An extract from the book about ADHD medication:
I was beginning to despair. We had a structured life at home with rules and boundaries and rewards and punishments, none of which seemed to make a difference. And I’d tried all the exclusion diets and supplements I could cope with. I was ready for something else – medication.
Now I know the idea of medicating kids with ADHD tends to polarize folk. Many people feel that drugs such as Ritalin simply zombify our over-energetic youngsters; others believe parents go to the doctor for Ritalin because they can’t be bothered with proper parenting. Medication is not for everyone, and it doesn’t work for everyone. And at first I was very reluctant to try medication for Daniel because after all, what parent does want their child to be taking strong mind-altering drugs?
However, I started thinking about it rationally. If my son had epilepsy or asthma I wouldn’t think twice about giving him the medication he needed to control the condition. Why was ADHD any different? After all, it is a genuine medical condition, with biological roots – and if medication could help him have the control to manage his behaviour then I’d be denying him the chance of a more normal life if I didn’t let him try it.
More on medication in The Boy From Hell – pre-order your copy now
