Diagnosing and treating ADHD isn’t so much about the 9th-grade girl who can’t remember to turn in her homework, even though turning in her homework might seem important to her parents. It is about understanding and providing support for now and for the rest of her life.
I know parents who are against the use of medications or even getting a diagnosis because they believe there is a more natural way to cure their child, or because they don’t want their kids to feel labeled. To these parents I say:
- There are hundreds of studies that prove medication is the only treatment that makes an improvement to ADHD symptoms while the medication is in the body. There are no studies that prove anything else provides the same improvements. But medication is not magic, it’s a vital piece, in addition to coaches, teachers, and therapies who understand the diagnosis.
- ADHD is lifelong. If your kid is struggling now, without help he/she will struggle later too.
- Label is a bad word for diagnose. A diagnosis is a lens to see your child through so that you can empathize with his/her struggles and understand how to support him/her. It is also a lens for your child/teen to see him/herself in understanding their own struggles. It is a challenge is rise up to. Getting a diagnosis can profoundly change how someone sees him/herself for the better. It is an opportunity to become educated so you can make good decisions. It allows your child to get medication, to get support in school and college that you legally are entitled to, and to get support from therapists, doctors, and coaches.
According to Ari Tuckman, PsyD, “ADHD is one of the most disabling of all the mental health diagnoses.” Undiagnosed or untreated ADHD is a “death by a thousand cuts.” Here is what that 9th-grade girl’s life may need to deal with if she were to continue with untreated ADHD (most of these facts are from books and videos by Russell Barkley, Ph.D. and Ari Tuckman, PsyD.):
High school
- Lower GPA
- Could be one of the ⅓ students with ADHD that don’t graduate
- Most likely will not finish college because only 5-10% of college students with ADHD graduate with a degree
Driving (Across the board, most accidents are from distraction drivers, people with ADHD have issues with getting distracted or than typical drivers.)
- Increased amount of speeding tickets
- 40% more likely to have an accident or multiple accidents
- Her accident is more likely to be a serious accidents
- Three times as likely to have her license suspended
Money management:
- More likely to not pay bills on time
- More likely to have the utilities turned off
- More likely to impulsively use credit
- More likely to damage her credit rating
Social and Health issues
- More likely to have trouble with long-term relationships especially romantic relationships
- More likely to be divorced
- Four times more likely to have an STD due to multiple sexual partners
- More likely to have a pregnancy at a young age due to impulsive behavior and the lack of contraceptives. (According to a study of teens with untreated ADHD, 32% of boys have fathered a child before the age of 19 and 68% of girls have become pregnant before the age of 19)
- More likely to abuse other drugs (It is a myth that stimulant medication causes the use of illegal drugs. If fact the opposite has been proven in numerous studies)
- More likely to have increased chance of having a disease that is related to poor diet like heart disease.
- More likely to develop anxiety and depression as comorbid conditions due to repeated failure due to lack of treatment.
Job:
- More likely to have lower employee evaluations.
- More likely to quit a job without having a new job to go to.
- More likely to be fired due to poor performance or tardiness.
- More likely to have lower paying jobs due to lack of education.
Untreated ADHD can be debilitating. It is treatable. There is support. People with ADHD are passionate, global thinkers whose voices who need to hear.
