about the use of stimulant medication vs. non-stimulants? Would you prefer to try Wellbutrin or Strattera before resorting to the use of a stimulant?

9. What is the patient's attitude toward taking medication?  Can he or she be relied upon to take it as prescribed?

In short, NEVER consider using medication to treat Attention Deficit Disorder until you are completely confident in the diagnosis and you have fully considered all the relevant factors involved.

What other factors are you aware of that might have an impact on the decision whether to use medication to treat Attention Deficit Disorder?  Please provide your feedback to this very important discussion; valid comments will be used to update the article for future versions.