I too am the parent of a child who was diagnosed with ADHD many years ago. She is my oldest and when we decided to put her on the meds I was scared, mad as hell, and very confused. I used to think it was just a ploy the teachers used to "pigeon-hole" the kids they didn't have the time to deal with. As my daughter grew though I realized there was a problem. We tried everything we could to keep her off the meds.

It was a social stigma for the daughter as much as a concern for her mom and I. She hated needing the extra help in class and had a difficult time accepting the fact that she was ADHD. Knowing what I now know, she needed so much more than we could offer her.

I don't regret keeping her on the meds until she was old enough to make her own decision whether or not to keep taking them (well into her high school years). There may be alternative treatments, but nothing worked for her.

You'll be in my thoughts as you go through this. You aren't alone! There are support groups in most cities you can seek out for help.